All You Need To Know About Blogging For Ecommerce

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You launch an eCommerce store and drive traffic, but visitors must convert. Instead, they browse briefly and return to Google. Why? Often, online shoppers seek product information before buying, and if your store doesn't provide it, they will go elsewhere, potentially to a competitor. Business blogging helps answer customer questions and build and improve SEO, boosting your search engine rankings. This article covers everything you need about eCommerce blogging to getting started, benefits, and tips for writing compelling posts that drive success.

Feeling overwhelmed? Feather's Notion to blog simplifies blog management, streamlining the process to help you stay organized and meet your goals.

What Is Blogging in Ecommerce?

Blogging in e-commerce is all about using content to:

Connect with your audience

Build your brand

Drive sales

It’s more than just writing articles, it's about crafting valuable, informative, and engaging content that resonates with potential customers at every stage of their buying journey. Imagine your e-commerce blog as a tool that helps you answer your customers' questions. Before making a purchase, people often search for solutions to their problems.

A well-written blog can position your business as the expert in your field by providing those answers. Blogging is a tried and tested process that can bring tons of traffic to your online store. More traffic can lead to a more informed audience, better brand recognition, and better chances of getting more sign-ups and sales.

Why Start a Blog on Your Ecommerce Site?

Some e-commerce website owners might argue that a blog is optional if the key sections of an online store are text or content-based. After all, an e-commerce website is supposed to be to the point and crisp. Too much text on an online store can drive customers away because it distracts from the core purpose of making a sale.

Leveraging Blogs for Enhanced Product Information

It's not about having a blog but where you strategically place it on your site. A blog can serve as a platform to provide comprehensive information about your products, enhancing the customer's shopping experience. For example, imagine you are selling genuine leather handbags on your e-commerce website. Your main product catalog will include the following:

Product photos

Descriptions

Dimensions

Prices

Educating Customers

Now, as a seller of genuine leather handbags in a market filled with faux leather products, you should further educate your site visitors on the benefits of pure leather. Your products are likely selling at a premium versus a competitor’s low-cost imitation handbags. A blog will help you create awareness.

Building Brand Loyalty

You can write a blog on the different types of leather, how it is treated and aged, and how it translates into long-lasting handbags. Over time, this helps build customer loyalty as they become deeply captivated by your brand and its story. You prepare them to pay more for quality, which is what you are offering.

Top Brand-Building Activity

Studies have shown blogging to be the number one brand-building activity among digital marketing channels. That’s because, in addition to driving initial traffic, a great blog causes your audience to return over time, significantly increasing brand loyalty.

Feather is an SEO-friendly blog and email newsletter service that integrates seamlessly with Notion, requiring no coding or design skills. It offers companies a simple way to manage their blogs and newsletters. Key features include:

Write in Notion, Publish Automatically: Create blog content in Notion, and Feather will automatically publish it to your SEO-optimized Feather blog.

SEO-Friendly Subfolder Blog: Set up a subfolder blog (domain.com/blog) instead of a subdomain (blog.domain.com), which is better for SEO.

HubSpot-like Experience: Manage your CRM and blog content through Notion, a powerful yet simple content management tool.

Custom Design Options: Easily change your blog’s design using custom CSS.

Email Collection: Gather email subscribers directly from your blog.

Team Collaboration: Collaborate with your entire team during the writing and publishing process in Notion.

Integrated Newsletter Management: Set up and send newsletters to your email subscribers directly from Notion.

Feather provides a streamlined content and email management solution, all within Notion.

Transform your content strategy with Feather’s Notion to blog solution. Start publishing SEO-friendly blogs and newsletters directly from Notion, no coding needed!

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Benefits of Blogging for Ecommerce Businesses

Answering Customer Questions Through Ecommerce Blogging

Potential customers often have questions or concerns that must be addressed before purchasing. They turn to search engines for information to help them make informed decisions. A well-crafted blog that targets relevant keywords can position your store as a go-to resource to answer their queries. By offering solutions to their pain points through your blog, potential customers are likelier to trust your expertise and choose your products when they’re ready to buy.

Boosting Ecommerce Site Traffic

The numbers don’t lie: companies with an active blog receive 55% more web traffic, 97% more inbound links, and 434% more indexed pages. For ecommerce businesses, this translates into a substantial increase in potential customers visiting your site. Since ecommerce stores rely heavily on web traffic for revenue, an engaging blog can be a powerful tool for attracting more visitors and filling the top of your sales funnel. More traffic means more opportunities to convert visitors into paying customers.

Building Brand Trust With Ecommerce Blogging

Trust is a crucial factor in ecommerce, where customers may hesitate to purchase from an unfamiliar store. Blogging is the top brand-building activity in digital marketing because it fosters long-term relationships with your audience. A consistently updated blog with high-quality content encourages repeat visits and engagement, which builds trust and loyalty over time. Customers who see your brand as a reliable source of valuable information are more likely to feel confident purchasing from your store.

Leverage Blog Content Across Multiple Channels

Your blog doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it can serve as a central content hub that feeds into all your other marketing efforts. Blog posts can be shared on social media, included in email newsletters, or even repurposed into different formats like videos or infographics.

By leveraging your blog content across multiple channels, you maximize its impact and ensure your message reaches a broader audience. This multi-channel approach drives more traffic and keeps your brand top-of-mind for potential and current customers.

How To Create an Ecommerce Blog in Steps

Get Comfortable with Your Blog Platform

Before starting to write for your e-commerce blog, take the time to get comfortable with your blogging platform. Whether it's WordPress, Shopify, or any other platform, explore its features and customize your blog to fit your brand before you start writing.

Do Some Keyword Research

Keyword research will help you create content that resonates with your audience and ranks well on search engines. Start by searching Google for terms related to your products or industry. Look at the People Also Ask section and the related searches at the bottom of the page. These areas are goldmines for discovering what your potential customers are interested in. Use this information to plan your blog topics, ensuring that you're writing content that answers the questions your audience is searching for.

Create Templates for Future Blog Posts

To save time and ensure consistency, create templates for your blog posts. A template might include a:

Title

Short intro

Image

Clickable table of contents

Well-structured headers and subheaders

This makes your posts easier to write and more digestible for readers. Consider creating a standard operating procedure (SOP) for writing and formatting your posts. This could include:

Guidelines on tone

Image usage

SEO best practices

Anything else that ensures quality and consistency

Outline Your Articles

Before you start writing, outline your article. This helps you structure your thoughts and ensure that the article flows logically. An outline typically includes:

Potential title

Target keyword

Brief descriptions of each section

Links to any competing articles for research

This step makes the writing process smoother and integrates SEO into your content.

Write, Optimize, and Publish

With your outline ready, start writing your article, considering these:

Keep paragraphs short

Use active voice

Make your content easy to skim with headers, images, and bullet points.

Once your draft is complete, optimize it for on-page SEO. This includes ensuring you have the following:

Single H1 tag

SEO-friendly URL

Internal links to other parts of your site

Alt text for your images

After everything looks good, hit publish and take a moment to celebrate!

Add Product Promotions, Email Opt-Ins, and Internal Links

Before promoting your new blog post, make sure to maximize its potential by adding:

Product promotions

Email opt-ins

Internal links

For instance, if your post discusses the benefits of a particular product, include a direct link to purchase it. Also, consider adding an email opt-in to capture leads—offering a discount in exchange for an email address can be particularly effective. Don't forget to link to your new post from older articles to keep your content interconnected, which helps both users and search engines navigate your site.

Promote Your Content

Once your blog post is live, it's time to get it in front of people:

Share it across your social media channels

Send it to your email list

Post it in relevant online communities like Reddit or industry-specific forums.

For an extra boost, consider running paid ads to drive more traffic. Focus on link-building efforts, such as reaching out to other bloggers or websites for guest posts or broken link opportunities, which can significantly improve your search engine rankings.

Scale Your Efforts

As your blog grows, so should your strategy. To scale your efforts, create repeatable processes for each step, and consider hiring freelance:

Writers

Editors

SEO specialists

If you need more time to be ready to expand your team, refine your SOPs to streamline your workflow. The goal is to produce high-quality content that consistently drives traffic and conversions.

5 Tips for Running a Successful Blog on Your Ecommerce Site

1. Build a Database of Potential Topics

Finding the right topics to blog about is crucial for keeping your content fresh and relevant. Start by building a database of potential issues that resonate with your audience and align with your products. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Industry Trends: Share insights on current trends related to the products you sell. For example, if you sell fashion items, discuss seasonal trends.

Product Tutorials and Hacks: Create how-to guides for your products, especially if they’re complex or tech-related. This will help your customers and showcase your products in action.

New Product Announcements: Generate excitement by sharing behind-the-scenes content about upcoming product launches.

Customer Reviews and Case Studies: Curate authentic testimonials and stories from customers. This social proof can significantly influence potential buyers.

Shopping Guides: Develop guides that relate your products to specific events or seasons, helping customers make informed decisions.

Company News: Share updates about your business that allow customers to connect with you, enhancing your brand's credibility.

Keep an eye on what other eCommerce stores are doing for inspiration, and don’t hesitate to adapt successful ideas to fit your brand.

2. Create a Content Calendar

Having a list of topics is just the beginning. The next step is to organize these topics into a content calendar. This will help you maintain a consistent posting schedule, which is key to keeping your audience engaged. You can find various blog and editorial calendar templates online, making starting easy. By filling this out and keeping it updated, you’ll transform your blog into a reliable marketing asset rather than a fleeting project that loses steam over time.

3. Focus on Value Over Promotion

One of the businesses' biggest mistakes is turning their blogs into overt promotional platforms. To truly resonate with your audience, focus on providing value. Address the needs and pain points identified through audience research and keyword analysis.

While discussing your products is okay, highlight how they can benefit your customers instead of just listing features. This approach builds trust and positions you as a helpful resource rather than just another sales pitch.

4. Promote Your Blog on Established Channels

Don’t just sit back and hope your audience finds your blog through search engines. Actively promote your posts across various channels to maximize visibility. Here are some effective strategies:

Social Media: Share snippets, quotes, and interesting facts from your blog posts on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Newsletters: Feature your latest blog posts in your email newsletters to keep your subscribers informed and engaged.

Product Pages: Integrate relevant blog content into your product pages, especially for guides and tutorials. This can enhance the shopping experience and encourage conversions.

Promoting your blog through these channels will increase awareness and drive more traffic to your posts.

5. Maintain and Optimize Your Blog Over Time

Launching your blog is just the beginning; it requires ongoing maintenance to reach its full potential. Regularly brainstorm new topics and manage reader comments to foster engagement. Don’t forget about optimization. Periodically review how each blog post is performing in terms of:

Views

Engagement

Conversions

This analysis will help you identify which topics resonate best with your audience and where you can refine your strategy.

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Can Blogger Be Used for Ecommerce?

You can technically build an ecommerce site using Google Blogger, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re aiming for something straightforward and bare-bones. Blogger is, as the name suggests, really designed for blogging. It offers some basic website-building features, and you can set up an online store, but it's far from ideal if you're serious about ecommerce.

For starters, Blogger has minimal ecommerce capabilities. Unlike dedicated platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce, which are built specifically for online selling, Blogger is more of a jack-of-all-trades but a master of none. Customization options are pretty restricted, so if you’re looking to create a store that stands out with a unique design, Blogger might leave you frustrated. And as your business grows, you’ll likely find Blogger’s scalability a significant limitation.

Let’s talk about functionality. Sure, you can set up a PayPal checkout, but that’s about where the ecommerce features end. Blogger doesn’t support plugins, so forget about integrating advanced features like:

Inventory management

Automated invoicing

Collecting shipping details in a streamlined way

Everything beyond the basics like handling orders, managing stock, or automating processes must be done manually. And let's be honest, that’s a lot of extra work, especially when dedicated ecommerce platforms can do all of this for you automatically.

The Best Platforms for Serious Ecommerce

In short, while creating a fundamental online store using Blogger is possible, it’s not the best choice for anyone looking to sell products online seriously. If your ecommerce business is more than just a side project, I’d strongly suggest investing in a platform built for ecommerce from the ground up. Platforms that give you the tools, scalability, and features you need to run your business smoothly and efficiently:

Shopify

WooCommerce

Do Ecommerce Sites Need Blogs?

Ecommerce sites can benefit tremendously from having a blog. You might wonder why, especially if your primary goal is to sell products rather than write articles. But here's the thing: a blog can be a powerful tool supporting your business in several ways.

Blogs are fantastic for boosting your search engine visibility. Every time you publish a new blog post, you create another opportunity for your site to appear in search engine results. Writing about topics relevant to your products and industry can attract potential customers searching for information online. For example, if you sell skincare products, a blog post about “How to Create a Skincare Routine for Sensitive Skin” can attract people who are interested in that topic and those are the people who might be interested in buying your products.

Building Trust and Authority Through Blogging

Beyond just driving traffic, blogs also help build trust and authority. When you consistently provide valuable content, your customers start to see you as an expert in your field. This trust can translate into sales because people are likelier to buy from trustworthy brands. Plus, a well-maintained blog shows that your business is active and engaged, which can reassure potential customers.

Another significant benefit is the potential for social sharing. Blog posts give you something to share on your social media channels; if your content is engaging, your readers might share it, too. This extends your reach and brings in new visitors to your site who might turn into customers.

Building Customer Relationships and Loyalty Through Blogging

A blog can improve your customer relationships. It’s a place to address common questions, offer advice, and create a community around your brand. This interaction can enhance customer loyalty and encourage repeat business.

So, while keeping up with a blog might seem like an extra task, the benefits it brings to your e-commerce site include the following:

Improved SEO

Increased trust

Social sharing

Customer relationships

10 Best Blogs To Learn About Blogging For Ecommerce

1. Feather

Feather is an SEO-friendly blog and email newsletter service that lets you publish blog content and a newsletter through Notion. It requires no coding or design skills. Feather's blog is an excellent place to learn about creating a blog on a subfolder for your ecommerce site and using Notion to boost productivity.

2. BigCommerce Blog

This blog, tailored for BigCommerce users, provides a deep dive into platform updates, industry trends, and expert advice, making it a must-read for any merchant using the platform for e-commerce.

3. Brightpearl Blog

Call us biased, but you don’t want to miss this one. Brightpearl’s blog covers e-commerce growth stories and gets our take on industry trends. Gain insights, inspiration, and practical advice from top retailers worldwide and learn valuable tips for saving time and getting ahead.

4. Inventory Planner Blog

Inventory Planner’s blog goes beyond the basics. Explore in-depth articles on inventory management strategies, helping you optimize stock levels and keep your operations running seamlessly. Case studies and trend-based articles also keep you one step ahead.

5. WooCommerce Blog

This blog, designed explicitly for WooCommerce users, covers plugin updates, industry trends, and insightful resources. It’s perfect for running e-commerce sites using WooCommerce.

6. Shopify Blog

Shopify’s blog is a cornerstone for e-commerce enthusiasts. Covering everything from store setup and marketing tactics to success stories, it’s an invaluable resource for businesses at every stage.

7. HubSpot Ecommerce Blog

HubSpot’s blog covers various e-commerce topics, from customer experience to marketing automation. Explore their content for comprehensive guidance on optimizing your online presence.

8. A Better Lemonade Stand

A Better Lemonade Stand’s blog is tailored for e-commerce entrepreneurs. Offering resources and guidance for every stage of your business, it’s a comprehensive companion for retailers starting and growing their ventures.

9. The Daily Egg by Neil Patel

Neil Patel’s The Daily Egg provides deep insights into conversion optimization. Uncover the secrets to improving your website’s performance and user experience – it’s a must-read if you want to drive more sales.

10. Klaviyo Blog

Klaviyo’s blog is a treasure trove for e-commerce marketing and automation. Stay informed about the latest trends and strategies to elevate your email marketing efforts.