Big-Ticket E-Commerce Marketing StrategyBlueport.com

This week’s article from Multichannel Merchant “How to Drop the ‘E’ from E-Commerce,” talks about the evolution of folks who are now in charge of retailers’ e-commerce sites and how they likely worked their ways up through the retailers’ IT ranks and are now measured by online sales. But the article points out that e-commerce shouldn’t be about website sales as much as it should be about digital marketing for the entire retail organization.

Your e-commerce website is an influencer and should be designed to be a cross-channel powerhouse that drives sales and interactions with your business. You need to create a retail business that lets the consumer interact with you on the consumer's terms. And with the way people begin shopping using online search, your website could very well be the first touchpoint for new customers.

6 Ways to Turn Your E-Commerce Website into a Retail Digital Marketing Machine

1. Offer real local inventory information with local pricing -- right down to the store.
2. Provide a feature-rich store locator, allowing customers to search stores by location, hours and other customer-centric criteria.
3. Allow customers to buy online and pick up at a store location.
4. Be sure there is consistency between your e-commerce website and store when it comes to messaging, naming conventions and pricing.
5. Boost your local store online, using Google Places and the like, and integrate with location-based services like FourSquare.
6. Allow local stores to customize their information, and include store specific events, contacts and more.
7. Work with your marketing and merchandising counterparts to ensure a consistent message that works both in-store and online.

Remember: E-commerce is simply an extension of your existing stores. Don’t overlook your website’s full ability to market your products by focusing solely on online sales.

Related posts:

• E-Commerce 2.0 - The Next Wave
• Marketing to the Smarter Consumer
• Retail E-Commerce Trends to Watch in 2011

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