Online engagement is imperative to securing sales in the world of e-tailing, and assuming that your site is already rich with product information, clear CTAs to purchase and images, you’re now ready to create a more immersive experience.

The challenge lies in offering informative, detailed content that reveals your brand’s unique personality and encourages shoppers to engage with you in a more meaningful way, beyond the usual product-surfing.

For online retailers wanting to nurture existing customer relationships and attract new customers, a company blog is the ideal solution. The beauty of blogging in online retail is that whether you are selling cosmetics, car parts or carpet cleaners, there will always be topics of interest that you can expand upon.

5 retail blog tips to engage customers and drive sales:

1. Solve customers’ and prospects’ problems

Shoppers seeking out any kind of product come armed with their unique set of issues and challenges, and with a corporate blog you can tend to their needs with your unique viewpoint and customised solutions.

Solve your customers problems, and in so doing equip them with the knowledge and information that encourages engagement and purchase decisions.

2. Be at the forefront of industry trends

Serve up the latest news from your sector to keep customers up to date on the latest trends. As always, the goal is to inspire customers, sparking ideas in their own minds to get them purchase-ready. If you sell apparel, you could mix-and-match clothing options to create must-have seasonal outfits or cover fashion world events as demonstrated to perfection by Asos.

If the products being sold are more sensible than sexy, such as kitchen flooring, find an interesting angle – say showcasing renowned venues or celebrity homes while offering advice on how to achieve similar results on a budget.

3. Simulate the in-store experience online

Online retailers that also have bricks and mortar stores still generate the majority of sales offline. Why? Even with distance selling regulations protecting the consumer, most people like to see and touch products or talk to a human being before purchasing. Blogs are a useful platform for recreating an in-store experience online. Be creative with images and video to bridge the gap between the consumer, at home on their laptop, and your merchandise. Product tutorials are a popular way to help site visitors get to know your range.

4. Nurture and involve an online community

A community of online customers is invaluable in building trust in your brand and encouraging new visitors to convert to paying customers. Online recommendations are more important than ever, with recent research by Eccomplished finding that 31% of consumers read an online review before making a purchase, compared to 23% who ask for advice from peers.

The same research found that 18% read comments on online articles (more than seek out advice on social media) so be sure to enable comments on your blog. It goes without saying to then invest the time to monitor and respond to comments in order to spark a dialogue.

5. Bolster your blog strategy with social media

With your blog up and running, you can augment your strategy and reach with social media activity. Granted, finding the right social networks for your brand can be tricky. Review what the major well-known retailers are doing on social for guidance and inspiration. As well as creating profiles on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, many retailers are now finding their feet on Google+ and Pinterest.

Google has put a great deal of effort into attracting bloggers with SEO benefits on Google+. Set up Google Authorship to link your Google+ profile to your content, ensuring that your headshot or company logo shows up alongside blog posts in Google search results. Doing so should boost your blog’s visibility and drive click-through rates.

Are you an online retailer who is looking for ways to connect with existing customers or attract new business? Call us on 0845 055 9264 for guidance on a blog strategy bespoke to your needs.

Photo: John.Karakatsanis