As diverse as the Philippine small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) and startup scenes are, one of the few things that all of the successful businesses have in common is their ability to garner positive customer engagement. This kind of engagement is different from the notoriety that we’ve come to see from many small brands as it not only increases a brand’s mindshare but does so in a way that translates into conversions and long-term business success. Here we’ll share a few time-tested best practices that should allow your e-commerce store to earn the online visibility and engagement it needs to succeed in its niche:
1) Use Well-Supported E-Commerce Platforms
While there may be a few exceptions, startups and SMEs aiming for maximum engagement should use popular e-commerce platforms instead of developing custom e-commerce solutions. Popular platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento provide near-endless customization as well as seamless integration with critical social media, customer relationship management (CRM), and online payment solutions that positively influence brand engagement.
Importantly, picking a popular technology framework gives you access to extensive plugin libraries that make it simple to get whatever extra functionality you need. For instance, if you’re on WooCommerce or Shopify you can get Maya Plugins that will let you integrate an online payments gateway into your online shop within minutes. Maya Plugins are the best online payment processing solution for smaller e-commerce operations, as they allow anyone to add Maya Checkout, one of Maya Business’s most popular internet payment solutions, to existing WooCommerce and Shopify stores. With unbeatable ease of use, they’re popular solutions for building a custom third-party payment gateway Shopify and WooCommerce stores in the Philippines need.
2) Make It Easy to Buy from Your Store
Adding unnecessary complications to your order process will not only bring down your sales but it might also decrease your engagement. Having fewer customers ultimately reduces your brand’s real-world presence and reduces the reviews, social media shares, and offline buzz that your products get. Together, this results in poorer social proof, which will make it even more difficult to secure future sales.
To streamline your checkout experience, first, make sure your online payment processing service is capable of handling payment types that are popular in the Philippine market, including e-wallets, virtual payment cards, and payments facilitated through the QR Ph standard. Second, consider offering a guest checkout option that won’t require visitors to create an account to buy items. Third, minimize the amount of form fields that visitors need to fill out to complete their purchase. Following these steps will not only serve to boost your sales but give you a bump in long-term engagement as well.
3) Avoid Cluttering Your Storefront
Chaotic web designs can overwhelm and confuse visitors, complicating purchases or leading them to bounce off your site. Maintain a clean, visually appealing, and organized layout that highlights your products or services. Use high-quality images and compelling product descriptions to entice customers. Create logical categories and filters to help customers navigate your site and quickly narrow down their choices.
4) Invest in SEO
If you trace a typical customer journey to its roots, there’s a good chance that it began with an online search. This makes search engine optimization (SEO) a powerful tool for increasing brand visibility and engagement.
While SEO is a complex field, you can still greatly boost your store’s visibility and engagement potential by following some of its basic principles. First, conduct keyword research to identify relevant search terms that your target audience is using. Incorporate these keywords strategically into your product titles, descriptions, and meta tags. Lastly, create valuable content that includes these keywords to start conversations and improve your site's search engine visibility.
5) Use Social Media to Your Advantage
Most Filipino consumers are regular users of at least one social media platform. By leveraging your social pages properly, you’ll be much better placed to expand your brand’s reach and engage with potential customers.
First, establish a strong presence on the platforms your buyers are most likely to use. For instance, if you’re targeting a more general audience, Facebook may be a good choice due to its immense popularity with a wide cross-section of Filipino users. For younger markets, you may want to consider TikTok, Instagram, or even Threads, as a potential avenue for increasing engagement and growing your brand. If you’re concentrating on B2B sales, try to maintain a consistent presence on LinkedIn. You can also try collaborations with relevant influencers to expand your footprint and create a buzz around your online store.
Your social media pages can also serve as an alternative sales channel to supplement your main e-commerce storefront. Maya Business solutions like Maya Payment Links and Maya Invoice Payments are all viable professional social media payment options that can work for a variety of business models.
6) Develop a Unique Brand
A unique brand identity will give people something to talk about, increasing your business’s mindshare and potentially gaining it a dedicated following. To start, define your business’s values, mission, and persona to create a focused brand image that customers could immediately understand. After that’s done, you can begin designing and selecting branding elements such as logos, color schemes, and typography to build recognition in your intended market. Lastly, try to create a compelling brand story that meshes with your branding elements and resonates with your target audience.
Drive Meaningful Engagement with Maya Business
Maya Business doesn’t just simplify your site’s checkout processes, it also makes it easy to convert online customer engagement into sales. With its wide selection of hassle-free online payment processing solutions, it’s no wonder that Maya is the preferred online payment processing company of dynamic Philippine-based SMEs. Create a Maya Business account today to integrate the Philippines’ favorite online payment platforms into your e-commerce storefronts.
After creating your Maya Business account, sign up for Maya 1-2-3 Grow. 1-2-3 Grow is an exclusive offer that lets you save on QR Ph payment processing with a 1% MDR (merchant discount rate) for 3 months, giving your startup or SME effortless savings. To unlock an extra month of 1% MDR, simply open a Maya Deposit account and use it as your Maya payment settlement account. Joining this promo also qualifies you for a no-collateral Flexi Loan offer of up to PHP 2 million in only 3 months. Ignite meaningful engagement that grows your business with Maya Business solutions.
