In my last blog we met Chelsea James and Arthur Zetes and their start-up eCommerce site Sperantsa. The site is just getting started and they have a lot of work to do but the combination of a fair trade business, Roma mothers earning a living and trendy knit caps seems like a great space to be in and I am looking forward to their success. When I met with them we brainstormed about possible topics they could cover in their blog and the possibilities for Sperantsa seem almost endless. Other eCommerce websites seem to have a problem with coming up with topics other than “Buy from us!” I recently got some great dos and don’ts about eCommerece blogging from a webinar by HubSpot’s Mike Redbord and Mike Ewing, Blogging for eCommerce.

1. Run giveaways and contests: Offer incentives for customers to come back to your site. When you run a contest you can gather e-mail addresses and names of people who are genuinely interested in your product. Promote it in your blog and get people to send in comments about what they like about your product. Consider the occasional product giveaway as one of the costs of promotion.
   Do Not expect visitors to engage without incentive. If all you do is say “BUY” you will not sustain traffic to your site.
2. Share guides and tips related to your products. If you sell fashions talk about fashion trends. If you are a travel agency write about how to travel. If you are a financial advisor give financial tips. If you sell fishing poles talk about fishing.
   Do Not write about something that less than 50% of your audience is interested in.
3. Use your product expertise to promote your products. If you are selling something you should be an expert on the product. When I buy a part at the auto parts store I expect some advice from the guy behind the counter. On your website YOU are the guy behind the counter. Let people know that you know and use the product and that you are an expert and a source of information.
   Do Not expect repeat visitors if your content is boring or not in-depth. People who are interested in your product will quickly discover if you do not know what you are talking about.
4. Use your industry expertise to educate your audience. As an expert you know more about what is going on in the industry than your customers. Use your blog to keep them up to date on emerging trends. Think of your blog as a trade publication for consumers.
   Do Not engage in too much industry chatter unless you see a demand. People like a peek into the industry but too much “shop talk” can go over people’s heads. Know your readers and give them what they need.

One of the main reasons to write a blog is to keep the people who may buy your product coming back for more. You want to keep them engaged so they want to buy from you when they are ready. The blogs also give valuable information to the first time visitors to your site. It lets them know about you as a business and about your product. For more informatin on eCommerce sites getting more traffic you may be interested in: Costco’s 7 Rookie Inbound Marketing Mistakes  and Learning from Costco's Inbound Marketing Mistakes. If you would like to see how your website blog is performing contact Image Media Partners for a free analysis of your website.

 Photo credit: Dece-Sperantsa