How do I create eCommerce customers?

In this “OmniChannel” world (that is – your customers contact you through many channels) your customers are engaging with you in many ways. In reality you are trying to get customers to buy and engage in many ways rather than create an eCommerce customer.

The trick for established businesses is to harness these customer contacts to generate repeat sales and brand loyalty. For newer businesses the issue is to create cost effective brand presence. If you dot look at Digital Marketing in that context you risk having to spend a lot of money chasing expensive customers.

1. Established brand or product. Always start with your existing customer contact points. You will probably already have stores, distributor outlets, product labels, social media, brand advertising. Are you doing enough via these media to capture your customer without having to spend more marketing money? Once you feel that you are co-ordinating these media to capture the customer you should then devise a CRM strategy to leverage these contact points and generate repeat purchase.
2. New brand or product. Trying to build a brand just via Digital Marketing can be difficult, costly or time consuming or all three. There needs to be some brand establishment work done to get your message out first e.g. PR, Product launch, Free trials. At all of these brand events you need appropriate customer contact capture mechanisms where you can. With some brand or product traction you can then build your digital campaign focussing on where you believe your target customers are. As this grows you develop a loyal base for repeat purchase.

Getting eCommerce customers is the same as getting any customer, its about engagement with your brand. At all points though you need to maximise the organic means of getting customers and then control customer profitability as you grow.

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