BYK Digital Marketing

Author: Emma Turnbull

Deep Dive Into New Social Media Platforms

There are always new up-and-coming social media platforms emerging. While existing platforms work to change and evolve, new platforms try to fill holes in the field. We’re diving into a few promising platforms and apps that are poised to make a huge splash in 2021.

Caffeine

Caffeine.tv is a live streaming platform, used primarily for gaming and entertainment. Similar to Twitch, it is dominated by serious video gamers. In the short time since it was launched in 2018, Caffeine has secured investments from major corporations and netted deals with major celebrities like Drake to help it compete with powerhouse Twitch in the live streaming arena. For instance, ahead of the Super Bowl in 2020, Caffeine partnered with a handful of celebrities to host a stream that brought in attention and new users.
Caffeine has not yet gained enough momentum to come anywhere close to overtaking its primary competitor Twitch just yet, but it has been on an upward trajectory. Look for its popularity to continue to grow in 2021, and keep an eye out for new features and capabilities, as it tries to set itself apart from Twitch and become a force to be reckoned with in the gaming community.

Telegram

Telegram has actually been around since 2013, but has been getting more attention, both positive and negative, of late. It is primarily a communication app, used for messaging and video calling. It offers encryption and “secret chats” that give it an edge over some of its competitors, such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
Telegram’s growth has skyrocketed in the past year, with the latest reports showing about 500 million monthly active users. With this growth, however, has come some scandal. With Parler’s recent woes, Telegram is one of many apps that has emerged as an alternative “safe haven” for extremist groups, who do not trust mainstream social media. Telegram has been trying to crack down on this trend, and ban any inappropriate accounts. If they are successful in this, Telegram could continue its growth in 2021 and become a major player in the messaging and communications field.

Clubhouse

One of the newest platforms on the market, Clubhouse just launched in April 2020, and so has only existed in a pandemic-gripped world so far. A good deal of Clubhouse’s popularity thus far has come from the exclusivity it plays off of: it is an invite-only audio chatting platform, at least for now. The creators do plan to open it up to the public, although the exact timeline for that to happen is not yet known.
So if someone does manage to secure an invite, what can they do in Clubhouse? This app, more than many others on the market, actually mimics real-life interactions relatively well. There are a wide variety of “clubs” or “rooms” members can join to discuss a range of topics, and they are free to bounce around from one to the other, just like they would in a clubhouse or cocktail party setting in real life.
For now, it is mostly celebrities and the social elite who have managed to secure invitations and are making use of the Clubhouse platform so far. However, there is already a lot of intrigue and excitement built up around it, so if and when it does become more accessible to the general public, expect quick growth for Clubhouse.

Houseparty

Houseparty is a “face to face” social app that facilitates video calls amongst friends. The interface lends itself mostly to helping users find new and creative ways to interact with those they already know, as opposed to offering opportunities to meet and interact with new friends, like many other social media platforms provide.
In the Houseparty app, up to 8 users can interact at one time in a video chat format. There are also games and activities in the app that users can play together, which is an extra experience not offered by competitors like FaceTime and Zoom. Throughout 2020, with the pandemic raging and many people turning to virtual happy hours and game nights to stay in touched with their family and friends, Houseparty experiences something of a boom. Look to the app to continue this growth in 2021 and solidify itself as a major player alongside Zoom in the communications game. Keep an eye out for these 4 social media platforms to make their move and really establish themselves in the mainstream in 2021.

2021-02-26
Traits That All Great Leaders Have

There are many different kinds of leaders. It is impossible to fully define what makes a great leader. There are, however, some common characteristics that all of the world’s most successful leaders share. Some of these traits are inborn, while others are easy to teach and develop. If you want to be a great leader, work on developing and honing the traits below.

1. Communication Skills

No matter how smart, capable, or talented a person is, no one can do it all on their own. The best leaders know this and don’t try to: they delegate, they work with others, and they communicate effectively with those on their team. If you can’t communicate with your subordinates, it will be completely impossible to lead them successfully.

2. Persistence

Leaders also cannot run from failure, and need to be able to persist through hardships. Whether you’re leading a Fortune 500 corporation or your kid’s Little League baseball team, struggles and tough times will come up. Leaders can’t shy away from these situations. They need to be ready and willing to face them head on. A good leader will be the last to throw in the towel when the going gets tough.

3. Emotional Stability and Intelligence

One important trait needed to weather the storms mentioned above is emotional stability. When there are struggles and challenges, leaders need to not only persevere, but also to stay calm and keep their team calm with them. A panicky leader is not a good one.
Similarly, great leaders must have a high level of emotional intelligence. They need to not only control their own emotions through trials and tribulations, but also must be able to read and understand the emotions of those around them. Understanding their teams’ emotions will help them connect, and also help them know how to best help their team to be as successful as possible based on the states they are in.

4. Empathy

This may be one of the more surprising traits shared by most successful leaders. On the surface, it doesn’t necessarily team to be tied directly to success. But leading a team well does require empathy, the ability to see things from others’ perspectives and really relate to the way they are feeling. Empathy goes hand in hand with emotional intelligence, and both can help facilitate more effective communication. A leader must understand their subordinates and teammates to know how to best lead and guide them. They cannot be detached, or take a one-size-fits-all approach, if they hope to ultimately achieve success.

5. Self-Confidence

If a leader doesn’t believe in themself, then how are they ever going to get others to believe in and listen to them? To be a leader, you have to be confident and self-assured. Of course, taking this too far to the point of cockiness can be harmful instead of helpful. But every leader needs a healthy dose of confidence in themself and their abilities. Leaders will not be effective if they are constantly doubting their decisions, second-guessing their courses of action, and struggling to believe in themself.

6. Persuasiveness

Finally, leaders need to not only be confident, but also instill confidence in others. They need to be able to convince their team to follow them. No matter how self-assured a leader is, it will not mean much if their team isn’t behind them. To succeed, leaders must use persuasive techniques to convince their team to back them up completely. This goes far beyond using their authority to merely force their team to obey them. To lead well, a leader’s team must truly believe and buy into the team’s goals and actions. Some of the above traits of successful leaders are more obvious than others. No one of these characteristics alone would be nearly enough to make a leader effective. But altogether, these traits represent a well-rounded individual, who is competent and able to lead a team successfully.

2021-02-23
The Birth of Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is quite pervasive today, but where did it all begin? The roots of what we now know as influencer marketing, or social media influencer marketing, date back centuries. We’ll walk through the history to explain how influencing began, and how we got to where we are today.

Celebrity Endorsements

The concept of influential people impacting the purchasing decisions of others has been around basically forever. However, this first became a tool that marketing teams really worked to take advantage of through celebrity endorsements. Everyone has seen their share of celebrity endorsements, be it on TV, in a magazine, or even on social media. Companies began paying popular celebrities to become the faces of their brand, in the hopes of convincing the celeb’s fans to become customers.
Celebrity endorsements were, and continue to be, a relatively effective advertising tool. People look up to their favorite actors, musicians, and athletes and want to do what they can to be more like them. Celebrities have influence in society, so it makes sense that their endorsements would be helpful for brands.
These celebrity brand deals laid the foundation for influencer marketing to emerge. When social media burst onto the scene in the early 21st century, the framework brands used to make deals with celebrities could suddenly be applied to a whole new arena.

From Celebrities to Social Media

It was around 2010 that social media was really blossoming, and the idea of a social media influencer was emerging. One of the first times a brand tried to leverage people’s connections on social media to their advantage was in a deal between Amazon and Facebook in 2010. Facebook users were able to share what they were buying on Amazon, and the brand hoped that it would encourage their friends to make similar purchases as well.
It did not take long from there for the idea of a social media influencer to take shape. As platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were growing exponentially, a small (but growing) number of seemingly ordinary people were suddenly becoming “internet famous”. These people were engaging with and growing a following far beyond their social circle in real life. Their followers looked to them for everything from fashion advice to fitness tips and parenting hacks.
Brands soon realized how influential these people were becoming online, and so began influencer marketing as we know it today. Companies began offering money and free products to these influencers in exchange for positive promotion of their products and services. The trend grew quickly, more and more brands began making deals with social media influencers, and within a couple of years, influencer marketing was a field all of its own.

Benefits of Social Media Influencer Marketing

The above explains a bit about HOW influencer marketing came to be, but WHY exactly did it come to be? What made social media marketing so enticing to brands, and why does it work so well for them?
There are a few reasons influencer marketing became and has remained so popular. It is generally quite a bit cheaper for brands than it would be to pay for endorsements from A-list celebrities. Even though influencing is a well-established field now and the price tags have increased, it remains more cost-effective in many cases.
Beyond just cost, there are some key differences between promotions from influencers and traditional celebrities that set them apart, and often make influencer marketing more enticing. Social media allows for more participation than other traditional advertising avenues. Viewers feel as if they are conversing with the influencer, or taking part in an experience with them, instead of merely watching a commercial on TV.
Along the same lines, influencers oftentimes feel more accessible than celebrities. Even if they are rich and live drastically different lifestyles than the average person, influencers are relatable: They come from similar backgrounds as their followers, and they too were once just a “regular” person. This level of access and relatability can work wonders for advertising. If people feel connected to and similar to the person who is promoting a product to them, they are more likely to make a purchase. Brands leverage this sense of connection and similarity through the use of influencer marketing.
Finally, influencers usually have a specific niche that they post about, and thus tend to have an audience that fits into and cares about that niche, whether it is beauty products, healthy recipes, or petite fashion. This provides a unique opportunity for brands to reach a more specific niche than they could through many other advertising methods. For instance, a brand selling vegan and cruelty-free makeup could place advertisements in beauty magazines, and reach an audience that cares about makeup and beauty. However, this entire readership would not necessarily have an affinity for vegan products. If the brand instead advertised through partnerships with vegan beauty bloggers, the audience they would be reaching would be much better targeted for their products. We hope this little walk through history and explainer of the benefits of influencer marketing provides you with a bit of insight into where the field began, and how it got to where it is today. The concept of influencing doesn’t look to be going away anytime soon, but will surely grow, evolve, and branch off into new arenas as it always has over time. Who knows what the next stage of “influencing” will look like.

2021-02-19
Why Advertising Works

There’s no denying that advertising works. Consumers don’t always like to believe that they’ve been influenced by the ads they see on TV or online, but decades of evidence show that advertising does have a huge impact. Why else would companies continue to funnel millions of dollars into their marketing?
So traditional advertising avenues, like print, television, and digital, work. But how and why do they work? We’re digging into some of the reasons and psychology behind the influence of ads below.
Sometimes, the effect an advertisement has is plain and clear. You see or hear an ad, it works its persuasive magic, and suddenly you want to run out and purchase whatever was being sold. In these cases, it is obvious that an advertisement was influential.
There are a few common persuasive techniques that are often used by advertisers to impact viewers. The use of ethos, pathos, and logos can all be effective in convincing a viewer to make a purchase.
Ethos appeals to ethics, pathos appeals to emotion, and logos appeals to logic. An ad can use any of these 3 appeals to be impactful. For instance, a consumer with strong moral values can be swayed by an ad from a brand that shares those values, and emphasizes them. A brand can capitalize on the fear or anxiety consumers feel about a potential problem in their lives and promise a solution by purchasing their offering. Or a company can use compelling facts, figures, and statistics to appeal to the rational mind of a consumer and convince them of the many benefits their product will have. In each of these cases, the right ad viewed by the right consumer could directly and immediately lead to a purchase.
Other times though, advertising influences us when we don’t even realize it. It can have an effect that is gradual and influences our behavior over time. Or it can subconsciously affect the way we think about a certain brand and eventually, subconsciously again, impact our purchasing behaviors. We can look to the Mere Exposure Effect and the Rule of 7 to explain these occurrences.
The Mere Exposure Effect is the concept that just being exposed to something more frequently and becoming familiar with it will cause us to develop a preference for it. Thus, seeing a company’s advertisements repeatedly can lead consumers to feel positive toward the brand, without them even realizing it. Then, when it comes time to make a purchase, they will be more likely to favor the company whose ads they saw, even if the information in the advertisement itself did nothing to sway them.
The Rule of 7 is another phenomenon that helps explain the impact of advertising. It has been found that on average, consumers need to be exposed to a piece of information a minimum of 7 times before they will consider taking action. For instance, if someone sees one commercial on TV for a new brand of coffee that looks enticing to them, they are unlikely to be swayed enough to go out and make a purchase. But, once they have seen the ad 7 times, each time becoming more and more interested in buying the product, they will finally be convinced enough to make the purchase.
The Rule of 7 is just a rule of thumb, so it does not hold true for every individual situation. On the aggregate, though, it tends to work, and so marketing teams have learned to run advertisements repeatedly to the same audience. When the impact happens gradually over a period of time, consumers are less likely to attribute their choice directly to the ads they saw. They will probably feel that they made the decision to purchase on their own, when in reality it was the subtle influence of advertisements over time that convinced them.
Thus, in both obvious and not-so-obvious ways, advertising works. It has a substantial impact on consumer behavior, whether the consumers realize it or not. We can look to psychology and concepts like the Mere Exposure Effect to explain this influence, and help us realize the extent to which advertising is valuable to businesses.

2021-02-16
Hot Social Media Trends for the Cold Months

It’s cold outside, but keep your social media pages hot with these trends all winter long!

1. Post more videos

There’s basically no such thing as too much video content. Time after time, we’ve seen that consumers respond more to videos than images, particularly on social media. Any time you can make a post into a video (within reason), you should.
This doesn’t mean you need to run out and hire a world-class videographer right now though. Your video content can be as simple as a slideshow of images, sandwiched between an intro and outro. Add a fun jingle in the background and you’re golden! Even content as simple as that will help you rack up the views and increase customer engagement on your social channels.

2. Ask engaging questions

Another way to connect with your audience is to open up a dialogue, particularly by asking intriguing, open-ended questions for your followers to answer. This will increase engagement on your page, but not only that. It can also foster goodwill amongst your fan base, if you seem to genuinely want their feedback and care what they think.
Brands have really come to realize the importance of taking customer feedback into account, and the ease with which they can usually gather this feedback through social media. Your social channels are a perfect place to engage your customers in open, honest conversation about what their favorite offerings are, ideas they have, and what they would like to see next.

3. Give your posts a signature touch

Really use the magic of photo editing to your advantage. Most brands already make use of the basics of photo editing: cropping, adjusting the lighting and fixing the saturation to optimize your photos for social media. Take it a step further and add a personal touch to your posts. This touch can be anything from a theme, to a filter, to a logo or branded frame you add to your photos and videos. Make sure your photos not only look good on social media, but also that they have an extra little flair that connects them to your brand.

4. Sprinkle in the memes

Memes continue to dominate the social landscape. Some are funny, some are ironic, some are more serious commentaries on society, but all are extremely popular. If your brand is not already making use of memes in your social media strategy, now is the time to start.
Share a mix of custom memes you make specifically for your brand, and other relevant memes you find online. These posts can break up the monotony of your feed, especially if most of your other posts are pictures of your offerings. You don’t have to go overboard: use memes sparingly as a way to mix up your posts, and inject some humor or cultural references into your page.

5. Take a cue from TikTok

There’s no question that TikTok really exploded in 2020, and that momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Jumping on that train and trying to build a presence on TikTok would be a good idea for most brands, especially those whose target audience is relatively young.
However, even if your company does not make a TikTok, you can still learn from it and use it to guide your social media. The type of videos that are TikTok’s bread and butter-short, spliced together, with an audio track in the background-are gaining popularity across many channels. No matter what platform(s) you focus on, try creating some TikTok-style content. If done well, your audience is sure to respond positively. The above trends and tips should help spice up your social media pages this winter. Keep things fun, engaging, and personalized to really step up your channels and connect with your customers.

2021-02-09
Check Out Our Work

In today’s blog post, we wanted to share some of what we’ve been up to recently. Check out some of our recent work in website building, social media optimization, branding, and more! You can learn more about what we do and how we can help your business here.

Website: William A. Donius

We have worked with Bill Donius for quite some time, working to help him develop leads and run digital campaigns. We realized his old website was not working to optimize some of these goals, so we gave it a reboot and have seen very impressive results with the new site.

Branding: Saigon Cafe

Little Saigon Cafe came to us looking to freshen up their look and rebrand. Working closely with them, we were able to smoothly execute a name change (to Saigon Cafe), create a sleek and elegant new logo, and develop a whole slew of branding guidelines to help give them a signature look. Everything from their signage, to their menu, to their website now represents these new guidelines, providing a uniform look and feel for customers to recognize.

Social Media Growth: Kemoll’s

When Kemoll’s Chophouse first reached out to us about working together, their social media presence was inconsistent and sporadic. We helped them get on a regular posting schedule, tailored content to their specific audience, and grew their channels right away. Both their Facebook and Instagram followings grew exponentially during the first few weeks and months we worked with them. They now have an audience that is regularly engaging, and continues to grow by the day.

Graphic Design: DD Mau T-shirts

With the pandemic raging on, many businesses have had to pivot their business models and get creative to supplement their normal income. We helped our client DD Mau get creative by designing t-shirts and stickers for them to sell in their online store. These shirts are a whimsical, witty, and stylish way for fans to support this fast-casual Vietnamese restaurant! If you are in need of any digital marketing services, from website management to graphic design to social media strategy, we would love to help you out. Contact us today for a free consultation.

2021-02-05
Navigating Marketing During Tumultuous Times

It can be a challenge to know how to handle major world events and turmoil as a business. Should you address the happenings and take a stance, or stay neutral and wait for the situation to blow over? Either way, it is clear that in tumultuous times, everything, even marketing for your brand, is impacted in some way. We’ve laid out some tips below to help your business try to navigate a successful and appropriate marketing strategy during chaotic times.

Decide on Your Stance (Or Lack Thereof)

This probably seems pretty obvious to most of us, but an essential first step before moving forward with any marketing efforts is to know where your company stands on the issue, concern, or situation at hand. Ensure your marketing teams, particularly those in charge of social media, are well-versed on the company’s position, as well as how public they would like to be about it.
This does not only impact whether you put out a statement or make a social media post directly addressing whatever is going on. This will also determine the way in which you respond to messages, answer questions in the comment section, and interact with posts from other brands and individuals. Whatever your company’s official position is (even if that position is to not have a position), ensure that is reflected consistently across all marketing channels.

Watch Your Tone

You want to ensure that not only is the content you put out into the world in line with your brand’s views, but also that the tone matches that and is appropriate. If your official stance is that whatever is happening is serious and solemn, do not then reference it in a light-hearted campaign or make jokes about it. Stay consistent in your messaging and the tone in which you are sharing it.

Don’t Derail Your Marketing Efforts for Too Long

If there is a major catastrophe that occurs, it can feel inappropriate to cheerily continue to promote your stylish clothing, handmade candles, or delicious burgers. Fair enough-be mindful of the state of mind of the country, and of your followers and fans in particular. There are certain situations in which putting a pause on your marketing efforts, and directly addressing the situation that is occurring, is the best course of action.
However, be wary of spending too much time and resources on making statements and crafting content in response to the event. If you need to wait a little while to return to your usual marketing campaigns, that is okay. But there is not really a need to spend large chunks of budget and time addressing the situation over and over and over. Whenever you feel it is appropriate, ease back into your normal marketing routine to make the most of your resources.

Check Your Scheduled Posts

Most, if not all, businesses plan their advertisements, digital campaigns, and social posts ahead of time. Many of these materials are likely scheduled out weeks in advance. If something happens that drastically impacts the nation in the short-term, be sure to check your scheduled materials to make sure they are still relevant to go out. If any of your previously-planned work now seems irrelevant or in poor taste given recent developments, be sure to tweak it as needed.

Staying Neutral is an Option

Finally, if you are not sure where your company should stand on a given issue or do not feel like a stance is necessary at all, it is probably in your best interest to remain neutral, and make sure all your marketing materials reflect that. Of course, this varies a lot by situation: depending on the gravity, the impact it will have on people’s lives, and the nature of the chaos happening in the world, it may be morally necessary to take a stand. But in many instances, there is not a clear right and wrong or good and bad. At these times, do not feel bad staying neutral. If your business does not have strong feelings about a situation, there is no need to force a stance, and risk losing customers who disagree with it. It is often best to stay out of major debates and issues, and keep your focus on your products. When the world is changing and unexpected events are unfolding, marketing campaigns can become quite a delicate matter. By guiding your choices with the advice and framework above, your brand should be able to confidently go forward, in whatever direction you choose.

2021-02-02
Improve Your Targeting with Psychographics

Targeted ads are a great way to make the most of your digital marketing dollars. However, sometimes standard demographics, like age, gender, and location, are not nuanced enough to allow you to accurately target the audience you are going for. That is where psychographics come into play. We’re breaking down what they are and how to best make use of the below.

What are psychographics?

Similar to demographics, psychographics are characteristics of people that can be used to group and categorize them. However, unlike demographics, they are based on behavioral and psychological attributes. They are subjective, as opposed to factual. They can be a bit more complicated to identify and employ than demographics, because they are not as concrete. It is worth the trouble though, as oftentimes these characteristics can help you better target those who would potentially be interested in your business.

What are some examples of psychographics?

Psychographic traits cover a wide range of topics, and can be anything from personality to values to opinions to attitudes. People can be grouped based on their political affiliations, their purchasing behaviors, their personality traits, or their hobbies. These types of traits speak to why customers make decisions, and thus can be used to predict those who would likely purchase a given product or service.
Some traits are of course more relevant to marketing than others. Purchasing behaviors are a big one for marketers to focus on. For brands that emphasize ethical or moral mission statements, those shared values would also be key for marketing teams to look at. Sometimes, certain personality traits can even be relevant. For instance, if you are selling a product that is meant to be shared or used in a social setting, it might be smart to target extroverts more than introverts.

How can I use psychographics to categorize customers?

As we’ve mentioned a bit above, targeted digital ads on Facebook or Google are one of the major places that it can be helpful to utilize psychographics. You can gather information about your customers’ behaviors and attitudes based on their history of online behavior that you have access to.
Combining psychographic and demographic characteristics can usually help you target the most relevant and precise group of potential customers. Age or gender alone is not really enough to reliably predict purchases, but in tandem with personality traits, interests, and values, it can be extremely useful. There you have it: a quick and high-level explanation of psychographics and how they can be used to improve marketing success. Although they can seem a bit complicated because they are so subjective, these characteristics can be extremely useful for any digital marketing efforts, and should not be ignored. Don’t be afraid to dip your toes in the water and give them a try!

2021-01-29
Key Differences Between Facebook and Instagram Strategy

Facebook and Instagram are the two social media powerhouses, especially when it comes to social media marketing. Other sites and platforms can be important too, but these two reign supreme. And while they are similar in many ways, your strategy for Instagram and Facebook should not be exactly the same. We’re walking through some of the key differences between the two platforms, and what that means for your marketing strategy for each.

Demographics

One of the most obvious and important differences between Facebook and Instagram is the demographics of their users, particularly age. The average Facebook user is older than the average Instagram user: Facebook is dominated by Baby Boomers and Gen X, while Instagram caters to Millennials and Gen Z.
It is essential to note this difference when crafting your social media marketing plans. Each generation responds differently to different marketing techniques. Millenials and Gen Z followers are more likely as a whole to understand memes and pop culture references, while other posts will prove to be more effective for the older generations. Be aware of the age of your followers on each platform, and adjust your approach accordingly.

Pictures and Text

Facebook and Instagram differ not only in who primarily uses each, but also how content is consumed on each site. Instagram has more of an aesthetic focus, with photos and videos as the stars of the show. Images are important on Facebook too, but it is also a better platform for text posts and long messages. Lots of users just scroll through Instagram, glancing at the pictures, double tapping, and scrolling on. In contrast, users on Facebook don’t tend to be scrolling as quickly and are more likely to read captions.
If you have posts that include a lot of information, be aware of the best way to convey that info on each channel. On Facebook, you can include it all in a text post, or the caption of an eye-catching picture. On Instagram, you may want to include the information in the image itself so that viewers are more likely to see it.

Links

Another important distinction between Facebook and Instagram posts is the role links play. You can directly link to an external site in posts on Facebook, but not on Instagram. However, on Instagram, you can tag products in your photos to be shopped. Both can be helpful in directing people to your website or online store, but need to be employed slightly differently.
This is especially important to pay attention to when you are writing your content for the two sites. If you like to cross-post the same content on both platforms, be sure to make the small changes needed to make the copy relevant to each site. For instance, remove any direct hyperlinks from the posts going up on Instagram. Add in phrases like “click the link in bio to shop now” or “Shop the products in this photo now”. Paying attention to these minor details can optimize your content best on each platform. Although (or maybe because) the two platforms are different, a strong presence on both sites is important for your brand. You will target a slightly different subset of customers on each, so staying at the top of your game on both sites will help win you more sales. The differences above, from subtle to glaring, will all help you best optimize your performance on Facebook and Instagram.

2021-01-26
Quick and Easy Updates to Your Ecommerce Site

A well-designed and easy-to-navigate ecommerce site is an essential element of success for any business. Other marketing is what drives customers to your site, but the site itself really seals the deal. These quick fixes can help make your ecommerce site as effective and simple for your customers as possible.

Add a “Featured Items” section at the top

Grab your customers’ attention and keep it with a section of popular or featured items at the top of your site. You want the first thing they see to capture their attention, not just be whichever category of your offerings happens to come first alphabetically. If site visitors aren’t impressed with the first thing they see, they are more likely to leave without purchasing. Thoughtfully curate a top section that reflects your most popular and enticing offerings.
This is also a great area in which you can try to upsell. Along with a few of your most popular dishes, place a combo meal or other high-ticket item in this featured section to encourage larger purchases.

Include plenty of navigation buttons

Scrolling can be hard work. Scrolling down a seemingly endless page of products is tedious, it’s frustrating, and it can feel like a waste of time. To prevent this issue, make sure your ecommerce site includes plenty of navigation buttons and headings. Group your offerings into categories, label each product category clearly, and offer a quick and easy way to jump to each category without the endless scrolling. The more offerings you have, the more essential it is to strategically categorize them and make them easy to find.
This will prove to be especially beneficial for the casual viewers who stumble upon your site, and aren’t yet completely committed to making a purchase. If they are browsing and struggling to find what they are looking for, they will likely end up purchasing somewhere else. But if you can make your site navigation simple and clear, they will be able to find what they’re looking for and hopefully make the purchase.

Add an exclusive deal that is only available for online ordering

Spice up the online shopping experience with a little excitement! Curate a combo deal or special discount that is exclusively available through your online store. Bonus points if you make it available for a limited time only, and consistently switch up what the offer is.
These types of deals will encourage sales now instead of later, and will incentivize people to purchase through your ecommerce site because of the exclusivity. It certainly does not need to be a steep discount that cuts too much into your margins. Just bundling a few of your popular items and slashing the price by a few dollars can be enough to get people excited to purchase.

Update your product photos

Whether you’re selling food, clothes, coffee mugs, or anything else, you need high-quality product photos! For your ecommerce site, unlike social media posts, these photos do not need to be creative and unique. A simple full-frame shot of the offering will work perfectly for your website. Just make sure the shots are clear and high-resolution.
Every single item on your website should have a photo to go along with it. No matter how self-explanatory a product may seem, giving people a visual can spur more sales, and at the very least will make things easier for your customers. If your platform allows, you may also want to explore the idea of uploading multiple photos for certain offerings. This would be useful for products that have variations, like multiple color or pattern options, or that need to be viewed from multiple angles, like a double-sided shirt.

Enhance product descriptions

Finally, once your ecommerce site is set up in an optimal way and your photos are all updated, be sure to turn your attention to the product descriptions. While these are not as eye-catching as the photos, they can be equally as important. Once someone sees a picture that piques their interest, they will turn to the description to learn more. Be sure each offering on your site has a clear and descriptive paragraph to accompany it. Let your audience know what they are getting into with their purchase.
Two key areas to cover in your descriptions are specifications and uses. Include any relevant specifications about the product, such as its size, color options, flavors, ingredients, materials, or the like. Also be sure to sell people on how the product could be useful in their life! This is where you can add a little personality and flair to the description to keep viewers interested. While the fixes above may take you a bit of time and effort, as a whole they are relatively quick and easy adjustments to make. Making sure the set-up, photos, and descriptions on your site are the best they can be will help you maximize your sales and make the most of your ecommerce site!

2021-01-22