More and more users shop across different channels and platforms, but how do we get them to our eCommerce store? Where should we advertise and gain visibility?
Amazon and Google, two spaces with millions of users
Today there are two main platforms that have become users’ gateways to eCommerce: Google and Amazon. The search engine has long been a key place to invest our SEO and advertising efforts, but Amazon has become a space we can’t ignore.
Keep in mind that today 63% of shoppers start their search directly on the eCommerce giant, skipping Google. These users are also more likely to buy, since they are visiting a store rather than searching for information. On the search engine, by contrast, we usually find customers who need to learn about the product before deciding to buy, meaning they need informational content.
This means we have two channels that can attract different audiences and where we need to be present. Combining them gives us access to a larger market, helps us rank and generates revenue.
Connection as the future of marketing
To achieve this, we shouldn’t apply two separate strategies for each channel; we need to build an omnichannel connection that delivers good results by combining both spaces. To do this, we need to follow a set of guidelines.
Interconnection means designing a single strategy with a clear vision for each channel, so actions don’t overlap but complement each other. That way we can fine-tune specific details for each space.
Integrating results lets us apply insights from one space to the other. This gives us a more specific customer profile that will help us be more efficient in the future.
The benefits of combining strategies
Combining strategies following these guidelines brings several benefits to our online store. It’s important to know them to understand why both spaces need to be combined:
- Efficiency: You work on a single digital marketing strategy, meaning one team working across all the available channels.
- Higher ROI: By being more efficient and centralizing work, you get a much higher return on investment than by working channels separately.
- Competitive advantage: Working on rankings in both spaces sets us apart from the competition. Reaching number one in both is a competitive advantage we can’t pass up.
But one of the biggest advantages of this dual positioning is moving customers from Amazon to our own online store, with the financial benefits that brings. In other words, a customer finds our product thanks to our Amazon ranking. They notice our name and, when they want to buy again, they search for us on Google. Ranking well lets us bring them to our own space and win a direct sale.
Strong rankings in both spaces attract a larger audience and avoid losing those who use one platform one day and the other the next. Working with combined data also lets us develop more specific strategies and make decisions more efficiently.
Google and Amazon compete for advertising and are direct rivals, but not for us. We should see them as two channels that cover 90% of consumers and where we need a joint strategy that delivers great efficiency.
