We receive many inquiries from potential customers regarding the positioning of online stores depending on the platform they operate on. What results can be achieved with specific e-commerce software? What is the difference between positioning a store on a specific platform and SEO on other platforms? These and other questions will be answered by collective case studies showing the visibility of e-commerce selected by us on Bat, which we have the pleasure to position.

This material is all the more valuable as you get time, budget and domain – hardly any company on the market can boast of such transparency. All the more, we thank the three companies that have decided to share the data.

Case study watch shop

SEO case study
The company with watches has been with us since October 2019, but in this case study we will show its results from a year ago and compare them with those that are currently recorded. Why? Well, it is an interesting case because the client has migrated the website over the last year and redirected it to a new domain. The example below shows that a correctly carried out migration in cooperation with an SEO specialist does not have to have a negative impact on the SEO of the website, and the power of the old domain can be redirected to the new one. The results from last October are:
TOP3 – 134 phrases,
TOP10 – 670 phrases,
TOP50 – 2479 phrases.

In October this year, the customer’s visibility is at the level of:
TOP3 – 348 phrases,
TOP10 – 1283 phrases,
TOP50 – 4325 phrases.

This means that for 12 months the number of phrases in TOP3 increased by 160% and in TOP10 by 91%. The website achieved such results despite the migration carried out in the spring. In the chart below, you can see the time at which power from the old domain was transferred.

This customer chose the Advanced package for e-commerce for $ 3,500 per month.

Case study bed shop

SEO case study
And what do the increases look like when we position the website, starting almost from scratch? Let’s show it on the example of a bed store, a website that we are positioning from September 2020. At the beginning of the cooperation, the list of top phrases included:
TOP3 – 2 phrases,
TOP10 – 2 phrases,
TOP50 – 27 phrases.

After a year of SEO, the visibility increased as follows:
TOP3 – 14 phrases,
TOP10 – 94 phrases,
TOP50 – 620 phrases.

This means an increase of 600% in the case of TOP3 and as much as 4,600% in the case of TOP10. Such results were achieved with the Advanced package for e-commerce for $ 3,500 per month. The number of phrases in the top3 may not be impressive yet, but their number in the top10 and top50 indicates that the increase in visibility will definitely skyrocket in the next year of cooperation. This is the standard time for positioning fresh online stores on a budget of this level.

Case study of a honey shop

Case Study SEO
We signed the contract with the honey store in March 2021, so we’ve been through a little over half a year of website optimization efforts. The client chose the Standard package for e-commerce for $ 2,000. When we started our cooperation, the visibility of the site was as follows:
TOP3 – 26 phrases,
TOP10 – 118 phrases,
TOP50 – 573 phrases.

Half a year of positioning brought valuable traffic to the website and significantly increased its visibility for phrases related to the industry. Currently (i.e. in October 2021) the client’s website is visible:
TOP3 – 63 phrases,
TOP10 – 255 phrases,
TOP50 – 945 phrases.

This is an increase of 142% in the case of TOP3 phrases and by 116% in TOP10.

SEO on Shoper and SEO on other platforms – what are the differences?

Shoper is usually installed on a server provided by the manufacturer, so there are very rarely any problems with performance, and this is an important aspect of evaluating Google algorithms. In addition, Shoper updates the software itself, so you do not have to introduce new versions yourself. Its downside is that the positioner can use a limited number of extensions and add-ons for Shoper, so not all changes can be easily implemented.

Platforms such as WooCommerce or PrestaShop can be freely modified. Especially WooCommerce has a huge number of functionalities, which gives a lot of room for modification. On the other hand, if we use this WordPress plugin, we have many built-in functions, some of which may be completely redundant. This slows down the performance of the page, so a lot of work needs to be done to optimize the site well and improve the page load time. PrestaShop, on the other hand, works faster and offers great configuration options. When deciding on it, however, you must remember that most of the plugins for this software are additionally paid. However, as our experience in positioning online stores shows, all these platforms – both Shoper and Woo or Presta – are well suited for SEO activities and allow you to obtain satisfactory results.

What is hosting?

Almost every tutorial on starting your own website begins with a recommendation to get a domain and hosting. These are two key elements of any website. The domain is the same as the address (name) of the website, while the hosting is the server space on which it is located. However, hosting is also defined as a service consisting in making available part of the server space in order to publish a page on the Internet.

This dual meaning probably partly contributes to the fact that many people do not fully understand what hosting is. Basically, however, the point is the same in each case – the use of server space. The hosting user can place any files on it and then decide on their publication. It is hosting that makes it possible for anyone to enter a given website and use the shared resources. Depending on the type and size of the server part, it gives different possibilities, therefore the choice of hosting is a very important issue for every website owner.

What is a server?

It would be appropriate to explain what a server is, since hosting allows you to rent a part of its space. A server is a computer that:
– is continuously connected to the Internet,
– has specific performance parameters,
– has a specific space,
– meets specific safety requirements.

The owner (administrator) of the server can share the space on it with others. It can separate a specific space and allow any user to use it. However, it still exercises control over the parameters and operation of the server. It can also decide on the ways of using the server and the tools used for it – most often it is a dedicated user panel. This is what is called a hosting service. Web hosting is usually intended for website hosting (web hosting), but can also handle e-mail. It should also be noted that it is the administrator’s responsibility to ensure the proper, continuous and stable operation of the server and thus any hosting accounts used.

It is also possible to invest in your own server and use all its space. This is an option with many advantages (more on them later in the text), but also with one major disadvantage, which is high cost. That is why most websites on the Internet use the so-called Shared hosting, i.e. just a separate space on a shared server.

Hosting – types of servers

If you’re considering hosting, it’s also worth knowing the types of servers you can use. Each of them is intended for a slightly different recipient, so the choice in this area should not be a particular problem – even for someone who does not have specialist IT knowledge. What types of servers are available and what possibilities do they offer?

Shared hosting
Most websites use servers that offer shared hosting. It is the technology described above which consists in allocating a certain amount of space on a given server and assigning it to individual users. Usually, in this case, all accounts are assigned to the same IP. This makes such hosting the least efficient and stable. Of course, this does not have to mean problems – good shared hosting can only periodically (in times of increased traffic) work a little less smoothly, causing e.g. slower page loading. However, this is often only minimally noticeable.

The greatest advantage of shared hosting is definitely the affordable price. This is the cheapest solution, although of course each server owner proposes slightly different prices and payment plans. It is also a good choice for people without IT expertise. The account and website maintenance is usually done via an intuitive user panel, and all the work related to the maintenance and maintenance of the server is carried out by the hosting company. Shared hosting is used by basically all smaller websites, including blogs.

VPS (Virtual Private Server)
A slightly better solution in terms of stability or bandwidth is VPS hosting, i.e. hosted on a virtual private server. What does it mean? Hosting in this case is also a separate part of the server, but it is created as a separate virtual machine. This involves assigning a separate IP address and clearly better operation, completely independent of other users. You can freely customize and organize your workspace. Such hosting also allows you to install any software.

However, it should be remembered that the physical hosting is still only separate from the server used by many other accounts. Therefore, such a solution is not synonymous with the highest level of security. A VPS server is more expensive than a shared server. Usually, using it also entitles you to additional services, such as the care of a dedicated consultant. It is a solution designed for larger parties that care about stability and smooth operation. It is used, for example, by game servers and large online stores.

Dedicated server
A dedicated server can be called the “crème de la crème” of all web hosts. This option is based on the use of your own individual physical server. One computer supports one account, which of course offers many advantages. The first is independence. Second – stability, even in moments of increased traffic. Third, it is the safest solution. Separating the site on a separate server significantly reduces the risk of cyber attacks and other similar problems. Fourthly, a dedicated server gives you complete freedom of action, software installation, etc. So it is not difficult to guess that this is the most expensive solution – the price difference compared to a shared server is huge. That is why only the largest websites use it – e.g. e-mail servers, streaming services or popular internet portals. A dedicated server also requires the employment of professionals to operate it.

What Makes Good Hosting Different?

Website owners and entities planning to launch their own website often look for “good hosting”. But what does that actually mean? Hosting is largely responsible for the operation of the website – primarily its smoothness and speed. Therefore, it is important to:
– hosting used a high-quality, stable server,
– the operation of the server was constantly monitored by the technical team,
– the server was configured in such a way as to ensure data security for users, protection against cyber attacks and other threats on the network,
– the server’s connection to the Internet was stable (in the event of a link failure, it should be automatically changed so that there would be no disruptions).

For many people, server and hosting support will also be very important. It is important that the devices are supervised by specialists who know their job very well, and that any unforeseen faults are removed as soon as possible. Customer service will be no less important – technical support that allows you to consult both on problems and configuration of the website on the server or other activities.

Paid or free hosting?

There are both paid and free hosting plans on the market. Some companies offer different hosting plans, including one that is completely free. However, is it worth choosing? Not necessarily if you are thinking about creating a real functional website. Free web hosting may be tempting, but in many cases it just doesn’t work. Such a service is usually distinguished by:
– very limited disk space – which allows you to build only a very simple, small page;
– low, limited transfer – which may cause problems with displaying or loading the page;
– the presence of advertisements – often quite intrusive and making it difficult to read the content of the website.

In addition, when choosing such a solution, you often have to take into account failures and other similar problems. So you should never use free hosting for sites that are intended to represent any kind of business activity. A website that is inefficient, slow or flooded with advertisements looks highly unprofessional and has a negative impact on the company’s image. You can use free hosting, for example, when trying out new features or learning how to create, modify or maintain websites.

How to choose a hosting?

So how do you choose hosting? What parameters should you pay attention to? If you already know what type of server you need, it’s time to start looking at specific offers. Before you decide on a specific hosting, be sure to check all the above-mentioned parameters. Hosting providers often tempt with promotions and attractive fees, e.g. for the first year, and after signing the contract, it turns out that after this time, hosting costs increase dramatically. Sometimes it also happens that the server from the promotion simply “does not demand”. How to avoid such mistakes? Drive on hard data. Check what to look at before signing the contract.

Uptime
Uptime is a rather mysterious-sounding parameter that simply means availability. It determines how often the server is unavailable due to outages or other problems – that is, how often you have to reckon with a broken website. It is defined as a percentage. If you’re looking for good hosting, choose a company that boasts an uptime of at least 99%. Some service providers also provide compensation if the uptime drops below a certain level. It is a sign of customer care, as well as hard work on the stability and proper operation of the server.

Data transfer
Data transfer is called link speed. It indicates how much data can be transferred per second between your website and the network. How fast your website loads depends on the speed of your internet connection. Of course, it is worth looking for the highest possible values. Hardly anyone has the patience to wait more than a second for the site to load. Slow action is able to effectively discourage reading its content. It is also good to check if the hosting has any data limit. Of course, unlimited offers are the best.

Security
Security is one of the most important issues. Moreover, its importance is constantly growing. It is up to the hosting company to ensure the appropriate level of security to protect the data of the website owner and his customers. Of course, hosting should support the standard SSL certificate you already have, but it’s also worth checking if there are other security services available. Among other things, the frequency of backing up the accounts is important. It is also worth finding out how long these copies are kept.

Disk space limit
Each hosting service is associated with obtaining a specific slice of disk space. Depending on the complexity of the page, you will need more space. If you only intend to create a business card page, as little as a few hundred megabytes may be enough. However, most pages need more space. Remember that each subsequent bookmark, each photo or graphic will require a specific disk space. You can also attach an e-mail box to the domain, which will take up more megabytes. That is why adjusting the space limit to the user’s needs is so important.

It is also worth finding out what the company’s policy is in case of exceeding the space limit or the transfer limit. This is because sometimes the website is blocked. It is worth choosing a hosting provider that shows more understanding and, for example, sends warnings about exceeding the limits, asking you to modify the website or purchase a higher service package.

Other Limits
Depending on the type of account and hosting company, there are also other limits imposed on users. Of course, the most restrictions are related to the basic, cheapest accounts. Sometimes the number of databases may be limited, other times administrator accounts, domains or subdomains. Think about what is important to you and how you want to run your website before buying hosting, especially the cheapest one.

Technical assistance
Anyone may need technical support. Problems with the pages and their operation vary. They tend to be unexpected and quick removal is crucial. That is why good hosting offers its customers 24/7, easily accessible and reliable support. Everyone should be able to get answers to their questions quickly. It is also worth checking the issue of passing the crash messages and the average time needed to fix the problem. Good hosting can even offer you compensation related to breakdown, ongoing repair or maintenance.

Price
The price of the service is undoubtedly important. However, you should take into account not only the promotional price, which is often offered to new customers (even hosting plans for a dollar for the entire year are available), but also, and maybe even above all, the price for the next billing period. Extending the service with many hosting providers costs much more than creating an account and using it in the initial period. So let’s carefully analyze the offers before you decide on the right one.

Feedback
The feedback can definitely help you choose the right hosting. There are tons of sites on the internet that collect feedback on hosting services. However, it is worth remembering that the entries posted there do not always have to be reliable. It is a competitive market, and both positive and negative word of mouth marketing are basically the order of the day. Therefore, it may be a much better idea to use your friends’ experience. You can also ask a question e.g. on a trusted Facebook group or a closed forum. Then the chance of receiving reliable opinions is much greater.

Trial
What’s the best way to check a given hosting? Of course, during the trial period! Not every company offers such an opportunity, but if it is available, it is definitely worth taking advantage of. Usually it is no more than 14 days, but during this time you can check in practice how the server works and how convenient it is to use the hosting.

Hosting – essential for your website

Hosting is a must for any website. Without it, the site cannot reach other network users. There are many hosting service providers and many options for using them. Therefore, if you run a website or intend to set up one, you will surely find the right option for you.

What is UX?

UX (User Experience) is a concept based on the concept of usability used primarily to evaluate websites and applications. Useful websites are websites where you can easily find the information, products or services you need and quickly convert, such as a purchase. The concept of usability is also related to intuitiveness – the website should be easy to use and unambiguous.

The term User Experience is used to define the user experience and their impressions while using the website. It boils down to determining the friendliness of the internaut’s interaction with the website and its accessibility. UX consists of many factors: from design and aesthetics, through navigation, to the quality of information. This is an issue that has received more and more attention recently, mainly due to its impact on the effectiveness of websites or applications. Taking care of UX (User Experience) usually translates into higher conversion, as it makes the website meet the expectations of visitors.

In addition to User Experience, it is worth paying attention to the concept of User Interface. It means the user interface – it is all the elements that allow interaction with the website (including page layout, graphic design, typography, colors). UX and UI are sometimes treated as the same concepts, but more often they simply appear next to each other, playing a significant role in the perception of the website by Internet users.

UX audit – what is it?

Even if you think that your website is friendly, sensible and intuitive, it does not have to appear this way to random internet users who come across it. So how do you check user experiences? UX audit will be the best way.

UX audits consist in checking websites or applications in terms of meeting the expectations and needs of their visitors. This requires knowledge of, inter alia, habits of Internet users, trends and issues related to the clarity of the message. UX audit is quite a complicated procedure, but it can bring many benefits:
– allows you to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of a given website,
– indicates the mistakes made and their potential impact on the conversion,
– also indicates opportunities and threats for the future,
– suggests what actions should be taken to develop and improve the effectiveness of the website.

The tests carried out during the audit should concern, inter alia:
– website structure and navigation between individual tabs,
– page views, especially in terms of readability,
– the clarity and unambiguity of the information provided,
– usability of the website – the possibility of obtaining the necessary information, placing an order, contacting the company, etc.

They are carried out in various ways, but it always requires expert knowledge and experience.

UX audit – what does it look like?

UX audit is carried out using various methods. The most reliable results are obtained when combining several of them. The first step should be expert analysis, that is, in-depth research of the site by UX experts – equipped with the appropriate knowledge and experience. In this case, several developed UX methodologies are used. What kind?

Heuristic evaluation
It consists in checking websites for heuristics, i.e. specific rules and guidelines. The most common is the so-called Nielsen heuristics covered in 10 points. They constitute very general guidelines for the functionality of a given website or application:

– Show system status.
– Maintain compliance between the system and reality.
– Give the user full control.
– Stick to standards and be consistent.
– Prevent mistakes.
– Allow you to choose instead of forcing you to remember.
– Provide flexibility and efficiency.
– Take care of aesthetics and moderation.
– Provide effective error handling.
– Take care of help and documentation.

However, you can also use the 8 golden rules of expert Schneiderman, 30 rules of Connell’s utility or the 9 cognitive rules of Gerhardt-Powals. These guidelines all convey similar content, but are worded slightly differently. Which rules will be applied for the audit does not really matter.

Cognitive walkthrough
This method is also known as the Cognitive Walk. It consists in testing scenarios of a potential user’s journey on the website. In this case, the expert plays the role of the user who visits the site for the first time. The adoption of various scenarios allows you to examine each path of the “walk” through the website and allows you to catch many problem areas or obvious errors in UX or UI.

Usability checklist
It is a method of checking the website according to specific points from the so-called checklists. The list is usually quite detailed and sets out the guidelines according to which the website should be constructed. It is also objective, which is certainly its advantage, but at the same time it is rarely tailored to a specific site, which may make it impossible to detect certain errors. The checklist procedure is fairly simple but often time consuming.

User tests can also be part of the UX audit. These are procedures that allow you to check how “ordinary” Internet users navigate the site. The survey can be moderated (led by a specialist) or unmoderated (the user freely moves around the site). After its completion, the participant is asked to fill in a questionnaire and comment on the website. This type of test can be combined, for example, with the analysis of eye movement, clicks, scrolling and other data, on the basis of which the so-called heat maps. This allows you to recognize not only the biggest obstacles faced by site visitors, but also the most important points of their interest.

UX audit results

The result of a UX audit is usually a comprehensive report, which should accurately indicate, above all, the mistakes made, areas for improvement and recommendations. By standard, errors are divided into three categories:
– critical errors – have a significant impact on the functioning of the website and require immediate repair;
– average errors – important, but to be corrected second;
– basic errors – details noticed during the research, which, however, do not have a significant impact on the functioning of the website.

It is also common to classify errors by type (e.g. communicative, visual, logical, etc.). Thanks to this, they can be immediately assigned to the appropriate teams and the necessary changes can be implemented faster.

It is also worth remembering that the audit report should contain both quantitative data (e.g. statistics) and qualitative data obtained e.g. through user research. The more information contained in the website analysis results, the more complete and objective the image can be obtained. Thus, the introduced amendments have a greater chance of having a real impact on the conversion rate and user satisfaction.

What after the UX audit?

After the UX audit, it should be time to implement its results and further usability tests that will allow you to check how effective the changes are. It is worth trying to prepare UX mockups presenting elements that require improvement, and then conduct A / B tests. This is a procedure during which two groups of users are presented with different versions of a page – and preferably they differ in just one element. Then, the behavior of the study participants is monitored and it is checked which version allows for higher conversion. After completing the website modification, you can re-audit to check its effectiveness.

The most common mistakes in UX – what should you pay attention to?

Every website is different, but there are some mistakes that recur too often. If you want to do some basic self-analysis of your website, be sure to check out our list and see what to avoid!

Interface not adapted to the user’s needs
First of all, the website should be legible and easy to navigate. Difficulties in this respect, especially those encountered at the outset, can effectively discourage the user from staying on the site. It really matters! For a website to be simply friendly, the first thing you need to know is what you want to achieve by publishing it. It is worth asking yourself questions about what the page is about and how the user should navigate on it, bearing in mind that the conversion should not take too many steps.

Some websites even throw their users more obstacles, making it difficult to find basic information about a product or price list, and then dragging the conversion procedure indefinitely (for example, requiring “clicking” through several subpages before hitting the registration or purchase tab). It is also worth remembering that the interface should enable the website to be expanded in the future, e.g. with new categories, products, services or language versions.

Triumph of form over content
A related error is the excess of form over content. This is primarily the result of an overly ambitious approach to design or the willingness to present your skills as a developer. The result may be a site that looks great at first glance, but definitely loses the next time you “get to know”. Too complicated structure, lack of readability, animations and other visual “tricks” only really distract from the main message of the page. The simple is sometimes the best – especially when it comes to usability.

Failure to adjust to reading patterns
The human eye usually “scans” the presented image according to one of several so-called reading patterns. The three most popular are Gutenberg’s diagram, Z pattern and F pattern. They tell about how the human eye travels. Knowledge of these rules allows you to place important elements (e.g. buttons leading to registration, purchase, etc.) in places where the user’s eyes will almost certainly fall. Meanwhile, many creators ignore them completely and opt for solutions that may look good, but they certainly do not provide the desired conversion.

No responsiveness
According to the global Digital 2020 report, more than half of all visits to websites are made from a smartphone. Meanwhile, some sites are still not adapted to users of a few inches of screens! If the page is unreadable on your phone, it’s no wonder you can’t boast a satisfactory conversion. Importantly, it is not only the presence of the mobile version of the website that counts “as it does”, but above all its quality. Content and functions from the desktop version copied in the smaller version will not work. It is worth considering the placement of individual elements carefully, and if necessary, give up the less important ones to obtain a clearer and more friendly design.

Ignoring the fold line
This is a point that somehow relates to the previous one. A fold line is a line that marks an area of your website that is visible without scrolling down. Above all, it should be encouraging. Some people, not wanting to risk that the Internet user leaves the website before reading the most important information, put the majority of content here. However, this is a big mistake. It is also worth remembering that the fold line is in a completely different place on the screen of a computer, tablet or smartphone. Therefore, the amount of information above it and their graphic representation should be adjusted separately for each screen size. Remember – often less is more.

Content overload
Content is king – at least that can be deduced from the wise analyzes of marketing specialists. However, this does not mean that website users should be bombarded with information. Long, detailed descriptions of products or instructions related to the services provided may be your advantage, but they must also be properly presented. Otherwise, nobody will read it, and many people will leave the site and never return to it.

Use short paragraphs and bullets instead of huge blocks of text. Highlight the most important elements with appropriate graphics or pictograms. Add buttons with CTA (call to action). If there is too much content on the page, why not break it down into several tabs about individual services, products or offer aspects? It can also be beneficial for SEO if you use the right keywords.

Confusing forms
Forms are a minefield, especially for inexperienced web developers. If you expect website users to fill out a form (e.g. registration, quote, contact), make it as simple as possible! The rule in this case is quite clear-cut – the more fields, the less chance they will be filled. Labels, additional comments and buttons must convey an unambiguous message. If a date is required when filling in, please specify the format in which it should be entered. For weights, measures, etc., be sure to specify which unit applies.

After creating the form, take a close look at it and remove any fields that are not necessary. Use checkboxes and radio buttons where possible. It is also absolutely necessary to mark the errors accurately. If, after completing and confirming all the fields, the user receives feedback saying that an error has occurred (without indicating which field and which field), he will most likely not only give up on further actions, but also become irritated.

Incorrect placement of important components
The most important elements of the website should be placed in visible places – so that the user does not have to guess “what to do next” or look for the right button (eg allowing to add a product to the basket). There is probably nothing more daunting than a page that arouses interest and then makes conversion difficult. It is worth remembering that there are some unwritten rules on the Internet – all approval buttons (“OK”, “Next”, “I agree”) should be on the left, while those with negative actions (such as “Cancel”, “Delete” etc.) – on the right. It has also been assumed that the button for adding a product to the basket is located near the price. It really doesn’t pay off in making your users’ lives difficult – even if it makes you think your site is genuine.

Take care of UX, and success will come by itself

Building effective websites is really not as easy as it may seem. Success is a combination of many factors that must perfectly harmonize with each other. However, taking care of User Experience will certainly pay off. A functional website means greater conversion and a better brand image – and therefore both short and long-term benefits.

The perfect online world

In an ideal world, we would always know where our potential client is currently. This knowledge would allow us to reach him with a message that step by step would build confidence in our brand and product, and then subtly lead to conversion.

All of our marketing, sales and after-sales activities would be easily tracked and improved, creating perfect customer service.

In an ideal world, we would only use one channel to interact with the client. Unfortunately, ideal situations rarely apply to companies.

To keep your sales at the highest level, you need to go with the times, constantly develop your marketing skills and supplement your knowledge with the latest solutions. Because if you still sell only in one channel, you lose a large portion of the target audience that your competition is successfully taking over. In fact, focusing on one channel can even degrade customer service and prevent you from successfully acquiring new ones. Why? About this in a moment. Let’s explain why multi-channel marketing is so important in the 21st century.

Multi-channel marketing – why is it so important?

Today’s consumer uses 2.8 channels on average before deciding to buy a given product or service.

Over the past decade, customer service and how to acquire it have changed significantly. Observing today’s technological progress, it is difficult to imagine that brands not so long ago used only three marketing channels. These were: telephone, post office and stationary store.

Since the internet appeared, companies have expanded and some have even completely transferred their activities to the online world. Websites, applications, e-mails and marketing campaigns have created virtually unlimited possibilities of communication with potential clients. However, along with the development of new technologies, competition has also increased.

To get a customer, we must be where he is currently with what he currently needs. And if we want to engage and maintain it, the above alone will not be enough.

So we already know that a modern consumer, before making a purchase, passes through 2.8 channels on average, integrating with a given brand. It is also obvious that during the day it uses many different devices.

The digital consumer seems wise today and is prudent in their purchasing decisions. We use opinions on Facebook, in Google My Business, and view applications of a given brand. He created a world between many channels in which he controls the vast majority of the sales process.

So if you want to win this smart game you must be one step ahead of it. The way to do this, of course, is a well-thought-out marketing strategy – necessarily multi-channel.

How to engage a potential customer?

In order to successfully engage a potential customer, we should communicate with him using several channels at the same time. According to this assumption, three different strategies have evolved: cross channel marketing, omnichannel marketing and multi channel marketing.

Many have trouble distinguishing them. No wonder, because they differ slightly. However, to make good use of their potential, you should know the subtle differences between them.

Multi-channel marketing

Multi-channel marketing was available first and continues to function today. It allows the customer to interact with the brand through multiple channels. It can be a telephone, computer, stationary store. Customers have already learned that they can access brands 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on various platforms. So it is an absolute must have for an online entrepreneur if he does not want to “go out of circulation”.

Cross-channel marketing

Cross channel marketing is very similar to its predecessor. The difference between them, however, is that in the latter, different brand communication channels with the client are connected with each other. In practice, this means that they register and pass on information about the customer, which greatly facilitates the purchase and, as a result, shortens the customer’s shopping path. In particular, women know perfectly well how wonderful it is to get a 20% discount on buying shoes of your favorite brand and be able to use it both online and offline – in a stationary store, via a desktop computer or cell phone.

An example of the use of cross-channel marketing by brands is, for example, an e-mail survey after shopping in a store asking for shopping experience.

In practice, it may look like this:

When you finish shopping in an online store, you will see a pop-up asking you to complete a short survey. The survey contains 5 questions about your shopping experience. You complete it, which in turn entitles you to a 20% discount on re-purchases. You can redeem the discount both online and offline (in any stationary store of the same brand).

Each store representative will be able to scan the coupon, but the customer will also be able to enter the coupon code also at the online cash register and receive the same coupon in this channel.

In this example, the channels will communicate with each other by first creating an online survey based on personal experience and then checking the validity of the coupon.

Once the coupon is used online, it can no longer be used in the store and vice versa.

Omni-channel marketing

Omni-channel marketing is the most advanced type of multi-channel marketing. It uses channels that work together seamlessly, providing clients with comprehensive service at the highest level.

The goal of this type of marketing is to “break the barrier” between the online and offline world.

A good example of using omnichannel marketing is the use of applications that help potential customers make a purchasing decision.

The Shiseido brand allows, for example, the use of “Shiseido Makeup Mirror”. The consumer’s face is placed in a virtual mirror, and he has the opportunity to see how it looks in a given make-up. For women, this is a great help. Each of us will certainly admit that there is nothing worse than an incorrectly chosen foundation or blush that does not harmonize perfectly with our skin tone.

The application also allows you to take a photo to allow you to quietly make a purchasing decision from the comfort of your home. For people who do not like to make purchasing decisions spontaneously, it is extremely helpful. Otherwise, they might never have decided to buy.

Professionals in the field of sales psychology say that the process of making a purchasing decision begins long before the purchase and has its consequences long after. This brand is aware of this and, what’s more, it perfectly uses this knowledge.

Shiseido allows consumers to virtually “try on makeup” to help them make the best buying decision. This method also increases your chances of getting better opinions about your products. So you admit that it’s a well-planned marketing strategy.

Summary

Cross-channel marketing involves combining different marketing channels in a way that creates a logical transition for the target audience from one stage to another. Different channels work together to ensure consistent communication with the consumer.

However, it is important not to confuse it with omnichannel marketing, which also uses several marketing channels to interact with the client, but this does not necessarily mean consistency between them.

In cross channel marketing, you can send your customers an email about the promotion of their favorite product, display targeted ads on social media to improve brand recognition, and publish blog posts on topics related to key phrases. All this together is an effective method of building trust and leads to maximizing conversions.

Let’s say you run a company that sells hair thickening shampoo. The shampoo is patented and very effective. Therefore, your target group will be people with the problem of hair loss.

A potential customer will read the blog post you wrote about the causes of hair loss. The email he then receives will provide testimonials from someone who has overcome the same problem with your product. When your dream client looks into social media the same evening, he sees an ad with a catchy headline about how your products or services completely remove the problem he was reading about.

Such marketing activities give consumers a clear sense of consistency with the brand, while also building trust in it. Their shopping path becomes as smooth and direct as possible. Because there is a clear link between each part of your marketing experience, it’s easier to verify and optimize your marketing efforts, which can help you achieve the right ROI from your campaign.

In omnichannel marketing, individual channels are treated as independent entities. As a result, your marketing activities remain essentially independent, making it difficult to link a specific effort to achieving a high ROI.

Marketing has evolved considerably over the years and created new opportunities. However, in order to meet market expectations, you need to be an diligent student and constantly supplement your knowledge with new directions in the field of digital marketing.

Regardless of whether you use multichannel marketing, cross channel marketing or omnichannel marketing, the most important thing is that you put the quality of customer service first. Making the purchase process as easy and intuitive as possible is the key to catapulting your marketing to become the leader of the 21st century.