I love the beginning of a new year with the feelings of promise and possibility hanging in the air. And I love using this time to set resolutions to carry me and my business forward.

While resolutions get a bad rap, there’s something so great about writing down the specific things you want to achieve, then figuring out the steps you need to take to get there.

So as you’re filling your fridge with vegetables and pulling out your runners from the back of the wardrobe, take a moment to come up with some resolutions for your online store as well.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Resolution #1 – I Will Put in Place a Marketing Strategy

Trying to market your online store without a strategy is like trying to conduct an orchestra of recorder-wielding children – it’s noisy, out of sync and you end up helplessly waving your hands above your head.

Before you start asking “Should I be doing Instagram stories?” or “Will Facebook ads work for my business?”, you have to take a big step back and develop a strategy for your marketing. This involves deciding what your goals are, the steps you need to take to achieve them, and how you’re going to measure your success along the way.

Resolution #2 – I Will Make Better Use of My Branded Emails

You know those emails you send out to customers right after they’ve made a purchase and when you’ve shipped their order? Those totally transactional emails that no one reads, right?

Wrong.

When someone has just ordered from you, and they’re feeling that heady rush of post-purchase excitement, they at the highest engagement point with your brand.

Your sale confirmation emails can be a great tool to build brand loyalty and strengthen your relationship with your customers. Thank them for their purchase, tell them how long they can expect their order to take, and throw in a little follow request for your best platform.

Resolution #3 – I Will Install the Facebook Pixel

Even if you’re not sure if Facebook Ads will work for your business (see point #1 above), at the very least you should install the Facebook Pixel so it can start gathering information about your website visitors. That way, when (if) you are ready to run ads, you’ll already have some data you can work with. Huzzah!

Resolution #4 – I Will Give My Brand Some Personality

Your brand is unique. At least you know it is. But, does that uniqueness come across? In a world of templated ecommerce stores and Instagram flatlays, it’s much harder to stand out.

Hard, but not impossible.

In 2018, try injecting a good dose of personality into your brand (no scary needles required). My shortcut to this is to imagine if your brand were a celebrity on TV. What words would you use to describe them? How would they speak? What would their reality show catchphrase be?

Then take those ideas and give your website/email/marketing content a makeover. If you’re really stuck on this part, get in touch and we can do a quick brand tone of voice discovery session to get the ideas (and words) rolling.

Resolution #5 – I Will Consider the Full Buying Experience

People are no longer visiting a website, hitting the shop button and going on with their day.

They’re now scrolling Instagram to find new products and brands to follow, browsing their favourite shops while sitting on the train, getting emails on the daily about sales, asking their friends for product recommendations, opening a dozen threads to compare multiple stores, and, finally, using specific search terms to hunt down coveted pieces.

It’s truly a multi-channel buyer’s world and it’s essential that you consider each aspect of this in your marketing. Here’s what that looks like:

• Make sure your website looks great and functions well on mobile and desktop (seriously, the pinch-and-scroll is so 2014).
• Ensure your product pages have clear, well-written and unique product descriptions, excellent photos and are optimised for keywords.
• Be active on the platforms your customers are. Facebook is still the Queen B of social, with Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Snapchat bringing up the rear.
• Have a well-segmented email list that sends out relevant emails to the right group of people at the right time.
• Consider Facebook retargeting ads to encourage browsers back to your store. Dollar for dollar it’s cheaper and more effective than any other advertising.

Are you a resolutions kinda’ gal (or guy) or more of a fly-by-night action taker? Let me know in the comments below what resolutions you’re committing to for 2018.