Most business owners aim to increase the conversion rate using different forms of marketing. As content marketing is a great way to achieve that, many companies including JoomDev, have a blog space they regularly update.
Now, blogging isn’t a must. Some eCommerce businesses don’t use it at all. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t. After all, many popular SEO companies agree that a keyword-optimized blog can bring in a lot of new website traffic and affect the conversion rates.
So, if you have an eCommerce blog and you’re curious to find out how you increase your eCommerce blog conversion rates, keep on reading.
Don’t write product posts solely.
To fully understand what this is about, you need to be familiar with three types of posts you can write on your blog: product posts, informative posts, and first-person posts.
The product post
You can pick one product to write about or several different products, it doesn’t matter. What matters is the intention – you want to present your products in the best possible light, show their benefits and how they can help your customers, and get more attention.
The sole fact that you’re transparent and open about your business is something your customers will appreciate.
For instance, if you’re in the fashion industry and make clothes, you can write a post on your newest piece – a dress. You could describe it in detail, tell your customers how you came up with an idea, and what inspired you.
Bonus tip: Include suggestions on coats and jackets your customers can combine with the dress. This technique is called cross-selling and it is widely used among many brands, such as Zara or H&M.
Also, link the products from the post to the actual shopping section, so that users can easily order them.
The informative post
This type of content isn’t focused on the products you’re selling, but it is related to your business or the industry. Typically, companies use informative posts to share information regarding new product launches, company updates, and community-related news, such as events, meetups, or customer stories.
They won’t help you improve your conversion rate much, but they will help you establish a better relationship with your customers.
The first-person post
The first-person posts are more like storytelling. Using “I” and “me” feels a lot more personal, almost as if someone is letting you in on the secret.
If you’re creative, you can use this type of post to show the benefits of your products in a natural way, without coming off as sales. This is also a great way to show the human side of your brand and develop a brand identity.
Now, blogging is about balance. If you write only product posts, you’ll miss out on the opportunity to build a brand. This may not seem as important right away, but it does impact your conversion rate and retention rate in the long run.
Also, don’t stop at these three types of posts. If you think something can positively impact your business, feel free to include something different. For instance, you can use interviews with customers, vendors, and employees, or industry news.
Each business is different, so feel free to experiment with different formats.
Choose the title carefully.
Imagine surfing the internet and running into a blog called “Our product features”. Be honest now – would you be interested in reading it?
Probably not. Titles that are overly descriptive and abstract are a bad choice. Instead, aim for something short and concise. The title should hit right in the center and press the customer’s pain points. Of course, click-baits are out of the question.
Depending on the type of the post, you can start the title in the following way:
- How to…
- Why I think…
- X ways to…
If the topic is overall interesting, you can count on people clicking on it.
Don’t use passive voice.
Now, don’t get me wrong – using a passive voice is sometimes necessary if you want the sentence to make any sense.
But the general rule is that passive voice is unwanted in content writing. This is because the sentences that include passive tend to be wordy or come out awkward. Also, using too much of a passive voice can make your piece appear dull and uninteresting.
Instead, we advise you to include an active voice whenever you can.
Keep them in the loop.
Customers like to be informed of pretty much everything, nowadays.
Take a company in the skincare field, for example. Users buying a cream want to know what’s inside – the exact ingredients, as well as what they’re for. Some brands even include information about the percentage of every ingredient in the INCI list.
This is where product posts come in handy. Whenever you launch a new product, take time to create a blog post as well. Also, don’t forget to let your customers know of the launch beforehand, so they don’t miss it out.
Double-check your grammar and spelling.
While many people don’t pay attention to grammar while texting, it’s important to make sure your blog posts are not filled with grammatical errors. This can make you appear unprofessional and damage your brand’s reputation.
The same thing goes for spelling. Mixing up “they’re” and “their”, or “its” and “it’s” is unforgivable in content writing.
The good news is that there are tools you can use to ensure a grammatically accurate piece. Here are some popular choices:
- Grammarly
- ProWritingAid
- Hemingway App
- Sapling
- WhiteSmoke.
Most of these tools have both free and premium versions. Of course, you’ll still need to go through the entire blog because these tools do misinterpret the content sometimes.
Use short sentences and multiple paragraphs.
Writing blog content is different from writing essays – it’s harder to read online than on paper.
For that reason, it’s best to start a new paragraph each time you have a new thought you’re writing about. A good rule is to include 2-3 sentences in each paragraph, depending on their length.
Also, keep the sentences short. Ideally, they should have about 14 words and no more than 25 words. Remember – the more you write, the fewer people understand. Of course, this is just a general rule, you don’t always need to follow it.
Don’t be a smartass.
All readers, including world-renowned scientists, want to see blog content written in a simple manner. Depending on the subject, you may sound more or less serious, but avoid using complicated words that users have to google to find out what they mean.
You’re writing a blog, not a thesis.
Offer them to subscribe.
Once a user is done reading your blog, you can offer them to subscribe to your website. This is a great opportunity to target them with specific content, such as shopping guides, or offer a discount or a free delivery. You’d be surprised at how many people hate paying for the delivery service.
Include social proof.
Though people aren’t used to seeing social proof in the blogging section as much, you can still incorporate it. For instance, reviews on products or interviews can be a great way to include social proof without it being that obvious.
Talk to one of your team members and ask them to review your newest product or interview them. This can improve your brand image and get more people to purchase your products.
Conclusion
Blogging in general is incredibly useful if done right. Aside from SEO, a blog writer has to be original and creative to attract more people and get them to convert.
So, how do you feel about the tips we’ve shared? Have you already tried some of them?