OW TO DEVELOP AN E-COMMERCE MARKETING PLAN
HOW TO DEVELOP AN E-COMMERCE MARKETINGPLANBC Minis tr y of Agriculture Marketing Guide SeriesConvenience is a KeyDriver of E-CommerceE-commerce is the business of purchasing andselling goods and services electronically. As anincreasing number of consumers are makingpurchases online, it is important to determine ife-commerce is a good fit for your business.WHY E-COMMERCE IS IMPORTANTGlobally, e-commerce is on the rise and it isgrowing rapidly. According to Statista.com,global e-commerce penetration is at 41.4% in2016 and is expected to hit 57.6 % in 2021.Millenials and Generation Z buyers, those bornafter 1980, are the digitally connectedconsumers primarily driving this growth. Thedesire for new products and convenience arekey drivers of online shopping bothdomestically and internationally.E-commerce is not necessarily a good fit for allcompanies. You will have to assess yourcompany’s readiness to do business online. Afew of the questions to consider are: 1. DETERMINE WHICH PRODUCTS TOSELL ONLINEReview your products to determine which arebest suited to online sales. Some of yourproducts may be better suited toe-commerce than others. Shelf stable, lightweight, non-breakable products lendthemselves to e-commerce better thanrefrigerated, heavy or breakable products.Think about how you can get your product tothe consumer most efficiently. Shippingconsiderations are very important ine-commerce.Some points to think about are: weight;breakage; contamination; temperature;pilferage; and moisture. The distance aproduct has to be shipped is also aconsideration.Do your e-commerce goals support youroverall business plan?Have you done a cost-benefit analysis?What are the financial projections?Do you have all of the resources required?GETTING STARTEDThe following steps are essential to developinga solid e-commerce marketing plan:1.2.3.4.Determine which products to sell online;Decide on your target audience;Develop a sound marketing strategy;Choose an e-commerce marketing model;and5. Measure, adjust, repeat.1
HOW TO DEVELOP AN E-COMMERCE MARKETINGPLANBC Minis tr y of Agriculture Marketing Guide SeriesE-Commerce is Visual2. DECIDE ON YOUR TARGET AUDIENCEE-commerce has local and global appeal. Youraudience can be located anywhere in theworld. In Canada, urban centres tend to havegreater e-commerce opportunities than in ruralareas due to population density and lowerdelivery costs. If you are targeting anaudience outside of Canada you need toconsider: cross border regulations, culturaldifferences, fluctuating exchange rates, andincreased shipping costs.From a Canadian perspective, selling online tothe U.S. market makes the most sense basedon population size, e-commerce penetrationlevel and proximity for shipping.The key to being successful in any internationalmarket is to look at it from the perspective ofthe consumer in the export market. What isthe availability of supply in that market for yourtype of product and at what price? If you arethinking about international e-commerce, in amarket with significantly differentcultural values, it is extremely important tolearn the business culture of that country.3. DEVELOP A SOUND MARKETINGSTRATEGYYour online marketing strategy is made up of acombination of elements: Fast Loading and Visual;Search Engine Optimization;Mobile and Omnichannel;Internet Marketing;Shopping Cart;Customer Experience; andFulfillment.FAST LOADING AND VISUALInternet users are becoming increasinglydemanding. Your goal is to keep shoppers onyour website long enough for them to make apurchase. That means having a lightning fastload time and highly engaging visual content.E-commerce relies heavily on visuals to conveythe look and feel of the product. Ensure yourproduct images are professionally done.Nothing kills a sale faster than a slow loadingsite and poor quality images.Thinking about customs and brokerage, importand export management, optimized globalshipping and cultural expectations to namea few can be overwhelming. You may wantto work with a distributor that specializes ine-commerce in your target country.One of the fastest growinginternational e-commercemarkets is China.2
HOW TO DEVELOP AN E-COMMERCE MARKETINGPLANBC Minis tr y of Agriculture Marketing Guide SeriesCommunicate Your BrandPromise and Build TrustSEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)SEO is one of e-commerce’s most effectivedigital marketing tools. If your target audienceis starting their buying process with an internetsearch then it is vital that you are readily found.Search engine optimization is the applicationof tactics and strategy to attain a strongranking in the search engines. The closer yoursite is to the top of the search results, the morevisitors your site will receive.Keep SEO in mind whenever you have theopportunity to list your product or itsattributes online. This includes product listingsand descriptions on your own website as wellas any listings you might have on a third partyseller such as Amazon or eBay. Consider whatyour target audience might be typing in to findyour product. Do your homework.MOBILE AND OMNICHANNELMobile commerce (m-commerce ore-commerce done on mobile devices) isgrowing and is expected to quickly overtakedesktop purchases. Your products mustdisplay well on mobile platforms and provideseamless purchase experiences. This seamlessexperience is expected on multiple channels,(e.g. shopping online, by telephone or in aphysical store). Omnichannel marketing is theconsistent presentation of your product acrosschannels. Make sure to include a robust mobileplatform that includes: real-time notifications;click to call; maps; and product information.Deliver the same web storeexperience across any saleschannel and on any device.INTERNET MARKETINGA major component of your e-commercestrategy is internet marketing. Maintaining astrong brand across all of your onlinemarketing is fundamental to success. Ine-commerce the personal touch relayed bythe sales representative in a bricks and mortarlocation is not available. You must use acombination of compelling visuals andstorytelling to communicate your brandpromise to your target audience. You maychoose paid advertising, content marketing,email marketing, social media or a combinationof all of these.After you have identified your primary targetmarket, develop a strategy that engages theaudience using the advertising medium mostappropriate to them. The key objective is tocommunicate your brand promise and buildtrust all along the path to purchase.A sample digital marketing campaign mayinclude:Search Engine Marketing: A strategy thatshares your story and product features acrossplatforms; search engine optimization (SEO);and, paid advertising such as Google Adwords.Social Media: Organic content creation andsharing as well as paid advertising onFacebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.Email Marketing: Promoting products toyour existing subscribers through emailmarketing. Email marketing has one of thehighest returns on investment of allmarketing which makes building your email listworth the effort.3
HOW TO DEVELOP AN E-COMMERCE MARKETINGPLANBC Minis tr y of Agriculture Marketing Guide SeriesKeep Shipping FeesUpfrontSHOPPING CARTYour visitor’s shopping cart experience has asignificant impact on making the sale. Youhave worked hard to get the consumer to thispoint. Having them abandon the purchasenow is a waste of all your marketing efforts.The following are proven methods to reduceshopping cart abandonment: Offer a guest check out: Allow people tomake a purchase without signing up.Use micro copy: Insert shortexplanation texts to reassure people. i.e.”Are you wondering why we ask for yourphone number?” “We need your phonenumber to be able to contact you if thepackage is delayed en route.”Reassure people throughout theprocess: Clearly display information suchas free shipping, trust logos.Keep your brand strong: Maintain yourbrand messaging throughout the purchaseprocess. Stay consistent.No hidden fees: List your shipping feesup front. Unexpected costs are responsiblefor most shopping cart abandonments.Emphasize customer support: Have livechat and accessible contact information.Minimize distractions: Keep newslettersign ups or other distractions out of theshopping cart funnel.TipOrder confirmationshave one of thehighest open rates inemail. Use this as amerchandisingopportunity and forcustomer retention.CUSTOMER EXPERIENCEWhen your product arrives at the customer’sdoor, they should be greeted by anexperience, not just a product. Packaging canbe an effective way to set you apart from thecompetition and create a lasting impression.Remember that when the consumer opensyour product you have a built in direct mailopportunity. How could you best use that toyour advantage? A discount coupon or specialoffer? A handwritten thank you? A familyrecipe? Or perhaps subscription options?Replenishment models that send commonlyused items on a regular basis are verypromising for the food industry.FULFILLMENTHow to efficiently deliver your product in atimely and cost effective manner can be adifficult aspect of e-commerce. The agrifoodindustry has the additional challenge of oftenrequiring temperature controlled shipping andcontamination avoidance.Many e-commerce models start in the urbanareas where delivery is more affordable due topopulation density. In more remote areas,cost effective shipping can be achievedthrough minimum orders, consolidatedshipments and/or lengthier delivery times.Reverse logistics must also be considered. Theability to handle returns and exchanges can bea key differentiator from the competition.Innovative fulfillment, same day delivery,seamless returns and efficient exchanges canall be competitive advantages. You may wantto work with a third party logistics provider tomanage the fulfillment aspects of youre-commerce business.4
HOW TO DEVELOP AN E-COMMERCE MARKETINGPLANBC Minis tr y of Agriculture Marketing Guide SeriesYour Customer is anOmnichannel Shopper4. CHOOSE AN E-COMMERCEMARKETING MODELWhen you are thinking about youre-commerce model keep your target marketin mind. It is likely that they shop online in avariety of different places. You may choose tocustom build a shopping cart on yourcompany website, sign up for a hosted thirdparty solution provider or sell in an onlinemarketplace such as eBay or Amazon.The choice will depend on the requirementsyou have for the website, your budget, howmuch control you need and your technicalexpertise. The table below outlines someof the pros and cons of these three popularoptions.PROSCompany Website(Custom build) Online Marketplace(eBay, Amazon, Etsyetc.) E-commerce SolutionProvider(Shopify, Magento, Wixetc.) CONSFull control over user experience, look, feel and functionality Not listed next to competitors (as with a Marketplace)No listing feesPossible limited exposureHigh start-up costsTechnical expertise requiredHuge online presenceLeverage without cannibalizingin-store or websiteOften have existing Apps formobile simplificationGlobal accessSupport/onboarding programsLow entry costFeesLack of control over refund orreturnsFocus is on products not sellersBranding and/or productrestrictionsShopping cart may not sync withmain inventory without manualreconciliationProduct oversaturationMonthly fee plus charges forevery transactionProduct attribute limitationsLack of control (i.e. if it is ahosted solution and they shutdown tomorrow your websitewould be gone)Easy entry, i.e. no installationCreate new online store orintegrate with existing websiteSecure shopping cartSome offer POS integration withentire sales system 5
HOW TO DEVELOP AN E-COMMERCE MARKETINGPLANBC Minis tr y of Agriculture Marketing Guide SeriesFocus on MetricsImportant to You5. MEASURE, ADJUST, REPEATE-commerce transactions provide a wealth ofdata. Depending on the system you areusing you will have data on: order value; repeatcustomers; shopping cart abandonment; visitortraffic; conversion rate; email subscribers; andmuch more. The amount of data available canbe overwhelming. To avoid ‘analysis paralysis’,focus on the metrics that are important to yourbusiness. You may need to hire a professionalto get the initial tracking codes set up but it iswell worth the investment if you are seriousabout e-commerce. Metrics to consider are:Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)CAC reveals how much money you spendacquiring a new customer. Whether it isthrough Facebooks Ads, SEO or a guestblogger’s post, the amount of money youspend throughout the acquisition funnel willtell you what you it costs to acquire onecustomer. Once you know the cost you canwork on bringing it down.Conversion RateYour conversion rate is the number of onlinestore visitors you have that make a purchase. Itis terrific to get 10,000 visitors in a month butif no one buys anything something is amiss. Itcould be the wrong audience or it could be thewrong landing page. Either way yourconversion rate is a good way to measure thepossible disconnect that your site visitors haveto your product.MORE INFORMATIONShopping Cart AbandonmentFollowing up on the conversion ratementioned earlier, your shopping cartabandonment rate will tell you how manyvisitors added a product to their cart but failedto complete the transaction. It may be thatyour conversion rate is directly related to theshopping cart funnel experience. Thesevisitors have shown an ‘intent to purchase’and if possible should be followed up with topotentially re-engage.Average Order ValueKnowing the average order size will allow youto predict how much revenue you cangenerate from your business based on visitortraffic and conversion rates.ChurnChurn is the percentage of customers whomake a purchase from your store and neverreturn. Recognizing that it is easier to sell to anexisting customer than acquiring a new one,having a low churn rate is an important metricto measure.In the world of e-commerce, what you trackwill be determined by what information youneed to know to make solid business decisions.Using real data to drive your decisions will putyou in control and enable you to adapt whennecessary making the most of your time andmoney.See the Ministry of Agriculture’s Marketing Guide Series for more information and additional topics byvisiting tatisticsThe Government of Canada, the BC Ministry of Agriculture, and its directors, agents, employees, or contractors will not be liablefor any claims, damages, or losses of any kind whatsoever arising out of the use of, or reliance upon, this information.6
SEO is one of e-commerce’s most effective digital marketing tools. If your target audience is starting their buying process with an internet search then it is vital that you are readily found. Search engine optimization is the application of tactics and strategy to attain a strong ranking in the search engines. The closer your
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