Table of Contents
Introduction
Organa has been selling various types of cosmetic products derived from organic sources. The unique features of the beauty products sold by the company have since long been accredited for being effective in offering a good facial outlook, without the risk of any harm to the skin because of chemical use. Moreover, the company also gives suggestions to its customers through its website so that they (customers) can obtain required information about the effective means of facial care and prevent damage to the skin caused by the use of synthetic cosmetics. Generally, e-commerce platforms are useful for digital marketing, which assists in the promotion of the products to a wide range of customers at low cost and market. Accordingly, it is also important to select a proper e-commerce platform, which can manage the website of Organa. Organa must choose a social media platform to reach the customers more readily at lower cost. The target market of Organa is supposed to comprise cosmopolitan women in the United Kingdom (UK), who belong to the age group of 24-40 years and who are wealthy, having less time to reach brick and mortar stores.
Research Aim
The aim of the research is framed after taking into consideration the objective of Organa pertaining to online marketing, as below:
- To determine the most appropriate e-commerce platform and social media channel so that it is possible for Organa to reach the target market effectively
Section 1: Website Development Recommendations
Brand, Market Sector and Audience
The brand selected in this paper is Organa Beauty Products. Brand refers to a distinct name given to a particular product so that the consumers can easily distinguish between the competitors. The use of appropriate logos refers to a particular strategy of branding used to give a product a distinct position in the market (B2B International, n.d.). The various brand names of Organa include cleanser solutions, skin care creams, sun care items, cream for mother and baby. Aeos, Kypris, Raw Halo, Lapis, and Kure Bazaar are the most popular brands of Organa. Elizabeth Dehn is a popular makeup remover and cleansing oil that is rich in organic Vitamin B, and maintains perfect moisture level of the skin, as manufactured and distributed by Organa. Pai Skin care and One love organics are the new brands of organic beauty items planned to be launched by Organa. Additionally, the branding strategies also focus on giving a glimpse of the various workshops and events on the online portal, which are organised by Organa.
The targeted location of Organa is the United Kingdom (UK). The market in the UK has an increasing trend towards the use of cosmetics and beauty items, which are made from organic items as tapped by the company. In the entire Europe, maximum demand of organic beauty is in the UK (Telegraph Media Group Limited, 2007). The preference of online shopping is evident in the UK market pertaining to cosmetics segment (A. T. Kearney, Inc, 2016). The audience of the e-commerce website will include cosmopolitan women in the UK who belong to the age group of 24 to 40 years. Moreover, Organa has adopted a niche marketing strategy that includes women who are wealthy and have strong preference for luxury, beauty, fashion and fitness. The e-commerce platform will enable the targeted audience to browse the organic cosmetics using smartphone and computers, and grow their awareness regarding the means of maintaining beauty.
Critique of the Website
The website provides a vast array of knowledge on the products and services of Organa, but the online portal seems to be arranged haphazardly. For instance, at the beginning insufficient information is provided on the Sachajuan Stockholm brand, and thereafter icons in the bottom of the website are provided, which give information about the company background, accessibility, press, career, contact, and privacy policy. Correspondingly, the prevalence of search options in the website is a positive aspect, which can be used to obtain information on any aspect as per the desire of the target audience.
Hypertext markup language (HTML) is generally used to design websites in a manner so that it is very easy for the user to understand the terms. HTML can be used to insert any video in an e-commerce page. For instance, Organa can put video advertising of its products, which will enable the cosmopolitan women to learn about the exclusive features of organic cosmetics. This will reduce the need to scroll down at various icons and read the features of the products more conveniently. Video advertising has proven to be quite effective in attracting the attention of the customers, especially when it is combined with music effects. It is possible to keep a provision of YouTube, Mydeo or Google video in the website by means of HTML. The video of experts giving recommendations to improve fairness can also prove highly convincing to the cosmopolitan women (StartupNation, LLC, 2007).
To be elaborated further, HTML can be used to design the website in such a manner that the target audience can make payments using reputed online sites, such as PayPal Express, which is observable in case of Organa. Stating precisely, HTML has been used to click on a different browser window without the need of leaving the existing page. This will enable the users to learn about the additional features of the products offered by Organa by clicking to the links. Moreover, the use of links will reduce the clumsiness of the website, which can be caused due to the presence of multiple pictures present on its online portal (StartupNation, LLC, 2007).
Javascript can also be used to make the website more effective for the potential customers and stakeholders of Organa. It will enable Organa to obtain feedback from the target audience through an icon, which can increase the conveniences of interaction between the customers and the customer care staff at Organa (Schifreen, n.d.). Organa’s website seems to be designed effectively using Javascript so that it is possible for the users to properly use the online portal. Javascript is also used to design mobile applications (Wei & Ryder, 2012). Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is another tool of website design. It enables the users having sight problems to have an enlarged view of the website. In case of Organa, there is no such provision to enlarge the icons present in the website (Schifreen, n.d.).
Back end Task of Designing an E-commerce Website and Digital Marketing
Essentially, e-commerce websites have to be designed in such a way so that the users can easily retrieve any type of information. Graphical user interface (GUI) is an important aspect, which refers to the proper presence of dialogs and toolbars in the websites. Toolbars and dialogs are features that enable the end user to select an option. In case of Organa, a clear and concise GUI will enable the users to retrieve details about the products and services offered by Organa at their convenience and simultaneously ensure the fulfilment of the digital marketing objectives. Context awareness is another important task of GUI wherein the minimum sized screen of the user’s computer is used for various purposes. Organa seems to adopt context awareness strategy, as various icons are present on the website (Zou et al., 2007).
The functionality of GUI also depends on the functionality of the navigational tools. In case of digital marketing platforms, the users must be easily switched over to the next options in case they click on an icon (Zou et al., 2007). The software, which is used to design the e-commerce portal, has to be effective too so that intended tasks can be performed effectively without any halt. For instance, customer relationship management (CRM) will be ensured in case the user is able to view the payment status once an order has been placed at the online portal. Organa, however, does not provide any such icon on its website, which will enable the user to know about the payment status. This will surely reduce the loyalty of the customers who will purchase products from Organa. The website does not provide any provision, which will display the prices of the beauty and wellbeing of the brands of Organa (Solovatsoft, n.d.). To uphold CRM, it is essential to take proper decisions pertaining to web hosting. Web hosting refers to the services of technical assistance, which are required so that the website is easily viewable on the internet. In case an external vendor provides the service, it is important to determine whether the web hosting service will enable many users to be on the web traffic of the e-commerce portals (GeoTrust, Inc, 2011).
Section 2: Digital Marketing Strategy
Google Analytics
The importance of Google Analytics is reflected through its ability to measure the effectiveness of a website on the basis of the determined number of users who have visited a particular website. It also enables to avail information about revenues earned from purchases made by customers using the e-commerce platform. Thus, Google Analytics has been useful in determining the return on investment (ROI) of an e-commerce platform (Google, 2017). The various types of metrics that can be used to determine the effectiveness of e-commerce platforms are bounces, bounce rates, entrances, events, new visits, return visits, unique event, time on page and percentage search refinements. In this context, bounce implies the number of visits made by the users wherein only one page is viewed. It depends on whether the user has obtained all the desired information on a particular web page (Omidvar et al., 2011; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.). Bounce rate is accordingly obtained by converting the total amount of bounces as a percentage of total visits. A high bounce rate indicates that the web page has been designed ineffectively. The bounce rate can later also be used by Organa to sort whether flaws exist in the content of the webpage or its design (Hasan et al., 2009).
Correspondingly, entrances represent the total number of visits that can be attributed to a particular webpage or even a group of pages. In case entrance is observed to be high, it is considered that the users had a positive intention to use that page. It is principally because at often instances it has been observed that the users enter that page by error, without the intention to view it. Hence, they also leave as abruptly as they enter and thus, they are more unlikely to view the content of that particular page. Event, in the similar context, refers to the metrics used in Google Analytics to determine whether a user has performed certain actions on the webpage. For instance, one can play videos or click on the hyper links or images available on the webpage. Downloads can also be considered as a part of the event. High event hit depicts that users of e-commerce sites (such as of Organa) are interested or quite anxious to obtain information about the features of the webpage (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.).
The total number of visits to a particular page is accordingly measured by page hit metrics or page tracking. Page hit however does not indicate whether the users are satisfied with the page content (Google, 2017a). Exits, on the other hand, indicate the extent to which the visit to an e-commerce portal made the user to quit after viewing a page or a group of pages. As commonly perceived, the number of exits pertaining to a page is high when the content or design is not satisfactory. Organa therefore must develop the webpage in a way which reduces chances of hasty exits from a page in its website. New visits are the other important metrics of Google Analytics, which enables better access to information regarding fresh visits to a particular page during a determined period of interval. High rate of new visits indicates that Organa has gained fame due to offering quality feedback services to its existing customers along with the desired branded beauty items. In the same manner, return visits determine the rate at which the existing customers tend to browse a page at a specified interval, wherein a high rate of return visit indicates the prevalence of good customer loyalty (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.).
Time on page is a metric used in Google Analytics to determine the extent to which a user spends time on a webpage. Generally, high time on a page represents good perceptions of the users regarding the e-commerce site. Percentage search refinements however refer to the repeated internet searches made by a user while using a particular website. High value of the metrics also indicates that the e-commerce sites are not satisfactory (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.). Order conversion rate is a metric of Google Analytics the measures the rate at which customers have placed orders after visiting a particular webpage. High value of this metrics is considered to be an assurance of optimal ROI to Organa (Hasan et al., 2009).
Social Media Usage
People use social media to discuss various aspects of negotiations in a wide assortment of topics. As it works to be a hub centre for potential customers and stakeholders, organisations use it to give consumers better knowledge of the product, with the intent of simultaneously influencing their purchase behaviour. The website or the social media page must serve the purpose of customer relationship management (CRM). It assists the consumers in learning about their queries and enables the organisations to build a strong base of informed loyal consumers (Malthouse et al., 2013). In addition, Organa can create a Facebook page and accordingly try to increase the number of visitors. For instance, the Facebook page can be used by the consumers to render their necessary feedback on the products and services of Organa. Accordingly, initiatives can be taken so that possible improvements can be brought in the product. Facebook pages can also be used for the purpose of personalised interaction with the customers by means of the chat options inbuilt in the domain, which will act towards mitigating the degree of reluctance observed amid the customers to enter into conversation with Organa, as open to the public (The State of Queensland, 2017).
The number of ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ will further enable Organa to obtain information about its overall competitive positioning in the market of organic beauty products. Consumers often discuss about the unique features of the competitors’ products on the ‘comments’ section available on Facebook. This will help Organa to narrow down and develop strategies so that it can offer products which are better than its competitors and available substitutes. Moreover, Organa can create a section on its Facebook page which will enable the users to give their suggestions and views on the e-commerce website to help the company align its marketing strategies with the needs if the customers. One of the basic advantages of Facebook advertising is its effectiveness to host video ads and slideshows on a repeated basis and at a large scale. Video ads can be quite useful in successfully influencing the consumers with the use of dramatic effects. Slideshows also enable the consumers to obtain adequate information and understanding about the products’ features within a short time frame and at their convenience by viewing the product features in the form of presentation (The State of Queensland, 2017).
Besides, banner ads are quite prevalent in case of Facebook advertising. In this case, a link of the advertisement is provided in the form of pop-ups in personal Facebook page of the consumers. Thereafter, the consumers can click on the link and view the details of the beauty and well being products offered by Organa. Banner ads reduce the irritation of consumers, which is caused in case the advertisements occupy the entire Facebook page. Organa can also slowly create a group that consists of customers who are well aware of the organisation. Correspondingly, the necessary updates can be given on the Facebook page pertaining to the arrival of new products and services by Organa. Organa can also tag the ongoing updates to the Facebook pages of the existing customers (Curran et al., 2011). Suggestive though, if the internal team of Organa lacks adequate effectiveness in designing a proper Facebook page, it is important to delegate the responsibility to an external digital marketing organisation.
Twitter can also be considered as an important tool of social media marketing for Organa. Twitter can used to avail information about the responses of the customers pertaining to a particular tweet by the organisation. Organa can also upload the videos that depict its product on YouTube, and study the number of likes received, which will indicate the nature of the consumers and subsequently imply their purchase behaviour. WhatsApp is another social media platform which can be useful in distributing information through long text messages, videos and pictures to the customers (Burn-Callander, 2015; Curran et al., 2011a).
Plan of Digital Marketing Strategy
The digital marketing strategy of Organa is intended to help increase the base of loyal customers within a short time frame and in a cost effective manner. It includes marketing by means of both online portal as well as social media platforms. Suggestively, online website of Organa has to be focused on displaying exclusive features of the beauty and well being brands at lower cost. On the other hand, social media marketing focuses on convincing the customers by offering them updated information about the products and services on social platforms, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and YouTube. The objective of the digital marketing strategies can be classified as short, medium and long-term. In short-term, the digital marketing strategies are used to create awareness of Organa and its products. For instance, Facebook is used to make the consumers aware that Organa provides exclusive beauty products sourced from organic elements, whereby in the short run, the objective should be to build customer loyalty and the brand’s image, which would ensure sustainability of the brand in the long run. In the medium run, Organa should attempt to create demand among the cosmopolitan women to purchase the products offered by Organa, stressing on the expected benefits and uniqueness to help reduce substitution effects and expand the market share. Offering discounts on certain products and conducting personal interactions with the customers can be of great help in this regard. In the long run, the focus will be to increase revenue earnings in a consistent manner, which will provide capital to Organa to expand its business further. In the long term, the digital marketing strategies will aim to create a larger base of loyal customers as well, through continuous interactions on social media and promotional offers on each purchase made.
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Conclusion
Organa is associated with the sale of beauty and wellbeing products to its targeted cosmopolitan women of the UK belonging to the age group of 24 to 40 years. The products are intended to be sold by means of e-commerce website. It is thus recommended that HTML can be used to create a link in the website of Organa so that consumers can move to another page by clicking on a link present in the existing page. Javascript can accordingly be used to make mobile applications and CSS can also be used, which provides an option of enlarging the icons for better visibility. The effective use of GUI also must be conducted so that the users can easily include the e-commerce website. Google Analytics can be used as well to measure the effectiveness of the website in attracting customers. In addition, it is also suggested that Organa can use Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and YouTube to increase brand loyalty by means of social media marketing.
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