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Online catalog promotion plays a key role in the success of an online business. In the face of growing competition in e-commerce, effective promotion allows you to attract the target audience, increase website traffic, and boost sales.
According to statistics, in 2023, the e-commerce market in Ukraine amounted to about $4 billion, showing an increase of 25% compared to the previous year. At the same time, more than 60% of online purchases are made through online catalogs and marketplaces.
The main goals of online catalog promotion are
To achieve these goals, you need to take a comprehensive approach that includes various online marketing and optimization methods. Below, we will take a closer look at the key stages of online catalog promotion.
Optimizing an online catalog is the first and most important step in its promotion. It includes work on website usability, structure, content, and technical aspects. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
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A clear and logical catalog structure is the key to user convenience and high conversion rates. Categories should be intuitive, and products should be easy to find by relevant queries.
Here are some principles of an effective structure:
An example of a successful structure is the Rozetka catalog. It has 3 levels of nesting: Categories - Subcategories - Products. The menu shows the most popular categories, while others are available in drop-down lists. There is a search, filters, and tags for quick navigation.
Product cards are one of the most important pages of an online catalog in terms of SEO and conversion. They should be informative, visually appealing, and optimized for search engines.
The main elements of card optimization:
On average, an optimized product card can increase conversion by 25-30% compared to an "empty" card.
An example of an optimized card is the iPhone 13 page on the Eldorado website. It contains a detailed description and specifications, high-quality 3D renders of the smartphone, a video review, a "included" block, and customer reviews. The footer has a "Buy with this product" block.
Meta tags and titles play an important role in driving traffic from search engines. They should be relevant, include keywords, and still be readable for users.
Basic meta tags and titles:
According to Search Engine Journal, Title and Description optimization can increase the CTR of snippets by 20-30%. And the use of keywords in titles increases the relevance of the page for search engines.
Visual content plays a huge role in online catalogs. High-quality photos and videos not only increase customer confidence but also help with SEO promotion.
Here are the basic rules of image optimization:
With optimized images, pages load 2-3 times faster, which is critical for conversion. Also, images can be ranked in Google Images, attracting additional traffic.
Technical factors, such as loading speed, responsiveness, security, and URL readability, have a strong influence on the SEO and behavioral factors of an online catalog.
The main points of technical optimization:
According to statistics, speeding up page loading by 1 second increases conversion by up to 7%, and 57% of users leave the site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.
Conclusion: comprehensive optimization of an online catalog is the first and most important stage of its promotion. Working on the structure, content, meta tags, images, and technical aspects allows you to attract more traffic, improve behavioral factors, and increase website conversion. In the following sections, we will discuss other effective methods of catalog promotion.
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Content marketing is the creation and distribution of useful, relevant, and valuable content to attract and retain your target audience. For an online catalog, high-quality content plays a key role in SEO promotion, increasing customer loyalty, and driving sales.
The main types of content for an online catalog:
According to the Content Marketing Institute, companies that use content marketing have 55% more website visitors and 3 times more leads than those that neglect it.
The key to successful content marketing is creating truly valuable and original content that will be interesting and useful to your target audience.
Basic principles of creating quality content:
A good example is the blog of the Comfy store. It contains useful product reviews, tips on how to choose, and industry news. The articles are well-structured, with high-quality photos and videos. At the end, relevant products from the catalog are offered.
The texts on product and category pages should not only provide all the necessary information, but also encourage the purchase. It is important to strike a balance between SEO optimization and user experience.
Basic principles of writing descriptions:
According to Baymard Institute statistics, 20% of users leave a product page due to a lack of information. High-quality descriptions can reduce this figure and increase conversions.
An online store blog allows you not only to share useful information, but also to attract organic traffic through search engine rankings. Articles also help build expertise and increase audience loyalty.
The main formats of blog articles:
On average, companies with a blog have 55% more website visitors than companies without a blog. And articles optimized for information queries can attract up to 50-70% of search traffic.
Video is one of the most effective content formats, especially for online catalogs. Product reviews, video tutorials, and presentations help to better present a product, increase user engagement, and drive them to purchase.
The main scenarios for using video:
According to Wyzowl, 84% of shoppers were convinced to make a purchase after watching a product video. And video content itself can increase organic search traffic by 157%.
Reviews, photos, and videos from real customers are an invaluable source of content for an online store. Such content not only increases the trust of new visitors, but also serves as a quality signal for search engines.
The main types of user-generated content:
On average, the presence of reviews increases the conversion rate of online stores by 18%, and customers spend 31% more on sites with a large number of reviews.
To collect reviews, use automated post-purchase emails, motivate customers with bonuses and discounts, and post the best reviews on social media. This way you will get valuable content and increase audience loyalty.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a set of measures to increase the visibility of a website in the organic search engine results. For an online catalog, SEO plays a key role in attracting targeted traffic and improving positions for commercial queries.
The main stages of SEO optimization:
According to FirstPageSage, 60% of traffic and 65% of clicks in search results come from the first 3 positions. Therefore, getting to the top for targeted queries is critically important for online stores.
A well-compiled semantic core is the basis of SEO promotion. It contains all the key phrases for which your store should be displayed in search.
The main types of keywords:
Special services and programs are used to analyze keywords: Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, Serpstat, KeyCollector, etc. They help to estimate the frequency of queries, the level of competition, and the dynamics of demand.
Internal links between website pages make it easier for users to navigate and help search engines better understand the structure and subject matter of the content.
Basic principles of linking:
Good internal linking allows you to evenly distribute the number of links between the pages of your website and increase their authority in the eyes of search engines.
Human-readable and optimized URLs (URLs) not only increase user trust but also have a positive impact on page rankings.
Here are the basic rules of URL optimization:
Optimizing URLs makes them more user-friendly and increases CTR in search results.
The title and description meta tags, as well as the H1-H6 headings, help search engines understand the content and subject matter of website pages. Their competent filling increases the relevance of pages for targeted queries.
Basic rules for optimizing meta tags:
High-quality meta tags and titles increase the clickability of your website's snippets and improve its search rankings.
External links from reputable and relevant websites to your pages are one of the key ranking factors. They increase the credibility of your site in the eyes of search engines and drive targeted traffic.
The main ways to build link mass:
Important requirements for external links: naturalness, relevance of the donor, variety of anchors, high loading speed. Poor-quality SEO links can lead to sanctions from search engines.
Online advertising is a powerful tool for attracting paid traffic and increasing sales of your online store. It allows you to quickly get results and monitor them with the help of analytics systems. Let's take a look at the main types of advertising for promoting online catalogs.
Contextual advertising is the display of text, graphic, and video ads in search results and on the websites of partner networks. The two most popular contextual advertising systems are Google Ads and Yandex.Direct.
The main formats of contextual advertising:
Advantages of contextual advertising: quick launch, flexible targeting settings, pay-per-click or impression, full budget control, detailed performance analytics.
According to Wordstream, the average CTR of search advertising on Google is 3.17% for ecommerce, and the average cost per click is $1.16. However, these figures vary greatly depending on the niche and competition.
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Display advertising is the placement of graphic, video, and interactive banners on websites with high traffic. It helps to increase brand awareness, inform about promotions, and drive traffic to the store's website.
The main formats of display advertising:
The advantages of display advertising include a variety of formats, pay-per-impression (CPM), wide audience reach, retargeting opportunities, and increased brand awareness.
According to MediaScope, the cost per 1000 impressions (CPM) of display advertising in Ukraine ranges from $0.5 to $10, depending on the format, platform and targeting. The average CTR is 0.06-0.3%.
Product ads are an advertising format for online stores in Google Shopping and Yandex.Market. They show product cards with photos, prices, ratings, and a button to go to the purchase page right in the search results.
Advantages of product ads:
Setting up campaigns in Google Shopping and Yandex.Market has its own peculiarities. To participate, you need to prepare a feed with product data, set up countries and delivery methods, set up a Merchant ID, and transfer it to Google Ads and Yandex.Direct.
According to Merchant Metrix, the average CTR of product ads on Google is 0.86%, and the average cost per click is $0.66. Advertising on Google Shopping brings 2-4 times more traffic than other marketplaces.
Social media is a great channel for driving traffic and increasing sales for online stores. Almost 50% of Ukrainian users are subscribed to brands' social media pages, and 36% have made purchases after interacting with ads.
The main formats of social media advertising:
Social media advertising allows you to precisely target your audience by interests, behavior, demographics, and location. And detailed analytics help optimize campaigns and increase their effectiveness.
The average cost per click in Instagram Ads for ecommerce is $1.32, and the average CTR is 0.8%. In Facebook Ads, these figures are $0.7 and 2.1%, respectively.
Price aggregators and marketplaces are trading platforms where users can compare prices for goods from different stores and make purchases. Placing goods on such sites increases the audience reach and the number of sales.
The main price aggregators in Ukraine: Hotline, Price.ua, Nadavi, Ek.ua. They allow you to place product offers in the catalog, receive customer requests and feedback, and participate in store ratings.
Popular marketplaces: Prom.ua, Rozetka, OLX, Bigl.ua. On them, you can create a storefront, accept payments, use delivery and warehouses of marketplaces. However, you need to pay a sales commission for this.
For effective work with aggregators and marketplaces, the following are important: current prices and availability of goods, full descriptions and high-quality photos, fast order processing, and positive customer feedback.
According to Prom.ua, in 2021, the turnover of goods on the marketplace amounted to UAH 65 billion, which is 64% more than in 2020. At the same time, the number of orders increased by 40% and the average check by 17%. Similar dynamics are observed on other platforms.
SMM (Social Media Marketing) is a set of measures to promote a brand or products on social networks. For online stores, SMM solves several important tasks: increasing brand awareness and trust, increasing traffic and sales on the website, improving communication and customer service, collecting feedback, and managing reputation.
The first stage of SMM is the creation and branding of company pages on major social networks. It is necessary to design profiles in a single corporate style, add relevant information and contacts, and set call-to-action buttons. An avatar with a logo, a cover with a USP, a description with keywords and a link to the website are mandatory elements. According to statistics, 81% of Instagram users search for goods and services on this social network. And 80% of accounts are subscribed to at least one business profile.
The next step is to fill the pages with useful and engaging content. The content plan should include information about products (descriptions, photos, prices), reviews of new products and promotions, tips, surveys, prize draws, customer reviews, and other types of posts. The frequency depends on the niche, but on average, it is optimal to make 1-2 posts per day on Facebook and Instagram, 3-5 tweets on Twitter, and 3-4 pins on Pinterest. It is also important to respond to comments and messages, handle negativity, and collect feedback. This takes about 5 hours a week.
To quickly engage the audience, targeted advertising is used - paid promotion of publications with display to the target segment. Targeting options: by interests, behavior, demographics, etc. Pay per impression, click, or conversion with detailed analytics. Now available on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest. The average cost per click in Instagram Ads is $0.8, CTR is 1%, and conversion is 1.32%.
Working with bloggers and opinion leaders is another way to increase reach and trust. Product reviews, contests, broadcasts, and ambassadorship are the main formats. It's important to choose bloggers with the same target audience, transparent statistics, and adequate prices. Since 2022, Ukraine has had a law on blogger advertising labeling, which makes it more complicated but also more transparent.
Finally, sweepstakes and contests help to increase engagement, gain subscribers, and generate UGC. They should have simple rules, a valuable prize, last 7-14 days, and be held at least once a quarter.
Comprehensive SMM gives an online store a good result. For example, in 2021, the number of purchases and payments on Instagram increased by 15% and 27%, respectively. And the revenue of brands that use sweepstakes increased by 17.8% on average.
Email marketing is the promotion of goods and services through email newsletters. For online stores, it is a tool for increasing repeat sales, customer return, informing about promotions and new products, and increasing loyalty.
The main tasks of email marketing:
According to Analysts, in Ukraine, email is the second most popular channel (after social media) for receiving information from brands. 46% of users subscribe to store newsletters, and 28% have made purchases after receiving emails. At the same time, 49% of subscribers say they are not ready to read newsletters more than 1-2 times a week.
The first stage of email marketing is collecting and segmenting the subscriber base. You can collect contacts using forms on your website, offering bonuses or useful content in return. You can segment the database by gender, age, interests, purchase history, and other parameters. This allows you to create personalized offers and increase email conversion rates by an average of 14%.
The next step is to create attractive emails. The design uses branded elements, high-quality photos and videos. And texts should contain a clear call to action, be concise (up to 150 words), structured (headings, lists, paragraphs of 3-4 lines). The optimal frequency is 1-2 times a week, depending on the niche and subscriber activity. The best days to send are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. And the time is 10:00-12:00 or 18:00-20:00.
Types of emails that bring maximum results for online stores:
Examples of successful email campaigns of Ukrainian stores:
It's important to track the results of email campaigns and optimize the process. Key metrics: deliverability (over 90%), opens (over 20%), clicks (over 3%), unsubscribes (less than 0.5%), conversion to sales (2-5%). For analytics and automation, you can use Mail Chimp, Unisender, SendPulse, and other services.
Email marketing remains a highly effective channel for promoting online stores. With a competent strategy, it provides a steady stream of repeat sales, returns customers, and increases loyalty. When combined with other online marketing tools, email shows one of the best ROIs - an average of 3800% ($38 out of every $1 invested).
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Measuring and analyzing results is a key stage of online catalog promotion. Without clear data, it is impossible to evaluate the effectiveness of channels and optimize the strategy. The task of a marketer is to track key indicators, identify growth points, and improve campaigns based on facts.
First of all, you need to define key metrics and KPIs (key performance indicators) to evaluate the results. They depend on the goals of the catalog - attracting traffic, increasing sales, improving recognition, etc. Among the common KPIs of online stores:
Depending on the channel, specific metrics are added. For example, the number of subscribers and engagement rate on social media. Or email deliverability and open rate for email marketing. It is important to choose 5-10 key indicators and track them over time.
To collect data, you need to set up web analytics systems, such as Google Analytics and/or Yandex.Metrica. These are free and functional services that allow you to analyze visitor behavior, advertising effectiveness, revenue, and store conversions. Basic reports will show you where users come from, what they do on the site, where they get stuck, and where they leave. Additionally, you can customize goals, segments, and events for deeper analysis.
An example of a Google Analytics report by traffic sources to a website:
In total, these channels brought in 10,000 visitors per month. Knowing the conversion rate, average check, and margin, it's easy to estimate the profitability of each source and optimize the budget.
It is important to segment traffic and analyze the behavior of different user groups. For example, study new and repeat visitors, buyers and abandoned carts, customers from different devices and platforms separately. This will allow you to find new growth points, launch personalized campaigns, and improve the customer experience for key segments.
Another mandatory report is on the effectiveness of advertising campaigns on different platforms. It can be collected using end-to-end analytics, combining data from ad accounts and CRM. You can evaluate the performance of each ad, platform, and keyword:
For example, if a store invested UAH 5,000 in advertising and received UAH 30,000 in sales from it, the ROI will be (30000 - 5000) / 5000 * 100% = 500%. This is a high result. And if advertising brought in only 3000 UAH, then the ROI will be negative and the campaign should be suspended.
Based on this data, a sales funnel is built and the stages where customers are lost are identified. Then hypotheses are formed and changes are tested to increase conversion. For example, ad headlines, landing pages, calls to action, payment pages, etc.
The key principle of analytics is regularity and consistency. It is not enough to set up reports once and forget about them. You need daily campaign monitoring, weekly summaries, and monthly reports for management. Only with continuous tracking and optimization can you achieve high results in promoting your online catalog.
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