Plan an E-commerce Strategy | Michigan Web Design | Artonic
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Shred Your Competition, Grizzly Glue Style (How to Plan an E-Commerce Strategy)

Plan an e-commerce strategy to shred your competition! That’s what Michigan-based business Grizzly Glue did last year – and they’ve grown 53%. Find out how they did it, from their new brand name and logo to a fully functioning e-commerce website.

Why Plan an E-Commerce Strategy?

E-commerce is a huge opportunity for sellers. Americans love to shop online, and this trend continues to grow. Take advantage of this by opening an e-commerce store and planning a strategy to shred your competition!

E-commerce website design best practices e-book. Click to download.
Best Practices Boost Sales

People love to shop online:

  • 51% of Americans prefer to shop online in 2018.
  • 96% of Americans with internet access have made an online purchase in their life, 80% in the past month alone.
  • Ecommerce is growing 23% year-over-year, yet 46% of American small businesses do not have a website.

The Shopping Experience

The number one element you must embrace is the experience you offer to your consumers. The experience is the most important part of your e-commerce strategy.

What this includes:

  1. Brand
  2. Website
  3. Photography
  4. Videos
  5. Social Media

56 percent of global consumers say they have higher expectations for customer service now than they had just one year ago. (source)

Your Brand

When you plan an e-commerce strategy, the first thing to review is your brand. If you don’t have a brand, it’s time to create one. If you do have a brand, it’s time to evaluate it, and possible re-design it.

Your Brand Name

The name of your brand needs to appeal to your customers and adequately represent your brand. It should be easy to remember and spell. (Check out the full guide to developing a brand name.)

AGET Manufacturing Dust Collectors
AGET Manufacturing rejuvenated its brand.

Brand Colors

Choose your brand colors wisely! Remember, don’t design your brand for yourself. Instead, design your brand for your customers. Choose one main color and one or two accent colors. Be consistent! Use colors that make sense with your brand and appeal to your audience. (Here’s how to choose the best colors for your brand.)

Your Business Logo

When it comes to your business logo, it’s best to stand out. A strong brand identity elevates you in the eyes of your customers. It also helps you stand out from your competitors.

Grizzly Glue Logo
Logo for Grizzly Glue

The logo designed for Grizzly Glue is unique and represents the brand very well. The colors were specifically chosen to appeal to Grizzly Glue’s target audience, many of whom work with wood or perform carpentry.

Your Website

You need an e-commerce website if you want to sell your products online. Now is the time to get your store online, because people love to shop online! In fact, 51% of Americans think shopping online is the best way to shop, with 49% preferring shopping in-store.

Website designed for Grizzly Glue in Michigan
Grizzly Glue’s e-commerce website.

E-Commerce Platform

To build an e-commerce website, you need to find the correct platform on which to build it. We recommend BigCommerce or OpenCart.

Am image of two types of e-commerce website platforms.
The best e-commerce platforms are BigCommerce and OpenCart.

Responsive for Mobile Phones, Tablets

When planning an e-commerce strategy, do not overlook your mobile audience! People shop online frequently, and many of those consumers use a smartphone or tablet to do so.

Cater to everyone in your audience, and build a  responsive e-commerce website.

SEO content
People shop online using tablets and smart phones.

Homepage Banner

Your design can make or break the effectiveness of your website. A professionally designed website boosts you company’s credibility. In fact, Adobe found that 75% of user judgment about your business’s credibility is based on your website’s design.

What do you put on your banner? Should your banner rotate?
For your homepage banner, we suggest you pick one message and one action you’d like your customers to perform. We do not recommend a rotating banner, because they aren’t very effective.

Contact Us Page

In a recent study by Komarketing, customers were asked about their experiences shopping online.

“Once you’re on the Home page, what information do you want to see available?” (respondents were able to choose more than one answer)

  • 86% Products and Services
  • 64% Contact Info
  • 52% About / Company Information

51% of people think “thorough contact information” is the most important element missing from many company websites. (Discover more website stats.)

Contact form on Grizzly Glue's website was designed with information architecture.

Photography

We cannot overstate the usefulness of photography for e-commerce websites. Professional photography of your team and products is a must. Photos get attention, increase engagement, and help convert sales.

portrait for website design. Professional photography is part of a good website design.

You can also use photography in many ways, such as social media posts, e-mails, print materials, and more.

Videos

Influencer Videos

Lot of big brands use influencer marketing to spread the word about their products. This is a great idea! Influencer marketing can be a very effective way to promote and sell your products.

Here’s a video on YouTube made by an influencer. The influencer uses the brand’s product in his video.

Team Videos

Include team videos in your e-commerce strategy, too. Team videos introduce you to your audience. Your customers are able to see and hear you, and this increases their trust in your company.

Product Videos

A product video is a must-have on your e-commerce strategy list. Nothing sells a product like a video!

Even though the following video is professionally shot with voiceover, it was still simple to create. A similar video can be used on your website, on social media, posted on YouTube, shared via e-mail, and included in your blog.

Social Media

Yes, social media is an effective tactic to market your e-commerce store. The social media platform that’s best for you depends on the type of products you sell online. If your products are targeted to women, look into Instagram. Are men your target audience? Look into Facebook and Twitter. (Yes, Facebook is a viable marketing tool for business.)

Grizzly Glue Facebook post

Say Hello!

Give Artonic a call or e-mail us if you’re interested in website design, development, or marketing.

517-902-7851

[email protected]

Michigan, USA