Many website owners are looking for the key to increasing their traffic also to building up a loyal customer base. So, to achieve this, natural referencing is the best technique to see your visits increase in the long term. But beyond pure SEO techniques, another very good way to attract and retain customers is to listen to them and give them the best advice. And for that, the blog is a formidable weapon. Why? Excellent question… The answer is immediately in this article.
E-commerce blog: reassuring expertise
On the internet, you can face 2 types of customers:
- Those who know exactly what they want and who seek above all an attractive price.
- Those who encounter a problem, who do not yet know how to solve it and who are therefore looking for advice.
It is this second category of targets that will be of particular interest to us because by supporting the most hesitant in their purchasing journey, the chances of converting them increase.
What’s more, because they are hesitant, they often lack confidence in sites that sell products remotely. Is this product right for them? Will it live up to their expectations? What is the difference between this and that product?
Physical stores overcome this obstacle with sellers available to answer their questions and direct them to the right item. But on an e-commerce site, how to do it? Difficult to find the right information among the mass.
So, obviously, to help and convince its customers, an e-merchant has every interest in completing its product sheets as much as possible. The task is more complicated when you sell hundreds or even thousands of products: it is impossible to make each descriptive sheet a real practical guide. Especially since the architecture of the pages does not generally lend itself to long speeches and the risk of losing an Internet user by developing a subject too much is too great.
This is where the blog comes in. Because instead of starting from a product category, you will be able to develop ideas from a specific subject. And that, for a customer who encounters a problem and who does not know how to solve it, that changes everything.
An example to better understand:
Omar lives in an apartment he owns and is constantly bothered by his upstairs neighbors: an adorable family, but with particularly restless children who regularly take their living room as a playground. Goat jumps, mad races, tossing toys… An incessant noise that resonates with Omar.
But how to put an end to this noise? Aware that he will not be able to demand Olympian calm from his young neighbors, he tells himself that it must be possible to better insulate his ceiling. Yes but how?
It is therefore at this precise moment that Omar will connect to Google to try to find a solution. And of course, since Omar doesn’t know which type of product to turn to, he is looking for advice and it’s a safe bet that he types in a Question like “what are the ways to do I protect my roof from noise”
- On your side, you have an e-commerce site specializing in DIY. And sound insulators, you sell them. But there for a customer like Omart, two concerns may arise. The chances that your online store will appear in the first results of Google following his request are minimal.
- If by chance, he comes across your online store, as he does not know how to tell the difference between the different insulating products, he may feel lost and will move on.
On the other hand, if he comes across a blog article (the first results of queries in the form of a question are very often blog articles), he will be able to obtain the long-awaited advice and, on your side, you will have been able to assert your expertise, establish a bond of trust with your prospect and guide him towards your products.
Facilitated exchanges and a gold mine of information to exploit
The link, let’s come to it…
Many e-merchants believe that having a beautiful site, pleasant to look at, with a tree structure facilitating the purchase journey is enough to retain a customer and make him come back. This is not totally false, because a customer who has had a good experience with an e-commerce site will come back to it more easily, but let’s not forget that Internet users are above all humans behind their screens, and that very often, the creation of a close bond promotes loyalty.
However, on a “frozen” site such as an online store, there is little interactivity possible (unless a chat system is in place, but this remains limited and requires a lot of reactivity).
On a blog, on the other hand, the customer will be able to share his point of view or his good practices on the subject of the article, ask questions if he has not found his answer in the text and he will also be able to exchange with his peers. And in the end, a close bond will gradually be established and the feeling of trust can only be strengthened.
These exchanges between Internet users or these questions in the comments reflect another advantage of the blog: the wealth of information to be exploited. Yes, very often, as a professional in a field, elements seem obvious or useless to us. The reactions of Internet users allow you to see things in a new light, with more perspective. Thus, you will be able to take advantage of all the feedback possible to clarify a somewhat unknown point, refine your offer or why not offer more services in line with the needs of your readers.
Communication facilitated by social networks
As e-merchants, have you ever dreamed of being talked about on the networks without having to move a finger? If obviously, and moreover, you have set up a system for sharing your product sheets. Without much success.
To believe that your products are of no interest to anyone… No, don’t panic. In fact, if Internet users find it easy to share information, it is above all advice, best practices, or even news that they will favor in their exchanges.
Why? A good product, we talk about it around us, while for a good article, we share it so that it can be read. It’s that simple!
So to come back to your dream of seeing your brand appear in the news feeds without having to play the community manager yourself, the blog is ideal.
Be careful, to have a chance of being shared, your content must be rich, relevant, and interesting.
E-commerce blog: good digital content to please Google
In addition to interesting Internet users eager for good advice, the e-commerce blog has the advantage of boosting your natural referencing.
Natural referencing or SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a technique that, if well practiced, allows you to position yourself well in Google results. And it is largely thanks to the content that this is possible.
Indeed, Google has algorithms that scan the site pages every day to scan the content. If the latter is relevant, rich, and brings real added value to answer the questions of Internet users, then it naturally increases its chances of being well-referenced. This is called content optimization.
Well, this small definition represents only a small part of the SEO service criteria. So, if you are interested in knowing more, do not hesitate to read this guide dedicated to…
What there is to remember is that the blog is certainly one of the most practical tools to optimize your chances of being well-referenced. Indeed, well-built and well-powered, it can meet many selection criteria established by the master of search engines, Google.
A word about the author
Rakesh Donga is a Certified Magento Developer and CEO at MagentoBrain with 8+ years of experience in eCommerce development. MagentoBrain is the leading eCommerce web development company that also offers Magento 2 Migration, Magento Upgrade, eCommerce Solutions, and other IT solutions.
