7 Key Details to Enhance an Ecommerce Blog

7 Key Details to Enhance an Ecommerce Blog

People who find a post from a search engine should be able to understand it right off the bat. Many times I’ve seen ecommerce blogs that don’t sync with the company’s product line. Likewise, if your target customer runs a small business, don’t write about problems faced by the Fortune 100. Do photos and illustrations fit the desired company image? First, as time passes and technology or social trends change, you’ll want readers to know when you wrote what you did. But not first-time readers. Give your headlines a harsh examination. When you list those categories on each page of the blog, you enable visitors to find related posts. If you’re stumped on how to add jazzier visuals, browse blogs on similar topics for ideas. Are you making connections between the blog and what you sell?

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Many ecommerce merchants publish a blog. But they don’t always assess its overall effectiveness. Has it boosted sales? Does it generate reader engagement?

In this post, I’ll review a strategy for high-performing blog content. I’ll also address seven key details to include in a blog to enhance its appeal to readers.

Content Strategy

Each post should be self-contained, offering an experience that doesn’t require knowledge of you, your company, or other posts. People who find a post from a search engine should be able to understand it right off the bat. For other readers, remember that the newest post typically appears first. Many people won’t have read older posts or even recent ones.

Do these posts show you at your best — not whining, making excuses, confessing irrelevant sins, or lashing out at others? It might be appropriate to share the underside of your life or business on a personal blog or a Facebook page. But something directly associated with your company should contribute to a positive reputation.

Think of your ideal customers. Does your blog resonate with them? Many times I’ve seen ecommerce blogs that don’t sync with the company’s product line. For example, a company selling fitness equipment for elite athletes shouldn’t post about how to get started exercising. Likewise, if your target customer runs a small business, don’t write about problems faced by the Fortune 100.

Consider the example of Freshbooks, an accounting platform for small businesses. The company’s blog focuses on the small business niche, such as with these titles:

  • “Take Your Creative Business to the Next Level,”
  • “Contract 101 for Freelancers Hiring Freelancers,”
  • “Still Invoicing and Accounting with Word and Excel? 5 Reasons to Stop,”
  • “6 Business Milestones to Hit in Your First 5 Years.”

What about the personality of your blog posts? Does it match what you’re trying to project for the company? Ask a stranger to judge this. It might be hard for an insider to critique the blog objectively. If you aim at a friendly, neighborly vibe, blog posts that are stiff and formal will contradict that image.

Do photos and illustrations fit the desired company image? When you’re selling edgy snowboarding gear, stock photos and graphics on the blog posts should confirm that attitude. Avoid unintended patterns in gender, age, or ethnicity in photos. Many times I’ve asked clients, “Are your customers all white?” or “Do you realize you’re disproportionately picturing young people?”

What was your goal in…

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