The US fashion e-commerce industry has maintained a steep growth curve over the last four years. In 2013, apparel and accessories sales accounted for 17 percent of the total retail e-commerce sales in the US, and by 2016, it is predicted to become a 73 billion dollar market. The total revenues from the US fashion e-tail sector are expected to reach 86 billion dollars in 2018.
You cannot neglect your online audience to secure the lion’s share of the pie in this fast-growing industry. No wonder, from industry bigwigs to small luxury brands, all types of virtual fashion houses are striving to optimize their stores for new-generation consumers, who are social media savvy and essentially look into various online channels for inspiration.
The ‘optimum’ formula
Website optimization is all about enhancing your visibility among your target audience. As far as fashion sites are concerned, the task becomes doubly challenging for marketers, as they need to have an eye for fashion and a deep knowledge of digital marketing trends to push products in markets that seem to get altered every six months.
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Search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing (SMM) are pillars of any fashion website optimization strategy. However, before delving deeper into the subject of fashion site optimization, it is important to keep the following aspects of this niche industry in mind:
• Fashion industry is seasonal
• Creating a real-life experience is the key
• Trends change here regularly
• Fashion is in the eye of the beholder
Fashion SEO
As ironical as it may sound, the 19th-century author and poet Oscar Wilde’s famous statement – Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months – holds even to this day, which is why fashion store optimization becomes an overwhelming task for SEO companies. It takes time for websites to achieve organic ranking on the search engine results (SERP) page. Sometimes, it may take six months to feature on the SERP page. The reason is that fashion trends are extremely short-lived and are guided by seasonal needs, while SEO companies are expected to get your website ranked on the SERP page in less than three months. To rank on the first page of leading search engines – Google, Yahoo, and Bing – by winter this year, when people start searching for such keywords, companies must start their SEO works at least three months in advance. Given the unique nature of the industry, fashion SEO typically involves the following strategies for any given apparel category:
• In-depth analysis of trend data to be months ahead of the industry with their optimization activities
• A lot of brainstorming to zero in on the right keywords, with an ability to predict the coming season’s top silhouettes, colors, and product types
• Target season-specific keywords such as ‘Fall-winter fashion,’ ‘Milan Fashion Week 2015’, and so on.
• Reference to the fashion color report provided by Panton, the expert in color standardization
Bring In Real Life Experience
Online shopping is different from buying things in a brick-and-mortar store. We can see and feel fabrics for their color and texture in a real store or try clothes to check their fit. Fashion e-shops need to simulate these effects to present your product as realistically as you can. Recommend combinations to create a personalized look. For instance, if you deal with shades and glares, you can use the virtual try-on facility offered by some stores specializing in eyewear. The embedded software allows you to create a short video of your face and see how your chosen frame looks.
Optimize With Social Media
Reaching out to customers on social sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest can increase brand loyalty and sales. Take a leaf out of fashion stalwarts, including Burberry, Zara, and Victoria’s Secret, who capitalize on the 400 million Facebook users and more than 22 million Twitter users to create ripples in the cyber world.
Below are a few inspiring strategies that top social media marketing companies are employing to enhance the viability of fashion brands:
Tailor your message for different demographics: Luxury handbag brand Michael Kors’ Instagram page boasts a combination of luxe product and lifestyle shots, while its Pinterest albums include topics like ‘style icons,’ ‘Michael’s style tips,’ and ‘history of American style.’
Provide an interactive experience: Burberry, the luxury couture brand, unveils its collection on Twitter and Instagram before the runway.
Tell an inspiring story about your brand: Christian Dior tried this by creating a ‘Secret Garden – Versailles’ storyline, painting a luxurious picture of its new collection.
Use stunning visuals: Zara, which boasts 9,000 fans across its social channels, emphasizes sharing rich images of its latest collections, especially on Pinterest.
Provide real-time customer service: Jeans and casual wear bigwig Levi Strauss has mastered the art of providing customer service in real-time.
“The best color in the world is the one that looks good on you!” This statement holds particularly true of fashion e-commerce website optimization. When you are optimizing a fashion e-commerce store, make sure you offer uniquely personalized fashion solutions. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all dress in this world! Imperfect fashion sense is not about unthinkingly following trends but taking cues from them and tweaking them according to your looks and comfort to make a unique style statement.
