E-commerce websites are a special kind of website where you can buy and sell products online. I want to state categorically from the beginning that it is not all those that opened a website that actually succeeded in making such websites successful. In this article, I want to look at nine elements of e-commerce websites that you cannot do without. Follow me as we will be looking at those elements one after the other in this article. 

There is no doubt that e-commerce is growing, generating leads, and providing new business opportunities. The question now is can you keep up? Yes, you can if you can implement these nine elements that I am going to talk about in this article.

#1 Responsive design 

In a research that was carried out, only 22% of Digital marketers said they are ahead of the curve when it comes to responsive design. You need to understand that your e-commerce website is your office. You need to create a website that can blend with the need of the users. Having a responsive website will make users revisit your website. it will also encourage them to stay longer anytime that they visit your website as well.

#2 Mobile and Tablet compatibility 

Also, according to research, 48% of users say that if they arrive on a business site that is not working well on mobile, they take it simply as the business not caring enough. You need to understand that the majority of people visiting your site are accessing your site from a mobile phone.

That is why you need to put mobile users into consideration when you are developing websites. This will ensure that you are able to maintain a majority of your customer base accessing your site from a mobile phone. 

#3  Blog

I have always had to answer this question from business owners. Many of them are concerned and they always ask this question, “Do I really need a Blog ?”. Dear Entrepreneur, Yes you do need a blog. According to research carried out, companies that have a blog attached to their website have 434% more indexed content. The fact remains that search engines love fresh content. The more you post fresh content on your websites, the more you will have your page indexed by search engines. 

#4 Social media integration

As part of your efforts towards promoting your website and making it easy for people to reach you, you need to make sure that you included your social media channels on your website.

This will make it easy for people to visit your social media pages. They will also be able to share your content on their own social media platforms. According to research, approximately 46% of online users count on social media when they need to make any online purchases. 

#5  Fast loading time

When it comes to online conversion and customer/visitor retention on your website, you cannot do away with the loading time of the website. It is observed that people tend to leave websites that take time to load. According to research, 40 percent of people will leave a website if it tends to take more than 3 seconds for such a website to load a web page. 

#6 Lead Nurturing program

As an owner of an e-commerce website or a Digital Marketer, you need to have a lead nurturing program that allows you to develop your leads and increase their interest in your products and services. This can be a form of email communication or training that allows you to educate your leads on how your products and services can be of importance to them. This will allow you to convert more leads to customers. 

#7  Marketing Automation

Despite its innumerable benefits, it is being observed that it is not all Digital Marketers or organizations that make use of marketing automation. There are many benefits attached to marketing automation of your business and one of it is that it will allow you to concentrate on other aspects of the business.

It will also give the business ample time to study what works and what is not working as far as the organization sales effort is concerned. According to research, companies that automate their marketing efforts see a 10 percent increase in sales in the first 8 to 9 months. 

#8 SEO

Another important point that you need to consider is the need to be serious about Search Engine Optimization. You need to make sure that you are following the technical details so that your website can rank higher on search engines. This will also drive more organic traffic to your website. According to research, 70 percent of the link search users click on are organic traffics. 

In my previous articles, I have talked about some of the facts that you need to know about opening a good e-commerce website. In this article, I want to talk about some of the elements of a good e-commerce website. Follow me as we are going to look at that together in this article.

Here are some of the elements that a good e-commerce website should have:

#1 Unique logo

First and foremost, when it comes to establishing your online presence worldwide, you need to know that having a unique logo that distinguished you from the rest of the pack is very important. Your logo needs to resonate in the mind of your audience. It will help them to promote your products and services and serve as a tool for recommending your product to others.

#2 Trust information

When it comes to building trust online, you need to be able to prove to your audience that your website has been tested and trusted. They should be able to see evidence from certified bodies online that will give them the confidence that their card information and other tools they might have chosen as a mode of payment for products and services.

#3 Popular products

When it comes to selling products and services online, it is always advisable that you sell or promote popular products that people already know. When you are selling popular products you will stress yourself less to convince people to buy such products. If you are selling products that are not popular, the probability that people will buy such products from you is very slim.

#4 Remove distractions 

Also, when it comes to selling products to customers, you have to make sure that you remove all distractions as much as possible. You need to make sure that whatever you are posting on that landing page, including links and call to action has something to do with the product that you are trying to sell. You should not include links that will take your customers to another page. This will assist you in converting leads to customers. 

#5 Clear Payment Information

Another major step that you need to take is to ensure that you have clear information about the mode of payment for your customer. You also need to ensure that you are providing more than one method of payment. You should not restrict them to a single mode of payment. At times, you have to make it easy for them to make USSD and bank transfers and they will receive their goods after payment confirmation. 

#6 Testimonials 

One of the keys to getting more sales is to keep customers and partners testimony. At times, when people want to buy products, they will want to know what other customers that have used your products have to say about your products and services. They tend to believe that kind of testimonials more than whatever you want to tell them. That is why you have to display those testimonials where it will be very easy for your customers to see them. 

#7 Social media buttons

When it comes to selling products online and managing your e-commerce website, you need to ensure that you have your social media handles and icons where your followers and visitors can easily see them. When your customers are following you on your social media platforms, it will allow your customers to deepen their interests in your products and services. They will also be able to share your content with their audience. A good social media platform for your e-commerce website will also allow you to develop your own brand advocates. 

#8 Showing upcoming events

Also, you need to cultivate the habit of keeping your customers abreast of upcoming events and other important events in your organisation. These events are unique opportunities to sell your products and increase the bond between you and your customers. It will also show your customers and prospects that, beyond selling your product, you really care about them and you are thinking about them as well. 

#9 Provide Physical Address

Another fact that you need to know is that it is very easy for someone to create a new e-commerce website overnight. They can easily swindle their customers with no means of locating such individuals. You have to convince your audience that you are different from the rest of the pack and you are actually serious about your business. You need to provide a physical address and other basic information that will prove to your audience and customer.

If there is one innovation that has come to stay with us and will remain with us for a very long time,  it is the process of buying products and services online. The process has made life so easy that you can be in your room and order for products and services from across the globe without leaving the comfort of your home. In this article, I want to talk about the benefits of an e-commerce website for merchants. Follow me as we will look at that together in this article.

Benefits of E-commerce Website To Merchants

#1 Cost saving

One of the major benefits of creating an e-commerce website is that it will allow you to save on the cost of running the business. You do not need security personnel to secure the product, no need for sales representatives who have to move around to show customers around some of the products that you have for sales. This will allow you to divest that money that you would have used to pay them on other aspects of your business.

#2 Limited Labour

Also, when you open an e-commerce website, you do not really need much labour, unlike the time that you are opening a normal store. You will only need your laptop and your internet connection in order to run a successful e-commerce website. This will allow you to save costs in running the business. That also means almost anyone can setup an e-commerce website.

#3 Exposure to new markets

Also, with the establishment of an e-commerce website, you will expose your markets to new markets. It also allows you to do business beyond your immediate environment. You do not really need to travel down to some of those places. It is very easy for your customers to place orders and you just have to work with a logistic company in order to fulfil those orders and transact business with them.

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#4 increased sales

Another major benefit of an e-commerce website to merchants is that it allows them to increase their sales astronomically. It allows you to do business beyond your immediate environment. The reason is that customers and prospects do not need to come down to your office before they can place an order for your products and services.
 

#5 Brand awareness

Also, the establishment of an e-commerce website backed up by a good Search Engine Optimization strategy will also ensure that your brand is known beyond your immediate environment. It prepares you to become a global brand that is known worldwide. That all depends on how you have been able to abide by your brand promises to your customers.
 

#6 Better Return On Investment

Also, the knowledge of ICT will allow you to have a better Return on your investment. That means that setting up a good website will allow you to invest little in setting up your e-commerce website and the website will continue to run, servicing customers without you having to do anything.
 

#6 Customer loyalty

Also, a good e-commerce website will allow you to build customer and brand loyalty for your organization. Customer loyalty means that you have customers that are coming back for repeat purchases. That means your customers do not have any reason to look elsewhere since they know that they can always have access to your products irrespective of their locations.

In my previous article, I talked about some of the ways that you can generate leads through Influencer Marketing. In this article, I will be looking at how to conduct effective lead nurturing in digital marketing. Follow me as we are going to look at this together in this section.

Lead nurturing is a marketing term that describes the process of building relationships with potential clients even when they are not looking to buy your products. Leader nurturing are being carried out to raise the profile of the organization in the eye of prospective customers. This will also change any wrong perspective that they might have about the organization.

The ability to deliver products based on a customer’s interaction with email drives more engaged traffic to the website, and this also helps in the organization’s lead management efforts. At times, this process might be as simple as letting customers know about your ongoing promotion as well as telling them about changes in prices among others.

Also, a complex nurturing campaign involves educating the clients about the advantages and disadvantages of using the product. You have to make sure that you do not keep any of these facts away from your target audience.

In addition, lead nurturing is the process of building relationships with sales prospects who are ready to purchase but are not showing interest currently in your products and services.

The ways…
#1 Listen to conversations
There is a need for you to listen to the conversations of your users. That is why you need to create a community where you can bring all your users together and follow what they have to say about your products and services. You can also make use of hashtags and other social listening tools in order to know what customers are saying about your products and services.

In addition, companies can understand customers’ interests and in turn get information about the products and services that customers are likely to be interested in. This will enable them to meet customers at the right place with the right products and services.

#2 Provide meaningful content
Also, you need to develop interesting and concise content to build relationships and trust with your customers. When you create contents that educate customers about how your products can benefit and add value to their lives, it will increase customers’ interest in your products and services.

#3 Stay in touch
There is a need for you to also ensure that you do not leave your customers alone. You need to make sure that they constantly hear from you. You can be sending them bulk SMS and emails that educate them more about what your product can do for them.

#4 Contact the prospect
Also, you need to make sure that when you are dealing with prospects, you must place integrity above anything else. You have to make sure that you contact them whichever time you promise. This will encourage your customers that you will always fulfil your promise.

#5 Ask for business
As part of your effort toward improving business relationships with your prospects and nurturing your leads, you need to make sure that you ask for business when prospects and customers are showing interest in your products and services. This will ensure that you are able to increase conversion rates for your products and services.

#6 Send ebooks
Most times, customers will not give you vital information that you need when you are not giving them anything in return. One of the best gifts that you can give to your customers is to give them eBooks that talk more about the products and services that you have to offer. This will enable your customers to know that you really appreciate them and that you are considering them when you are making business decisions.

#7 Ask for referrals
As part of your efforts towards nurturing your leads, you need to always ask for referrals. Whenever you successfully sell your products to a particular customer, you need to ask them to supply names of other individuals who might likely be interested in your products and services. This will allow you to generate more leads without spending much on advertisements.

#8 Track all conversations
As part of your efforts toward nurturing your leads, you need to make sure that you continue to track all conversations on social media and blogs. You must take time to understand and aggregate what customers are saying about your products and services. This will enable you to identify products and services that will resonate with them.

#9 Special offers
Also, as part of your efforts towards nurturing your leads, you need to make sure that you are always coming up with special offers for your customers. You have to design packages that will attract customers to make their initial purchase. This will help to increase customer retention and generate more sales for the organization.

#10 Learn from the experience
As a business person, there is no way that you will not make some mistakes when it comes to lead generation, you need to make sure that you are always learning from your mistake and finding a way to move forward. You need to create room for feedback so that customers can show you where they are wrong. This will enable you to design strategies that really work for your customers.

Sales! Sales!! Sales!!!

There are many organisations that have had to close shops because they were not able to generate sales. That proves that Sales is the life blood of any organisation. Organisation needs to generate revenue in order to meet demands such as payment of sales, energy, taxes among others. in this article, I want to look at how Organisations can be generating Leads for sales. Follow me as we look at that together in this article. 

#1 Advertising

Advertising is one of the means of generating leads for your organization. You can do that by making use of different media to create awareness about your products and services. Here are some of the strategies you can adopt in order to advertise your products and services.

 
You can place inexpensive ads in email newsletters and your websites in order to pass the right messages to your target audience. We often see banks making use of this method to create awareness about their products and services. As they are sending the alerts and other messages, they are also incorporating their ads so that you will be aware of what they have to offer.

Also, you also need to use direct response ads as part of your means of lead generation. You can ask the viewers if you can contact them with more information about the products and services that you have to offer.

You also need to learn how to make use of compelling to increase customers’ and prospects’ interest in your products and services. The type of headline that you give your content will often determine whether prospects will be interested in your products or services or not.

You also need to showcase your ads in some of the most targeted publications. That is why most people will often decide to place their ads on websites.

#2 Referrals

Referral allows you to recommend an organization’s product to others and earn a commission. Here are some of the things that you should have at the back of your mind when it comes to Affiliate marketing.

In carrying out affiliate marketing, you can offer discounts on your products and services to the clients who give you a referral. They might be asked to pay a lesser amount than they are supposed to pay. This allows them to refer more people and get discounts on products purchased.

There is also the use of a “loss leader” referral system. Here free samples of your product can be given to new clients for creating awareness about your products, which will, in turn, generate more sales for the organization.

 
You can also partner with other non-competitive organizations. You can be asked them to assist you in sending your promotional messages to clients in their database. For example, an SEO company can decide to partner with an SEO blogger in order to make his services available to his blog followers.

Also, you can conduct surveys, and ask for feedback from the customer about ways to improve your products and services. This will give your customers a sense of belonging. It will also improve their commitment to the organization.

You also need to get a free sample of your products and services as a gift to your client and ask him to give it to someone to give to their friends and acquaintances.

#3 Trade Shows

This is another crucial way of generating leads for your products and services. Here, you will have to choose the right trade shows that can help you protect your products and services to the right form of audience. You must choose the trade show that can give you the greatest conversion rate. Also, to generate leads at Trade shows, you need to communicate properly about the product you are offering for sale. This enables the right type of audience to show interest in the products or services.
 

#4 Feedback

Another way of generating leads for businesses is through feedback. He opens up channels through which customers can communicate about what they feel about your products and services. To get leads through feedback, here are some of the things you need to know. First, some people visiting your website read about your products and services and make product purchase. It is also possible that most visitors coming to your website do not take the time to read about your products and services.

Also, you have to make sure that before a user jumps to the next page, you make use of a pop-up to collect feedback from a user. This will help you to know what they are looking for exactly.

You can now use this feedback form to contact the customer and find out the reason why they are not interested and take time to clarify their doubts about your products and services.

You can also use other useful articles for your customers and ask them to fill out a form.

#5 Soft leads

Another means of generating leads for organizations is through the use of soft lead methods. Soft leads are leads that exchange an email address or contact address for something that is of value to them such as access to a whitepaper or free samples. Also, social media referrals at times can also be referred to as soft leads.

Social media platforms are ideal for spreading awareness about a company and gathering potential information about prospects that might be interested in your products and services.

Also, soft lead generation is the most ideal for businesses trying to target leads early in their sales lifecycle.

You need to know that lead generation plays an important role when it comes to the success of any marketing strategy. It has to do with creating engaging content for webinars, videos, whitepapers and guides that direct users towards lead funnels.

At times, when it comes to online marketing, your Return On Investment is calculated based on the number of soft and hard leads that you are able to convert. Hard leads measure success only through sales and revenue earned from the website.

Soft leads make the visitors perform certain actions such as providing contact information, filling a form and creating an email account among others.

Action Point
PS: If you would like to have an online course on any of the courses that you found on this blog, I will be glad to do that on an individual and corporate level, I will be happy to do because I have trained several individuals and groups and they are doing well in their various fields of endeavour. Some of those that I have trained include the staff of Dangote Refinery, FCMB, Zenith Bank, and New Horizons Nigeria among others. Please come on Whatsapp and let’s talk about your training. You can reach me on Whatsapp HERE. Please note that I will be using Microsoft Team to facilitate the training.

I know you might agree with some of the points that I have raised in this article. You might not agree with some of the issues raised. Let me know your views about the topic discussed. We will appreciate it if you can drop your comment. Thanks in anticipation.

CRMNUGGETS is committed to fact-checking in a fair, transparent and non-partisan manner. Therefore, if you’ve found an error in any of our reports, be it factual, editorial, or an outdated post, please contact us to tell us about it.

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In my previous article, I tried to establish what a lead funnel is. You need to understand that there different levels when it comes to defining your prospective customers’ levels. The process of classifying your leads will help you understand the kind of attention that you need to give to different kinds of audiences. In this article, I will be talking about all that you need to know about the lead funnel in Digital Marketing. Follow me as we are going to look at that in this article.

Lead funnel defines the process that the buyer has to go through when they are trying to purchase your products and services. You also need to understand that your customers are also going through this process when they are purchasing your products and service, although the process might be faster for different customers, they still have to go through that process. Also, the lead funnel defines the lead funnel using the AIDA perspective. Let us now look at what that is all about in this article.

#1 Attention

This is the stage when you create awareness by designing adverts that are launched and run so that customers and prospects can be aware of your products and services. These are done to attract customers’ attention to your products and services. When this is being done and the right audience is targeted, it might increase interest in your products and services.

#2 Interest

This is being used to boost customers’ interest in your products and services. At this stage, you have run the ads and they are already aware of your products and services. But you are trying to deepen the interest in your products and services. This happens when customers decide to give your product a try. Their conviction after this trial will now determine whether they will become permanent customers or not.
 

#3 Desire

This is when you make effort to convince the customer and make them believe that the product can fully their basic needs. You also tried at this stage to educate the customer about the usefulness of the product as well as how it can add value to their life in general.

#4 Action

This is when you lead customers towards taking action such as purchasing your product or fulfilling a commitment form. Here the prospect has now become or is about to become your customer. He is actually performing the desired actions that you want the customer to perform.

Marketing perspective to gain a customer

Here, the marketer has only the name of the customer. Marketers get the names of their customers from various sources such as referrals or purchase lists. Some organizations can also buy name and email lists from other non-competitive organizations that they have an association with. Some of these names can also be purchased online as well.  Above all, you need to identify your target audience based on the geographical location and demographic information of your target audience. You will not want to waste your time pursuing the wrong target.

Suspect

A Suspect is a person who shows interest in your brand or what you have to offer. They might perform some action on your site such as :

• Frequent visits to your website and attending your webinar
• Participating in content and promotion on your website
• Filling online form to download white papers, PDF etc and subscribe to your newsletters.

 You need to identify such customers and add them to your Drip program which is an email program that will allow them to learn more about the use of your products and services.

The drip program offers educational content and promotional offerings that allow prospects to become organizational customers. This will allow them to develop an interest in your products and services. This also allows you to send SMS that is also geared towards understanding your customers better.

Prospect

Also, a user will move from being a suspect to prospect when he takes any of the following actions:

• Interacts with your brand by attending webinars, participating in contests, and downloading your PDF files among others.
• Fits your demographic profile.
• He has a bi-directional conversation with you.

When it comes to prospects, we have them in two categories. They are called Marketing Qualified Leads and Sales Accepted Leads.

#1 Marketing Qualified Leads

They always have a direct conversation with the people via emails or phone calls. They can be seen as people who have called or emailed and have decided that they are going to purchase the product on a particular date.
You can identify whether the person is really interested and ready to purchase your product and transfer him to the sales department.

#2 Sales Accepted Leads

The salesperson follows the lead once the qualified lead is transferred from the marketing department to the sales department.

Opportunity

A salesperson can either close or lose the leads, Also, lost lead is again sent to recycled by conducting a drip program for the customer once again.

Customer

You gain a customer once the lead is closed. At this point, you need to maintain a good relationship with them in order to turn them from ordinary customers to brand advocates.

Advocates

Here, the customer becomes an advocate when he or she is with the marketer for a very long time. This customer becomes loyal as well as refers others to your customers.