Key Takeaways
- Convert more website visitors into customers by transforming your blog into an active part of your sales funnel.
- Systematically boost sales by designing your blog with four key sections: a header, sidebar, content area, and footer.
- Build trust with potential customers by offering them valuable, interesting content before asking for a sale.
- See how strategically placed free offers, called lead magnets, can turn your casual readers into loyal customers.
When promoting your eCommerce business to attract customers, you may only think about social media strategies and email campaigns.
While these are tested and trusted methods, it’s easy to forget other resources that can help you maximize your reach. For example, blogs are usually overlooked as part of sales funnels that effectively guide leads to make a purchase.When people visit your website, they are already interested in your brand. That means they’re more likely to convert than people who are not familiar with your business at all. Even better, hiring a skilled WordPress developer ensures that your blog effectively complements your store’s sales funnel. In this article, we will discuss five steps to help you build a high-converting blog that boosts sales for your eCommerce business.
4 Steps to Build a High-Converting Blog to Support Your eCommerce Sales
Your blog is like a showroom where leads can learn about your brand, preview what you have to offer, and decide whether or not to engage with you. Here are four steps to improve your blog and attract customers:
1. Create a Content Plan
When planning your content, focus on topics that will generate interest and incite action. Most visitors reading your blog are already interested in your brand, making them a target audience. So, ensure that your articles are also interesting to them and optimized with relevant keywords that would generate traffic for your website.
After deciding on the type of content, create a schedule to ensure you post new content on a regular basis. Scheduling your content also helps keep it fresh, increasing the impressions you get.
2. Design Your Blog
Setting up your blog is pretty straightforward, but make sure that it contains these four key sections:
- The Header: This section consists of your navigation bar and search bar, which displays brand information, such as who you are and what you offer.
- The Sidebar: This section is located on the side of your blog page, beside your articles. Sidebars are used to showcase different offers and lead-generating elements that will entice visitors to patronize you.
- The Content Area: This is the central section of the page where your articles or videos are displayed. You can also link phrases within your posts to the products and services you sell.
- The Footer: The footer is where visitors can find more information about your company. You can also display offers here, but in a subtle way.
If you need help fully utilizing your blog page to attract customers, consider hiring a skilled WordPress developer. These experienced professionals will help you build a blog that complements your store’s funnel by guiding and encouraging visitors to make a purchase.
3. Set Up Lead Magnets
Lead magnets are free offers designed to attract new leads in exchange for their information, usually their email addresses. When choosing a lead magnet, think about something related to your product that is valuable enough for leads to exchange their contact details for it.
For example, if you’re selling a SaaS product, you can offer a free trial or testing. Or, if you’re selling a service, provide a free consultation or assessment. By offering lead magnets, you’re generating qualified leads you can communicate with directly and nurture through email marketing strategies.
4. Use Lead Generation Tools
There are several tools you can use to incorporate lead-capturing elements into your blogs. For example, a WordPress developer can help you install plugins in your sidebar, footer, and within your blog post.
You can also add popups that show as soon visitors enter your site or when they want to exit. Popups influence visitors to make decisions on the spot, and they are effective at building the conversion rate and audience.
Build a High-Converting Blog Page with a WordPress Developer Today
Your blog is one of the main marketing channels of your website, and every content you share is valuable. Coupled with the right design and lead capture tools, you can build a blog page that converts your visitors to qualified leads and loyal customers easily.
To recap, these steps will help you build a high-converting blog that boosts sales for your e-commerce business:
- Regularly post interesting content that is relevant to your target audience.
- Design a visually appealing blog page and market your services at key points.
- Strategically insert lead magnets to capture leads you can nurture by marketing your services directly.
- Utilize lead generation tools that incorporate plugins and popups to attract potential leads.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main purpose of a blog for an eCommerce business?
For an eCommerce business, a blog’s main purpose is to attract interested visitors and guide them toward making a purchase. It acts as a key part of the sales funnel by building trust, showcasing product value through content, and capturing customer information for future marketing.
Is it true that a blog is just for information, not for selling?
This is a common misconception. While a blog does provide valuable information, its strategic role in eCommerce is to support the sales process. By answering customer questions and demonstrating expertise, a blog builds the confidence a visitor needs to move from a reader to a paying customer.
How does a content plan actually help increase sales?
A content plan ensures you consistently create articles that are interesting to your target audience and optimized for search engines. This drives qualified traffic to your site. When the topics are closely related to your products, it creates a natural path for readers to explore what you sell.
Where are the most effective places on a blog to add a lead magnet?
For maximum effect, place your lead magnets where visitors are most likely to see them. Good locations include the sidebar, within the body of a relevant blog post, and in the footer. You can also use a popup that appears when a visitor shows intent to leave the page.
Why is an eCommerce blog sometimes called a digital “showroom”?
A blog is like a showroom because it allows potential customers to learn about your brand and products in a low-pressure environment. Just as you might browse a showroom to see items up close, visitors read your blog to get a better feel for your offerings before they decide to buy.
What are some examples of good lead magnets for an online store?
Effective lead magnets offer something of value related to your products. Examples include a discount coupon for a first purchase, a free digital guide on how to use your products, a free consultation for a service, or access to a free trial for a software product.
What is the role of a WordPress developer in building a high-converting blog?
A skilled WordPress developer helps with the technical side of creating an effective blog. They can implement a professional design, install and configure lead generation plugins, optimize the site for speed, and ensure all the elements work together to guide visitors through the sales funnel.
My blog gets traffic, but it doesn’t lead to sales. What should I fix?
If your blog has visitors but no sales, it likely lacks clear calls-to-action and lead capture elements. Ensure your articles link to relevant product pages and include compelling lead magnets. Also, check that your blog design effectively showcases your offers in the sidebar and other key areas.
How can popups capture leads without being too annoying for visitors?
To make popups effective without being disruptive, time their appearance carefully. For example, an “exit-intent” popup appears only when a user is about to leave your site, offering them a reason to stay. You can also trigger popups after a user has scrolled through a certain percentage of the page.
What four key sections should every eCommerce blog page include?
A well-designed eCommerce blog should have a header with clear navigation, a sidebar to showcase offers and lead magnets, the main content area for your articles, and a footer with additional company information and links. Each section plays a part in informing visitors and encouraging a purchase.
