The 4-‐stroke content writer – a trusted partner in your ecommerce journey
Recently, we received an inquiry from a furniture manufacturer who wanted to venture into online business after their retail success. They came to us looking for content writing support for this ecommerce initiative. They were clear about the type of content they required and also had some reference sites in mind – every piece of furniture needed a product specification and the rest of the space was to be filled with images. That was it – this imagery was their version of an ecommerce website – content marketing through ecommerce meant shifting all the images online and including captions and descriptions. Surprisingly, I had to spend quite a few sessions with them before I could make them understand the purpose and reach of an ecommerce initiative and that it is not just product specifications and a set of photos that will help them sell their products online; ecommerce content marketing is an entirely different ball game. Fortunately I had many examples to quote from – cb2.com and Urban Ladder, for instance. Although these sites follow a different business model, they are great examples of how niche ecommerce sites can provide an enriching experience to their online visitors, immediately building connect and trust with them. Niche ecommerce sites have the advantage of immediately securing 100% of the audience’s focus, rather than the general retail ecommerce sites that have a diverse audience with a much reduced attention span, given the extent of distractions in these sites. The scope for variety of content for ecommerce is immense with niche sites, allowing smooth transition of content from one concept to the other; for example: • •
options to compare and review products options to try out interesting ideas such as staging each room with furniture and varied room décor ideas
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interesting, related information in the niche area; for example, how to take care of furniture, ideal color combinations, types of wood, new materials, environmental-‐friendly furniture, etc. Interactive blogs with audience involvement; for example, posting pictures of interesting room décor ideas, applications that allow the visitor to experience virtual décor options, etc. Detailed specs, product features, and product history Context-‐based call-‐to-‐action elements highlighting features such as discounts, combo packages, gift coupons, early bird offers, festive offers, and many more such dynamic elements
All these content features establish an immediate connect with the visitors, arouse their interest, and compel them to visit again. This approach of content engagement with visitors wins their trust and converts them to dedicated followers of the brand. Today, ecommerce sites are the talk of the town and the e-‐bug has bitten most of the niche areas such as jewelry, eyeglasses, and even baby products. Hence the current rush is to put up an “exclusive online store” with loads of expectations from the online business. But success through ecommerce sites also requires a thorough operational excellence and exceptional user experience that will confirm all claims made by the site. That being said, it is also true that the first impression is always the best. So it is imperative that the online impression you create through your ecommerce content is remarkable and gain your visitors’ trust. The four key parameters that every content writer for an ecommerce venture should focus on are garnering web traffic (grabbing the attention of buyers who visit your site), communicating the organization’s value proposition (how the organization’s values are reflected in the site’s content), ensuring an exemplary user experience (using content prompts and call-‐to-‐action features to encourage the visitor to turn buyer), and finally focusing on customer retention programs (to convert buyers to dedicated followers). Content writing for ecommerce is hence not just about possessing language skills or filling up the home, about us, products, and contact pages; it is about meeting the above four content goals. To achieve these objectives, a content writer must be a 4-‐stroke engine in ecommerce content development, where the 4 strokes refer to the four essential roles of a content writer: Listener: A content writer must be a sharp listener, picking up valuable information about the purpose, values, features, highlights, target audience, and goals of the ecommerce project, as shared by the product managers, ecommerce business strategist, ecommerce business architects, and other members of the organization. Analyst: The writer must be an analyst, evaluating and interpreting the truck load of information received, connecting various strings of data given by different sources, and understanding the business stakeholders and buyer personas. Planner: The content writer would then need to plan the content map – chalk out the content journey: where, what, how, how, whom, and when. The content map must be as clear as possible, taking into consideration all the aspects that were heard, seen, and analyzed. Of course, ensure that all the stakeholders signoff on the content map.
Visionary: Content writers must have visionary leaps – the ability to create content keeping in mind the results the content should generate, the emotion it should likely stir in the reader’s mind, and the outcome it should lead to. addkraft’s 4-‐stroke content writers will help you meet your online business goals, transforming your business ideas and value propositions to ecommerce success stories through context-‐based, fresh, and inspiring content. Contact addkraft today and check out how our 4-‐stroke content writers can help you craft your ecommerce accomplishments. We can offer you a free customer marketing plan and 3 blog posts that convey your key values. So get in touch with us today! contact@addkraft.com www.addkraft.com