For businesses, some of the most powerful reasons behind the model’s allure are clear. When brands choose to sell direct to consumers via the internet, the decision can give the business much more control over — and responsibility for — the marketing and sales processes than when relying on traditional brick-and-mortar retailers. And when executed effectively, the model can also deliver increased revenues by cutting out the middleman.
Looking to ramp up revenues for your D2C outdoor brand, but not quite sure how to get there? Consider TBA Outdoors’ picks for the five top revenue drivers for D2C brands:
1. Optimized customer journey
By ensuring that potential customers receive the right brand messaging at each stage of the marketing funnel, your outdoor brand can much more effectively move these consumers along the path to purchase, helping create more conversions and increase brand revenues. Further, once you successfully attract interested consumers to your brand’s website, it’s imperative to ensure that they encounter minimal (and ideally no) friction along the path to purchase and can find all the information they need to complete their journeys. (For more details on optimizing your outdoor brand’s customer journey, check out this TBA Outdoors blog article.)
2. Great web design
According to WebFX, more than 90% of a brand’s first impressions with consumers are delivered via the brand’s website — and half of consumers feel that a company’s website design is an essential part of the business’s overall brand. So, beyond the frictionless website navigation discussed above, it’s critical to your online success that your outdoor brand’s website deliver an overall positive (and even exceptional) user experience. (For a deeper dive into how to make your e-commerce website more user-friendly, check out this TBA Outdoors blog article.)
3. Email marketing/automated drip campaigns
Research shows that email marketing delivers a return on investment of $36 on every $1 spent — making it the highest-performing of all types of marketing ROI. And by employing automated “drip campaigns” that send pre-composed email messages to consumers who take specific actions on your website, your brand can strategically move these prospects farther along the path to purchase — all with a minimal investment of time, effort and money. Harnessing these two powerful and budget-friendly marketing tactics can be one of the most effective ways to ramp up D2C e-commerce revenues. (Looking to get more out of your outdoor brand’s email marketing campaigns? This TBA Outdoors blog article offers five tips for increasing their effectiveness.)
4. Targeted media campaigns
By leveraging paid search, paid social and other modern paid media opportunities, your outdoor brand can reach more targeted consumer audiences than ever before — ones that match your ideal target demographics and, in many cases, have already expressed an interest in what you offer. And in many cases, doing so can also help you catch these consumers just as their interest in your brand’s products and/or services is at a high level … or even when they’re actively seeking out solutions just like yours. (For tips on maximizing the effectiveness of your brand’s efforts in these areas, check out this paid search article and this paid social article from TBA Outdoors’ sister agency Brandon.)
5. Customer loyalty incentives
Statistics show that recruiting new customers typically costs five times as much as keeping existing ones. And by effectively employing points programs, rewards programs and other customer loyalty initiatives, your outdoor brand can keep its best customers coming back, plus drive more purchases from them. But that’s not the end of the benefits that loyalty programs can deliver. They also offer your outdoor brand the opportunity to gather additional, valuable information on some of its best customers, including their interests, preferences and purchasing habits. All of this can help you strengthen your brand’s engagement with these consumers — and even move them farther along the path toward brand ambassadorship, making them an invaluable asset for your business. (Looking for other ways to elevate your outdoor brand’s customer loyalty? Read this article on the topic from our sister agency Brandon.)
Looking for help boosting your outdoor brand’s direct-to-consumer revenues? The marketing pros at TBA Outdoors are experts in all of the above-outlined tactics, plus plenty more. Whether you’re looking for help in areas ranging from analytics and creative to social media, e-commerce, public relations and more, our fully integrated marketing firm can deliver it — all in one place.
To explore how we can help your outdoor brand amplify the effectiveness of its D2C efforts and lots more, reach out to our team of marketing professionals today.