Here’s a Checklist for Marketing Your eCommerce Products

So, you’ve decided to launch an online store. Congrats! 

But also… yikes. Because building an eCommerce business is not the easiest thing in the world, especially when you have to juggle branding, product sourcing, web design, shipping, marketing, and so much more. 

You know what makes things easier? Checklists! And we have the ultimate 10-point checklist for marketing your eCommerce products that’ll keep you and your business moving forward.

1. Find Your Niche

What’s the “thing” that differentiates your online store? Maybe matching outfits for pets and owners or DIY terrariums? Whatever it is, your storefront should make it crystal clear. Otherwise, it’s easy to get lost in oversaturated markets. 

Once you’ve identified your niche, put it front and center in your marketing. It’ll help you stand way, way out from the crowd and help you grow a niche community that’s passionate about what you do.

2. Build a Business Plan

While it’s not the most exciting part of running a business, it’s certainly the most important to start with. Why? Well, with a plan, you can make sure your one-of-a-kind idea doesn’t crash and burn.

Here are a few things you should include in your business plan:

• Your mission or vision (the “why” of your company)
• Your target market and competitor analysis
• Financial projections (even if they’re rough)

3. Develop Your Brand Identity

Your brand identity is your main differentiator. It’s the reason that when an Apple commercial comes on, you know it’s an Apple commercial right away. Think of it as every element working together to create your brand’s personality, whether the colors used on your site, the packaging used for your products, or your Instagram captions. 

A few good questions to ask when building your brand identity include:

• What kind of non-monetary impact do I want to have with my business? 
• Do I have a unique origin story?
• What three character traits would I use to describe my brand? 
• Are there any reasons someone might not buy from me? 

4. Pick Your Sales Channels

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Should you market your products on Amazon, Etsy, Shopify, or somewhere else entirely? Well, it depends on your goals.

Platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce offer better branding assets and customization control. Meanwhile, marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon have bigger audiences, though much more competition. 

Whatever platform you choose, it’s important to have a custom domain name. It’ll make your site look way more legit and easier to find on Google.

5. Add Video

Videos are incredibly powerful marketing tools. Video is the most engaging kind of content you can use to reach your audience and get the word out about your awesome online store. 

You should have a video embedded on the homepage of your website that tells the story of your brand and the core benefits of what you sell. Then, aim to have a video on every individual product, or at least every category of product.

Don’t worry if the video isn’t super good at first! It’s more important that you have it at all. Later, you can build on your success by working with a video agency.

6. Improve Your SEO

SEO is what helps your store show up in Google when people search for the things you sell. Think about who’s more likely to buy a bikini, someone searching for “best bikinis for surfing” or someone randomly scrolling through Instagram. 

The better you're able to get inside the minds of your customers to determine what they’ll search for, the easier it’ll be to funnel them to your site. 

Some of the best SEO tools include:

• Google Search Console + Analytics (great for tracking traffic)
• Yoast SEO (SEO tool for Shopify and WordPress)
• Ahrefs or SEMrush (for keyword research)

7. Build Your Social Media Presence

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As many as 76% of US consumers bought a product they saw on a brand’s social media post. And unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that social media is where people spend a good amount of their free time. 

If you have visual products (home goods, clothing, beauty products, etc.), social media should be your second home. Instagram and TikTok are ideal for video marketing, Facebook is great for group marketing and retargeting, and Pinterest is one of the most powerful platforms for home, decor, and DIY products. Pick your poison, and move forward. 

Here are a few social media marketing tools you might consider investing in:

• Canva or Photoshop: Great for custom visuals and e-commerce photography.
• Buffer or Hootsuite: Make posting easier with automated scheduling
• Meta Ads Manager: Reach wider audiences with paid promotion.

If your products have the fan base, consider implementing user-generated content (UGC) into your feed. Encourage your customers to post about your products in a positive way to build trust with those who are new to your brand.

8. Create a Targeted Email Strategy

Email might feel like a dying communication channel, but it’s still one of the highest ROI marketing tools available. Done right, you can keep your brand’s name in your customers’ inboxes and on their minds. 

The technique lies in segmentation. Don’t send every person the same message. Instead, send different emails to different “segments” of people, based on their interests, behaviors, or past purchases. 

For example, you might send a three-email “Welcome Sequence” to a first-time site visitor, an “Abandoned Cart Reminder Sequence” to customers who leave products in their virtual carts, or a “VIP Offer Sequence” as a thank you to your loyal, long-time customers. 

Some of the best email platforms on the market include:

• Mailchimp
• ConvertKit
• Klaviyo

Want to make sure your emails stay in line with your brand identity? Canva has an excellent email designer with thousands of high-quality templates to choose from! 

9. Partner with Influences and Affiliates

Word-of-mouth looks a little different than it used to. Today, it includes influencer marketing and affiliate partnerships. The idea here is tapping into someone else’s audience to get more eyes on your products.

Here are a few places to look for partners:

• TikTok or Instagram (try looking for niche creators in the same space as you)
• Affiliate networks like ShareASale, Awin, or Amazon Associates
• Your own customer base! After all, your happy customers will make the best advocates

Fees can vary with this style of marketing. If you’re a small brand, we recommend approaching “micro-influencers” for your first campaigns. Affiliates, on the other hand, will typically earn anywhere from 10% to 30% of each sale.

10. Track and Refine with Analytics 

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Unfortunately, the “set it and forget it” mindset doesn’t work so well with eCommerce marketing. For long-term success, you’ll have to continue tweaking and testing new strategies based on data from different sources:

• Bounce rate or time on site (Google Analytics)
• Email open and click-through rates
• Conversion rates by traffic source
• Best-selling products by channel

Metrics can be overwhelming, which is why the best approach for any independent business owner is to start with a single goal and work from there, such as improving conversion on a specific product page.

11. Have a Customer Service Strategy

Your customers will remember how you made them feel, not just what they bought. One of the main things that keeps customers coming back (and leaving glowing reviews) is a good experience. 

Here are a few things to keep on your customer service checklist: 

• Respond to questions in a timely manner (email, chat, DMs, anywhere you might be found)
• Be kind and transparent, no matter the comment or review
• Accept and integrate feedback to show customers you have their best interests
• Add thank-you notes or review requests in your product packaging

Start Simple and Scale

eCommerce marketing is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. You have to put in the time and research to determine what works for your brand. That’s why the best approach is to start small, test consistently, and continue building on the things that work.