A PRACTICAL ROADMAP TO ECOMMERCE CONTENT THAT CONVERTS

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According to Shoppable Content: A Retailer’s Challenge, 81 percent of retailers rank content

in their top five marketing priorities1. Brands recognize that rich and engaging content is an

impactful and direct driver of performance, measured in sales conversion as well as increases

in unique visitors, average order value (AOV), and time on site. In 2014, L2 Inc. asserted in

its Content & Commerce Intelligence Report that “the ability to weave together content and

commerce may be what separates the retail industry winners from the losers” — by 2017, it’s

clear that rich and shoppable content is that difference.

With the right resources and tools, digital marketers have a wealth of content publication

options and are limited only by their creative vision. But, with such a wide variety of formats

and structures, it can be overwhelming to determine what type of rich content is right for

each consumer-facing campaign you plan to implement.

Evaluating your specific campaign goal (or strategic digital goals) is a good place to start.

This ebook will help you evaluate the variety of rich content campaign types you should con-

sider when creating high-performing digital campaigns.

Don’t Forget to Include Instant Shoppability

Regardless of your content format choice, one el-

ement remains the same: Instant shoppability is

non-negotiable. It doesn’t matter how engaging and

creative your content is if there isn’t an easy way for

consumers to purchase! Your expertly-crafted experi-

ence has inspired them to buy — why take them away from their shopping experience at the

moment they’re ready to add-to-cart (and could easily continue adding to their order)? You

will lose customers if you direct them to a stale, static product page to search for their item

and complete the purchase.

PRO TIP:

Whatever content you

choose, instant shoppability

is a must. What’s the point

of rich content if you’re

driving customers away

from the purchase?

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The solution lies in integrated quickviews. Shoppers click an image to activate a “mini-prod-

uct page,” or lightbox, where they can add a product to their shopping cart easily and then

resume their shopping experience without further interruption. Quickviews create a seam-

less path to purchase, so customers spend less time navigating your web pages and more

time shopping.

What is your campaign goal?

Engagement

What’s your creative focus?

Brand storytelling

Product education

General collection

Curated content

What’s your product campaign theme?

Conversion

Storytelling Tutorial Buying Guide Lookbook

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Deliver a rich brand story

Storytelling Content

Storytelling content establishes and strengthens the

sought-after relationship between your customers and

your brand. Whether it’s a blog post, an interview, or a vid-

eo, editorial content provides shoppers with an entertain-

ing, detailed view of your products rather than just simple

product suggestions with limited descriptions.

Storytelling keeps shoppers engaged, meaning they spend

more time on your website. You can deliver this type of

content by going beyond simple copy: Interactive media

like gifs, video, and animated page elements makes con-

tent rich, layered, and immersive. Storytelling and editorial

techniques also contribute

to a strong and memorable brand image. The more a custom-

er can click and discover, the more time they spend exploring

what your brand is all about – meaning the more top-of-mind

your brand will be when they’re ready to shop.

A great example of storytelling content is Heal’s “Beyond

Caravaggio” campaign. As part of a collaboration with The

National Gallery in London, Heal’s experience features a se-

ries of still-life photos done in the style of the famed Ital-

ian painter — but featuring Heal’s products. The experience

takes a more passive sales approach, providing in-depth in-

formation on the artist and the exhibit instead of the prod-

ucts. Customers can easily relate to the story and the content

in this editorial piece, yet they can also shop easily if inspired.

PRO TIP:

Avoid large blocks

of copy – too much

text is intimidating to

the casual shopper.

Use short paragraphs,

headlines and

imagery so customers

can understand your

editorial content while

skimming the page

GOAL:

SOLUTION:

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Educate the customer and create product awareness

Tutorial Content

Tutorial content always feels fresh because it can come in many forms,

including how-to videos, step-by-step guides, quizzes, and user gen-

erated content. What’s important is that the content provides value

to the consumer, regardless of the product. In some cases, a product

might not even be included in the experience! The primary intent of a

tutorial experience should always be education, not the “sell.” This is

an especially impactful form of content for brands with products that

would benefit from instructional content – like skincare and cosmet-

ics, home improvement, fitness, and electronics.

Memorable, educational content experiences can make your brand a

trusted destination for consumers. An experience like “how to create

the perfect cat eye” for a cosmetics brand, or “how to install a window

A/C unit” for a home improvement store, will stand out from the noise

— and they’re also a natural fit for SEO and social campaigns to acquire customers. Moreover,

positioning your brand as a source of reliable and helpful information will foster brand loyalty

and encourage return visits.

Tarte Cosmetics is a great example of cosmetics tutorial con-

tent done right. Shopping for makeup online can be difficult

or risky for consumers, given how colors are represented on-

screen and due to the challenges in applying make-up “cor-

rectly.” A how-to experience that breaks the process down for

customers is a great fit for cosmetics brands. In this Tarte ex-

perience, shoppers simply select their skin tone and the look

they want, and then receive a personalized step-by-step appli-

cation guide. Customers can feel confident buying these prod-

ucts because they now know how to use them appropriately.

PRO TIP:

Keep up a

regular cadence

of educational

content to

establish your

brand as an

industry expert

GOAL:

SOLUTION:

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To present a general set of products

Shoppable Lookbook

If your primary goal is to present a large set of prod-

ucts to consumers in a visually appealing manner,

while still encouraging engagement, a shoppable

lookbook is your best option. Lookbooks and car-

ousels showcase new product arrivals, best sellers,

or discounted items without requiring the shopper

to spend time searching through product catego-

ry pages. The products you want to highlight can

be center-stage in a product carousel with mini-

mal distraction.

This is a tried-and-true, familiar way to showcase

a general collection and convert visitors into cus-

tomers. Shoppers can swipe through the lookbook

at their own pace — but be sure to include inte-

grated quickviews, as we mentioned above, to avoid a com-

merce dead-end.

The Neiman Marcus website demonstrates an endless supply of

shoppable lookbooks done right. These vibrant carousels are

the first thing a customer notices when visiting a brand page,

and the shopper can easily make a purchase through product

quickviews . The consumers already know what brands they

like, so the experience gets right to the point and shows them

products they can purchase instantly. In this example, shoppers

can buy perfume quickly and easily, no searching required.

PRO TIP:

While products are

the main focus of a

lookbook, graphics

and animations are

a subtle way to keep

the experience rich

and on-brand

GOAL:

SOLUTION:

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To encourage upsells around a curated theme

Buying Guide

When you have a theme in mind – a new trend, a holiday, a

pop culture occurrence, or even a real-time event – a buying

guide will bring it to life in a fun and exciting way. Shoppers

are literally guided down the path to purchase and shown

exactly what they need, often before they know they need it.

Additionally, showing consumers an expertly-tailored collec-

tion of products is a perfect opportunity to upsell ancillary

products. Adding this clear context for shopping makes them

confident in their decision to buy.

Most importantly, buying guides make shoppers’ lives easi-

er, creating satisfied and repeat customers. A Mother’s Day

gift guide or Back-to-School guide, for instance, provides

everything customers need all in one place. A successful

buying guide should be a one-stop shopping destination

that’s genuinely fun to explore. Customers are far more

likely to repay the pleasing experience — and time saved

— with their loyalty.

An outstanding example of a back-to-school guide is from

Marks & Spencer. With colorful on-brand graphics (like ar-

rows and plus signs) that guide the shopper through each

product selection, Marks & Spencer’s buying guide sim-

plifies the often difficult and time-consuming process of

back-to-school shopping. It also encourages shoppers to

purchase more by reminding them of pieces they might

have otherwise forgotten (like socks!).

PRO TIP:

Rich visuals, graphics,

and animations

make the experience

engaging and

interactive. It’s the

perfect antidote to

customer’s growing

apathy towards static

product grids

GOAL:

SOLUTION:

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In this eBook we’ve reviewed these four content options and provided examples and recom-

mendations based on your goals:

1. Deliver a rich brand story | Heal’s Editorial Experience

2. Educate the customer | Tarte’s Makeup Tutorial

3. Present a general set of products | Neiman Marcus’s Lookbook

4. Encourage upsells around a theme | Marks & Spencer’s Buying Guide

When customers are engaged with your content, they become excited with, and more likely

to buy, your products. Content should go beyond a simple product grid; it should inspire and

delight. Your content is a reflection of your brand, and eliciting a positive emotion is how

shoppers connect with your company and products.

Whether your brand has just started to branch out from product grids or is a rich content

master, there is always room for more originality, more innovation. Surprise your loyal shop-

pers with a new and exciting buying guide, or an interactive product tutorial. Let your cam-

paign goals guide your creativity, instead of you limitations. In the digital age, tech-savvy

customers expect their shopping experiences to continually evolve and delight. It’s up to

marketers to stay ahead of the game.

____________ 1The Shoppable Content Report, Zmags, 2016

Conclusion

Learn more at zmags.com/creator