We all want more traffic, right? However, getting that traffic is not always easy.
Whether you are a startup eCommerce business or are a large enterprise retailer trying to optimize your cost of customer acquisition, it’s important to come up with marketing strategies and content that will break through the noise and actually drive new, qualified customers to your site.
Let’s dive into three clever, fresh, and effective marketing strategies sourced from our clients that can help you thrive in an ultra-competitive digital landscape.
QR Code Campaigns
QR codes are becoming increasingly more popular these days. Consumers are becoming more and more familiar with smart devices like iPhones, which have built-in QR code functionality in the standard camera app, making the codes easier and faster to scan.
Anybody with access to the internet can create a QR code today with the endless free QR code generators, we have included a list below. First, let’s begin by understanding what QR codes are and how they can be used.
A QR code is a type of barcode that contains more information than a standard one. Many retailers are beginning to use them as compliments to their marketing campaigns to create engaging content. With several benefits, it is impossible to go wrong with adding a QR code strategy to our own campaigns to add some interactive elements.
Benefits of QR codes for businesses:
- Inexpensive – Go digital and reduce the cost of print materials.
- High conversion – Increase conversions by making it easy for people to find what they’re looking for.
- Engaging – Use QR codes to make it interactive and interesting.
- Trackable – Use analytics to track performance metrics on scans and conversions.
- Contactless – Create a safe and distanced experience for customers with QR codes.
Maybe you’ve seen the sudden proliferation of QR codes in the pandemic for everything from restaurant menus to window displays. QR codes are similar to barcodes you see on product packaging except they store information with squares instead of lines and you can read a QR code with a camera. Additionally, they are actually very easy to create and most QR generators offer free apps or free trials to create and manage your QR codes.
Best free QR code generators
Give it a try! Scan this code:
Two popular ways you can leverage QR codes are in print advertising and store signage:
Print advertising
One of our clients in the eyewear industry, Delker Optik, has been able to leverage QR codes in their own campaigns. They have perfected using leaflet mailers with a CTA to scan a QR code that redirects users to a dedicated landing page featuring virtual try-on of their selected frames. They have seen a 156% increase in page visits since pairing their QR code strategy with our virtual try-on. See their success here in the Delker Optik Case Study.
Store Signage
Retailers are figuring out new ways to connect their store experience with their digital one to create a seamless, omnichannel experience for customers. One really interesting use case is using QR codes within store signs to drive traffic to a specific webpage where customers can get personalized frame recommendations.
For example, imagine you are at a pharmacy looking at a large assortment of reading glasses or at a sunglasses store staring down the wall of glasses. You aren’t sure which ones are a good match for your facial measurements and personal style. You see signage that says “Find your Perfect Pair” with a QR code. Using your smartphone, you scan the QR and then are taken to a landing page that walks you through Ditto’s Perfect PairTM experience. (See below for more information on landing pages). This starts with the customer doing a simple face scan. Then the customer receives personalized Face Insights about their face shape and measurements, including their face width and PD. From there, three frame styles are presented to the customer and they can select which ones are best aligned with their style. Additionally, they get personalized frame recommendations based on which pairs fit them best and align with their personal style. They can then buy those recommended frames right there in the physical store.
Landing Pages
Money and time are the all-important resources that businesses never seem to have enough of. This is when landing pages come in handy. Using landing pages you can optimize your existing campaigns and visitors to stretch your money and time further.
In digital marketing, a landing page is a dedicated web page used specifically for marketing and advertising. It is where visitors “land” after they scan a QR code, click a link in an email, engage with an ad from Google or Instagram, or similar links and places on the web.
A good landing page always targets a specific audience. Landing pages are targeted to a specific action, usually conversion. Unlike web pages, which have many links and encourage navigation, landing pages are designed specifically with a clear goal in mind, known as the call to action (or CTA). CTA buttons although common are so essential. These buttons direct consumers to perform an action. Actions can range from scheduling an appointment to scanning a QR code.
Landing pages are better suited for advertising use cases rather than traditional pages. This is because it helps you track performance better, create evergreen content and pages won’t expire. For example, if you are using a QR-code advertising campaign (see above), we recommend you drive those customers to a landing page for that product vs sending them to that product’s detail page.
It’s not unusual for retailers, brands and ECPs to have dozens if not hundreds of landing pages. Most eCommerce platforms and Content Management Platforms have the option to build custom landing pages rather easily so make sure you are taking advantage of that capability.
Optimizing Landing Pages for Keyword Searches
It’s a great idea to build custom landing pages that align to the Google Search terms that people are using to find your business. If your landing page is optimized for SEO with a great title and relevant content, it can be a way to drive new customers to your site.
We have researched the most popular and prominent optical and eyewear-related search terms in Google. We recommend building specific landing pages to optimize for these search terms.
We recommend landing pages that align to these three keyword search topics:
Problem + location searches
- Optometrist Oakland
- Eye doctor near me
- Prescription eyewear New Port
For example, you could build a landing page where the title is The Best Optometrist in Oakland with some more information stores. This will help you optimize traffic on these specific terms.
Solution searches
- What is my prescription?
- What is my face shape?
- What is my PD?
For example, you can drive new traffic to your website from people using Google to search “What’s my face shape?” by having a landing page where the title is “Find your Face Shape”. Then you have your face shape guide information or the option for your customers to get their face shape automatically detected using Ditto’s Face Insights technology.
We also recommend a “Find your Perfect Pair” landing page that uses Ditto’s technology to personally recommend frames to each customer. You can use Ads and SEO-optimized landing pages to attract new customers to this landing page and flow.
Intent searches
- Prescription eyewear online
- Sunglasses
- Eyeglasses
- Eyewear
These are obviously very generic search terms so it’s not surprising there is high volume. And while it might be too expensive for you to buy ads or get on Page 1 given the competitive nature of these popular terms, we do recommend building landing pages using these terms and a few qualifiers that align to your business. For example, build landing pages for “Luxury designer prescription glasses” or “Trendy affordable sunglasses” depending on your business. Doing these as landing pages as opposed to just trying to send that traffic to your website should help you get more eyeballs.
Personalized emails and follow-ups
Lastly, we’ll dig into how to optimize the customers you already have. One place we see low-hanging fruit is account capture and personalized email and message communications to your existing customer base. Most retailers and brands we talk to aren’t getting the most out of their existing customer base. They don’t do a good job of building a large customer database with the proper marketing consents to send follow-up communications.
The first step is having the My Account functionality on your site so customers can create and save an online account that’s email/username and password protected. It’s really important that retailers make sure that having an Account creates value for the customer. One good example to motivate customers to save accounts is allowing them to save their Virtual Try-On to use again later. Another is to enable them to save their Favorites, view Past Purchases and even access their prescription information. We recommend prioritizing a strong My Account profile to create more value for customers and incentive them to login and save an account.
When setting up this account, the customer needs to consent to receive promotional materials. The reason that many customers don’t give this consent is because they don’t perceive enough value in those emails and candidly don’t want the marketing spam. We recommend highlighting the level of personalization and control customers will have over these emails. It’s also imperative that the emails sent feel personal and value-creating for customers. To do this, we recommend creating marketing campaigns that are highly personalized so it doesn’t feel like they are getting spammed.
Some really great examples of personalized emails/messages include:
- Announcement of a new arrival that’s a good fit for them shown on their face using the saved Try-On
- Announcement of a new arrival in the brand that they previously purchased shown on their face using the saved Try-On
- Information about their specific face shape and collections that are particularly flattering
- A reminder of their top 5 favorites frames
Customers want to feel valued and unique and the ability to show them frames on their face really does this. We recommend using Ditto’s Marketing Toolkit to enable you to create these images of customers in recommended frames.
This type of personalization enables you to build a stronger relationship with your customers in between store and site visits. These communications will drive more traffic to your website and we believe will ultimately reduce your purchase cycle.
Conclusion
Whether you are just getting your eCommerce business started or are a large enterprise trying to optimize your cost of customer acquisition, it’s important to come up with marketing strategies and content that will break through the noise and actually drive new, qualified customers to your site.
Hopefully, this helps you think through how QR codes, customized landing pages, improved account capture, and personalized communications can be integrated into your marketing strategy this year so you can attract new customers and optimize your retention and repeat purchasing.
