eCommerce Storytelling: connect with customers and increase sales

Whether you’re a salesperson looking for the best sales techniques or studying how to improve the marketing messages for your eCommerce business, you’ve heard of storytelling.

The term has many definitions depending on the context in which it is used, but it is certainly a powerful tool in a salesperson’s hands. It is used regularly in advertising, in-store promotions, and even on product pages.

In the course of this short guide, you will learn about the definition of story, how it is used in the digital world, the benefits of storytelling, and finally, some tips on how to use storytelling in your website to quickly increase your sales.

Let’s begin this journey with a question: what is eCommerce storytelling?

Introduction to eCommerce storytelling

Storytelling in e-commerce is a very powerful tool to persuade your customers to make a purchase and to create an emotional bond with the product, the brand, and/or the store.

A part of human nature, the part that loves stories, is at the heart of this strategy. Since the beginning, we told stories for their lessons and messages to the next generation.

It is not surprising, then, that stories have been a fundamental part of our view of and interaction with the world. The same goes for the marketing world.

Think of the ads you see on TV or on TikTok. Rarely do they tell you “Product X is great for doing Y”. Instead, they tell the story of a person, the right story to demonstrate why it is important for your everyday life to use this product or service.

As strange as it seems, when a positive experience is linked to the authenticity of a brand’s narrative, not only does this type of product or service promotion instantly resonate with the customer’s desire for similar emotions, but it is also much more memorable than a straightforward and sterile ad.

Storytelling, in simple terms, is about creating an emotional response to a product so that the product is more firmly established in the reader’s mind. But how can this be applied online?

What is digital storytelling?

When it comes to eCommerce storytelling, the same rules of traditional storytelling apply, but with extra advantages.

Compared to classic buying and selling, the web provides us with several tools that come in particularly handy for eCommerce.

These include:

• Multiple channels – A story can be told in a thousand different ways: it can be contained in a blog article, on a YouTube or Tiktok video, on a product sales page, in a newsletter, in a post-pill on LinkedIn, in a carousel of images on Instagram, and more.
• Access to data – A traditional advertising campaign, which includes advertising in media such as television, radio, and billboards, requires a significant up-front investment of money and then a long wait for results. In most cases, you have to wait months before you see the results of your strategy. Online, it’s the other way around: Thanks to the analytics tools built into CMS like WordPress and WooCommerce, or the data provided by Google Analytics, you can know immediately whether your story is working or not.
• Interactivity – The best stories are the ones told by your consumers. It is no coincidence that one of the most powerful sales tools is reviews and testimonials. They’re featured on the most successful selling sites for a reason. Similarly, allowing people to interact with your brand and tell their stories will not only help you improve your image and authority but will also provide numerous insights into how to build a story that is close to your target audience at an emotional level.

Let’s take a specific example on this last point: Furbo is a brand of interactive cameras for pets. This brand, in addition to communicating its mission to customers, talking about the love of dogs and thousands of animals rescued, uses customer reviews.

Especially those that tell a story. Most customers are not attracted by big words like “360-degree” or “FULL HUD” (as important as they are to integrate), but have a need and are looking for a product that meets it.

For example, one of the most common needs is the stress of having to leave your pet at home alone for long periods (e.g. due to work). Reading a story about Katie, Mila’s owner, who assisted her upset dog thanks to the interactive camera, the customer may think, “I can be the hero of this story too”.

The impact of brand storytelling

In addition to helping you immediately with sales, storytelling has a very strong impact on the perception of your brand and its diversification from the competition. Here are some aspects influenced by good storytelling skills.

• Memorability – One of the most important aspects, in online sales, is to stand out from the crowd. A brand with a good ability to tell the story of its products or services will certainly catch the eye and remain in the minds of customers compared to companies that do not adopt similar strategies.
• Emotional connections – As we mentioned earlier, emotional engagement is great for standing out from the competition. In particular, this engagement can also occur through the brand story. Taking up the example from earlier, Furbo in its story shows interest in animal welfare as the impetus behind the development of the devices. This, in addition to bringing customers closer together, also leverages the Principle and Belonging principle, pushing toward a purchase that confirms the same desire and brand values on the part of the user.
• SEO – As much as this aspect is extremely more pragmatic than those seen above, it is clear how using storytelling on your site can help index your products in search engines. Writing a story, in fact, can make use of all the keywords searched for most by customers, while at the same time creating quality, high-value text.

Then there are other impacts, but between these and the benefits we have seen above, it is not difficult to see the potential behind a good story for your business.

Benefits of Storytelling in eCommerce

We have previously seen some of the benefits that storytelling can bring to your e-Commerce, but let’s study this aspect more closely. Among these we can find:

• Sharing on social media – It is much easier for a story to have the power of “cross-media,” that is, it can go out of your site and reach social networks through customer sharing. This is even more so in case you tell a story that is funny, interesting, moving, informative, and you name it. Use the emotional language and let that drag your products behind it.
• Increased customer value – An engaged customer is a customer who is more likely to return to your e-Commerce, buy more products, and share their experience with others. Giving value to this feedback is very important to cement this trust, and a mission or value proposition that is easily reflected will help you build a vibrant and growing community.
• Image Enhancement – The purpose of an e-Commerce is to sell. You know it, I know it, and even the average customer knows it. But the latter doesn’t want to be aware of it, which is why a less direct approach through a story can help you differentiate yourself from the competition and, likewise, create a bond with the customer. Furbo doesn’t want to sell you a camera, it wants to help your dog and your peace of mind. This message is carried forward not only by the words on the site, but also by the features included in the camera, such as the ability to save videos so you can watch them again at night when you get home.

Overall, we could say that storytelling helps your sales, increases customer loyalty, gives you a leg up on the competition, and inspires potential customers to trust your brand. Let’s see where to apply this marketing tool.

How and where does storytelling increase sales?

A good story must also have the perfect stage. Telling a story in an inappropriate context can only hurt your efforts if you intend to drive sales.

So, what are the best places to tell the story of your product or brand?

Homepage and company mission

There are two moments when potential customers are most interested in your business: when they enter your website and when they are actively searching for information about your business. This is why you have to make sure your homepage and “About us” page reflect your branding vision and purpose.

Of course, the same story will have to be told in quite different ways on these two pages: on the homepage, for example, you will have to be careful not to divert attention away from your products or other CTAs (Call to Action).

So how to do it? Pick one option and aim all so that, experimenting and changing over time. Some companies offer an introductory video, others focus on a slogan that contains “the why” behind your business.

Testimonials can also be a way to tell the story of your company’s success and values.

Speaking of the dedicated page, however, here you will have plenty of space to tell your brand story in detail. Add a timeline, testimonials, photos and staff names, specify your mission, and how you stand out from other eCommerce businesses.

Product pages and descriptions

If your brand storytelling primarily finds its place in the pages we saw above (although your mission will peep out just about everywhere), it is important to offer stories tailored to your products.

Here, on the pages dedicated to it, you must offer an introduction that strikes from the first words, using narrative elements that you know consumers care about. For example, a lemon sorbet will be more appealing to the consumer if the first few words of the description are a trip to the Sicilian coast.

Similarly, when talking about how to use the product, don’t be graceless, paint a picture. The average consumer does not want to know that the sorbet should be served cold or that it contains added sugar. He or she wants to feel the summer heat and the immediate relief of the first teaspoon of sorbet melting on the tongue.

Typically, the story follows the pattern of problem solved with the product > features > customer benefits.

The story is told not only with words, but also with compelling imagery. It shows the scenarios in which the product is dropped, not just the box.

Blogs and email campaigns

Given their nature, don’t forget the power of old but still essential tools like newsletters and blog articles.

Here you can tell stories, experiences, share the manufacturing process, present brand ambassadors, invite participation, and engage consumers.

The target audience wants to learn about the process and want to become a part of it, in a world where we increasingly seek to be protagonists in the stories we hear.

Here too, images play a key role.

Practical tips for effective storytelling

In conclusion, here are some tips we can give you for effective storytelling:

• Take advantage of first words – The attention threshold of consumers is extremely low, which is why the first words, of any text, are the most important to keep the reader’s interest high.
• Look for uniqueness – Not only is the story important, but also how the story is told. Think of RedBull ads: beyond a powerful slogan, “RedBull gives you wings,” the stories are always told the same way and are instantly recognizable.
• Aim for emotional connections – The best way to make a connection with the customer is to engage them from an emotional level.
• Leverage the art of storytelling – Although commercial storytelling is different from telling a children’s tale, there are universal elements, such as exposing a conflict and its resolution.
• Push toward an action – The story can end by demanding an action from the customer, whether it is a comment, a share, a purchase, a registration…
• Experiment and train – Storytelling is a vast world, and the only way to get the most out of it is to train on it.

Conclusion

Every store and every product hides a story behind it. Learn what your eCommerce company has to tell new customers, create your brand story and develop stronger relationships with a deeper connection with your loyal customer base. Eventually, you can decide on the ending, making sure it’s a happy ending for your sales!