It's Time for ToFu: 3 Top-of-Funnel eCommerce Marketing Tips

Gift-giving season is here... But this year, with safety on everyone’s mind and technology readily available, eCommerce is more relevant than ever.  

The competition is fierce out there. And every level of the sales funnel is important to get right. 

But let’s take it from the top. The top of the funnel, that is.  

Here are three ToFu strategies to try for this season and the year ahead.  

Create Gift Guides... All Year Long 

Sure, every site seems to have a gift guide around the holidays. That’s because it works well. It’s a no-brainer... it helps people sort through giftable options with ease. Better yet, if you add price filters and categories, you can act as concierge for shoppers, steering them to the right options (“for him” and “for her” are basic... get creative.) Think about more specific categories (that work with your brand, of course). Whether you create lists for the “city-dwelling outdoorsman” or the “tech-obsessed home cook,” specificity helps people sort through your vast offerings during an overwhelming shopping season. 

Make sure that your gift guide has a life beyond your website. Use email campaigns to build excitement, highlight best sellers and offer recommendations. You can even offer a discount to people who sign up for gift reminders. That way, you can re-engage people at a later date when an important birthday or anniversary is coming up. 

And even after the holidays are over, you can still use this gift guides for other competitive shopping days (like Valentine’s Day or Father’s Day). But don’t stop there.

Amazon essentially invented “Prime Day,” now a twice-a-year event that boasts the best deals of the year. That goes to show you don’t have to wait for traditional shopping times to market your brand. You can turn lower-engagement times into big sales.  

Surprise Prospects with a Pop Quiz 

People love talking about themselves… can you blame them?  

As a brand, you’re vying for attention. It’s a lot more likely someone will engage with your brand if you ask about THEM. It’s like a first date. You want to show that you’re interested in who they are as a person… and help them see if you are compatible with their needs.  

That’s where the personalized quiz comes in.  

First of all, quizzes are fun. There’s a reason they put quizzes in magazines and ePublications. It’s gamification. It breaks up the regular scrolling of online shopping and gives the viewer something different to do. It’s fun to stop, think and answer honestly.  

Whether it’s a personal style quiz (as seen by brands like StitchFix) or a couple questions about health and wellness (like with vitamin brand Care/of), you can tailor your questions to fit your brand. Include questions about who they are shopping for… how much they know about your product… and what they’re looking for.  

Remember to make it accessible. Keep questions short and conversational. Use images if you can. Feel free to use a bit of humor if it fits your brand voice.  

But there’s another benefit to this. You can use their answers to create a highly targeted experience. You can get an idea of what they’re interested in… what they don’t like… and what information they need to know about you. Plus, most people are willing to volunteer their data (like email address) in exchange for a free service. 

From there, you can follow up with personalized recommendations and marketing campaigns. You can greet the customer by name when they visit your site. You can direct them to products and services that align with their answers. It all helps you build a relationship with a potential customer so you can get closer to a conversion. 

Convert Empty Shopping Carts 

An empty online cart doesn’t have to mean an empty web page. If a shopper hasn’t added anything to their cart... or even deleted their items from the cart... you still have an opportunity to sell. A blank page is a wasted opportunity.  

You can display best-sellers or recommended items on the cart page, with “quick add” or “learn more” buttons. Or make it a pop-up window to make sure they see it. Add some humorous or even assertive copy that implores them to explore and shop more. You can even add social proof with customer testimonials that might change someone’s mind.  

As experts in the science and art of customer engagement, J&C understands the impact of effective eCommerce marketing. From microsites to retargeting, trigger emails to cart abandonment strategies and beyond, J&C creates campaigns that get results. If you need help building a successful email campaign, contact J&C today.