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A PRACTICAL ROADMAP TO ECOMMERCE CONTENT THAT CONVERTS
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According to Shoppable Content: A Retailer’s Challenge, 81 percent of retailers rank content
in their top five marketing priorities1. Brands recognize that rich and engaging content is an
impactful and direct driver of performance, measured in sales conversion as well as increases
in unique visitors, average order value (AOV), and time on site. In 2014, L2 Inc. asserted in
its Content & Commerce Intelligence Report that “the ability to weave together content and
commerce may be what separates the retail industry winners from the losers” — by 2017, it’s
clear that rich and shoppable content is that difference.
With the right resources and tools, digital marketers have a wealth of content publication
options and are limited only by their creative vision. But, with such a wide variety of formats
and structures, it can be overwhelming to determine what type of rich content is right for
each consumer-facing campaign you plan to implement.
Evaluating your specific campaign goal (or strategic digital goals) is a good place to start.
This ebook will help you evaluate the variety of rich content campaign types you should con-
sider when creating high-performing digital campaigns.
Don’t Forget to Include Instant Shoppability
Regardless of your content format choice, one el-
ement remains the same: Instant shoppability is
non-negotiable. It doesn’t matter how engaging and
creative your content is if there isn’t an easy way for
consumers to purchase! Your expertly-crafted experi-
ence has inspired them to buy — why take them away from their shopping experience at the
moment they’re ready to add-to-cart (and could easily continue adding to their order)? You
will lose customers if you direct them to a stale, static product page to search for their item
and complete the purchase.
PRO TIP:
Whatever content you
choose, instant shoppability
is a must. What’s the point
of rich content if you’re
driving customers away
from the purchase?
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The solution lies in integrated quickviews. Shoppers click an image to activate a “mini-prod-
uct page,” or lightbox, where they can add a product to their shopping cart easily and then
resume their shopping experience without further interruption. Quickviews create a seam-
less path to purchase, so customers spend less time navigating your web pages and more
time shopping.
What is your campaign goal?
Engagement
What’s your creative focus?
Brand storytelling
Product education
General collection
Curated content
What’s your product campaign theme?
Conversion
Storytelling Tutorial Buying Guide Lookbook
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Deliver a rich brand story
Storytelling Content
Storytelling content establishes and strengthens the
sought-after relationship between your customers and
your brand. Whether it’s a blog post, an interview, or a vid-
eo, editorial content provides shoppers with an entertain-
ing, detailed view of your products rather than just simple
product suggestions with limited descriptions.
Storytelling keeps shoppers engaged, meaning they spend
more time on your website. You can deliver this type of
content by going beyond simple copy: Interactive media
like gifs, video, and animated page elements makes con-
tent rich, layered, and immersive. Storytelling and editorial
techniques also contribute
to a strong and memorable brand image. The more a custom-
er can click and discover, the more time they spend exploring
what your brand is all about – meaning the more top-of-mind
your brand will be when they’re ready to shop.
A great example of storytelling content is Heal’s “Beyond
Caravaggio” campaign. As part of a collaboration with The
National Gallery in London, Heal’s experience features a se-
ries of still-life photos done in the style of the famed Ital-
ian painter — but featuring Heal’s products. The experience
takes a more passive sales approach, providing in-depth in-
formation on the artist and the exhibit instead of the prod-
ucts. Customers can easily relate to the story and the content
in this editorial piece, yet they can also shop easily if inspired.
PRO TIP:
Avoid large blocks
of copy – too much
text is intimidating to
the casual shopper.
Use short paragraphs,
headlines and
imagery so customers
can understand your
editorial content while
skimming the page
GOAL:
SOLUTION:
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Educate the customer and create product awareness
Tutorial Content
Tutorial content always feels fresh because it can come in many forms,
including how-to videos, step-by-step guides, quizzes, and user gen-
erated content. What’s important is that the content provides value
to the consumer, regardless of the product. In some cases, a product
might not even be included in the experience! The primary intent of a
tutorial experience should always be education, not the “sell.” This is
an especially impactful form of content for brands with products that
would benefit from instructional content – like skincare and cosmet-
ics, home improvement, fitness, and electronics.
Memorable, educational content experiences can make your brand a
trusted destination for consumers. An experience like “how to create
the perfect cat eye” for a cosmetics brand, or “how to install a window
A/C unit” for a home improvement store, will stand out from the noise
— and they’re also a natural fit for SEO and social campaigns to acquire customers. Moreover,
positioning your brand as a source of reliable and helpful information will foster brand loyalty
and encourage return visits.
Tarte Cosmetics is a great example of cosmetics tutorial con-
tent done right. Shopping for makeup online can be difficult
or risky for consumers, given how colors are represented on-
screen and due to the challenges in applying make-up “cor-
rectly.” A how-to experience that breaks the process down for
customers is a great fit for cosmetics brands. In this Tarte ex-
perience, shoppers simply select their skin tone and the look
they want, and then receive a personalized step-by-step appli-
cation guide. Customers can feel confident buying these prod-
ucts because they now know how to use them appropriately.
PRO TIP:
Keep up a
regular cadence
of educational
content to
establish your
brand as an
industry expert
GOAL:
SOLUTION:
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To present a general set of products
Shoppable Lookbook
If your primary goal is to present a large set of prod-
ucts to consumers in a visually appealing manner,
while still encouraging engagement, a shoppable
lookbook is your best option. Lookbooks and car-
ousels showcase new product arrivals, best sellers,
or discounted items without requiring the shopper
to spend time searching through product catego-
ry pages. The products you want to highlight can
be center-stage in a product carousel with mini-
mal distraction.
This is a tried-and-true, familiar way to showcase
a general collection and convert visitors into cus-
tomers. Shoppers can swipe through the lookbook
at their own pace — but be sure to include inte-
grated quickviews, as we mentioned above, to avoid a com-
merce dead-end.
The Neiman Marcus website demonstrates an endless supply of
shoppable lookbooks done right. These vibrant carousels are
the first thing a customer notices when visiting a brand page,
and the shopper can easily make a purchase through product
quickviews . The consumers already know what brands they
like, so the experience gets right to the point and shows them
products they can purchase instantly. In this example, shoppers
can buy perfume quickly and easily, no searching required.
PRO TIP:
While products are
the main focus of a
lookbook, graphics
and animations are
a subtle way to keep
the experience rich
and on-brand
GOAL:
SOLUTION:
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To encourage upsells around a curated theme
Buying Guide
When you have a theme in mind – a new trend, a holiday, a
pop culture occurrence, or even a real-time event – a buying
guide will bring it to life in a fun and exciting way. Shoppers
are literally guided down the path to purchase and shown
exactly what they need, often before they know they need it.
Additionally, showing consumers an expertly-tailored collec-
tion of products is a perfect opportunity to upsell ancillary
products. Adding this clear context for shopping makes them
confident in their decision to buy.
Most importantly, buying guides make shoppers’ lives easi-
er, creating satisfied and repeat customers. A Mother’s Day
gift guide or Back-to-School guide, for instance, provides
everything customers need all in one place. A successful
buying guide should be a one-stop shopping destination
that’s genuinely fun to explore. Customers are far more
likely to repay the pleasing experience — and time saved
— with their loyalty.
An outstanding example of a back-to-school guide is from
Marks & Spencer. With colorful on-brand graphics (like ar-
rows and plus signs) that guide the shopper through each
product selection, Marks & Spencer’s buying guide sim-
plifies the often difficult and time-consuming process of
back-to-school shopping. It also encourages shoppers to
purchase more by reminding them of pieces they might
have otherwise forgotten (like socks!).
PRO TIP:
Rich visuals, graphics,
and animations
make the experience
engaging and
interactive. It’s the
perfect antidote to
customer’s growing
apathy towards static
product grids
GOAL:
SOLUTION:
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In this eBook we’ve reviewed these four content options and provided examples and recom-
mendations based on your goals:
1. Deliver a rich brand story | Heal’s Editorial Experience
2. Educate the customer | Tarte’s Makeup Tutorial
3. Present a general set of products | Neiman Marcus’s Lookbook
4. Encourage upsells around a theme | Marks & Spencer’s Buying Guide
When customers are engaged with your content, they become excited with, and more likely
to buy, your products. Content should go beyond a simple product grid; it should inspire and
delight. Your content is a reflection of your brand, and eliciting a positive emotion is how
shoppers connect with your company and products.
Whether your brand has just started to branch out from product grids or is a rich content
master, there is always room for more originality, more innovation. Surprise your loyal shop-
pers with a new and exciting buying guide, or an interactive product tutorial. Let your cam-
paign goals guide your creativity, instead of you limitations. In the digital age, tech-savvy
customers expect their shopping experiences to continually evolve and delight. It’s up to
marketers to stay ahead of the game.
____________ 1The Shoppable Content Report, Zmags, 2016
Conclusion
Learn more at zmags.com/creator
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