Skip to main content

Tag: custom website

What you need to know about E-Commerce Marketing

The digital world is now officially a huge part of our daily lives with the new normal that we are promptly facing. The pandemic has made everyone realize that we all have to adapt to living online. We are now living at a time wherein e-commerce is beneficial to every business and consumer.

A lot of changes have happened in the past few months, a lot of lives have changed, some businesses have closed, while different people and communities have been struggling financially. This crisis has tested us but one good thing that has come out from it is how we have adapted to living our lives online.

Let’s begin by first defining what is e-commerce marketing. E-commerce marketing is about driving brand awareness and call-to-action for consumers to buy your products and avail of your services. You have to successfully cater to your buyer’s preferences and work your way around it effectively to reach your target market and to effectively make sales conversions through online platforms whether it be through your website or through social media.

Here are some ways to make the most out of e-commerce marketing:

  1. Build a strong bond and loyalty.

One of the most essential tasks that you should focus on is the strong bond and loyalty towards the consumers. The benefits of customer relationship strategies should be well taken care of and be established. Nowadays, consumers develop a relational approach that relates to customer loyalty.

There is a lot to take into account for an effective service type to build on customer bond and loyalty. For your brand to succeed it must have a sustainable competitive advantage that increases customer retention and attraction to your brand. For as loyalty increases, the volume of purchases and customer referrals also increase.

Once you’ve developed a strong bond with your consumers, a lot of marketing benefits will follow such as, the good ole’ word-of-mouth marketing, good reviews, testimonials, and even case studies. Once successfully done, your e-commerce store will be filled with people that are engaged to your products and services, thereby increasing the level of brand awareness and driving more sales.

  1. Customize and personalize your e-commerce site.

Consumers are more likely to buy from brands that they can remember. The best brands are usually remembered through different promotions and unique offerings. Every consumer is always satisfied when they have a personalized experience thus it makes them feel special, helping improve their shipping experience.

In a traditional retail store, we would always visit stores that make us feel known and special through its store employees. Brick and mortar stores are designed to attract customers while products are laid out to grab attention. The same goes for e-commerce stores, where buyers should be made to feel welcome and should have a positive user experience from the homepage to the inner pages.

Customized and personalized e-commerce sites make the users’ experience and purchases faster and easier. It is all about treating every person who visits your site as an exclusive customer. Tailor fit your site to reflect the unique needs of every buyer in a way that they will feel like they are part of the brand’s journey.

  1. Establish and capitalize on user-generated content (UGC).

To make it big online, you have to cut out and push through ahead of your competitors. Brands should always keep on trying something new and staying in trend to remain and be known as number one. One way to stay influential is through user-generated content. User-generated content allows marketers to let their consumers do the talking for them. It is about allowing people to advertise your product for you based on their own experiences and feedback.

  1. Provide an Add-to-Cart option.

An e-commerce site is not without a shopping cart. It’s almost similar to the traditional shopping cart, but this time around, everything just works with a click Having a well visible shopping cart allows buyers to control what they want to buy and allowing them an easier access to proceed to check-out to purchase the items on their cart.

Most importantly, a visible add-to-cart option on your website lets users know that they can get what they need with no fuss. It is also important that upon checking-out, users are aware of your company’s return policy, delivery procedures and options and that when needed, a customer support representative is available to answer any concerns.

  1. Create a responsive and effective web design.

Having a responsive and modern web design is an important aspect of an e-commerce website. The design should respond to the user’s behavior and environment based on the adjustment to the screen size, platform, and orientation.

Follow the rule that “less is more” but also don’t be afraid to use a different mix of artworks, designs, and images. All of your e-commerce strategies will only work well when your website has a responsive design, is easily viewable, and can be accessed with the use of any gadgets. Finally, always make it a point to organize your content, keep the words simple and make sure that your website can be easily navigated regardless of age or gender.

Not sure where to begin with your e-commerce marketing? Having the right agency partner can help you establish your business goals and thrive in the “new normal”. iManila can develop the best, user-friendly, modern and easy-to-use e-commerce website for your business. Let’s talk or check out our website at www.imanila.ph to learn more.

Debunking the Most Common Website Myths

It is always a milestone for a business to have their own website as it’s a great way to expand their online presence. It can be exciting, but there are also a lot of myths about having your own website. 

We’re here to debunk those common myths and help you get on the right track to having the best business website possible!

Once you have a working website, you’ll attract visitors

Getting the website working and online is only half the work. What happens here is that there is a mismatch in expectations with business owners with how websites can give them the results they want. 

The truth is that it takes time, resources, and skills to attract website visitors. There are many factors to consider such as search engine optimization, paid search ads, video ads — in short, a lot of promotional means to get the right amount of traffic to your site. Once you put in the action then effort, that is the only time you’ll be seeing an increase in your website traffic. 

If your website looks good, you will start getting sales

Closely related to the previous one, while a well-designed website may be grabbing the attention of your visitors, it doesn’t necessarily equate to a sale. 

It is true that to attract new people and to give visitors a good user experience you would need a beautiful website, but at the end of the day, it’s still the quality of your products and services and brand reputation that weighs more. If all you are offering is aesthetic but your products or service fail to follow through on its promises, it will fail because people will be able to see through it. A business first and foremost must focus on its own products before worrying about aesthetics and appearances. If you are focused on delivering the right value to your site visitors, your site would work its magic even without the over-the-top designs. In short, your product should speak for itself, your website is merely a tool in helping your message get across to potential customers. 

Once your website is up, the work is done

This again is a mismatch of expectation as websites need ongoing attention much like any other business that needs to be nurtured and maintained. 

Website maintenance is a thing and part and parcel of this is renewing your domain registration on time, protecting your site from any potential threats such as viruses or cybercrime, keeping your design up to date in line with current trends, and investing in promotion to keep the site visitors coming. 

Your website needs to have all the features the other websites have 

There is a misconception that more features means your website will be better. While you may get a lot of inspiration by viewing websites of other brands, you may start to notice some of them have certain elements such as carousels for their headers. But again, it is always important to know the value of each decision as these can hinder your customers from properly navigating your site and getting them to do what you intend them to do. 

For websites, simplicity is key. The bells and whistles would not matter to your customer if they can get their business done on your website in the most direct and simple manner. It is always about the value that the customers get from your products or services. If you are thinking of having a certain feature, know that if it wouldn’t add anything of value to your customers then it’s better left out. 

What’s next?

For different people you may ask, websites may mean different things for them. However, it is important to know what it is that your business really needs as everyone has different approaches. Each business works differently. It is nice to research more about how you can create the kind of website that suits the purpose you intend it to and helps you achieve your business goals. Starting with debunking these common website myths, we hope to be able to guide you in creating your dream website. 

Getting the right experts on board can help ease any worries you might have about building a website on your own. Rest assured that you can find the right partner in iManila, who has been in the industry for over 24 years. Learn more about how we can help you build your website and how we can make it work for you. 

What are the different types of websites and how to know which type of website do you need?

Nowadays, the competition in the market is very tough. One way to make your business successful is to make it active online, and the first step to doing this is by creating your business website to serve as your virtual window and front door. The key to make your business website effective is to take a look at what your business needs and ensure that your site accomplishes the main objective of your business. 

Here are different types of websites to help you choose which fits your business.

Brochure

A brochure website is the simplest type of website, because it only has a few pages. It is primarily used to serve as an online brochure, it gives an overview on what the business is all about and it displays contact information on how you can contact the business. This type of site is typically used by small businesses that need to boost their online presence. The content from brochure websites are mostly static, which makes it perfect for startups and small businesses who want to start making their business active digitally.

Blog

Blogs are online journals that provide information to your website visitors. Because nowadays, people rely on the internet if they have a question or are curious about something, a blog provides the answer to that. It is regularly updated by a small group and can be written in laid back style. Blog websites are important, because they add features and interest to your site. It is also a must to keep it updated as much as possible for more website visitors.

E-commerce 

E-commerce websites are online stores which allow your consumers to purchase on the site itself. It features online payments as well. The main objective of an e-commerce site is to urge your website visitors to buy your product or service. This is especially suited for businesses selling multiple products. This type of website focuses more on functionality than visual aesthetics.

Portal

Portals are centralized places to share information for internal purposes of a business or organization which can only be accessed by the people within the organization. It involves a login process that grants the employees access to their accounts for work purposes. This can also be used by schools, allowing students to access details of their classes and their grades.

Informative

Informative websites convey specific educational, and instructive ideas to capture a learning audience. It serves as your business marketing tool. This type of website is usually content and design-driven in order to share more information to your audience. It is important to make compelling and informative contents to keep your visitors come back for more. The visual design of informative websites should be aesthetically pleasing as well in order to capture the attention of the consumers.

Portfolio

Portfolio-type of websites give information about your business which showcases your work. It is focused on collecting samples of past works which can be used as an online portfolio. The main objective of a portfolio website is to display compelling content and visually enticing designs to get clients. It gives an idea to the visitors on what the owner can do.

Websites play an important role to keep your business going because it reaches an audience online to give you more sales. Especially nowadays that people rely on the internet when they need something, it is a must to plan your website that fits your business to maximize its function and achieve your goals for your business. If you are planning to enhance your presence online, now is the perfect time to start your website.

iManila is equipped to help your website dominate online. All our website packages are built to provide an aesthetically pleasing website, increase your search engine visibility, and empower your organization. Visit our website at https://imanila.ph/web/web-design-and-development/ to learn more about how we can develop your business’ website.

 

Things You Need Before Starting a Website

Gone are the days when businesses can only rely on traditional marketing platforms such as flyers, TV and newspaper ads, directory listings, and billboard placements to promote their brand. With the continuous rise of online users all over the world, it is indeed much easier (and more affordable) for brands and companies to create brand awareness and reach new audiences with various online and social media platforms that we have today.

Among the first few things that your brand should have in today’s digital age is a website. As the primary source of information for your company online, having a website is now a must for businesses regardless if they’re an SME or a big corporation. Not only does a website establish your brand’s credibility, but it also is the center of your online marketing strategies to help your business grow.

If you are hoping to build one for yourself, let us walk you through some of the basic things that you need to start a website:

A Domain Name

It is a staple for every website to have its own URL/Web address. It is important for a website to have its domain for the visitors to easily access their website through the internet.

While it is very common for businesses to have domain names that are the same as their business names (such as walmart.com), you can pick a domain name to include any text phrase you want as long as it is not already taken. You must take note, however, that your domain should be relevant to your business. It is the first touchpoint of your visitors towards your website, so make sure it is directly related to your business.

A domain name typically costs around PHP 600.00 to PHP 1,600.00 with a recurring/renewal fee every year. Make sure that your domain has not yet been purchased and is still available for use. You can use iManila’s free domain checker on our home page!

Solid Content & Information

Now this defines the full look of your website – inserting content and images. It’s important to remember that a business website is ultimately just a framework. It isn’t finished until you’ve populated it with content and information.

You must organize all of the things that should be put on each of your web pages. These contents serve as important factors for search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing to crawl and mark your website credible. Putting all the necessary content on your website requires a lot of time. We suggest creating your own sitemap first in order to have a clear plan before establishing a website.

Web designer and developer

After deciding on your domain name or even purchasing one as well as gathering the content and information that you want to be featured, the next thing that you will need is a company that can help you build your business site. iManila is one of the leading web development companies in the Philippines! We specialize in creating various websites for different business across all verticals – whether it’s an informative or an eCommerce site!

Establishing your own business website is as important as having your own physical store. It helps create your own identity and showcase your brand online. If you are looking to have your own website, then you have come to the right place!

As one of the country’s top digital marketing and web development agencies, iManila is trusted by many companies in creating credible and professionally designed websites to stand out in today’s online world.

For more information, contact us at (02) 490 0000 or leave us a message at https://imanila.ph/lets-talk/.

Why You Should Invest in a Business Website

One thing that most traditional businesses are struggling with nowadays is the transition to the digital age. While most business owners agree that digital has changed the way the world works, they don’t quite know where to start.

Most consumers today prefer purchasing products and booking services online. For them, it is an avenue to conduct research and learn more about the brand’s product or service offering before committing to an action. In effect, this forces a lot of businesses to migrate some of their marketing efforts online. However, due the lack of knowledge on how digital efforts work, some businesses end up throwing money away, not optimizing their budget, resulting in an expense.

For businesses willing to dip their feet into the digital realm, a website is a good place to start. Having a website can help establish your brand online, and allow consumers to find your products and services 24/7. Here are more reasons why you should invest in a website for your business:

Easier Accessibility for Customers

Having a website can allow your business to be accessible by anyone, anywhere. With the wide reach of online data and Internet, there is no doubt that most people’s day-to-day lives are affected by online activities. This is where a website will be more advantageous compared to other traditional marketing efforts. The rise of business websites paved the way for online marketing as a means of reaching out to a wider range of potential customers. With the right design and effective content strategy, your business can stand out amongst your online competitors and give you more satisfied customers.

A Website Widens Business Reach

Having a business website doesn’t just let your brand be accessible to your target audience, but also widens your reach for other potential customers and partners. The algorithm of search engines, nowadays, enables your website to be seen easily online.. However, it takes time to fully experience the traffic results that you are expecting. Unlike any other marketing investments, your site is a constant asset that needs to adapt to the changing digital world. Design, User Experience, and Performance are some of the factors that can bring out the potential of your website. So make sure you are investing in the right tools and assets that will help your business website reach out to more people. Whether you are a start-up,or an established player in your industry, your website can stand out as long as you take advantage of the features that your website has.

Data-driven

Unlike traditional marketing, having a website and running digital marketing campaigns provide measurable results. This allows you to set-up your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), track results, and optimize your marketing efforts further. As for websites, utilizing data as the center of its performance makes it a reliable marketing asset to keep track of potential customers. Different web analytics provide accurate data about users who have visited your website, or data about web pages that are under performing. It is a great avenue for your brand to determine your marketing direction in the following years, as this can provide deeper insights and realizations about your business.

Strengthens Business’ Credibility and Identity

The overall aesthetics of your website should reflect how you see your brand and how you want your customers to see your brand. By fully utilizing this, your business is able to establish brand identity to your potential customers. It’s also very crucial for businesses to not just focus on the design of the website, but also the content of the site. By producing relevant and engaging content, you’re building your reputation and strengthening your credibility as a trusted resource in your industry.

All these factors can help your business stand out amongst competitors and establish your brand presence online. If you’re looking for a reliable website provider for your business, contact us today. iManila has worked with numerous businesses — from top corporations to small businesses and startups — for more than 22 years.

Let us help you transition to the digital age. Contact us at (02) 490-0000 or leave us a message at https://imanila.ph/lets-talk/