Online store owners are well-aware of the importance of repeat business. Loyal customers are crucial when it comes to helping ecommerce sites develop into reputable, trustworthy, and popular places for virtual transactions to take place. In order to develop this loyal customer base, it is important for ecommerce merchants to take the time to identify and develop ways to target their desired demographic.
This may seem like a difficult thing to do, but the good news is that it doesn’t have to be. Chances are, you already have a general idea of who your target demographic is, even if you aren’t sure how best to market to them.
Focus On Facts
When you have an online store, targeting all possible demographics through marketing and promotion can seem like the easiest way to increase business, but this method usually ends up being ineffective. Marketing to everyone who might possibly want to buy your products in the near future doesn’t make sense, but you don’t want to leave out any potential customers, either. If you sell pet supplies online, for example, you may think that your target market is simply everyone who owns a pet.
Examining your sales data, and/or market research though, will likely reveal that certain groups, or demographics are more interested in the types of products that you have to offer than others. For example, if you sell specialty pet products, such as organic dog food and specialty harnesses for seeing eye dogs, you are hopefully attracting both healthy pet food enthusiasts and people who own or work with guide dogs.
According to the American Pet Products Association, the age of the average pet owner in the United States is 47 years old. If you narrow these groups down by age and gender based on your sales data or market research, you may be able to determine which gender and which age groups are more likely to buy your products. A little research goes a long way.
Find Your Audience
In other words, don’t wait for them to come to you, go to where they (virtually) gather. Which social networks do they frequent the most? Are there specific Facebook pages or websites with forums devoted to causes important to your target audience?
Going back to the pet products example, there are many Facebook pages devoted to guide dogs, and several devoted to organic dog food as well. Joining forums, advertising, and developing a presence in the places where your online customer base congregates will help to ensure that they take notice of you and your business.
Follow Social Media Trends
With mobile marketing on the rise, and more people turning to social media sites for information about products and services, it makes sense to move beyond traditional methods of reaching online customers. Adding interactive polls to your social media profile and website pages, inviting fans and customers to submit their ideas for new products, and providing them with relevant information about your products and services are just some of the ways to do this.
Using the pet products example once again, giving customers a chance to vote on different new varieties for organic dog food, for example, or asking them to vote on which products they would like to see more of will engage and interest them, keeping them on your site longer, and increasing the chances that they will decide to make a purchase.
Posting original, informative content about the benefits of guide dogs, or the reasons why switching to organic dog food is beneficial will also make your site or page look more authoritative, while at the same time increasing the chances that site visitors will purchase products from you.
Remember, when it comes to identifying, and reaching your target demographic, you may have to try a few different methods and strategies before you find the ones that work best for you. The end result of increased traffic and sales, however, will be well worth it.
Miva