Using Content to
Grow eCommerce
Sales
Meet
Heidi
Meet
Sam
@Mallikarjunan
#ContentSells
Table of Contents

       Introduction to Inbound
   1   Marketing

   2   Building a Content Strategy


   3   Creating a Content Culture


   4   Selling Better Using Content


   5   Content and the Shopping Cart
                                       5
What is Inbound Marketing?
Creating Marketing That People Love




                                      6
What is Inbound Marketing?
Creating Marketing That People Love




                                      7
34%                  of US Adults who find informational
                           blog articles about a product
                           influential prior to purchase




             - eMarketer


#inbound12
80%                    of Americans age 18-34 are
                              influenced by blogs when making
                              purchase decisions




             - Burst Media Survey, 2012



#inbound12
Blogging is An Investment that
Grows
Selling Better Using Content
Mapping content to different phases of the buying cycle




                                                          11
Mapping Mind & Methodology
A cohesive experience that people love




                                         12
Attract: Build Specific Buyer Personas




                                         13
Know
Your
Custome
r
Buyer Personas

        Building Buyer
White   Personas tell us who
        we are creating
        content for and why
        they will buy from us.
meet
charlie.
Charlie Wants To Buy A Digital Camera




         But he’s not sure which digital camera to
90%                  of Americans go to search engines when
                           looking for information prior to buying a
                           product online.




             - eMarketer



#inbound12
Charlie Needs to Learn More




And he knows just where to look…
You Can
             White
                     Educate
                     Charlie.


#inbound12
34%               of US Online Retailers plan to
                           invest in blogging on their website
                           this year.




             - eMarketer



#inbound12
Are my customers finding content
about my product online?




            Is the content that they’re finding
            mine – and is it on my website?




                                                  22
Feature Content
Throughout The
Purchase Cycle




                  24
You Say Hello To Charlie
37%                    *of companies using marketing
                                automation to cross-sell and upsell
                                existing customers.




             - Forrester Research


#inbound12
Great Store
Content Is Critical




                      27
Detailed product names get you found

   1   Include brand name


   2   Keywords to help sell:
       size, color, style, etc.

   3   Generic terms bury you in search




                                          28
Go from buried within 1.7
million hits to #2 rank on
Google

 “Creatine Powder” vs.
  “Musashi Arouse Pre
    Workout Creatine
   Phosphate Blend”

                             29
Detailed descriptions get sales

        Improve SEO and inform
   1    shoppers

   2    Wear your “consumer” hat


   3    Highlight details that sell in plain language

        Do not be tempted by pre-written
   4    descriptions



                                                        30
•   Thorough description
•   Bulleted features
•   Technology
•   “Compare to”

http://www.bicyclesonline.com.au




                                   31
Reviews Lift Sales



 • 80% of consumers consult product reviews
 • Featuring reviews increases conversion by 4.6% and sales by
   18%
 • Allow negative reviews: shoppers who read bad reviews
   convert 67% more
 • Reviews come from Social Media- use Social Proof



                                                                 32
Anatomy of a
Product Page
Product Page Best Practices




                              33
Use product name everywhere

                              34
Provide different levels of product description
       Detailed description, summary, key feature bullets
        Maximum info for shoppers = higher search rank
                                                            35
Use the best images and video available
1/3 of time spent on your product page is on images; 67% of consumers rated image quality as very important




                                                                                                              36
Reviews
Empower shoppers to submit regular reviews



  •   Make sure the ability to easily review is built right in

  •   Date your reviews and constantly seek out fresh content

  •   Find and feature customer reviews from social media

  •   Video reviews really resonate with consumers




                                                                 37
Creating a content culture
How to find content everywhere in your business




                                                  38
See Content Everywhere




                         39
Let Users Create
Content For You




                   40
Cultivate and Curate Reviews



 • Add a link on each product page for submitting reviews
 • Ask for reviews from buyers as part of email strategy
 • Cut down on spam by limiting reviews to buyers only




                                                            41
Add Videos
Customers and your own




• Consumers are 65-85% more likely to buy after watching
• Ask customers to submit videos of themselves using or talking
  about a product
• Create a video contest to encourage submission




                                                                  42
Videos Help You Sell More




                            43
Charlie’s
        research helps
        him pick a
White   winner, and he
        adds to his
        cart…
Content & The Purchase
Never stop selling




  • Add to cart doesn’t mean your job is done
  • Add mini product descriptions to in-cart and checkout screens
  • Add positive product reviews to confirmation emails to
    reinforce decision




                                                                    45
… but Charlie
        gets scared and
        abandons his
White   cart
45%         - PayPal
                        of Americans abandon multiple
                        carts per month.




#inbound12
But it’s not always
                     about money, so
             White   don’t be in such a
                     hurry to give away
                     coupons…



#inbound12
36.4%                of visitors that abandoned
                        their shopping cart engaged
                        with their automated email
                        campaign


             - PayPal




#inbound12
You eventually
        push the right
        button, and
White   Charlie buys!
Post-sale Follow Up Emails
                     that generate more sales


             White   •   Blog article on Set Up
                     •   Social Community Email
                     •   Net Promoter Survey
                     •   Accessories Blog Article
                     •   Accessories Guest Blog


#inbound12
Charlie loves
        the
        experience, love
White   s the
        product, and
        loves the
        community
18%
      of US consumers have purchased a
      product because one of their
      friends follows or likes that product
      on a social network.
                               - Ipsos
If Charlie is Social, be his
                     friend
                     •   Start with a simple follow
                     •   Retweet His Excitement
             White   •   Introduce him to others
                     •   Send him blog articles
                     •   Be authentic




#inbound12
Why does social media matter?
THANK
 YOU.
        56
Questions
?

How to Use Content for eCommerce Marketing

  • 1.
    Using Content to GroweCommerce Sales
  • 2.
  • 3.
  • 4.
  • 5.
    Table of Contents Introduction to Inbound 1 Marketing 2 Building a Content Strategy 3 Creating a Content Culture 4 Selling Better Using Content 5 Content and the Shopping Cart 5
  • 6.
    What is InboundMarketing? Creating Marketing That People Love 6
  • 7.
    What is InboundMarketing? Creating Marketing That People Love 7
  • 8.
    34% of US Adults who find informational blog articles about a product influential prior to purchase - eMarketer #inbound12
  • 9.
    80% of Americans age 18-34 are influenced by blogs when making purchase decisions - Burst Media Survey, 2012 #inbound12
  • 10.
    Blogging is AnInvestment that Grows
  • 11.
    Selling Better UsingContent Mapping content to different phases of the buying cycle 11
  • 12.
    Mapping Mind &Methodology A cohesive experience that people love 12
  • 13.
    Attract: Build SpecificBuyer Personas 13
  • 14.
  • 15.
    Buyer Personas Building Buyer White Personas tell us who we are creating content for and why they will buy from us.
  • 16.
  • 17.
    Charlie Wants ToBuy A Digital Camera But he’s not sure which digital camera to
  • 18.
    90% of Americans go to search engines when looking for information prior to buying a product online. - eMarketer #inbound12
  • 19.
    Charlie Needs toLearn More And he knows just where to look…
  • 20.
    You Can White Educate Charlie. #inbound12
  • 21.
    34% of US Online Retailers plan to invest in blogging on their website this year. - eMarketer #inbound12
  • 22.
    Are my customersfinding content about my product online? Is the content that they’re finding mine – and is it on my website? 22
  • 24.
  • 25.
    You Say HelloTo Charlie
  • 26.
    37% *of companies using marketing automation to cross-sell and upsell existing customers. - Forrester Research #inbound12
  • 27.
  • 28.
    Detailed product namesget you found 1 Include brand name 2 Keywords to help sell: size, color, style, etc. 3 Generic terms bury you in search 28
  • 29.
    Go from buriedwithin 1.7 million hits to #2 rank on Google “Creatine Powder” vs. “Musashi Arouse Pre Workout Creatine Phosphate Blend” 29
  • 30.
    Detailed descriptions getsales Improve SEO and inform 1 shoppers 2 Wear your “consumer” hat 3 Highlight details that sell in plain language Do not be tempted by pre-written 4 descriptions 30
  • 31.
    Thorough description • Bulleted features • Technology • “Compare to” http://www.bicyclesonline.com.au 31
  • 32.
    Reviews Lift Sales • 80% of consumers consult product reviews • Featuring reviews increases conversion by 4.6% and sales by 18% • Allow negative reviews: shoppers who read bad reviews convert 67% more • Reviews come from Social Media- use Social Proof 32
  • 33.
    Anatomy of a ProductPage Product Page Best Practices 33
  • 34.
    Use product nameeverywhere 34
  • 35.
    Provide different levelsof product description Detailed description, summary, key feature bullets Maximum info for shoppers = higher search rank 35
  • 36.
    Use the bestimages and video available 1/3 of time spent on your product page is on images; 67% of consumers rated image quality as very important 36
  • 37.
    Reviews Empower shoppers tosubmit regular reviews • Make sure the ability to easily review is built right in • Date your reviews and constantly seek out fresh content • Find and feature customer reviews from social media • Video reviews really resonate with consumers 37
  • 38.
    Creating a contentculture How to find content everywhere in your business 38
  • 39.
  • 40.
  • 41.
    Cultivate and CurateReviews • Add a link on each product page for submitting reviews • Ask for reviews from buyers as part of email strategy • Cut down on spam by limiting reviews to buyers only 41
  • 42.
    Add Videos Customers andyour own • Consumers are 65-85% more likely to buy after watching • Ask customers to submit videos of themselves using or talking about a product • Create a video contest to encourage submission 42
  • 43.
    Videos Help YouSell More 43
  • 44.
    Charlie’s research helps him pick a White winner, and he adds to his cart…
  • 45.
    Content & ThePurchase Never stop selling • Add to cart doesn’t mean your job is done • Add mini product descriptions to in-cart and checkout screens • Add positive product reviews to confirmation emails to reinforce decision 45
  • 46.
    … but Charlie gets scared and abandons his White cart
  • 47.
    45% - PayPal of Americans abandon multiple carts per month. #inbound12
  • 48.
    But it’s notalways about money, so White don’t be in such a hurry to give away coupons… #inbound12
  • 49.
    36.4% of visitors that abandoned their shopping cart engaged with their automated email campaign - PayPal #inbound12
  • 50.
    You eventually push the right button, and White Charlie buys!
  • 51.
    Post-sale Follow UpEmails that generate more sales White • Blog article on Set Up • Social Community Email • Net Promoter Survey • Accessories Blog Article • Accessories Guest Blog #inbound12
  • 52.
    Charlie loves the experience, love White s the product, and loves the community
  • 53.
    18% of US consumers have purchased a product because one of their friends follows or likes that product on a social network. - Ipsos
  • 54.
    If Charlie isSocial, be his friend • Start with a simple follow • Retweet His Excitement White • Introduce him to others • Send him blog articles • Be authentic #inbound12
  • 55.
    Why does socialmedia matter?
  • 56.
  • 57.

Editor's Notes

  • #10 The wallet is being passed to a new generation of Americans, forged in recession, hardened by advertising and manipulation, etc.
  • #11 As a consultant, I helped grow some of HubSpot’s most ludicrously successful customers – because I was able to convince them to just get out there and BLOG
  • #14 Greenhouse EcoCleaning
  • #20 This could be a build slide
  • #27 If y
  • #28 Build a content strategyStore specific content (Heidi)
  • #29 Product Description & NamesBe as descriptive as possible; do not just copy and paste a manufactures descriptionUse the words your customers use not industry jargonMore exact the description better results in search- let us use your creatine powder from the improve your product page blog postThe more unique the content in your product description the better results when people are searching for products that you happen to sell; more eyeballs= more salesWhat helps a customer decide to buy? Put yourself in their place. Think about sharing not only key features but details about the technology used in the product and similar/comparable products
  • #30 Example of what the right name gets you in the SEO value“Creatine Powder” vs. “Musashi Arouse Pre Workout Creatine Phosphate Blend”Go from buried within 1.7 million hits to #2 rank on Google
  • #31 Descriptions should use terms a customer recognized and understands the greater meaning. For clothes: is it vintage or hard to find? For art: is the artist well known? For home décor: is it a certain style like mid-century modern? These details can help a shopper decide to buy from your store instead of somewhere else.
  • #32 BicyclesOnline DescriptionThorough description, bulleted features, technology, “Compare to”
  • #33 Reviews80% of consumers consult review when making a purchase; simply having them on your product page will increase your sales as much as 18%Do not fall in the trap only having super positive reviews; consumers who read bad reviews convert 67% moreWork toward a balanced view of your product when curating the reviews for your storeSocial Proof- Twitter and Facebook
  • #35 Anatomy of a product pageWhat it should say (Sam)Real life lessons applied (Heidi)Product nameUse the product name in the page URL, page heading and breadcrumb navigationBetter results when the search engines index page to be listed for search results (BC automatically does this for our clients)
  • #36 Product descriptionKey features or benefits should be presented in a bullet format to grab attention and make it easy to scan and absorb the informationDesign it to be easy for the consumer to understand the information and the search engines will reward you with better ranking. Apply the tips of writing good product descriptions can lead to top ranking results in search.
  • #37 Images & Videos1/3 of the time spent on your product page is on the images you feature; make them the best you can. “67% of consumers interviewed rated image quality as ‘very important’ when deciding to purchaseUse the highest quality images you can in your product pages but also showcase your product in use with a real person- enables the shoppers to envision themselves with your product/using it. Showcase links for tips on how to take better photos of your products. If you feature video on your page, showcase every angle of the product, shoot in HD and showcase the product in action. If you talk about a feature- show how it works
  • #38 Does your store have a way to post reviews built in? Constantly be looking or curating fresh reviews. As you date these reviews, the older the review it might be considered stale or irrelevant to what is going on today. Are you asking for reviews on our product page? Often people come back to your product page to show their friends the cool product they purchased. Make it easy to share those good thoughts right there. Consider posting a video review of your products submitted by your customers. People enjoy and watch lots of online videos- 85% of us have watched online videos and on average we watch for 6.4 minutes- Techcrunch-http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/29/comscore-u-s-internet-users-watched-39-billion-online-videos-in-september-number-of-viewers-down-slightly-from-august/
  • #39 Create a content culture What is it and why it works (Sam)
  • #41 Create a content culture User generated content from your customers (Heidi)
  • #42 ReviewsPut a link on the product page to ask for reviews from customersControl who can submit that review to customers who have only have completed the purchase of product from your store- cut down on spam reviews and junk you have to filter throughAre you using email marketing correctly to invite customers for reviews?Think about product lifecycle (when and how a product is used) and ask at the optimal time to gain a real perspective on the productThe voice/opinion of your customer is considered higher in value by future customers than the opinion you (store owner) has about a product.
  • #43 VideosNo doubt videos work: 53 times more likely to land on front page of Google; 41% higher click through rate than text & 65 to 85% more likely to buy after watchingYou can create your with little or no budget- start with script (focus people not just babbling on), short as possible and act naturalDo not want to be on camera yourself? Ask your customers to submit a video of themselves using/talking about the product you are selling. Fueled by social media- people are concerned with their own personal brand and this is a way to help them in that journeyAsk them to upload to a YouTube channel (public or private) or your Facebook page. Review and feature the ones you want. You can turn this into a contest for the “best” video
  • #46 Selling better using contentPurchase (Heidi)Just because a customer has put something in a basket does not mean you stop sellingMake it easy re-confirm you are making the right purchase description. Create a short/elevator pitch of your product description and have that appear when someone mouses over product or expands details around the product.In product confirmation email of product purchase consider featuring a positive product view. It reconfirms that the consumer made the right choice going with this product
  • #53 Why is love so important? Because people who love you will do incredible things for you when you need them. Uber, for example, got more Twitter support than I’ve seen for anyone since the Iranian election revolution years ago.