Three Benefits from an eCommerce Blog
With all the marketing, P.R. and social media tactics you do, you may believe that having an eCommerce blog is not that important, and you wouldn’t be alone. The majority of eCommerce sites don’t have a blog; but they (and you) are missing out on some major opportunities and benefits.
Benefit #1: Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
This is the number one reason to have a blog for your online store, and it’s a good one. You’re most likely aware that search engines such as Google regularly “crawl” content on a site. This content, assuming it’s relevant, is what leads to higher rankings on a search engine. Including a blog on your eCommerce site will dramatically increase the amount of content your website contains. The more content you have, the more your website information will show up in search engine results. Including relevant links and keywords can help to maximize your site’s inclusion in search results.
Benefit #2: Connecting with Your Customers on a Deeper Level
It’s difficult to create relationships with your customers in the online retail world. Blogging allows you to show a side of yourself and your business that you don’t necessarily show on your website or even in social media. While your customers probably won’t meet you in person, they can learn more about you, your company, and values through your blog. The more connected your customers feel, the more likely they will be to continue doing business with you.
While some of your blog posts will be product-focused, make sure to include posts that aren’t just about business. You can talk about your charity efforts, community involvement, or even as a way to share stories about/with your customers.
Here’s an example post from Just Neem, a company that offers natural, premium Neem products for body and skin care.
Benefit #3: Provides a Place to Keep Your Customers in the Know
Cluttering your website with a lot of random information isn’t good for business, but you probably have lots of things to share. Maybe your company is growing, and you’ve hired new team members. Did you roll out a new line of products or add to your existing line? Were you or your company nominated for or win an award? Want to share useful information, or even answer questions from your customers? How about letting people know about some great publicity your company received? You can include all of these items in blog posts, without worrying about the length. The best part? You can mention these posts on social media with a link back to the blog post, which will help with SEO efforts.
Here’s an example from The Blissful Dog (www.theblissfuldog.com), which offers butters to help your dog’s nose, elbows, and paws go from crusty and itchy to smooth and healthy.
We know that adding another item to your marketing to-do list isn’t fun, but using a blog can really help your marketing and sales efforts. Sharing your product information, accomplishments and thoughts can lead to stronger customer relationships. That can only help your sales!
