{"id":1562,"date":"2021-06-20T19:41:17","date_gmt":"2021-06-21T02:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/?p=1562"},"modified":"2025-10-20T04:43:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T11:43:08","slug":"15-ecommerce-retail-marketing-blunders-to-avoid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.agiliron.com\/blog\/15-ecommerce-retail-marketing-blunders-to-avoid\/","title":{"rendered":"15 eCommerce & Retail Marketing Blunders to Avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your definitive guide on marketing tactics to avoid.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"YourSource<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

As a retail or eCommerce business, promoting your brand\u2019s services and products is no doubt at the top of your priority list.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are countless resources out there offering advice on how to market your business, but not many that tell you <\/span>what to avoid.<\/b><\/p>\n

Poor promotional strategies and bad marketing decisions can cost small to medium-sized businesses up to <\/span>$120,000 a year.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But by making the right promotional decisions and steering clear of these common eCommerce and retail marketing blunders, you will attract more loyal customers and see your profits soar.<\/span><\/p>\n

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1. Being broad or impersonal<\/b><\/h2>\n

Gone are the days when impersonal banner ads or one-size-fits-all marketing campaigns earned results. If you want to connect with your audience and stand out as an eCommerce or retail business owner, you need to take a personal approach to your marketing activities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Avoid sending out blanket emails, social media posts, videos, blog posts, or customer service communications<\/span>. <\/span><\/i>Get to know your target customers and reach out to them with messaging that offers genuine personal value.<\/span><\/p>\n

The solution? <\/b>Read our <\/span>guide to customer segmentation<\/span><\/a> and learn how to reach out to specific groups of customers with marketing materials that will increase engagement and earn sales.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. Thinking of your needs rather than your customers\u2019<\/b><\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re coming up with a marketing idea or creating a promotional email, <\/span>don\u2019t <\/span><\/i>think about yourself and your personal preferences. If you do that, your content will be meaningless to your audience, and you\u2019ll be wasting time and money in the process.<\/span><\/p>\n

Every marketing communication you make should have your customers\u2019 wants, needs, and preferences at heart. Place yourself in the shoes of your audience, and you will earn a solid return on investment (ROI) for your efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

The solution? <\/b>Create buyer personas<\/span><\/a> based on your model customers and use them to guide your marketing campaign content.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. Making your messaging too formal<\/b><\/h2>\n

Every retail or eCommerce brand will have a unique tone of voice<\/span>\u2014<\/span><\/i>yours is no exception. We know that a quirky sustainable shoe retailer might speak to a purveyor of formal dinner jacks, for example, but whatever you sell, you should avoid making your messaging too formal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Making your marketing communications overly format and technical (filled with industry-specific jargon) will make you sound less human while alienating most of your target audience. Don\u2019t do it.<\/span><\/p>\n

The solution? <\/b>Use plain, simple language as much as possible and read all of your marketing assets (emails, infographics, blog posts, video scripts, social media posts, etc.) out loud before signing them off. If they sound unnatural, go back and take another pass.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4.\u00a0 Separating your online channels<\/b><\/h2>\n

In the digital age, there are endless platforms and touchpoints for eCommerce and retail business owners to consider when it comes to marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n

While having a presence across as many different channels as possible can be a wise move, many people make the mistake of treating them as separate entities.<\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, a t-shirt brand might launch a \u201cshare your selfie\u201d competition on Instagram but fail to cross-promote it on Facebook, Twitter, and their website. This approach is not only inefficient but will restrict your commercial reach.<\/span><\/p>\n

The solution? <\/b>Work on omnichannel marketing campaigns that run smoothly across a mix of channels at the same time. These <\/span>omnichannel marketing examples<\/span><\/a> will help inspire your efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

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5. Getting your pricing wrong<\/b><\/h2>\n

Another common retail or eCommerce marketing mistake is getting your pricing wrong. If your pricing models are poor, your margins will suffer, and your marketing efforts will become less profitable. You will also restrict your opportunities for enticing customers with deals, offers, and discounts, as doing so will not return any financial rewards.<\/span><\/p>\n

The solution? <\/b>Work through our guide to <\/span>profit-boosting pricing strategies<\/span><\/a> for retail and eCommerce business owners.<\/span><\/p>\n

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6. Not taking advantage of holidays & market trends<\/b><\/h2>\n

Another big marketing blunder in the retail and eCommerce space is failing to research emerging industry trends and create marketing content to tap into the buzz and build awareness. Not preparing for big annual events like Valentine\u2019s Day, Halloween, and Christmas is also a huge mistake.<\/span><\/p>\n

The solution? <\/b>To avoid missing prime marketing opportunities, you should map out which annual events you\u2019re going to create campaigns for at the start of each quarter and add them to a shared calendar. You should also try <\/span>social listening<\/span><\/a> and use platforms like <\/span>Google Trends<\/span><\/a> to find out what people are talking about in your niche.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our step-by-step guide to trend marketing<\/a> will also help you develop marketing content that will build a buzz and put your brand on the map.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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7. Poor product merchandising<\/b><\/h2>\n

Whether you have a brick-and-mortar store, an eCommerce store<\/span>, or both, poor product placement and weak descriptions will result in less interest and fewer sales.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many retailers overlook the fact that almost everything you do boils down to marketing. It\u2019s not just the campaigns and promotional materials that count<\/span>. <\/span><\/i>The way you arrange and showcase your services or products matters, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

The solution? <\/b>Check out these handy resources to discover what to <\/span>do <\/b>when it comes to retail store innovation and online product page design:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n