Content for E-commerce - Tore Friskopp gives the foundation for the right strategy

How to Create a Content Strategy that Suits Your E-commerce

One of the problems many e-commerce retailers struggle with, especially when they have encountered search engine optimization (SEO), is how to manage content on their website. Above all, it often comes down to where to invest energy and money, which text should be prioritized, and which should receive less attention.

We asked Tore Friskopp, founder and CEO of Sidekick Content, one of the larger Nordic content providers, to write down his thoughts on content strategies. Here’s how to create a plan for your content:

Tore Friskopp on Content

Unique and well-written content is one of the cornerstones of an online store. Just like helpful and knowledgeable staff can increase sales in a physical store, well-written and helpful text can drive traffic and increase sales in your online store.

However, this statement also applies to other marketing measures. Advertising, link building, social media presence, newsletters, etc. As an e-commerce retailer, there are many things you can do to improve your sales. It’s not hard to create a long list of “good things to do.” The difficulty lies in prioritizing that list in the right order.

The key is to focus on actions that provide the most value per unit of cost (or the most value per hour worked if you’re doing the work yourself). When assessing the value of different types of text, there are primarily three variables you should consider.

1. The lifespan of the text. How long you will benefit from the text on your website.
2. The margin on the products in question. Higher margin = higher benefit.
3. Volume of interested customers. Higher volume = higher benefit.

The higher the benefit, the more money and energy you should invest in the texts.

An example of a text that has a long lifespan and higher volume is category texts. Products in categories may change, get new model names, or be removed from the assortment. However, the categories themselves often remain. People still buy “Mobile Phones” even if the different models have changed names. The volume is also higher since anyone looking for a “Samsung Galaxy” or “Sony Xperia” is looking for an “Android” or “Mobile Phone.”

An example of the opposite could be a product text for “Mobile Case for Android Phone X.” A cheap product with low margins, short lifespan, and low volume. You might even know the exact volume from the start. For example, if you bought a limited number of cases from China, say 50 pieces, you know exactly how much you could potentially earn if you sell them all. The amount of money you invest in content and AdWords advertising for those products should, of course, not exceed that amount.

A good content strategy suggestion is as follows:

1. “About Us” and other mandatory text
2. Category texts
3. High-margin products
4. Editorial texts or lower-margin and low-volume products

You’ve likely already completed the first point. “About Us,” “Terms and Conditions,” etc., are texts you need in order to gain customers’ trust to make a purchase from you. Points two and three we’ve discussed above. It’s worth investing in higher volumes of text and spending more time and money to make those texts good.

The fourth point is interesting. If you have the right type of store, it might be a good idea to focus on editorial texts, such as “How to Choose the Right Robotic Lawn Mower.” These texts will not only drive traffic to your site but also educate customers. Educated customers make the right purchases, which reduces returns and dissatisfaction.

The texts in your store are part of the whole picture. The amount of resources you dedicate to text should be balanced with other marketing efforts. We sell a lot of content to e-commerce stores in Scandinavia. We sell in all Scandinavian languages (except Icelandic), and we also translate the languages. We have different price ranges for texts, and we recommend different approaches depending on the customer. What you need depends on the margin of the products, the volume, and how long you have them in your assortment. If you need help developing a strategy or setting a budget, feel free to talk to us. How you balance it with other actions can be discussed with your SEO and AdWords agency.