In a fiercely competitive market where you’re struggling to get your overheads down in order to make pricing lower than the competition, e-commerce shop owners are starting to offer more value for their customers, something you can only sometimes find on the high street. In this post I will talk about how you can engage users and build an e-commerce community.
Pay per click campaigns, Search Engine Optimisation, clever promotions, quality customer service and a highly usable website are all very important, but building a community is often overlooked. So, how do you build one?
1. Product user reviews
Amazon reviews is no doubt one of their strongest features.
By building in user reviews, you attract repeat visits, natural search engine rankings and you will start to see users engaging with each other, laying the foundations for a great community.
Added value - Wiggle use "Most helpful review" to show the best ones first
This also gives you an opportunity to talk to these users and act upon any bad experiences.
On a smaller scale, this isn’t so easy but definitely achievable. There are shared review platforms out there such as Reevoo who Tesco Direct use, which offer an easy solution to integrate a database that is already established. Standalone solutions are also available, but a lot harder to get off the ground. I would definitely recommend going down this route, as eventually the rewards will be worth the initial investment. You can offer incentives to attract reviews by launching competitions, discounts and rewards.
2. Setup E-commerce Forums / Message Boards
If you have a good customer service reputation then this one shouldn’t be a problem. These are probably the hardest to get off the ground, but eventually it will be worth it. vBulletin is the most popular software out there, where as phpBB offer a free alternative.
Overclockers UK - A very successful community
Sites such as Overclockers UK have built a strong community over time and for some the forums are a focus point for an e-commerce company, sometimes even more so than the shop itself (although I don’t necessarily recommend throwing all your eggs in one basket here!)
Start by keeping the number of forums small. Have one for off-topic discussion and one for site feedback. If you sell in a particularly niche market, you may want to cover some more specific topics, but the general rule is to try and keep it small initially. By keeping it small, you can start to gauge what the users are talking about the most and expand based on this.
Encourage friends, family and existing site users to get involved. Get involved yourself, starting interesting and topical discussions. You may even want to offer incentives for forum members such as exclusive deals, or points for posts that can be integrated with a shop loyalty scheme.
3. Setup an E-commerce Blog
zooplus.co.uk talk about topics that will interest their readers (pet products)
Talk about what you specialise in, your industry. Don’t just talk about your products, unless you are offering honest, impartial reviews that don’t come across as sales jargon. Remember to engage with your users and pay attention to their comments. Provoke discussion by asking an open question at the end.
Use Search Engine Optimisation techniques to improve rankings.
Use WordPress if you don’t fully understand Search Engine Optimisation. It has an enormous amount of techniques for gaining Search Engine positions built in place and will attract users to your site.
4. Use YouTube for products
CVP is an excellent example of a YouTube channel
Being the second largest Search Engine to Google, YouTube can bring in a great deal of traffic to your website if used properly.
Start your own YouTube channel and start reviewing the products you sell. Brand the videos with your logo and remember to include the address to your website.
If you want to go a step further, get in contact with professionals and experts in your industry – key figures that people look up to. Offer them a chance to use and experience the product in return for their valuable opinion. People search for these names, which will eventually lead to more website visitors.
5. Utilise Social media
The right message can spread fast with Social Media
If you aren’t already, get into social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter. Make sure you regularly engage with your customers and get them chatting. Use Twitter search to keep an eye on questions about products you may sell and help these users. Don’t try to force sales on them, however as you will convey the wrong image.
I would be interested to know how other e-commerce shop owners have found their experiences with their techniques, what are yours?