To succeed in eCommerce, you need to set yourself apart from the competition and establish your own distinctive, unique and memorable eCommerce brand.
But how do you achieve that against the tremendous number of eCommerce competitors out there?
How to stand out as an eCommerce brand
So, you’ve developed a great product or service, one that is creating much excitement amongst your team and you are preparing to launch it into the online market.
But while taking a new product to market is exciting, you will encounter challenges around how to differentiate your brand.
Your brand will be competing against numerous competitors for exposure and customers. With over twelve million eCommerce sites currently online, and plenty more on the way, how will you shine brightest and stand tallest?
To help answer this question, in this article we explore four key strategies that will help your eCommerce business establish a brand and become recognisable amongst a host of competitors.
Strategy 1 – tell the story behind your eCommerce brand
Tell people about the “why”
When you’re thinking about how to establish your eCommerce brand, it’s important to start with your story.
What is it that makes your brand unique? Why did you start this business in the first place?
By telling your story, you’ll be building trust, which leads to our next point.
An eCommerce brand needs to build trust
If you want people to buy from you, they need to trust you. But how do you build trust with your audience?
One way is to be transparent.
Customers need to know what they’re buying, and they need to be able to trust that what you’re selling is exactly what they’re getting.
Be upfront about your shipping policies, return policies, and anything else that might impact your customer’s purchases.
And get reviews from happy customers, as many as you can and as fast as you can. Nothing screams trust quite like hundreds of other buyers who were thrilled with their purchase.
Let people get to know you
Show them that there are real people behind your eCommerce brand. Share your story, your struggles, your wins. Let them know what your values are.
You can do this through social media, blog posts, email newsletters, and short videos and it’s a great way to improve customer engagement online.
Social presence is a brand extension
If you’re selling online and you don’t have a strong presence on social media, then you need to rectify that.
Being active on social media is one of the best ways to connect with your audience and build brand awareness, engagement, trust and loyalty. But it’s not enough to just be present – you need to be engaging, consistent and genuine in both the content you post and how you interact with your followers.
Social Media enables people to get to know you – and this is crucial because you are the biggest diversifier for your brand.
Strategy 2 – the biggest differentiator is YOU!
When it comes to establishing your eCommerce brand, one of the most important things to remember is that you are your biggest differentiator.
You are what makes your brand unique, so don’t be afraid to show off your personality and your culture.
Here are a few tips to help you remember and implement the idea that you are the biggest differentiator between your eCommerce brand and its competitors:
Company culture – you and your people
Your company culture is what makes you unique as a business. It’s the way you and your employees interact with each other and with your customers. And it all starts with you.
As the leader of your eCommerce business, it’s up to you to set the tone for the rest of the company.
Make sure your company culture is reflected in the way you do business.
Are you customer-centric? Innovative? Fun? Make sure your employees know what your company culture is, and make sure they’re living up to it.
Customers are buying you not just your product
When a customer buys from you, they’re not just buying your product – they’re buying into your brand. They’re buying into the way you do business, and they’re buying into your company culture.
Make sure you’re conveying the right message with every interaction you have with customers, from their cart experience right down to the packaging and unboxing experience.
Strive to always be friendly, helpful, and personable and to leave them with a little WOW moment at every touchpoint.
Your excitement gets potential customers excited
Your passion for your business is contagious. When you’re excited about what you’re doing, it shows, and it gets potential customers excited about your brand.
Don’t be afraid to show your enthusiasm for your business. It’s one of the things that will set you apart from your competition because it demonstrates genuine, pure intentions and passion.
Strategy 3 – your eCommerce brand should sparkle!
Be bold and stand out from the crowd
There’s no need to be boring when you’re establishing your eCommerce brand. In fact, now is the time to start showing off your personality.
Your branding should be fun, exciting, and different. Don’t be afraid to experiment, and don’t be afraid to be bold – the goal is to stand out from the crowd!
Heavy use of branding – images, video, and marketing materials
Your branding should be reflective of your company culture and your personality.
Use images and videos to show off your products and your people, and don’t be afraid to get creative with your marketing materials – no matter what form that takes!
Employ tight, succinct messaging
Try and keep your messaging brief and to the point.
You want people to know who you are, what you do, and why you’re different – but most of all, you want to achieve this in a memorable way, so don’t waffle.
Brainstorm catchy slogans, taglines and short stories to get your message across and make sure your website copy and ad copy are clear, concise, and easy to understand.
An eCommerce brand needs a clean and modern website
Your website is often the first thing potential customers will see, so you want to make sure it’s clean, modern, and easy to navigate.
Your website should be designed with your customer in mind. Make it easy for them to find what they’re looking for, and make it easy for them to buy from you.
Dispatch your product in custom packaging
Your packaging is another chance to show off your personality and it’s a great way to give customers an unexpected WOW moment with a gift or a thoughtful card.
Make sure your packaging is clean, modern, and doesn’t look like everyone else’s. And use custom packaging to really make your brand stand out.
Strategy 4 – make your customers a part of the conversation
Be authentic
There’s no need to be someone you’re not when you’re establishing your eCommerce brand. Be yourself, and express the best aspects of who you are.
Your customers will appreciate your authenticity, and they’ll be more likely to buy from you if they know that you’re being genuine.
Engage with your customers
The best way to build a relationship with your customers is to engage with them. Talk to them, listen to them, and respond to them.
Make sure you’re responsive to comments and questions on social media, through your website, and on online reviews. The more you engage with your customers, the stronger your relationship will be and other customers will see these interactions and be more likely to engage with your brand in the future.
Businesses that respond to even one customer review earn on average 4% more revenue.
Your eCommerce brand must display ‘Social Proof’
If you’re just starting, it can be hard to build trust with potential customers. One way to overcome this is to display social proof.
Social proof is a form of customer testimonials that show other people have had positive experiences with your brand. It’s a great way to build trust and credibility, and it should be top of the list when you’re establishing your eCommerce brand.
Offer customers incentives for good reviews, such as repeat purchase discounts, little gifts, and discount codes they can share with friends and ask them for written and video testimonials where possible.
Highlight what your first customers love about you and your business
Your first customers are important. They’re the ones who believed in you from the start, and they’re the ones who will help you get to where you want to be.
Make sure you show them some love by highlighting what they love about you and your business. It will make them feel appreciated, and it will help you get more customers down the line.
A final thought
The tips we’ve explored today are just a few things to keep in mind as you’re establishing your eCommerce brand.
Remember, your goal is to be different, to be memorable, and to build trust with your potential customers.
If you can do those things, you’ll be well on your way to success – as long as you partner up with the right order fulfilment provider!
Build your eCommerce brand with ParcelPlanet
One of the biggest complaints we hear from prospective customers is that they don’t have enough time to focus on their customers and their customer services.
We understand the incredible time pressures that eCommerce business owners face and it’s why we deliver such a comprehensive and hands-on service.
At ParcelPlanet, we are passionate about helping eCommerce businesses get back to basics by offering complete order fulfilment services. We take care of all your storage, order processing, shipping, returns, and more, so you can focus on engaging with your customers and growing your brand.
Get in touch with us today to start your eCommerce fulfilment journey. Also, make sure to check out the latest eCommerce trends and news on our blog and resources page.
