The blog in the shop—this is how you bind your customers to your shop
So-called blogs are also becoming more popular in e-commerce, and many shop operators decide to integrate a blog into their online shop and position themselves as experts in the industry.
But does blogging make sense for every online shop, or is it a discipline that should be neglected in the context of content marketing?
In this blog post, we want to go into the advantages of a blog and show how it can be optimally integrated into the online marketing strategy and thus bind customers to your online shop with new and exciting content and monetize it along the conversion funnel.
The blog in the shop: The advantages
In connection with the usual social media measures, the blog is also an instrument for customer loyalty and the generation of demand. With exciting new blog posts, you show your customers that you are an expert in your field and that you don’t just sell products, but that you are also familiar with your range.
You pass on this expertise in your field to your customers and give them further information about the products and other possible fields of application.
The advantages at a glance:
- Simple
The blog in the shop or for the blog (on an external site) is quickly created. Ideally, the blog is integrated into the shop system, as is the case with JTL software, for example. But there is also the possibility of putting the blog on a subdomain and thus influencing the rankings positively. Example: blog.yourwebsite.de - Inexpensive
A blog about WordPress is created relatively quickly and inexpensively. However, the blog is not free because you have to invest a lot of time and know-how in its creation so that the content can also be read by the users. - Personal
Especially in cool e-commerce, the blog is an opportunity to give the shop a personal touch. With the way you formulate your posts and involve your readers, you have the opportunity to give your blog personality and also to bind the customer emotionally to your content.
In addition to the advantages, the blog is also an opportunity to develop your own USP, differentiate yourself from the competition, and inspire with your unique content.
But the informative component of the blog should not be underestimated either. Here, you convey the information that you consider important to your reader in a simple and charming way.
Classification in online marketing
Running a blog in e-commerce is a sub-discipline of content marketing and, if implemented well, enables independent link building through the exciting content itself.
Social media channels are used for distribution, and new blog posts are distributed via our own newsletter distribution list. This ensures a high reach among the existing target groups shortly after the blog post has been created.
You can find more information about content marketing in our blog post on content marketing in e-commerce.
In the overall picture, branding can be transported via your own blog, but sales can also be prepared. This must be defined beforehand in the blog strategy. Here, too, a healthy mixture of branding and performance is expedient.
All that glitters is not gold.
Of course, creating a blog is not an endeavour that yields fruit overnight. Therefore, content that inspires readers should be created at regular intervals. You have to provide the necessary personnel and know-how for this.
The creation of an editorial plan is also necessary in order not to lose track of one’s own topics, to accuse the search engine robots of using the content as fodder on time, and to signal to the search engines that your website is constantly trying to provide up-to-date content.
In online marketing, a blog is a long-term tool for acquiring new customers or for customer retention. If you do it right, you can also prepare for conversions with your blog posts.
In addition to the high maintenance effort, the blog in the shop also harbours dangers: Especially if a comment field (user-generated content) is integrated, it can happen that readers do not agree with you and write a critical comment. Here, too, you should have an emergency plan in advance and react according to your own specifications.
Because a shitstorm in your own online shop is anything but desirable. Customer support should also not be displayed in the comment fields under any circumstances, as this can be read in a public way. This must be prevented in any case!
Having your own blog in the shop offers many opportunities to interact with customers and is also helpful when interacting with future prospects. As with the main offering, the blog should solve problems and entertain the reader in every way. If you succeed, you will be rewarded not only with low bounce rates but also with search query rankings for subsequent conversions.
We at SaphirSolution see the blog in the shop as a shop window, which allows interested parties to assess your services without having bought from you. The personal touch creates emotions, and it is well known that emotions sell much better!
Conclusion
Before a blog really works, you have to invest a lot of work and time into it. Once the blog works, it is a cost-effective alternative to search engine advertising. The prerequisite is a clear agreement on goals and a strategy that precedes the creation of the blog. Then your blog is a good way to bind customers to your shop in the long term and to monetize them over a longer period of time.
We are convinced that the blog in the shop will provide the decisive USP in the future and that the skillful use of media forms such as videos or infographics will lead to additional customers and purchases.
