As 2018 comes to a close we look back at all of the great advice produced by the ecommerce community on growing your business for long term success. The digital world is always evolving and the ecommerce industry is no exception, but these 8 timeless guides and lists will help your business grow in 2019 and beyond.
Long term growth requires a mixture of marketing, design, cost optimization and sales which is why we’ve compiled this concoction of highly valuable articles [in no particular order] for any ecommerce business owner.
The Ultimate Guide to Social Media For E-commerce by Neil Patel
Neil Patel is one of the most well-known content marketers in the world and is the founder of Kissmetrics, Crazy Egg and Quick Sprout where he helps fellow digital and content marketers improve their strategies and growth numbers through various tools and guides.
In this guide Neil dives into social media marketing specifically, and in 2018 as it became harder to grow social audiences organically this guide was a necessary read for anyone relying on social channels to boost sales.
5 Fundamental Guidelines for eCommerce Usability Design
Ecommerce owners often forget the important of design in driving sales. It’s not just about looking pretty anymore it’s also about helping your users complete their goal of purchasing a product from you without much hassle. All business can benefit from improving usability through design and this guide is the perfect place to start.
Have you ever quit in the middle of a shopping experience online due to a poorly built and designed website? Millions of other people have too and in order to avoid the same fate for your store we recommend taking a dive into this guide to make sure your site isn’t breaking any of the major design rules.
Google Shopping: How To Dominate AdWords as an e-Commerce Business
While Facebook and Instagram get a majority of the praise when it comes to paid social media marketing there is another major contender you should be utilizing; Google AdWords. To many upcoming marketers Google’s ad network is usually at the bottom of the list of channels they include in their strategies, but those who do include it quickly realize its power.
When a user searches for a product on Google that typically means they have intent to purchase it sometime down the road. Grabbing the user’s attention either at the beginning or the end of their product research stage usually leads to quicker and more frequent conversions. In contrast, networks like Facebook or Instagram typically show ads to users without any intent to purchase unless your ad convinces them otherwise which can be costly depending on your product.
Product Sourcing: A Guide for eCommerce Entrepreneurs
The act of cutting costs is essential to increasing profits as there is only so much someone is willing to pay for your products. At Sourcify we have helped hundreds of companies improve their product margins through better and more streamlined sourcing. In some cases we’ve helped increase margins by over 60% while delivering the same product the business owners were sourcing before.
Our guide will help you navigate the sourcing industry to not only improve your sourcing but it will also help you get a better idea of how the industry itself works. If you’re looking for professional assistance in the near future we can also join you on a call to get things rolling.
The Ecommerce Entrepreneur’s SEO Starter Guide
In 2019 growth will come from a variety of channels and what worked in 2018 won’t necessarily work again next year. Paid platforms have become saturated leading to the rising cost of ad impressions and for most entrepreneurs the added cost is not a welcome one.
However, there are still cost-effective channels like search to help boost your traffic and sales with minimal added costs. In 2019 SEO will be and evermore important channel and learning to master it now will only help you stay at the top of your industry in the long run.
The 15 Best Shopify Plugins for 2018
You can’t do it all yourelf and that’s okay. With these 15 tools you’ll be able to do more with less in order to cut your overall costs and improve sales through improved process. These 15 tools will help you stay organized and keep your customers happy as your business continues to grow in 2019.
From inventory tracking to pop up calls to action, these tools are highly recommended for anyone looking to improve their digital store fronts.
The Smart Content Marketing Funnel
Content marketing has been on the rise over the last 5 years as consumers spend more time researching online purchases before committing. As a store owner it’s crucial to understand the various steps a consumer goes through during their discovery phase in order to draw them in while meeting their needs.
Shopify put together their guide to help store owners, large to small, map out their content marketing strategy to obtain more customers through natural growth. In 2019 business owners are going to have to focus on understanding their customer’s needs and thought process before making a major purchase and developing a content marketing strategy is a great first step.
Supercharge Your Ecommerce Business with Marketing Automation
Time is our most valuable resource as they say and as an ecommerce owner you have even less of it to go around. Automating some of your daily ecommerce and marketing processes is one way to help with that.
Automation has helped millions of store owners manage and grow their stores, but if not implemented correctly you could end up alienating your customers. Although most customers understand that they’re only one of your customers they still expect personal interactions as if they’re shopping in a physical storefront.
By following this guide by BigCommerce and Infusionsoft you’ll quickly be able to set up a few different ecommerce and marketing automation techniques to grow your business even while you’re sleeping.
As 2018 comes to a close we’re excited to see what 2019 has in store for us in both the marketing and general ecommerce industries. We can’t wait to check out new plugins, improved growth techniques and better ways of serving our customers for long term success.
If you’re working on a new project to grow your store or 2018 was your best year yet, let us know! We’d love to have you on our Ecommerce on Tap podcast that’s broadcast to thousands of other ecommerce entrepreneurs like you.
If you’re looking to improve your margins and production process you’ve come to the right place, to get started request a demo with one of our sourcing experts today!