Do you use Magento to run your online store? Yes? Great. You’ve already taken a huge step to success in online retail. Magento is a robust and flexible eCommerce platform. It suits various businesses, but most of all, quickly growing ones and international enterprises. So you’re in a good company.
Then comes the need to acquire and retain customers. How? Emails, influencers, SEO, and ads may come to your mind. With so many promotional methods, you may not know where to start. Especially when it comes to securing your place in the market in 2023.
The world isn’t what it used to be, not three years ago, not even a year ago. With new technologies like AI emerging, daily operations have only accelerated, and customers demand new approaches.
Feeling a wave of despair or fear? Fret not; we’ve got you covered. We’ve prepared a helpful guide for Magento store owners striving to cover different aspects of digital marketing. We’ll not only show you where to direct your efforts in 2023 but also explain what exact elements of digital marketing undergo transformation nowadays and what you should be ready for.
1. Leveraging Content and PR for Magento Stores
Modern eCommerce businesses don’t just sell things. They create stories, build communities, and establish long-term relationships. That’s where content marketing is indispensable. Good content can stir emotions, spark connections, and set the stage where your brand is the protagonist.
What can you tell customers? If you don’t have ideas, think of what makes your brand unique. Maybe the products are made of sustainably sourced materials, or perhaps you started the store in a dorm room.
You can share these stories on social media or via email. But if you need a blog, you need to keep in mind that there is no such feature in Magento 2 by default. So you’ll need to connect a WordPress blog or an extension like “Blog for Magento 2” by Aheadworks. To ensure seamless integration, you can contact certified agencies or developers providing Magento 2 development services.
Once you have the narrative in place, it’s time to popularize it. How? Leverage the power of PR by searching for sites where you can earn a quality brand mention. Turn to platforms such as HARO (Help A Reporter Out). There, you can contact media professionals, bloggers, and journalists actively looking for new stories. Pitch them your idea.
Another option to boost visibility is through referral programs. Give customers incentives for promoting the company and automate this process with the help of dedicated modules like “Refer A Friend” by FMEextensions.
2. Harnessing the Power of Social Media and Influencers
What if you could turn potential buyers into loyal customers? It’s easy with Magento integration with social media networks like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Social media and messengers allow any business to advertise its products and services. Some even create full-fledged storefronts on their basis. But if you’re a Magento store owner, you can power up the store with different modules to marry the website functionality with social media ease of use and popularity. The Magento community constantly rolls out new extensions to simplify this task.
For example, the “Magento 2 Social Login” by WeltPixel enables users to log in to the store with their social media credentials without having to create a new account. There are no longer lengthy fields to fill up. Just a few clicks will do to complete the order.
Additionally, you can incorporate the most recent Instagram photographs right into the storefront with the help of “Instagram Feed for Magento 2” by Mageplaza, giving it a new appearance each time a visitor passes by.
One more way to benefit from social media presence is by collaborating with influencers. These are people with a considerable follower count who can use their authority to encourage people to buy products and services they recommend.
Below, you’ll find an example of a recent partnership of the Bando online store and Suzette Burton, a filmmaker and influencer with 6,474 followers. Their collaboration generated a positive response from the audience and additional traffic to the store.
Screenshot taken on the official Suzette Burton’s Instagram account
But there’s a catch—influencer marketing is not just a paid advertisement. It is a sincere relationship, a genuine interest in what you have to offer. So here are some tips for launching influencer marketing campaigns:
- Don’t limit yourself to counting followers. Examine engagement rates, audience demographics, and the overall tone and style of the blog. Tools like BuzzSumo or Upfluence can help.
- Select influencers who share your brand’s values and image.
- Don’t impose harsh regulations on opinion leaders in terms of promoting your products. Outline the desired direction and give freedom to choose their preferred communication style.
- Consider long-term collaborations rather than one-off posts.
- Leverage multiple platforms and partner with different types of influencers. Don’t just focus on Instagram, for example, or mega-influencers. Mix it up with other networks like YouTube and TikTok and consider micro and nano-influencers to tap into more targeted and engaged audiences.
- Use analytics tools and tracking codes to monitor campaign performance.
3. Ensuring Personalized Engagement
Personalization has become pivotal in 2023. Modern consumers who have spent a lot of time shopping online can easily spot generic campaigns. They want custom experiences.
Adobe, which now possesses Magento as part of its ecosystem, recognizes this need. Thanks to the years of development and modernization, the company has introduced artificial intelligence (AI) and integrated it with the eCommerce platform to help you craft tailored content. One of the notable examples here is the Product Recommendations feature, enabled by Adobe Sensei.
The system analyzes shoppers’ behavior and suggests products that resonate with their past searches and purchases. The result? More carts making it to the checkout lane.
Below is an illustration of how Sephora configured the “We Think You’ll Also Love” section on its website. Once you add a product to the cart, the pop-up appears with a list of products to complement the chosen one.
Screenshot taken on the official Sephora website
Another way to harness the power of Al is by creating a chatbot online. Enhanced with Al, it not only answers queries but also learns from them. Whether you want to notify users about the restocked item or offer complementary goods, chatbots can do the job. They discern human intent and make conversations more organic rather than acting like a Q&A section.
4. Launching Retargeting Campaigns
Suppose a visitor walks into a store, picks up an item, admires it, and then puts it back. Traditionally, it would be a lost sale. But one of the advantages of online shopping is that you can track visitor behavior and use their views, clicks, and other activities to determine their preferences. After that, you can display ads with their viewed items on different platforms to remind about them and encourage people to buy. That’s what retargeting is all about.
And in 2023, it goes beyond peppering users with ads of the shoes they glanced at once. It’s a multi-faceted strategy, involving channels such as:
- Email: When users abandon their cart, trigger a tailored email, maybe with a discount nudge. Tools like Abandoned Cart Email for Magento 2 by Amasty make this magic happen, turning potential lost sales into confirmed checkouts.
- Push notifications: These are messages that pop up on mobile and desktop screens. Push notifications are usually associated with native apps, but you can also send them from the web.
How? For example, if you convert the store into a Magento progressive web app. In this case, the store will remain a website accessed from browsers but provide a native-app experience and features.
- Video: You can establish a lasting impression by shooting video ads and retargeting users on platforms like YouTube or Vimeo. Some ideas include product showcases, DIYs, or customer testimonials.
- Social media: They allow you to target specific audiences and make sure your product pops up in the feeds of potential buyers. A case in point is an ad from AYBL. I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and saw this post.
After clicking on it, I landed on the store account with the button to proceed to the website. I’ve been going to the gym for the last three months, so I’m highly interested in their offers.
Screenshot taken on Instagram
But remember, the trick is in reaching out at the right moments with relevant products.
5. Selling Across Platforms
Online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart are great places to expand your Magento business. They enable you to cast a wider net and fish for more customers. Just take a glance at statistics: 75% of consumers look for new brands and goods on Amazon. 52% of shoppers are more likely to purchase an unknown brand if it’s present on Amazon.
There are many opportunities to connect marketplaces with Magento. For instance, CedCommerce offers the Amazon Integration extension to simplify product configuration and submission on Amazon.com.
6. Building Credibility with Trust Symbols
You may have an ideal Magento store full of excellent goods. The problem is that online selling isn’t only about making purchases; it’s also about building trust. Users share their valuable information, with most of them not thinking of protecting themselves. They expect online stores to do this for them.
So, for those seeking information on whether to trust the store, display particular signals known as trust symbols. These are small badges saying, “We cooperate with reputable companies, value cybersecurity, and have hundreds of satisfied customers.” Here is what you can place on your pages:
- Secure checkout badges. An “SSL Secure” badge can soothe potential customers and show your commitment to protecting credit card details. Take a look at the screenshot of The Webster online store below to see how you can design this feature.
Screenshot taken on the official The Webster website
- Payment gateways. PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, and other renowned payment methods can add legitimacy to the store, reassuring clients that transactions are smooth and secure.
- Customer reviews and ratings. They serve as social proof, adding credibility to the company. Plugins like “Magento 2 Advanced Reviews” by Aheadworks let customers voice their experiences and streamline the review process. For example, they provide “Verified Buyer” labels, customization options, and guest review submissions.
- Certifications and partnerships. Customers pay attention to the company’s achievements and deeds. So whether you work with eco-friendly suppliers or have achieved a “Best Seller” title, demonstrate it on the website to stand out from the crowd.
7. Optimizing Magento for Voice Search
Modern users can discover new products and stores not only by typing requests. Now, voice search has come to the stage with the rise of virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant.
As Magento store owners, it’s high time to lean into this trend. Voice search provides comfort, speed, and hands-free access. Considering more and more searches happen on the go, optimizing the content for a busy and multitasking audience can increase traffic and, potentially, sales.
To prepare your Magento store for the voice search revolution, follow these straightforward tips:
- Delve into long-tail keywords. Optimize your texts for the way people talk rather than type. For example, instead of writing “Magento shoe store,” a user may say, “Where can I buy shoes in a Magento store?” To uncover such conversational queries, utilize tools like AnswerThePublic or SEMrush.
- Consider local SEO. Voice search often revolves around local queries. People look for stores and places in their location (“near me”), so display the store’s address, phone number, and opening hours on the website.
- Add schema markup. It’s the code that helps search engines understand the context of your content. By introducing structured data, you can create rich snippets, providing more information about the company without having to open the page.
- Boost loading speed. Loading speed is crucial in any case. But if we think about voice search users, we mean buyers who require instant answers. Thus, reaching lightning-fast loading is a must. Regularly check your site’s speed through Google PageSpeed Insights. Remove unneeded plugins, optimize the code, consider caching solutions, and keep an eye on image sizes.
- Enhance the mobile experience. Mobile friendliness is another factor contributing to a positive experience for voice searchers. As they will most likely use smartphones, the Magento store should meet their expectations. It includes responsive design, easy navigation, and quick checkout, among other things.
Wrapping Up
Magento marketing strategies aim to drive visitors to the website, persuade them to buy, and establish positive relationships to make them loyal customers. We’ve overviewed seven tips for making your store appealing to consumers. The Magento platform will support anything you choose, from content and influencer marketing to retargeting and personalization.
Audit your current tactics. Prioritize based on your goals. Explore Magento tools and extensions. By following our tips above, you can ensure customers will not only buy but will keep returning for more.