Last Updated on March 1, 2024
“Strategies are crafted by experience and backed by skill sets that one earns with time, but never by following what others actually did…”
Life cycle of a small business unit goes through a constant bid to achieve recognition and above all, establish itself as a brand on the market map. Well, to match the levels of Microsoft or Apple is not an easy job, but as per my industry experience it takes effective branding strategy to get things working. This article will be about some effective branding strategies that can assist small level ecommerce portals to gradually match the level of industry giants like Amazon and EBay.
Emotional quotient
That’s right! Emotion is one of the primary factors that make us what we are and it is the same emotion that establishes human dominance over machines. Firms like Amazon and EBay have a dominating impression over people because they have already triggered the right chord through emotions. Establishing a strong emotional bond with your client is necessary for a future loyal relationship and a long term association. Why do people swear of the services offered by EBay? Are they offering anything special? The answer is that the firm over the years has successfully established an emotional bond with their clients.
So how can you try and do the same?
Personalizing your services and making them sound as well as appear more realistic will be a neat way to start. Say it’s Christmas or Easter, wishing your existing and new visitors/clients will be the best way to start things. These small level personalizations will surely assist in establishing a positive image of the firm and establish an emotional bond with the clients. Similarly, offering existing clients information on upcoming Christmas deals will be sufficient to let them know that you care.
When it comes to emotional quotient, I would like to include ‘trust’ too. While purchasing a product online, I would be happy to know whether the service provider is trustworthy or not! Moreover, I cannot expect the service provider to pop-up in front of the laptop screen all of a sudden asking me to trust him. Although, the thing would be hilarious, but given the fact we are dealing with a real situation any hint that reminds me of the firm’s credibility would be a real trust builder.
The easiest way to do that would be to display a small badge on top of the website that reads ‘Secured’ or ‘Verified’. These badges or small buttons will inform the visitor that their information is safe with the website and all the transactions will be carried out in a much safer manner. No matter now modern or superior we may have become in terms of ecommerce technology, I still find people worried about transaction frauds and misuse of their credit card details.
Meeting expectations
Expectations cannot be avoided easily even in case of an ecommerce portal. Websites like Amazon and EBay have become household names with time, because they have somehow managed to meet their client’s expectations with time. To meet the expectations of a client, one will have to think from the perspective of a client. Let me help you with some of the basics when it comes to common expectations of a visitor and the first one to lead the list would be INFORMATION. A visitor expects his service provider to keep him informed at each and every step of the transaction about his order status. Catering information in a timely manner will assist you in meeting the expectations of the visitor and will also assist you in establishing credibility.
Second in line would be TIMELY DELIVERY because as a customer I would be glad to have my product delivered to me on time. I know delivery is often affected by production and stock issues and in such cases, informing the client about the delay will be a good idea.
Effective Communication
This point is somewhat related to what I just covered above. Communication plays an important role in establishing one as a successful brand among equals. An effective communication pattern assists in establishing a psychological relationship with your potential client. Here’s how communication plays an important role in ecommerce:
Real time information on availability of stock/inventory available and if sold-out then, how soon will the product be available again? Plus, accurate communications regarding receipt of purchase, reference number and any other relevant transaction details.
Communication both written and verbal regarding information of delivery time and date: If the retailer has committed a delivery time before actual purchase then the commitment has to be maintained after the transaction too. Managing commitments through effective communication will have positive impact on brand integrity.
I came across some exceptional info by Mr. AJeet on how communication is necessary for an ecommerce portal, I am sure you’ll find this useful!
A simple sale and purchase transaction carried online will never be conducive to an effective brand strategy. On the other hand, being accountable for your actions safe guarding the interest of the clients and standing by your business values will surely help you get noticed, and establish your name on the business maps among other big names.