By now you are probably aware that many businesses have a blog incorporated into their website, but it may come as a surprise that the majority of ecommerce sites haven’t found the value for their type of business just yet. Part of the problem is that there are many sources that talk about how blogs are beneficial for business sites generally, but very few are targeted at ecommerce sites specifically. This causes ecommerce sites to slip under the radar and not be targeted, but the truth is that having a blog is extremely important . The sooner you can get started, the better.
Top Reasons a Blog Can Benefit an Ecommerce Website Specifically
Below are a few reasons a blog is still great for an ecommerce site:
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Increase online traffic.
There is a plethora of information available that speaks to blogs increasing online traffic for the standard business marketing model, however, there is major benefit to ecommerce sites as well in terms of increasing online traffic. Since many ecommerce sites have not set up a business blog, this can be an aspect that sets your business apart from others.
When users type in a search term that is relevant to your business, you want to be one of the highest-ranking results (more on this in the upcoming section on SEO). This is what ultimately increases online traffic to your online store. Blogs are a great way to increase your standing among the competition and drive more traffic to your site through search results.
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Blogs are important for SEO.
For those who don’t yet understand why SEO is so important, search engine bots (on Google, for example) ultimately have two functions–crawling content & building an index. These two functions allow them to provide search results to Internet users. Part of what makes a business site rank higher is these search engine bots determining relevancy and providing results which best match what an internet user is looking for. As mentioned above, ecommerce sites should have the goal to rank highly on search engines so that when Internet users are searching for a product, your site is one of the first options to come up (therefore bringing you more business).
Through links and content provided on a blog, search engine “crawlers” can reach online material relevant to searches. Because blogs often contain links, specific phrasing, and content related to your e-commerce site, this can actually aid in getting your online content crawled more than having an online store alone. Your blog posts will help drive traffic to your site because every time you write a post it is an additional indexed page that search engines associate with your particular business.
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Value & inform your audience.
Readers are ultimately why you write a blog. A blog should contain information that is informative and valuable to your specific business. Content that is both enjoyable and educational will keep users coming back to your site again and again. This is a very positive thing for e-commerce sites because it helps to show that your business has the clients in a place of priority, providing them with information that is valuable (and free). People like to shop with companies that value their clients.
Some E-Commerce Blog ideas
Coming up with topic ideas for an ecommerce website can seem slightly difficult if you have never considered starting a blog in the first place. If you are confused about where to start with your blog, here are some topic ideas that may kick start your writing (and there are so many more topics you can cover—this list is not exhaustive):
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Address a problem.
Think about the kind of problems or tasks that your readers may be faced with (and which are relevant to your industry). These are often the kind of things that are typed into a search engine. Blogs can be a great platform to address problems and questions. It allows you to be more creative and give your brand a voice. Plus, it shows your readers that you really care about some of the topics that may be on their mind.
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Answer a popular question.
If you are struggling to come up with a topic, a good go-to is to look at previous comments on other related blog posts (possibly from other sites), previous blog post comments of your own, or to use social media to address a question that is popular among your audience of readers. This is a good approach because (A) it gives you a topic to write about that you are an expert on, and (B) answering a question shows that you care about your readers. These kinds of posts also show that you are writing about something that is purposeful to help your reader with their own struggles and interests.
As discussed earlier, clients are far more likely to shop and purchase goods from a business that makes their customers a priority.
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Share something relatable.
Readers really enjoy posts that they can relate with an experience or story. These are the kind of posts they will return to a specific blog for. Try writing a personal anecdote, customer story, or other experience that your readers will be able to relate to in their own lives. This shows your readers that you have first hand experience in your industry.
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Insider knowledge of your industry.
Clients and readers like to have the cutting edge information about what is going on in the industry you are a merchant in. If you can provide insider knowledge, secrets, or advice, they are going to place you in a position of expertise. This is the kind of material that makes a fantastic e-commerce blog.
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Why choose us.
This is an obvious choice for writing. Explain the best and most desirable features of your business, products, staff and show why your company is the one to choose in your industry. Always stay positive and avoid trashing your competition (people don’t respond well to this).
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Your business history.
Tell the story of how your business was founded and any major accomplishments that happened since your opening. This may also be a space where you can interview returning clients about their experiences over time and use quotes in your writing. Other people like to hear about the history and experiences your business has gone through, so why not write it up?
The Takeaway and What It Means to You
Even with the easiness of online shopping transactions, people still care about where they are giving their business. Having a business blog that is associated with your e-commerce site shows that you value and care about the needs of your clients, beyond them just purchasing your products. This establishes credibility for your business and produces valuable information. Additionally, blogs help to get better SEO, which in turn increases online traffic. Good blogs also get returning readers that intentionally seek out your writing to read about their industry interests rather than simply being directed from search results.
Do you have experience setting up a blog for an ecommerce site? Has it brought additional traffic and success to your business? Let us know in the comments section below.