5 Signs Digital Advertising Will Increase Your Sales (Or Won’t)
For ten years, Cobble Hill has helped emerging and existing ecommerce brands grow their business. While there are many improvements we can make to the website, communication, messaging and purchase experience to incrementally advance sales, there are a few red flags that signal when digital advertising will not have the desired results. Thanks to years of experience as a content strategist, I can tell within 30 seconds if digital advertising will improve your company’s ecommerce sales or not. Here are the top 5 indicators that your business is on the cusp of greatness, and a nudge from some experienced marketers will take it over the edge:
You have a tight value proposition
If it takes more than a single breath to “explain” your business, it’s too much. You need to have a very clear distinction for your product, understand your own factors of competition and have a solid brand story to sell to your audience. We’ve had the most success when the brand can be summed up in a single phrase: gold jewelry from Texas, historical teas, hand block print table linens, layer cakes, travel blankets. If it’s too complicated for your mom to understand on the first try, chances are any potential customer seeing an ad for 2 seconds will feel the same way and scroll on.
You are speaking to the right audience
You must understand who your customer is and speak their language. If you are selling to an older demographic, be sure your website has a seamless UX, while younger customers may prefer to shop directly through social platforms. It’s easy to fall into the trap of speaking to who you think your customer should be, but it’s always better to be inclusive in language than to alienate potential buyers with industry jargon or exclusive verbiage. You can be aspirational and set the tone without turning people off, and it’s always crucial to believe your own analytics. We worked with a client with such a wide disconnect between their target demographic and actual audience that no amount of advertising could bridge it, yet they continued to push further, ignoring our advice and reporting.
You know your hero product
Every brand should have one signature product or collection that defines the company and creates brand enthusiasts. For Jack Rudy, this was their original Classic Tonic Mixer. For Marysia, it’s the bestselling scalloped swimwear. Your hero product is the gateway drug to your entire business, so make sure it’s tight. This should be the sole focus of any Acquisition campaign and very loud on your website homepage. New products can be exciting internally (and great for remarketing, see below), but make sure you know your bread and butter and continue to funnel marketing dollars here.
Your potential for remarketing is high
Current customers are the best customers, and the most reliable revenue comes from remarketing, so make sure you have a continuous stream of relevant inventory to support repeat buyers. We’ve seen great success with both small batch collections and recurring revenue models. Whether you are releasing new products seasonally, selling something that is used and needs to be repurchased (food, drink, organic makeup) or can meet customers at various points in their personal journey, having an unending supply of products means your customer lifespan is long.
You are selling in the right space
Some things just should not be sold online, period. If you want to grow your ecommerce business, you must be selling a product or service that can feasibly be accepted and purchased sight unseen.
The most successful marketing campaigns are always those when the client has a strong understanding and vision of the brand (that is grounded in reality) but is willing to trust our recommendations and listen to the numbers. Think your brand has what it takes to level up? Let’s chat!