What Can an eCommerce Marketing Agency Do for My Business?
Selling products online can be a fast road to riches. Never in history have retailers been able to market their products to so many people with so little effort. Because of the unlimited exposure, online sellers have the ability to get wealthy selling pretty much anything with the right eCommerce marketing strategy.
Without eCommerce marketing (and probably some luck), products like the fidget spinner would be nothing more than a dusty dream in an inventor’s garage.
But, just like the Klondike Gold Rush, the internet has brought a migration of sellers from every corner of the earth trying to get rich. Any product or service that someone can make money on will have a dozen competitors trying to squeeze into the market share.
Some competition can be good for business. But when potential customers only have a picture and a few lines of text, it can be difficult to stand out. Gaining an advantage with digital marketing is your key to success. So how do you make that happen?
Is it something you should attempt yourself? Or should you hire an eCommerce marketing agency to promote your products?
These are questions that only you can truly answer. At Border West, we take eCommerce businesses to uncharted revenue waters. But not everyone’s product or service may need or benefit from an outside agency.
We’ve put together the following list of questions to see if hiring a digital marketing agency is the right choice. If you have questions, feel free to contact us.
Or, if you’re ready to get started, get in touch and we’ll get started on a strategy.
Got Questions ?
We can help!
We know there’s like a gazillion websites out there that claim to have all the answers for making your website “show up first on Google”
Maybe you just have a few questions to see what are the best options for your company
Maybe you have absolutely no idea where to start
Call Border West at (512) 516-9867, or click the button and we can discuss it through email
We’ll answer any questions and see if maybe we can help. If we can’t, we’ll try to steer you in the right direction.
No pressure, no contracts, no over-inflated promises. Just honest answers.
How Much Competition is There for What I'm Selling?
Knowing exactly how competitive your niche is should be the foundation of any eCommerce marketing strategy. When Border West takes on a new client, the first thing we do is a PPC Competitor Analysis and Website Performance Report. This paints a detailed picture of how effective our potential client’s online performance is against similar businesses. It also tells us exactly what they’re spending on online advertising. This is helpful in determining the cost to advertise for our client.
The biggest problem most online retailers have to overcome these days is competing with Amazon and Walmart. Nearly any product that can be sold on the internet is hustled for discounted rates and free shipping by these monsters. More than a few businesses have bit the bullet and signed on with Amazon to sell their products for highly discounted rates.
This is something that is absolutely not necessary!
Amazon and Walmart are only obstacles, not roadblocks. And more and more purchasers are starting to avoid these companies for a number of reasons.
If you’re at the level where an online giant is directly on your path to greatness, you definitely need to contact an experienced digital marketing agency. But even if not, if you’re struggling with competitors hogging the market share, some outside help would be in your best interest.
Alternatively, if you’re the only company in the world selling your product online, and there’s no way that reaching a bigger audience will help you sell more, then you’re probably fine on your own.
How Well is My Online Marketing Working Already?
One would assume that if the answer to this question was “awesome” you would be busy shipping orders and not reading this article.
But we’re not here to assume, only help where we can.
So the questions stands, is your eCommerce marketing performing as well as you would like it too? If you think that it’s on the right track and you only need a few tweaks, then maybe you can roll solo. There is a plethora if information online to help you do this on your own, if you so choose.
Moz and Ahrefs are both amazing websites filled with knowledge that will help you conquer the internet.
But if you are more than just a few steps away from where you want to be revenue-wise, hiring a professional may be a wise choice. Often, depending on who you hire, the cost of a professional online advertising agency is insignificant compared to the sales they can drive.
We’ve had several clients who’s advertising budgets, along with our minor fees, were dwarfed by the amount we increased their revenue. This allowed them to confidently increase their budget and reap the rewards.
Remember, it’s a big world out there. If you have a quality product or service to sell online, Border West can help you sell it.
Do I Know Enough About Digital Marketing to Do This Myself?
Nearly all small business owners try to market their product or service on their own before hiring anyone to do it. It’s just the nature of people who have that entrepreneurial spirit. They’ve struck out on their own, boldly carving a path through the jungle of business ownership. Certainly they can drum up customers themselves too, right?
In the past, this was usually the case. The world was smaller. Word of mouth was the clearest path to success. Newspapers and billboards were where people advertised a product. Maybe a television ad if they were really opportunistic.
Today, all of these mediums are just an afterthought for most products. The internet is just too big, with too many possibilities. People don’t watch television, they stream and binge watch shows. They don’t talk to each other about products, they instant message while Facebook ads scroll by.
So, do you know enough to capitalize in this digital world?
Do you know where to run online eCommerce ads and how much to spend on them?
Is your website built to sell your product and will it handle more traffic without crashing?
Can get a great return with a several hundred or thousand dollar investment on Facebook or Google Ads?
If you can confidently answer yes to these questions, then you may be good on your own. Just remember, if you’re not 100% confident in your online advertising knowledge, are you going to drive maximum revenue with your budget?
How Much Can I Scale My eCommerce Business?
Having the ability to scale your eCommerce business correctly as sales increase is absolutely crucial. What’s the point of increasing sales if you can’t fill the orders?
This is one of the worst things you can do to your online business.
A dissatisfied customer that you’ve failed to fulfill their order is one you’ll probably never get back.
Needless to say, being able to produce, make, grow, or whatever you do to get your product is very important to how you market it. If you make each and every one of the items you sell by hand, can you keep up if orders start rolling in? If not, you don’t need more sales, you need help with production.
This is not to say that you can’t work with an online marketer to gradually grow your business. Maybe you’re at the level where you don’t want to make each product by hand. You want to hire staff and need consistent sales to justify the expansion.
If you’re not sure, contact us and we’ll talk about it. The staff at Border West isn’t in the business of trying to convince businesses to hire us if they don’t need to. If it’s not a good fit, take the free advice and reach back out when you need us!
Do I Have the Time to Effectively Market My Product Online?
Alright, so you have a warehouse full of widgets you need to sell. And a truckloads of inventory coming in when they’re gone. You used to build websites and interned for Amazon after college for a Marketing degree.
You’ve got the product and the know how, but do you have the time to handle the digital marketing for an eCommerce business?
Depending on the size of your online business, advertising could be a full time job in itself. And maybe it’s not your only job (yet). Maybe you have a regular 9-5 and can’t sit around in front of a computer every optimizing Google Ads and creating Facebook content.
Hiring an outside agency to help market your product isn’t always about an owner’s inability to do it. Usually, they would rather spend their time elsewhere. They might know how to install drywall or do a tune up on their car, but they hire a professional because their time is better spent elsewhere.
Is the Profit Margin Big Enough to Advertise Online?
How much profit you make from your eCommerce company plays a huge role in how you promote it.
If you don’t know exactly how much you make from each sale, after all expenses, stop right here. Go away right now and figure out your exact profit before you worry about anything else concerning your online business.
Profit is a huge factor in eCommerce marketing strategy. But calculating this needs to include time spent working by the owners. So many business owners fail to accurately take their time into consideration when determining profitability. Often entrepreneurs believe highly enough in their businesses that they take a loss up front for the possibility to grow in the future. Border West is guilty of this too. We did a ridiculous amount of work for zero income to get where we are.
Now that you know exactly what you’re making off of each sale, how much can you afford to spend on a marketing budget?
There’s no real answer to this and each situation will be totally different. There are plenty of products sold on the internet where the profit is much less than a dollar per sale. Of course, quantity can make it worth it. Then there are companies like Amazon that operate at a loss for years because investors trust their business plans.
If the profitability is there, then it makes sense to scale your business. If you can hire a digital marketing agency and still be profitable, then it may be in your interest to give it a try. There are a lot of laundromat owners out there who make money a quarter at a time. Maybe it’s time to expand your eCommerce business.
Do I Know How To Advertise to My Target Audience?
This is the part that can be very tricky in some industries. Border West does advertising for moving companies that have been in business for two decades. It baffles them that people would use Facebook to find a mover.
Internet retailers can have an even harder time keeping up with online marketing trends. With social media, Facebook is the biggest. But are you missing opportunities with another outlet you may not even know exists. This week, internet retailers are trying to figure out how to market eCommerce companies on TikTok. Who knows what it will be next week.
Even more than knowing where to market your internet business, do you know how?
If you’re trying to sell something like smart thermostats, do you know how to write ads that will appeal to people interested in energy efficiency in California? What about Quebec?
The right wording on ads can make all the difference in the world. Why do you think marketers often run several ads side by side with minor differences? Because sometimes the slightest change in wording can make all the difference.
No one has even come close to figuring out exactly what drives consumers. But some of us have a much firmer grasp. A great digital marketing agency understands how to speak directly to the targeted audience. They can write for the person who’s supposed to read it. This is critical if you want your product to sell better than everyone else’s in a crowded field.
If you’re able to connect with your customers, then you may not need assistance. If not, give us a call.
What Are My Goals for My eCommerce Business?
This last question is something that you really need to dig deep and ask yourself. It may seem silly but there are many reasons why someone wouldn’t want to be the biggest eCommerce company in the USA. Some people have a career that they’re dedicated to and have no desire to leave. Others have families that they need to spend time with. Another example is people who sell products online that they make as a hobby. They say the fastest way to start hating something you love doing is to start doing it for money.
The fact is, not everyone is a crush my enemies on the way to the top capitalist. And trust me, we’re not saying you have to be. But if your goals don’t align with growing your online business with internet advertising, there’s no point in investing in it.
On the other hand, if you do want to grow as big as possible, then you should speak with a professional internet marketer. They can help you develop an effective eCommerce marketing strategy that makes sense for your situation. They can help you maximize every penny of your budget and create online advertising that keeps you busy filling orders.
And if you do want to destroy your competitors in sales, a great online marketing agency will be more than happy to help with that too.
Excited in fact.
How Can Border West Increase My Sales Online?
No two businesses are going to be alike. This is why Border West applies several angles to offer the highest chances for success.
We go where your customers are. You’re not going to sell many thermal curtains on Instagram, but you might on Bing.
If you’re selling replacement windows, a strong presence on Google is the best bet.
Our initial PPC Competitor Analysis and Website Performance Report will provide us with a roadmap to everything we need to do to drive the most online sales for your eCommerce company.
Pay Per Click for eCommerce
The cornerstone for any eCommerce marketing agency is going to be Pay Per Click Advertising. PPC is what drives Google, along with millions of other businesses around the world.
The first thing Border West does with any online retailer is analyze their competition’s pay per click budget. This helps us to find out the going rate for PPC ads across various formats in their industry. If an eCommerce digital marketing strategy isn’t going to be affordable, there’s no point in moving forward from this point.
This is very rarely the case, but getting a ballpark budget requirement for a successful pay per click campaign is important for expectations. Rarely can an eCommerce marketing agency produce results immediately (Border West is as close as you can get). This means clients need to be able to finance their pay per click advertising for several weeks (longer in some instances) before seeing positive returns.
Not to worry, Border West is the best eCommerce marketing agency for small to medium sized online retailers. Working with us, you’ll have a clear path to success with a manageable timeline. We want our pay per click advertising to pay for itself as soon as possible, so there’s no question about the value we add for our clients!
Social Media Management for Online Retailers
Selling products on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social networks can be extremely lucrative. Being able to match even the most niche product with interested social media users is extremely valuable to a marketer. Where else could you get a following for a golf club that uses gunpowder? Or connect with nearly 10,000 professional Santas from your Costumes for Santa business?
How an eCommerce marketing agency manages social media completely depends on the product and the audience. For some online retailers, just connecting with customers on a regular basis through Facebook is more beneficial than Facebook ads.
Whatever your product, there’s probably a huge social media following just waiting to give your more business. Border West will help you find it.
SEO for eCommerce Websites
No matter what your niche, if you’re selling products on the internet, you can’t ignore eCommerce search engine optimization. For many online retailers, a long term SEO strategy eventually becomes their main source of revenue. At Border West, we find the best ways to optimize your website and concentrate our efforts there.
How well and how quickly search engine optimization for eCommerce takes effect has much to do with the industry. Many online retailers are competing with the likes of Walmart and Amazon. Getting over that initial SEO hump can take some time, but once it’s accomplished, the rewards are in growing sales.
While monsters like Amazon seem to dominate, they don’t focus as much on specific products. This means that a professional eCommerce marketing agency like Border West can achieve success for your products with some time and a solid search engine optimization strategy.