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Julien Mamalian
After an exciting 5 years of designing and optimizing Shopify sites for well-known French startups, I launched Bloggle.
Peter Drucker once enlightened us with a simple truth: "The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself." This is the essence of what your Shopify blog can achieve—creating that perfect fit between what you offer and what your customers seek.
Your blog has the potential to be more than a collection of articles; it can be a vibrant, engaging space that turns visitors into fans and browsers into buyers. Every post is an opportunity to showcase your products in a way that resonates, connects, and, most importantly, converts.
Join us as we unlock the strategies that transform your words into a welcoming beacon for your online store, guiding your readers from interest to purchase with ease and flair.
The success of your Shopify blog in terms of conversion hinges on your ability to select keywords that resonate with shoppers at the point of purchase. Keywords with a transactional intent are powerful because they align with the shopper's immediate desire to make a purchase. These are the words people type into search engines when they have their credit card at hand, ready to act on their buying impulse.
Top-of-funnel keywords tend to have high search volumes but low conversion rates (i.e., “keyword research,” which has 5,700 monthly searches). While Bottom-of-funnel keywords are extremely high-ROI, but their search volumes are much lower (i.e., “best keyword research tool,” which has 800 monthly searches) (source)
For instance, a customer searching "best running shoes for marathons" is probably not just curious — they're gearing up to buy. Their search is specific, targeted, and with a clear end in mind: they want the best, and they're ready to act on that desire. Compare this to a more general query like "how long is a marathon," where the searcher's intent isn't as clear-cut. They might be early in the buying cycle, still in the process of gathering information.
This distinction is crucial when it comes to your blog. You want to attract the first type of searcher — the one who's ready to make a decision. That's where keyword tools come into play. Apps like SEMRush, Ahrefs, and others like them give you numbers. They also give you a window into the minds of your potential customers. They help you see beyond the search bar and into the thought process that drives a search query.
Using this knowledge, you can create content that is not only rich in keywords but also rich in context, and by extension, usefulness. Understanding the intent behind the user’s search helps you build that context. Just filling the content with keywords does no good. A blog post that ranks high for “best running shoes for marathon” should go beyond just listing products. It should also fill the user with trust about your brand’s quality and commitment to provide the best product for the user.
It is always good to answer a few questions while thinking about conversion. Are you helping the reader make an informed decision? Are you addressing their concerns and hesitations? Your content should serve as the final nudge for someone who's on the fence about a purchase.
Each blog post is an opportunity to showcase your expertise, to build trust with your reader, and to gently guide them towards the checkout. When you focus on providing value through your content, the sales will follow. By marrying transactional intent with genuinely useful content, you'll see your Shopify blog's conversion rate start to climb. And that's the real measure of success: content that doesn't just attract eyes but attracts wallets, too.
Imagine a landing page on a blog post that's raving about an innovative product on the product page. You're intrigued, but there's just a tiny, blurry photo accompanying the article. Your excitement wanes, and you navigate away, unconvinced. This scenario is precisely what you want to avoid on your Shopify blog.
Visuals are a cornerstone of online shopping – they can compel a visitor to become a customer or cause them to lose interest. When someone reads your blog, they're often in the early stages of the buying process, gathering information. By providing high-quality images, you cater to these potential customers by giving them a clear, detailed look at your products. Shopify's data underscores the importance of visuals: over a third of customers want multiple photos, and the majority seek out images that provide a comprehensive view. These visuals fulfill a critical role in the online shopping experience, simulating the in-store experience where customers can pick up a product and examine it from all angles.
But why does this work? High-quality images reduce the ambiguity and risk associated with online shopping. Customers can't touch or try your products, so detailed images are the next best thing. They provide a sense of certainty and reduce purchase anxiety, directly contributing to a higher Shopify conversion rate. Your Shopify blog should serve as a visual portfolio of your offerings, enticing readers with crisp, attractive product photography that begs for a closer look.
Pro Tip: When you post these images, remember to tag them appropriately. Use clear, descriptive file names and alt text that includes the product name and relevant keywords. This doesn't just help with SEO; it ensures that if the images are shared or saved, they carry your product names with them, increasing brand visibility and recognition.
A newsletter is a key touchpoint for your Shopify store—it keeps your brand in the mind of your customers and encourages repeat visits. By adding a sign-up form directly to your Shopify blog, you're tapping into an audience already interested in what you have to offer. Make it straightforward for readers to subscribe, and you’ve got a direct channel to nurture those leads.
Integrations of Bloggle with tools like Klaviyo helops enable this. It makes it incredibly easy for the blog visitors to start receiving newsletters from you. Klaviyo lets you personalize email marketing campaigns that uses customer data to give you the content based on the customer. When you do this, you ensure that you are not shooting in the dark, you are sending content that matters to the customer. Thus, you are using content that is likely to increase conversions.
This strategy is effective because it’s proactive. You’re not waiting for customers to return; you're reaching out, reminding them of your presence, and providing value. This consistent engagement can lead to conversion rate optimization (CRO) because each email is a prompt, nudging them back to your Shopify store with content and offers that align with their interests. This is slightly different from nudging through social media where hundreds of brands are competing for the user’s attention.
Pro Tip: To encourage sign-ups, be transparent about the benefits: access to exclusive deals, insider tips, or first looks at new products. Make the value proposition clear and enticing, and place the form where it naturally catches attention without interrupting the reading experience.
Customer testimonials are social proof, a psychological phenomenon where people conform to the actions of others under the assumption that those actions reflect the correct behavior. For your Shopify store, this means when potential customers see positive feedback from their peers, they're more likely to trust your brand and make a purchase.
Incorporating customer testimonials on your blog can directly influence the decision-making process. Video testimonials, in fact, have been shown to boost conversion rates by up to 32% (source). It's one thing for you to tout the greatness of your products, but it's infinitely more convincing when that praise comes from fellow customers. Their stories and experiences add a layer of trust and authenticity that can't be achieved through traditional marketing alone.
The effectiveness of testimonials lies in their ability to resonate with potential customers. They see real people making real purchases and enjoying the benefits of your products. This relatability can be the push a reader to add to cart, thus increasing the average order value. Testimonials also help reduce cart abandonment, besides offering a guest checkout option. Positive customer reviews in the product page can speed up the checkout process and lessen abandoned carts.
Pro Tip: Placement of the testimonials is key. Place them next to related content where they can have the most impact. If you have a blog post reviewing a specific product, position a testimonial from a customer who's had a positive experience with that product nearby. Or if a testimonial is about a customer finding the product fairly priced (or a steal), placing it near the pricing makes the most sense to maximize conversion. Make sure these testimonials are easy to read and visually distinct from the rest of the content to draw the reader’s eye.
Putting up banners about your latest deals right on your blog does something pretty simple yet effective: it grabs your readers' attention. You're giving them the scoop on the best deals without making them search for it. It's convenient for them, and smart for you. If someone is already reading about the best DSLR cameras on your blog, and they spot a banner offering a discount on camera gear besides the product description, that's a win-win. They're in the right mindset, and the deal is right there.
So, why is this approach so effective? It boils down to one thing: relevance. Your reader is already interested – they're on your blog, engaging with your content. A banner with a related promotion doesn't just sell to them; it provides them with value exactly when they're most likely to want it.
For the best results, these banners should be designed cleanly and placed strategically. You want them to be noticeable without being disruptive, complementing your blog's content rather than overpowering it.
Pro Tip: Keep your banners straightforward and current. Use simple, direct language like "Save 25% on camera bags this weekend." And don't forget to look at which banners are converting and why. Is it the placement, the product, or the deal itself? Use this info to make your next promotion even more effective.
Implementing targeted popup campaigns on your Shopify blog can be a real game-changer for boosting conversions. When done right, popups can provide just the right push your readers need to take action, like grabbing a special discount or signing up for a newsletter. The key here is to ensure these popups are relevant to the content your readers are viewing and to their interests.
Why does this work so effectively? It's all about timing and relevance. If a reader is spending time on a blog post about outdoor hiking gear, a popup offering a discount on hiking boots can be the nudge they need to make a purchase. This strategy leverages the reader's existing interest, making the popup feel less like an intrusion and more like a helpful suggestion.
However, it’s crucial to use popups judiciously. Overdoing it can frustrate readers and have the opposite effect. The popup should enhance the user experience, not hinder it.
Pro Tip: Personalize your popups as much as possible. Utilize tools like Wisepops to customize popups based on what the reader is browsing. This could mean different popups for different blog categories, making each popup feel tailored and personal. Also, consider the timing of your popups – maybe trigger them when a reader has spent a certain amount of time on a page, indicating their interest in the content.
We all love a good video. They're like the perfect break in the middle of a text-heavy blog post. That's why adding videos to your Shopify blog can really turn things up a notch. Imagine you're selling kitchen gadgets, and you've got this cool blog post about 5-minute recipes. Now, pop in a video of someone actually using your gadget to whip up a dish in real-time. It's not just telling, it's showing - and in the online world, seeing is believing (and buying).
Here's why videos are such a win: people stick around to watch them. It's like when you're scrolling through your phone, and you get sucked into a cooking video before you know it, ten minutes have passed. That's the kind of stickiness you want on your blog. More time spent on your page could lead to a better ranking on search engines, and it gives readers more time to get convinced about your products.
Videos also have this way of making things clear and easy to understand. It's one thing to read about how great a blender is, but seeing it crush ice in seconds? That's convincing stuff right there. It adds this layer of trust because the product is no longer just a picture or a description; it’s something real and tangible.
Pro Tip: When adding videos, think about what makes you click on a video when you're browsing. Keep them short and snappy, especially if they're part of a larger blog post. You want to pique interest, not test patience. And add captions. Not everyone hear audio on loud all the time, so captions make sure your message gets across, loud and clear, even on mute.
Adding a chat bubble to your Shopify blog, besides providing customer service, is about creating a direct line of communication with your readers. When someone is browsing through your blog and has a question or needs more information, a chat bubble is right there, ready to help. It's like having a sales assistant on standby, but without the pressure of a face-to-face interaction.
The reason this tool is so effective in boosting conversion rates is its immediacy. People appreciate quick responses. If they're curious about a product mentioned in your blog and can get their questions answered right away, they're more likely to make a purchase. It removes barriers, making the path from interest to purchase smoother and quicker.
This feature also personalizes the reader's experience. It shows that you're not just throwing content out there and hoping for the best; you're actively engaging with your audience and addressing their needs in real time.
Pro Tip: Make sure your chat responses are helpful and to the point. No one likes to be left hanging with vague answers. If possible, use a live person to manage the chat. Automated responses can help, but a real human touch can make a big difference in providing that extra level of service that leads to a sale.
Running A/B tests on your Shopify blog is like conducting a science experiment where your sales are the subject. It's all about figuring out what works best. By testing different elements, like the headings, images, or even the color of your call-to-action buttons, you can see what resonates most with your audience. This isn't about guessing what looks good; it’s about hard data telling you what drives conversions.
Why is A/B testing crucial? Because sometimes, small changes can make a big difference. Maybe a certain type of headline grabs more attention, or a specific image prompts more clicks. By comparing different versions of the same element, you can zero in on what makes your readers tick - and click. Companies know this and reports suggest that 44% of businesses use A/B testing tools (SessionCam).
The magic really happens when you optimize the above-the-fold area - that's the part of your blog visitors see first without scrolling. So this is front and center for a reader. If you nail this part with a winning combination of headline and image, you've already won half the battle either in making a sale or CTA or keeping your reader engaged.
Pro Tip: When you run A/B tests, change one element at a time. If you tweak the headline and the image at the same time, you won’t know which one made the difference. And be patient; give each test enough time to gather meaningful data. Rushing might lead you to the wrong conclusions.
Nobody likes to wait, especially online. If your Shopify blog is taking its sweet time to load, chances are the bounce rate will increase and users leave before you have a chance to convince them to stay. A quick-loading blog is like an open door, inviting visitors in before they reconsider their visit.
The reality is, every extra second your blog takes to load can hurt your chances of keeping a reader's attention. It’s not just about making a good impression; it’s about respect for your reader's time. Plus, search engines love speedy sites and are more likely to rank them higher, which can bring more eyes to your content.
Getting your blog to load faster might involve compressing those heavy image files, cleaning up the code, or even chatting with your web host about what can be done on their end. It’s about finding and fixing the bottlenecks that slow down your site.
Pro Tip: Don’t guess what's slowing down your site. Use tools like Google's PageSpeed Insights. It’s like having a mechanic tell you exactly what’s wrong with your car and how to fix it. Small changes, like optimizing images or reducing redirects, can make a big difference.
This is a very effective and smart strategy. You know how sometimes you're browsing online, and one thing leads to another, and suddenly you’ve spent an hour reading about things you didn’t even know you were interested in? That’s the power of well-placed internal links. It creates a flow that keeps readers on your site longer.
How does that help get conversion? When your readers stick around on your site because they’re hopping from one post to another, they’re getting to know your brand better. When they start browsing something and end up on a completely different page, they are interacting with your brand, they are getting to know the brand more closely. That’s what internal links do — they build a connection between your reader and your brand.
Internal linking has to make sense though. You can’t just throw in internal links without giving it a thought and careful consideration. If someone's reading about the latest fashion trends, link them to your post about styling tips, not something offbeat like pet care (unless it’s fashion for pets, then you’re on to something).
Pro Tip: Keep an eye on which metric is working. Check your site’s Google analytics to see which links get the most love. Are people clicking more on product links or additional blog posts? Use this info to tailor your internal linking strategy. It’s a bit like reading the room and knowing what topics are hot.
You've just armed yourself with some solid strategies to elevate your Shopify blog into a conversion-driving powerhouse. Remember, you have to draw traffic but you also have to make the traffic count. Each of these tips is a step towards turning casual readers into committed customers for your ecommerce store.
The experience you create is going to matter for your ecommerce business. Whether it’s through captivating visuals, engaging videos, smart internal links, or helpful chat support, you're building a journey for your reader. A journey that, ideally, ends with a satisfying click on the 'Buy' button.
So, take these insights and put them into action. Test, tweak, and refine. Keep what works, and don’t be afraid to ditch what doesn’t. Your Shopify blog is an integral part of your store’s success story.
Go ahead, make those conversions happen!
After an exciting 5 years of designing and optimizing Shopify sites for well-known French startups, I launched Bloggle. Our mission? To assist merchants worldwide in crafting compelling articles that rank high in SEO and truly engage their audience. In just 3 years, over 2,000 clients have trusted us, publishing more than 55,000 articles through Bloggle. Thanks to them, I’ve learned the keys to success and the pitfalls to avoid
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