It goes without saying, Amazon has changed the way customers make purchases online. From fast shipping to free returns, Amazon has influenced expectations of online shoppers across the globe.
Many brands with retail websites feel like they have to compete with Amazon by:
- Offering free shipping
- Offering free returns
- Selling their products through Amazon
While these are definitely great ideas to keep your shoppers happy and your product in the faces (or screens) of potential shoppers, we’d like to offer some alternatives by looking at what some other brands have done to successfully grow their online stores.
To start, let’s eliminate the thought that if you’re not Amazon then you’re competing with Amazon. While Amazon does appeal to a wide audience, you have something great and wonderful to offer consumers.
Invest in Technology
If you’re not already, it’s time to invest in a range of technologies. With thousands of visitors likely coming to your retail website each month, now is the time to leverage that data to enhance your shoppers’ experience and boost sales. Incorporating data-driven marketing into your strategy can help you better understand customer behavior and tailor your offerings to meet their needs.
Predictive analytics is a great technology to incorporate into your site. For some shoppers, offering free shipping may be the perfect way to get them to hit that “Submit Order” button. However, you may have other shoppers who have exhibited behaviors that indicate they would still purchase even if they did have to pay shipping.
Let’s say you offer clothing for men and women on your retail website, do you know which of your customers are buying just women’s clothing, just men’s clothing or both? With this information you could create a more personalized shopping experience based on which audience they fall into. What products you should suggest or what promotional offers would be most effective to get them to purchase.
Where else can you implement new technologies? Your warehouse. Metapack’s 2018 State of Ecommerce Delivery found 70% of those surveyed prioritized purchasing goods from one ecommerce site over another because it provided more delivery options. So what’s going to make your options standout from the competition?
We won’t go into all the details here (we’ve got so much more to discuss below!), but stop to think about what the impact would be on your delivery service and available options if you implemented real-time inventory tracking? And then, continuing down through the delivery process, having your warehouse technology paired with a last-mile delivery solution. Just a couple of things to think about if you’re focusing on improving the delivery options and experience for your buyers.
Focus on SEO
“SEO” has become quite the buzzword (or term) over the last decade, and rightfully so. If done correctly, SEO (Search Engine Optimization for those of you who haven’t heard the buzz yet) can be a powerful and cost effective strategy to bring shoppers to your website.
Your store is online and your potential shoppers are searching online for exactly what you offer. So how are they going to find you? Yes, digital advertising and marketing is one way, and a great way. But it’s not the only way. Let’s be honest, you probably can’t afford to pay Google, Facebook or Instagram to show ads for every item you offer on your website whenever someone from your target audience is searching for it. But you still want people searching for all of those items to find you.
This is where SEO tools can be your hero. With careful planning and a strong SEO strategy, you can build out product descriptions, keyword searches and category descriptions that will help place your product on Google’s page one of search results. We know, you’re probably like us and have been taught being number one isn’t everything. But when it comes to Google search results, being number one is critical.
According to Search Engine Journal, 25% of people will click on the first organic (not ad) search result. They go on to report the 10th search result (the last on page one search results) gets just a 2.5% click through rate. We don’t even want to think about what happens to all those poor results showing up anywhere other than page one.
I’m sure you’re thinking “SEO sounds great! I’m going to start implementing my own SEO strategy today so I can start getting more customers to my site tomorrow!” And we’re going to kindly caution you to sloooooow down. SEO IS great and it IS powerful. However, it takes some time and definitely takes some expertise. It may require investing in a person (or two or three) or hiring an outside partner to help execute an effective strategy that gets results.
Leveraging eCommerce SEO to Drive Success
Thriving in today’s bustling online marketplace demands more than just a great product—it requires strategic visibility. That’s where eCommerce SEO comes in, transforming your online store into a high-performing, traffic-driving powerhouse. Let’s dive into the core components and actionable strategies that make eCommerce SEO a true game-changer.
- Keyword Research and Optimization
- On-Page Optimization
- Technical SEO
- Site Architecture
- Content Strategy
- User Experience (UX) and Conversion Optimization
- Link Building
Keyword Research and Optimization
Effective eCommerce SEO begins with identifying high-intent, product-specific keywords. Long-tail keywords dominate 70% of all searches and outperform generic terms with a 3-5% higher conversion rate.
Example: Instead of generic phrases like “running shoes,” target “Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38 for men” (480 monthly searches), appealing directly to buyers prepared to purchase.
On-Page Optimization
Product pages are your storefront—optimize them with care. Product descriptions, titles, and metadata significantly influence buying decisions, as 87% of shoppers cite content as vital.
- Titles should be concise (60-70 characters) and keyword-focused.
Example: “Men’s Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38 – Cushioned Running Shoes (Size 10).”
Technical SEO
Behind the scenes, technical SEO ensures your site is as seamless as it is stunning. A 1-second delay in page load time can cut conversions by 7%. Schema markup boosts click-through rates by up to 30%.
Example: Leverage schema to display product prices, reviews, and availability in search results, providing shoppers with instant value.
Site Architecture
Streamlined navigation is non-negotiable. Proper internal linking can reduce bounce rates by 40%, making your site user- and SEO-friendly.
- Hierarchies are essential: Home > Category > Subcategory > Product.
Example: Home > Men’s Shoes > Running Shoes > Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38.
Content Strategy
Good content educates, inspires, and converts. Websites with blogs generate 434% more indexed pages than those without, proving that content is a cornerstone of successful eCommerce SEO.
- Develop engaging resources like buying guides and comparison articles.
Example: “The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Running Shoes” (2,000+ words).
User Experience (UX) and Conversion Optimization
Your UX speaks volumes about your brand. With 65% of eCommerce traffic originating from mobile devices, mobile optimization is key. A/B testing can boost conversions by up to 300%.
Example: A single-page checkout process can reduce cart abandonment and improve user satisfaction.
Link Building
Authority matters. Backlinks can elevate your site, driving 35% more traffic to high-quality pages.
- Create compelling, shareable assets like infographics and in-depth reports.
Example: An infographic on “The Evolution of Running Shoe Technology” could attract links from fitness blogs and industry sites.
Why eCommerce Absolutely Needs SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essential for eCommerce success. Here’s why a robust SEO strategy is non-negotiable for online stores:
- Increased Visibility and Organic Traffic
- Cost-Effective Marketing
- Higher Conversion Rates and Sales
- Building Trust and Credibility
- Long-Term Sustainability
- Mobile Optimization
- Competitive Advantage
Increased Visibility and Organic Traffic
SEO drives 53.3% of all website traffic, with 39% of eCommerce traffic coming directly from search engines. Since 75% of users never scroll past the first page, appearing at the top is crucial.
Example: An online pet store optimizing for “organic dog food” could capture significant traffic from the 22,200 monthly searches for this term.
Cost-Effective Marketing
SEO delivers a 1,600% ROI compared to paid search and generates 1,000% more traffic than organic social media. Unlike paid campaigns that end when the budget is exhausted, SEO provides sustainable benefits.
Case Study: Filter King, an eCommerce store, generated over $460,000 in revenue from scratch through targeted SEO efforts.
Higher Conversion Rates and Sales
Organic search contributes to 44.6% of revenue across industries. Additionally, 53% of shoppers research products through search engines before purchasing.
Example: Detailed product descriptions with keyword-rich content can improve rankings and significantly boost conversions.
Building Trust and Credibility
A well-optimized site with schema markup builds credibility. Implementing product reviews encourages trust—9 out of 10 customers are more likely to buy after reading positive reviews. Schema markup can increase click-through rates by up to 30%.
Long-Term Sustainability
SEO provides lasting results without ongoing ad costs. Once pages are optimized, they continuously attract traffic. Notably, 88% of marketers plan to maintain or increase their SEO budgets in 2023.
Case Study: Thomann.de’s Danish site experienced significant traffic growth through meticulous SEO and localization, outperforming their largest competitor.
Mobile Optimization
With 60% of global website traffic coming from mobile devices, optimizing for mobile users is critical. Fast-loading, mobile-responsive pages rank higher and retain users better.
Strategy: Prioritize mobile-friendly designs and quick load times to maximize conversions.
Competitive Advantage
Targeting niche markets with long-tail keywords provides a significant edge. 94.74% of keywords receive 10 or fewer monthly searches, presenting untapped opportunities for growth.
Example: A specialty knife store optimizing for “custom Damascus steel chef knives” could attract high-intent, niche customers.
Top eCommerce SEO Tools to Drive Success
For eCommerce websites, leveraging the right tools can make or break your SEO strategy. These tools provide robust solutions for keyword research, competitive analysis, and technical optimization, helping businesses maximize their online visibility and sales.
- Ahrefs
- SEMrush
- Google Analytics
- Moz Pro
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider
- Google Search Console
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is renowned for its comprehensive approach to SEO, offering advanced keyword research, backlink analysis, and competitor insights.
- Keyword Research: A database of over 10 billion keywords.
- Backlink Analysis: Tracks backlinks from more than 170 million root domains.
- Site Audit: Crawls up to 10 million pages for SEO issues.
Example: An online store could identify high-potential keywords like “organic dog food” with 22,200 monthly searches and optimize its content accordingly.
SEMrush
SEMrush excels in competitor analysis and SEO strategy development, making it indispensable for eCommerce businesses.
- Keyword Database: Covers over 20 billion keywords in 130 countries.
- Competitive Analysis: Allows simultaneous comparison with up to five competitors.
- Content Optimization: Suggests improvements to enhance search performance.
Example: A retailer could use SEMrush to target “best winter coats for men” after discovering its competition ranks high for this term.
Google Analytics
This free tool provides invaluable insights into user behavior and website performance.
- Comprehensive Data: Tracks over 200 user metrics.
- Traffic Analysis: Monitors traffic sources to identify effective channels.
- User Engagement: Highlights areas needing improvement, like high bounce rates.
Example: A clothing retailer could optimize a category page after discovering that its “summer dresses” page has a bounce rate of 75%.
Moz Pro
Moz Pro combines simplicity with advanced capabilities, making it accessible for eCommerce businesses of all sizes.
- Rank Tracking: Monitors rankings for up to 500 million keywords.
- Site Crawls: Identifies issues across 3 million pages per audit.
- Link Explorer: Analyzes links to discover backlink opportunities.
Example: An electronics store might use Moz Pro to optimize product pages, improving visibility for keywords like “noise-canceling headphones.”
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
This technical SEO tool is perfect for identifying website issues.
- Free Version: Crawls up to 500 URLs.
- Comprehensive Audits: Detects issues like broken links and duplicate content.
- Advanced Reporting: Integrates with tools like Google Analytics for deeper insights.
Example: An online bookstore could fix duplicate title tags on 15% of its pages, improving overall search performance.
Google Search Console
Google’s own tool, Search Console, is essential for any eCommerce business aiming to monitor and improve search performance.
- Query Insights: Highlights keywords driving traffic.
- Indexing Errors: Identifies and resolves issues affecting page visibility.
- Sitemap Submissions: Helps Google index content efficiently.
Example: A jewelry site could identify missed opportunities for “unique engagement rings” and optimize content accordingly.
Show Your Customer You Know Them
Yes, Amazon can make suggestions of what a shopper should look at based on their previous search history or simply based on what is their “Deal of the Day”. But that’s not a tailored experience, that doesn’t make a shopper feel like Amazon knows them. Let’s be honest, shoppers may wish brands wouldn’t do this when the suggestions start becoming too frequent and/or completely off base from their interests.
So how can you create a better experience for your shoppers? Well, first we’re going to have to circle back to one of our previous points, data. You can’t show your customers you know them if, well, you don’t.
What has a shopper purchased in the past? What complimentary items do you offer? If you’re a CPG retailer, when was the last time a product was purchased? Is it possibly time to refill/replace their last purchase? Maybe offer a discount for that product when they visit your site, whether they’re on that product page or not. You know they purchased that item, and you know what the average timeframe is to purchase again (because you have the data, right?), so serve them up the right message with the right offer at the right time.
Now, maybe you’re an apparel retailer. Let’s not assume your clothing only lasts a certain period of time or that your buyers maybe don’t fit in their clothes quite the same way they used to. Instead, let’s look at creating an audience based on their purchases. You can find similarities (again, using technology) within these audiences. Shared interests, hobbies, other retail websites they visit, and build an experience for them.
An example of an online retailer who has done this well is Lululemon. They’ve created a community (quite literally, they call it #thesweatlife online community) where anyone can access workouts as well as meditation sessions. Really, if you’re buying workout clothing you just might be interested in workout classes, right?
Lululemon took the time to research and recognize what interests their customers have and evaluated the needs Lululemon could fill. This was especially powerful during the pandemic when people were turning to the internet for workouts in a way they never had before. They even started a Facebook group people could join to connect with others.
Now that you can clear your mind of thoughts of competing with Amazon, it’s time to focus on what you can do to attract more retail shoppers to your site. By utilizing an e-commerce conversion funnel, you can guide customers through a carefully crafted buying journey that not only attracts but also retains them, ensuring they keep coming back.
