This is due to the fact that consumer habits have changed significantly in recent years. If you cannot keep up with the growth of digital competences of your target group, a problem will arise. Your customers – both a large proportion of the current ones and a large number of potential new ones – are already online. If you do not wait for them there, when the moment comes when they will start looking for services or products offered by your company, they will turn to the better digitally exposed competition.

Internet marketing, especially if your company has not carried out such activities before (or has conducted them to a minimal extent), is an activity that requires a large dose of knowledge at the very beginning. Moreover, to say that later the necessity to broaden marketing horizons grows exponentially would be a delicate hyperbole at best. It is also worth remembering that while some of the elements that make up the digital image of a brand can be done for free or with a low effort and budget, costs will increase as they develop.

How to start internet marketing? Which tools to use? Which are essential at the beginning and which can be postponed when the brand grows digitally?

SEO

Virtually every brand should have its own website. Thanks to this, you can provide customers with basic information about your services / products and, above all, let them find you. A well-made website will allow you to make the right first impression and provide the necessary contact details. The website should be readable, aesthetic, fast and adapted to User Experience standards (more about UX later in the text).

However, in order for the website to be properly visible, it is important to properly approach its positioning. When a user enters a phrase that interests him / her, it returns a list of several dozen or several hundred thousand results in a specific order. It is not accidental, and the constantly evolving Google algorithm is responsible for it. However, you can live in harmony with it and use good SEO (Search Engine Optimization) practices from the very beginning.

The SEO of websites and online stores can be divided into two categories. The first is changes that we can make on the website itself – sometimes the whole process is called on-site SEO, i.e. SEO performed directly on the website. They mainly include the creation and optimization of content in such a way that it is “easy to digest” both for the user and for the search engine bot who will regularly visit and analyze the website.

It also means that the content is saturated with keywords for which we want to position the page – they should appear in several places in the text (possibly also in the headings), but you should not overdo them with excessive, unnatural intensity, because this will reduce the readability and quality of the text itself. To gain space for content that does not overwhelm with quantity (no one likes to read a wall of text), you should think about starting a company blog. This will allow not only to increase the amount of content, but also to present the brand as it deserves – i.e. as an expert in a given industry. In addition to substantive articles on a given branch of the market, the blog is a great place to present employees, current achievements and corporate culture – so that customers can also see the “human face” of the company.

On-site SEO also focuses on the technical refinement of the website:
– improving its loading time (the vast majority of users will resign from visiting if the page loading takes more than a few seconds) – this can be achieved, among others, by image compression, code minification, transfer to a faster server, etc .;
– adaptation to display on screens of different resolutions (most of the internet traffic takes place via smartphoness, which requires the use of other solutions than in the case of typical desktop versions – users of desktop and laptop computers, however, cannot be forgotten, there are also tablets);
– SSL certificate installation – it ensures encrypted communication between the website visitor and the server and is taken into account by Google bots;
– And many other aspects.

The second, no less important part of SEO is getting links leading to a given website, which is referred to by the term off-site SEO. It is they who signal to the network bot that, according to the social proof of rightness, the website is probably valuable and it is possible to raise its position in the search results. The key, however, is not to “hack” the right number of links from random pages – in SEO, the number must go hand in hand with quality. Tools such as Senuto or Ahrefs help in analyzing the link profile.

At the initial stage, the key information about SEO is the fact that SEO is a long-term process. Achieving satisfactory results is not possible in a week, month, and often even a year – it requires creating a plan and its proper implementation, adapting to the current algorithm updates and continuous training. What’s worse, once the results are achieved, it is easy to lose, for example, due to an ill-considered website update, which, for example, will cause problems with indexing individual subpages.

SEO audit

If you already have a website, it is worth checking carefully how it is doing in the search engine and what can be done to improve its positioning status. We are talking about performing an SEO audit, thanks to which you can check both the elements that can be improved on the site itself (on-site SEO) and the link profile (off-site SEO). On the web you can find many sites – both free and paid – with which you will automatically collect basic information on this topic. At Paraphrase Online com, we also prepared the possibility of conducting such a quick audit. The Google PageSpeed Insights tool, which checks the speed of operation and other basic elements that make up the “performance” of the website, may also be useful.

As a collection of general information, automatic SEO auditors and similar scripts are the first base for further actions. They only take into account the very basic factors influencing the position of the website, so if you think about SEO “seriously”, a professional audit by a specialist will be necessary. Multifaceted analysis allows you to develop a detailed SEO strategy, which in the vast majority of cases (except for extremely niche market sectors) is necessary to bring the website to meaningful results.

Google My Business

When a potential customer enters a company name, a section with details about the specific company often appears on the right next to the search results. Setting up such a business card is free, so you can display the most important data – phones number, address, opening hours or photos of the registered office. Thanks to this, the user has access to basic data without the need to search further, and you can make the right first impression. We write in detail about the GMF in a separate article on our blog.

Social Media

Social media is the modern equivalent of city centers. Depending on the current status of a given portal, they can be bustling (like Instagram or TikTok) or abandoned (like MySpace used to be). There is no doubt, however, that the presence in social media will be useful for most brands – they are perfect platforms for quick contact with the client – not only announcements “I am a given brand”, but also “maybe it’s worth establishing a dialogue?”.

The first question to be answered when considering setting up a brand account on social media is “which website is your target audience on?”. Each website is characterized by a slightly different user profile – due to the skillfully built up position of Facebook over the years, theoretically, you will find all age groups there, but Instagram and TikTok reach younger users better. Each platform has its own code – IG is an image-based platform, TikTok is mainly short videos, Twitter is primarily based on 280-character text messages.

Think about which website your brand fits best. A dynamic brand aimed at teenagers, with skilful profile management, will be great on TikTok, while in the case of care products for seniors, the presence there will probably end up in business terms as a waste of time and resources.

There are many brands in social media. This is a huge overload of information for the user. Due to this accumulation in social media, the company should stand out – not use a clichéd, boring narrative. You have a split second to catch the eye of a potential customer – don’t waste it on overproducing clichés.

It is worth knowing that the era of organic reach (that is, achieved without the support of paid ads) is gone forever. Your fanpage on Facebook will not be displayed to all users who once clicked “I like it” and they hope that it will allow them to update about new posts. Social networks are increasingly monetizing their activities and focus on presenting paid ads. For this reason, bearing in mind your presence in social media, it is worth allocating part of the budget, for example Facebook Ads – it is a waste of time for content creators to see the posts by a dozen or several dozen people.

Google Ads is a powerful advertising system that allows you to reach millions of potential customers.

The Google Ads ecosystem allows, among other things, to show ads:
– In search results – above and below organic results. This placement guarantees adequate exposure of the advertisement and is usually associated with clicks. An advertisement placed especially at the very top of SERPs, although marked appropriately, is sometimes confused with a traditionally positioned page.
– On YouTube – the largest video content portal in the world is also an excellent advertising platform. You can place ads before, during and after your videos (in the form of videos), as well as text overlays, product overlays. The system also allows the use of several other formats (e.g. at the top of the column with suggestions for other movies to watch).
– On millions of portals associated with the Google Display Network partner network. Thanks to this, you can display ads on many lifestyle, news or journalistic websites – the network brings together both small blogs run by hobbyists and the largest wide-range horizontal portals in the world. Furthermore, your ads may be shown to specific users – those who, for example, have previously visited your website or expressed interest in similar products. This is a great way to remind customers about yourself.
– In Discovery Ads – a graphic and video format based not on the sent ready materials, but on a set of elements that, based on self-learning algorithms, the system dynamically mixes, thanks to which it selects a creation that will generate the best results in a given place and under given conditions. Discovery Ads appear on Discover tabs, Gmail (“Offers” and “Communities” tabs) and YouTube (“Watch Later” panel and the platform’s home page).
– In Google Shopping – In the “shopping” tab of the search results page, there is a product price comparison platform. In addition, you can also advertise specific articles there over the “normal” results. What’s more, product ads can also appear in traditional SERPs – when a user enters a phrase in Google that suggests a product (for example, a drone or a thermal mug), Google Ads may display an ad for your product with an image, name, price and, of course, a link to the store’s website.
– And this is only a part of the possibilities of Google Ads!

What else is worth knowing about Google Ads? Out of reach, the system is distinguished by enormous targeting possibilities. Unlike, for example, a TV advertisement, we have the option of precisely specifying to whom the message is to be displayed, which prevents the budget from being wasted. The platform also enables dynamic adjustment of the target group based on the collected data, thanks to which it can rotate ads in real time to people who, according to the system, have the best prognosis for conversion. Supportive solutions such as POCM are also available, which adapt the data 24/7 thanks to self-learning algorithms.

Related to this is the fact that in order to take full advantage of Google Ads, the system must have “what” to collect data on, which is why it is a solution that requires a financial contribution.

How to start internet marketing?

The channels presented above are a good start for a brand that wants to start online marketing in its company. Of course, this is only the tip – digital marketing offers basically endless possibilities. The key is to choose the right channels – so that communication is consistent and results grow.

SaaS model – what is it?

SaaS stands for software as a service. Users can access it via the cloud, they don’t need to install anything on their computers. This is due to the lack of the need for configuration or servicing. SaaS is a turnkey solution. To use it, all you need to do is pay the subscription fee. In this model, the obligations related to updating, technical support and management are transferred to the service provider. He, not the user of the software, has control over everything and it is his responsibility to ensure that it runs reliably.

There are many examples of SaaS, each of us uses such a solution. This includes e mail. You log into your account to gain access to the box, but the software is in the cloud, all messages and attachments are saved on an external server. The SaaS model is also used by popular streaming services, but it is most often referred to in the context of business. Through it, various types of applications are made available, including financial, accounting, analytical and human resource management. On this model, you can host video files, manage projects, run podcasts or build your own online store. SaaS is an important element of running a business for many people.

Advantages of SaaS – is it worth choosing such software?

One of the most important advantages of the SaaS model is the comfort of use. It does not require the purchase of a license, installation of the program on computers, remembering about updates or regular servicing. The service provider is responsible for managing the application. SaaS is associated with rapid deployment. There is no need to waste time not only installing software, but also waiting for the delivery, construction and configuration of the entire system and server infrastructure. The very process of implementing a new solution is not only shorter, but usually also cheaper. The user does not bear the license fee, which can be risky when checking new software (only after some time it may turn out that it does not fully work). It should also be remembered that if the application is installed on several computers, a separate license must be purchased for each one. In the Software as a Service model, a monthly, quarterly or annual subscription is most often profitable, which is not very burdensome.

It is also important to have access to all software data from anywhere. Information is stored in the cloud and you only need a device with Internet access to view, modify or share it. In addition, SaaS is a model that ensures a high level of security. There is no risk of data loss in the event of a hardware failure of the user. IT systems secured in such a way as to provide customers with the highest possible level of protection are responsible for the provision of services. It is not without significance that access to SaaS must be guaranteed at all times, without any interruptions. It is the suppliers’ responsibility to ensure reliable operation, even in the event of a major breakdown or natural disaster.

The other advantages of SaaS include:
– Simplicity and comfort of work – software as a service is a model that ensures easy and comfortable use. Anyone can concentrate on the tasks they need to get done without having to think about how to handle the software. The problem of a temporary drop in its performance or jamming also disappears.
– Access to the current version ensured – users always use the current version of the application, even though they do not have to install it themselves. The service provider is responsible for everything.
– Access for everyone – there is no need for time-consuming training before implementing the software. It is also not necessary to employ people with specialist knowledge, incl. on data security. Each employee of the company can freely use the application, also via smartphoness and similar devices, which has a positive effect on their mobilization.
– Customization – SaaS is a flexible solution that can be easily adapted to individual needs. When the need arises, the number of access points or necessary resources can be increased.

Many entrepreneurs choose the SaaS model to automate their business. Thanks to it, it becomes possible to create customer databases, issue invoices and perform many other activities in the CRM system. Is it a completely flawless solution? Not completely. While SaaS can be used anywhere and anytime, an Internet connection is required. However, for most companies, this is not a problem, because constant access to the network is already a standard. You should also be aware that when a supplier breaks down, working in the enterprise can be very difficult. However, the risk of this happening is small. The owners of this type of service ensure the security and reliability of the entire infrastructure. Another obstacle for some is that the number of features available depends on the platform. Not all of them can fully suit the user in this respect.

SaaS in e-commerce

There are many platform solutions available for online stores on the e-commerce market. People starting their adventure in this area of ​​activity are very often recommended SaaS. This is due both to the high potential of this model and the relatively low cost. Software as a service can be easily integrated with marketing automation, couriers, mailing platform and similar options. There is a settlement in the form of a subscription, and the monthly fee is sometimes only a few dozen dollars, so it is not a big burden for the business. This encourages you to give SaaS a try and see if it’s a good choice in the long run. It is an almost ready-to-run online store, just enter the most important elements needed for its functioning, including products, prices, regulations, etc. Software as a Service does not require very large investments at the very beginning, which distinguishes it from creating your own website from scratch . Using it has several other benefits, such as:

– Automation of activities – in SaaS you can automate, among others mailing. Employees do not have to write and send messages on their own regarding the change of order status, shipment of products or new products in the offer. This not only saves valuable time, but also minimizes the risk of mistakes. Automation to some extent also affects customer satisfaction, as they do not have to ask for important information about their orders themselves.
– Acceleration of processes – software as a service is a model that allows integration with various programs necessary to run an online store, including accounting and warehouse. This speeds up the course of all important processes, and thus improves the functioning of the business.
– Flexibility – even if the simplest and cheapest subscription was chosen at the beginning, nothing prevents you from changing it to a more extensive option at the right moment. This is conducive to the free development of business, every entrepreneur will easily adapt SaaS to his needs and requirements.
– Support for marketing activities – in order to be successful, the online store must not forget about marketing. SaaS provides support also in this area, an example is the possibility of starting a blog, which works very well as an additional channel of communication with customers. If necessary, other solutions can also be implemented, such as discount coupons or integration with a price comparison engine.
– Access to updates and technical support – the SaaS user always has access to the current version of the software and new functions. In addition, he does not need to hire someone to solve problems related to the operation of the system. Technical support is provided by the service provider.

Which SaaS online store to choose?

In order not to regret choosing a specific software, it is worth first preparing a list of what it should contain. It is necessary to pay attention not only to the ease of use, but also to all available functions, integration options, template modification and similar issues that are important. The next steps are to read the opinions about the systems and check which one is most tailored to your individual requirements.

When deciding which SaaS to choose, it is worth paying special attention to the most popular solutions. These include:
– Shoper – the system can be tested for free for 14 days. There are two options to choose from, i.e. an online store integrated with Shoper Premium with options such as handling high traffic or migrations.
– IdoSell – the service provider currently supports over 6500 online stores, provides unlimited technical support and a modern engine. IdoSell also means many integrations, any design of the sales platform and thousands of ready-made functions.
– Shopify – here you can also try the software for 14 days for free. It is an efficient English-language platform that gives access to many different website designs and all the
The inscription SaaS surrounded by technology necessary options such as shipping, secure payments and marketing activities.
– Shoplo – offers three tools to choose from: an online store, a platform for contacts with customers and multi-channel sales. It is a comprehensive software with built-in payments, ready-made templates and over a hundred integrations and add-ons.

Especially when you don’t have a large start-up budget, SaaS is a good choice. Often, it is also chosen by those who want to find out if their idea will turn out to be a thriving budget. Software as a service is a model that works well for both one-person and much larger companies. Nevertheless, before making a binding decision, it is worth considering all the advantages and disadvantages of this solution in order to be sure that it will facilitate your business.

Internet advertising is currently the best way to reach potential customers. It allows you to use many channels that can be tailored to your needs and expectations. Nothing prevents you from investing in several forms of Internet advertising at the same time – such a multifaceted approach may increase the chance of achieving sales success and allow you to optimize your activities.

SEO – a way to reach the top of the search engine

Advertising for an online store begins with the presence of a website in the search results. Statistics show that web users choose mainly those websites that are on the first page of the search engine, less often on the second. If the online store is located on other pages, it is practically non-existent. That is why it is so important to reach the top – preferably TOP 10.

SEO helps in achieving such effects – a number of activities related to the optimization and positioning of the website. The first step is to optimize the store, which includes, among others meta tags, category descriptions, product descriptions, content.

The key activity in positioning is providing valuable links – in line with the chosen strategy. It is also no less important to create a friendly structure of the website itself for Google’s web robots that index the page. Moreover, many positioners believe that content is of key importance – its high quality, intriguing content and responding to the needs of the customer group we are interested in. Such a thesis makes sense considering the fact that the foundation of the Google search engine is the fact that it feeds on content and responds well to content that is attractive to its users.

You can take care of website positioning yourself. However, since positioning takes a lot of time and training, many companies decide to entrust work on improving visibility in the search engine to specialized agencies or freelancers.

It is also worth bearing in mind that positioning is a long-term process and requires attention. Of course, situations in which the website climbs upwards are common (a lot depends on the budget and competitiveness), but more often you have to wait at least a few months for the results. A lot of companies, however, invest in positioning because in the long run it is the cheapest method of advertising their website and also increases the value of the website itself.

Google Ads – the perfect advertisement for an online store?

Positioning an online store is a long-term process, so you have to wait for the results. To speed up customer acquisition, you can opt for Google Ads – it’s a paid advertisement for an online store.

The most frequently chosen form of Google Ads are sponsored links. It is about displaying the ad above the organic results after the user enters certain phrases (and sometimes also under). By clicking on the link, the internet user will be redirected to the online store or website with the service offer.

The Google advertising platform also allows you to run campaigns on external websites. Advertising for the online store will appear in the form of banners which, after intriguing the Internet user, will transfer him to a given page. This is the so-called Google advertising network, which basically brings together all relevant websites or blogs.

The third option – especially eagerly chosen by online stores – is Google Shopping. It is a tool that allows you to promote specific products directly in the search engine. How does it look in practice? When the user enters the name of the product in the search engine, your store’s offer will be displayed in a special box – along with the price and photo.

Paraphrase-Online.com customers are more and more willing to invest higher and higher budgets there, which speaks for itself – businesses invest where it is most profitable.

Google Ads also allows you to run Youtube ads that replace traditional TV ads. They offer much cheaper reaching better defined groups. Thanks to them, you can also create very wide-reaching campaigns and still save a lot of funds compared to other forms of brand advertising.

Okay, why is Google Ads the most-chosen form of advertising on the Internet? And why is it considered to be basically perfect?

First of all, it allows you to target your audience very well. The better selected group, the more effectively invested funds. If you spend $ 100 in a wrong group, you can get, for example, one client. Similarly, $ 100 spent in a group potentially more interested may result in acquiring, for example, two or 3 customers, which will reduce the cost of acquiring a customer by 50 or 66% – each optimization change of this type allows therefore to allocate the budget more sensibly, and Google Ads thanks to detailed options to reach it allows it.

Second, Google Ads is measurable. You know exactly how much it cost you to acquire a given client and you know where he came from and what led him to do so. Thanks to the connection with Google Analytics, you can even know how he traveled the page to finally decide to buy.

The third feature that makes Google Ads so valued is the form of settlement – most often in the CPC model, i.e. per click. Therefore, you do not pay for the fact that someone saw your ad, but for the actual click and redirection to your website. Honest.

Advertising on Facebook

While there are many social networking sites out there, advertising for an online store on Facebook – especially in certain industries – is the most popular. Thanks to it you can:
– conduct image communication with recipients – this allows for building and maintaining long-term relationships,
– acquiring leads – obtaining data from potential clients,
– advertise products directly.

The basis is to create a fan page, but even the best and most interesting entries will not allow you to reach a wide group of potential customers. Paid campaigns, which are distinguished by considerable flexibility, can be of help.

You can choose from:
– sponsored posts,
– Messenger ads,
– remarketing banners.

An interesting option is the so-called collection (carousel) going to the main section of a potential customer. Thanks to it, it is possible to present many specific products. Among them, there are often those that a potential buyer was looking for.

Facebook is attractive to advertisers because, like Google Ads, it allows you to reach selected target groups, but also allows you to interact with users. Ultimately, it can engage more than Youtube.

Content marketing – for better recognition

Content marketing is marketing activities that focus on different content. This is not a typical advertisement for an online store, because it most often complements other promotional channels and, for example, is an important element in the process of website positioning.

The essence of content marketing is to provide valuable content – useful from the point of view of the recipient. These are most often expert articles published on external websites, but also articles published on the company’s blog.

Such activities help build a positive image and increase brand awareness. In addition, they help in obtaining valuable links, which is important in the context of positioning.

In fact, however, this is just the tip of the iceberg. When thinking about content, we must have a huge range of possibilities at the back of our heads that are not only based on content but also form. The task of the content department may therefore be to create webinars, guides, trendbooks, lookbooks, infographics, books for children and whatever your heart desires. Each form used should be adapted to the expectations of a given group.

Advertising for an online store – what to decide on?

It is difficult to clearly identify specific channels that allow to achieve the best advertising results. It all depends on many factors – including your expectations, the needs of potential customers, the way the campaign is run and the industry.

Remember that the effectiveness of advertising for an online store is influenced not only by the type of selected channel, but most of all:
– correct determination of the target group,
– precise specification of the purpose of the campaign,
– systematic monitoring of the results.

The last point is especially important, because based on the results achieved, you can modify the ads – so that they bring even better results. Constant control allows you to simultaneously increase / decrease financial outlays for specific channels.

Advertising campaign – alone or with support?

If you are just starting to carry out activities aimed at promoting your online store, it will be difficult for you to implement the campaign yourself. It is possible as long as you have the appropriate knowledge – it is crucial, among others to precisely define the target group or to correctly configure specific ads.

If you want to be sure that the money invested in specific channels will not be wasted, rely on the support of professionals. Experts in the field of internet marketing will choose the right tools to make the process of promoting your store on the Internet more efficient. This will increase the chances of achieving the assumed goal, e.g. increasing sales, building brand awareness, acquiring leads.

The importance of the emotional environment is openly emphasized by the representatives of show business (“we do not sell skills, we sell PPV and emotions”), but probably every modern entrepreneur is aware of the importance of non-financial aspects of sales. The customer should not only buy something, but also feel good about it.

Even the process of purchasing screws, pens or a phones case can be a carefully directed spectacle, after which the customer will leave satisfied and will probably come back to your store next time. It is not about unfairly manipulating the client and persuading him to make a decision that is unfavorable for himself, but about creating a long-term relationship based on trust and mutual respect.

The e-commerce industry, due to its specificity, generates huge amounts of data. We can – in simple terms – track every user movement on our website, in social media, and thanks to cookies and advanced profiling, virtually the entire network.

For this reason, e-commerce relies more and more on analytics every day. While intuition is still a very important element in business, it cannot compete with terabytes of detailed data on user behavior and profiles. Thanks to the huge analytical capabilities, you can get to know the customer’s expectations and see how he meets the brand, how he browses the website and makes a purchase, and whether he is satisfied with the entire experience. So you can design every element of this relationship and adjust it to the user’s expectations.

Customer path – what will be needed?

In order to be able to analyze the behavior of your website user and professionally check whether the customer’s shopping path within the website requires verification, the Google Analytics module will be the key. This powerful system provides thorough data about your website and its users.

The functionality of Google Analytics that you should pay special attention to in the context of the customer journey is Behavior Flow. This component may, inter alia, group content and individual pages and associate it with user behavior, generating detailed reports. You can also find reports that identify Multi-Channel Funnels and Top Conversion Funnels.

The HotJar tool can also help. By tracking the movements of the user’s cursor, it allows to detect those elements of the website navigation that fulfill their role well and those that should be improved.

Customer path and customer experience

The client’s path can be conventionally divided into layers. Each layer is characterized by a different level of customer relationship, which requires slightly different solutions and tools – from the multitude of available methods we have selected a few that have proven their effectiveness – of course, it is not a whole, but it is a very solid basis.

Building awareness

The first moment when the customer’s shopping path is revealed. The interested party is considering purchasing a new service or item. Often, he does not have specific needs yet – he is looking for gifts for Christmas or Black Friday promotions and enters a general phrase related to it in the search engine. Magic begins here, or rather advanced marketing tools that will allow you to make friends with the client and reap mutual benefits.

The first step for a brand should be to say “I am.” At this stage, several solutions may be crucial:
– Text ad in the Google search network – the world’s most popular ad format for many years. The system displays sponsored links matching the phrase entered by the user in the search results.
– SEO – thanks to appropriate positioning, your website will be higher in the search results of a specific phrase, and thus will generate more visits and – probably – transactions.
– Advertising in social media – social media has become one of the foundations of internet marketing. On Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, users provide systems – and therefore marketers – with hundreds of information about their interests, behaviors and views. Thanks to this, it is possible to signal the presence of your brand among people who may be potentially interested in it.
– Google Display Network – a system that allows you to display ads directly on specific pages. GDN covers over 90% of the Internet, including huge portals. In order to use GDN, the advertiser must use data about the user’s interests and on this basis target the user with advertisements.
– YouTube Ads, e.g. bumper – short advertising formats displayed on the YouTube platform. In building brand recognition, the so-called bumpers, lasting a maximum of 6 seconds.
– Blog – at the stage of creating brand awareness, it is a useful tool. A blog entry, e.g. with propositions of gifts for a given occasion, may signal the customer a need for a purchase that he or she is not yet aware of.

If the actions were effective, your brand managed to gain the attention of a potential customer. This means that the tools you used did their job. You have attracted someone’s attention – not just anyone, but the person who by clicking expressed interest in your products.

This is a good start, but not only does it not guarantee success and may even mean little. Time for the second layer of the path.

Consideration

The customer already knows about your existence. Now it’s time to convince him that your offer will be the best choice for him. Let’s face it – probably your brand isn’t the only one it is considering.

At this stage, two aspects will be key – appropriate content and UX (user experience).

– Well-matched content on the category or product page – an attractive and substantive description, photos, promotional materials, video presentation, etc. will make the client consider your offer.
– UX will make sure that the layout of the content and the navigation on the website are friendly enough so that the “pros and cons” analysis is favorable, and the process of adding a product to the basket and then finalizing the order is convenient and fast.

You may also find useful in this step:
– Ads in the Google search network – customer expectations are beginning to crystallize. At this stage, the phrases typed in the search engine become less general, for example, instead of “Christmas gifts”, keywords such as “drone with a camera” or “tricycle” appear. Thanks to Google Search Ads, your offer may appear on the first page of search results even if your page is not well positioned.
– PLA product ads (Product Listing Ads) – a solution that requires Google Merchant Center, which enables direct advertising of a specific product with its photo, description and price Ads are displayed both on a dedicated Google subpage and in search results.
– Customer opinions on Google, on forums and in social media – finding information about a given company, product quality and its approach to customers on the Web will take several seconds. Make sure not only that the product complies with the description, but also what your attitude is and how you deal with controversial situations – the image crisis may delay the development of your brand for years.
– Landing page – the page that the user gets directly after clicking on the link. It can be a category or product page in the store or any other subpage, but often the name of the landing page functions in the collective consciousness as a subpage created specifically for the promotion and sale of a specific item or service.
– Blog – a substantive blog will help create your brand’s image of an expert in a given industry, and at the same time it is a great source of organic traffic and sales support. Entries about a given product category give space to present the assortment with an emphasis on its advantages.
– Price comparison websites – these convenient aggregators of stores and products allow the user to quickly reach similar offers and compare them with each other. Price comparison websites are used by millions of potential customers – make sure you are present on such websites and properly present your product range.
– FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) – after a while you are able to identify certain issues in the relationship with customers that appear repeatedly. So you can prepare a list of the most frequently discussed topics and collect them in one place – thanks to this you will immediately “put your coffee on the bench” and save time – both for yourself and your potential customer.

Purchase (Acquisition)

Time to get the conversion done.

– Dynamic remarketing – is useful in virtually every step of the sales path, but it plays the most important role at this stage. Thanks to remarketing implemented not only in Google Ads, but also in social media (e.g. on Instagram and Facebook), you will remind about your existence and offer. You can also “ask” customers who registered on the website and even added a product to their cart, but for various reasons did not complete the transaction, to complete their purchase.
– YouTube Ads with particular emphasis on YouTube for Action – a special video ad format adapted to increasing conversion. It consists of a CTA, a header and – after playing – a special panel encouraging to click a link.
– Web push – notifications from websites displayed by browsers. Thanks to them, you can remind a potential customer about your offer, who is currently browsing other websites.

In addition to advertising tools, it is worth paying attention to other facilities at this step that are of great importance when converting – for example, the quick payment module, which allows you to complete the transaction almost immediately.

After-sales care (Service)

In order for the brand relationship with the customer to be durable, it cannot end up simply “pushing out” the product. For this reason, you should take care of comprehensive after-sales care after the transaction.

– Technical assistance – few entrepreneurs assume that the product may be defective or simply require some less obvious action on the part of the client, but in a certain percentage of cases such situations will arise anyway. A competent technical support department will provide the customer with assistance, support the building of an expert image of your brand and, above all, give the customer the impression of mutual feelings.
– Friendly warranty process – if the product obviously does not meet the customer’s expectations due to its defects, you must take responsibility for this inconvenience and take care of the repair or replacement of the product with a full-fledged one. If the customer sees that in the event of justified difficulties they can count on your brand, they are more likely to come back for more products.
– Additional materials, such as a FAQ containing technical issues of the product described in a friendly form – thanks to them the customer can find an answer to the issue bothering him without involving the technical support department.

Loyalty

You have successfully sold the product and met the customer’s expectations. You have built a relationship – now you have to maintain it and make the customer return to your store when the need arises again.

What will be useful at this stage?

– Dynamic remarketing – you already know your clients’ profiles and can offer them another offer. The remarketing potential is huge – thanks to this tool, customers can find your brand again, e.g. when scrolling Instagram or – thanks to the Google advertising network – even while browsing messages on various websites. If the customer is already on your remarketing list, you can send messages to them at any time – for example, when you offer new promotions on Black Friday and the customer has previously purchased products from a given category.
– Newsletter – e-mail marketing is considered an anachronism by many people, but it is still an effective and cheap tool for marketers. Thanks to the newsletter, you can send the client information about new promotions, changes in the offer or simply remind that your brand still exists.
– The loyalty program allows you to “retain” the customer for longer, because – in the most popular form of such a program – the more he spends in your store, the greater the benefits will be. These can be discounts on products or material prizes.
– Social media – thanks to social media, you can keep in touch with the customer by providing him with information about products, promotions and the brand as such. Although organic reach in leading portals is unlikely to return to the state from a few years ago, social media, even with a small advertising budget, will allow you to reach current and potential customers.

Why is it worth mapping the customer’s shopping path?

Focusing on a holistic analysis of user behavior on the website has nothing but benefits – it allows both you and advertising systems to better understand the motivations and actions of customers. The main advantage of dividing the customer’s shopping path into the stages presented above is the ability to adapt the entire advertising message (content, format, channel, graphics) to a given stage, which significantly increases the chance of conversion. The customer’s shopping path is therefore an element of optimization of your activities in all areas – paid advertising, promotion, UX or even SEO.

Not every blog is the same, because the light, entertainment content promoted by popular influencers is different from those posted on store, company or expert blogs. In the first case, bloggers and vloggers want to gain the largest number of so-called followers who will ensure their popularity, publicity, viewership and, as a result, earnings. Companies and services, through blog content placed on the site, attract users who can become their potential customers. However, in both cases there are several rules on how to effectively promote your blog.

How to start a blog?

Only a dozen or so years ago, the blog was associated with a kind of online diary, through which users shared their thoughts. Today, blog is a powerful marketing tool that positively affects the position of a page in the search engine. As a result, you can earn on consistent and consistent blogging activities. Blog is an important medium of communication with recipients – not only for the popular blogosphere, but also for e-commerce, companies and services that promote their activities on the web.

However, each time – regardless of the industry – the fundamental task is to set goals that you want to achieve by running a blog.

Friendly platform – whether you are the owner of a store, a company promoting various services, or a lifestyle blogger, your blog should not be visually deterrent. Transparency and clarity, which is enriched by good photos, is half the battle to keep the user on the blog.

Who is the recipient of the blog? – this is one of the most important questions you must ask yourself before starting your creative activity. It is for a specific group that you have to adjust the content and the way of communication that will be most attractive to them.

What are the recipients looking for – bet on strategies, think about what entries will be the most attractive for your group of recipients, what they can search on the web, what phrases to enter to find interesting entries.

Social media – a profile in Social Media is an important medium for building relations with the recipient: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and even Linkedin – depending on the industry and the group of recipients create a profile that will be a kind of communicator between your website and the user.

Read and watch the competition – your blog is just crawling, you expect quick results after a short time. Promoting your blog effectively is a labor-intensive and demanding task. It is worth – especially at the beginning – to observe the actions of the competition, its way of communication with the user and the way of blogging.

Thematic niche – if your business that you want to promote on your blog belongs to a so-called thematic niche, then be sure to use your unique knowledge and promote it on your blog. This is an opportunity to share expert knowledge of the topic that will be important to users.

Blog promotion – how?

How to successfully break through with your blog, in the jungle of such powerful competition – this is a question many are asking. The nature of the blog is of great importance here – whether they are traditional entries, vlogs or a social media channel. The purpose of the blog is also important. It is currently necessary in e-commerce, in agencies, services and companies that have the chance to gain new customers through blog entries. Online sales are steadily increasing, and business owners must constantly seek new ways to attract customers. A unique product at a good price is one thing, but the user must still find it. A blog is a great place to promote your activities and services, subtle definition of the company profile, but also to share substantive, industry knowledge.

Valuable content – the content contained on the site are the most important when successfully promoting a blog. In e-commerce and services, content should be consistent, closely related to the company’s operations, but also specialized in its message. The content on the blog must respond to the user’s needs through queries and key phrases that he enters in the search engine. If a potential customer of an online shoe store wants to buy shoes for a winter expedition to the mountains, then your blog text should thoroughly answer this question through an article, for example with the heading: “Winter shoes in the mountains – which to choose?”. A user who hits the post and is content about its content can automatically decide to buy this footwear in your store.

Do not treat these entries with disdain, share the knowledge available to you, do it in an exhaustive, substantive way so that the client feels that you are a specialist in your field. Write a text you would like to read yourself and which will answer your questions as a potential customer.

Does the length of characters in the text matter? Of course. The expert text should have a minimum of 6,000 characters with spaces, and the longer the text, the better. The content on the blog cannot bore the user, which is why they should contain reliable, specific information – necessarily enriched with relevant headlines, key phrases, bold and bullet points. The reader will then not be tired of reading the content, and in addition will be able to pick out the issues that interest him.

Remember that despite having, for example, social media, your blog will “live” mainly thanks to the search engine. And if so, they have all the guidelines associated with the traditional positioning process when building it.

Remember to enrich the text with photos described by the alt and title attributes. Images on the page not only increase the attractiveness of the text, but also affect the positioning of the page.

Accurate and thought-out headlines – popular titles and subheadings, marked with the character from h1 to h6, are indispensable elements in any text. They significantly affect the positioning of the site and thus promote the blog. Headlines must match key phrases and queries that a potential customer can enter on Google, such as “How to promote a blog.” Avoid in the titles of insignificant wording that will not lead the crawlers to your text and thus do not push blog content to a higher position in the search engine. Catch the micromoments, i.e. answer the user’s questions such as: what, how to do, I want to know.

Track current trends – in every industry, contemporary trends that guide potential customers in making the final choice are important. Blog trends are important in terms of content, popular topics and top issues. Keep up to date with what’s going on in them, for example through social media.

Comments, forums, other blogs – be in constant interaction with the user. Respond to comments or participate in other blogs and forums, but provide valuable content and conduct substantive discussions so that the administrator does not recognize these activities as intrusive self-promotion.

Systematics and consistency of actions – the first entries are optimistic, but the lack of quick effects effectively deters from further actions. Do not worry about the initial, poor results. The positioning of valuable content on the blog can take up to several months. It is important to create content systematically and reliably, because it affects the positioning of the page.

Effective promotion of a blog is a time consuming and demanding discipline and consistency in action. Many are discouraged when they don’t see the results after a short time. Blog promotion is not only your own entries, but also tracking trends, responding to the needs of users, sharing in forums and comments, being active in Social Media and searching for new, valuable and unique topics for subsequent entries.

Search engine optimization plays a significant role. They can be made effective by expert content, relevant headlines, key phrases and queries, images with alt and title attributes, internal and external linking, and consistency of actions, which is appreciated by indexing robots.