Why You Need To Utilize The 3 Cs Of Modern Ecommerce

There was a time in the early days of the worldwide web, if you put up a decent website that worked well showcasing a few good photos, it would be enough to get noticed. This is not the case anymore. Technology has evolved, and consumers’ expectations have grown. To make matters more complicated, smartphones and social media became a part of the landscape. All these factors have made it more difficult for your business to stand out in a cluttered marketplace. Contact us to discuss online marketing for your eCommerce business.

Back when most shopping was done in brick-and-mortar stores, there was an interaction between sales staff and customers. Now the idea is to recreate this feeling through digital medium starting with your website. There is even a name for it, and it is called “experience-driven marketing”. At the end of the day, you cannot just rely on a good product to be successful. First, you need to be positioned on an excellent eCommerce website platform, then you will need to start thinking about the 3Cs of marketing:

• Connection
• Content
• Context

Connection

When doing eCommerce, it is possible to identify your audience and find out where business is coming from using the right tools. This data is important, since it gives you a clear picture regarding your market segment. Once you know who your customers are, you can build an online community by connecting with these people on social media channels. This is the modern-day version of employees in brick-and-mortar stores connecting with people face-to-face.

Content

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a big part of eCommerce. When putting up content, it needs to be done to with SEO in mind as well as the consumer experience. Content guidelines need to be followed to meet SEO criteria including using relevant keywords, avoiding keyword stuffing and using proper coding structures so that Google will index your pages. There are several tools available to help you find proper keywords. Content should consist of a mix graphics and written content to help engage with consumers on their preferred channel(s).

Context

Voice search is getting more popular year after year. When a person asks Alexa “where can I buy a 4K TV?”, they are speaking the way they would to a person – not a computer. In traditional search, the same person would probably type into Google “4K TVs Edmonton” which gives very little context as to what results they are expecting to see. The language used in your content needs to match the intent of the user so that search engines can serve results relevant to the context of the intended search.

The Bottom Line

In short, your business should be connecting with consumers online with relevant content in the context of their personalized search. The 3 Cs of eCommerce is a good foundational framework to align your eCommerce marketing and content strategy for success. There is not a one-size-fits-all strategy, rather it has to be framed in the context of your industry, your local marketplace, and your target consumers. If you would like to discuss your eCommerce website and online marketing, contact us today!

Lynne Motkoski, Marketing Strategist

Specialty: Online Marketing Strategies
Education: MA Communications & Technology, BComm [U Alberta]
Author: The Online Marketing Handbook for Busy Entrepreneurs (coming soon)

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Lynne is known for her strategic approach to marketing communications, technologies, and lead generation. She has a passion for education, keeping up with current marketing trends and practices, and helping clients keep ahead of their competition.

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