E-Marketing Tactics: Focus on Retail

Advertising:

• Search marketing is critical to driving traffic to your site, but monitor average cost per conversion compared to average sale value (depending on margins, try to keep a 1:3 ratio)
• Treat affiliates as true marketing partners and strategically assess the relationships. They can bring 10 to 20% of your online sales. Although, keep in mind that 5% of your affiliates may generate 95% of your sales. These relationships require refining and measurement on a weekly basis.
• Email relationship programs offer an opportunity to increase sales, especially if the messages are highly personal on a targeted marketing basis.
• Email-to-a-friend options for products provide quality-leads to your site for little to no cost.

Site Design: Functionality, Product displays and Shopping Cart

• The quality of your site, specifically the internal search capabilities, can dramatically affect conversion rates.
  ---- Offer “sounds like” or “close matches”
  ---- Eliminate harsh error messages
• Using exit pop-ups can provide you with valuable information or defense against cart abandonment.
• Two viable marketing expenses:
  ---- $5 gift for filling out a survey
  ---- Free shipping for gifts over $25
• Remembering previous shopping cart purchases and up-selling within the site can build your average sales figures.
• Bestseller lists help customers feel confident in a purchase and reduces the need for a lot of comparison research.
• In-house written copy can benefit the site by relating to customers in your store’s own style, as opposed to the boring manufacturer’s information.
• Provide an enlarge image feature for customers to become more familiar with your product.
• Include inventory quantities so that customers can feel comfortable with their purchase.
• Handhold customers through a flexible shopping process.
  --- Allow them to keep a panel on the side displaying the items in their cart so far.
  --- Display shipping costs before they get to the final page.