Some may argue that television and online platforms have a negative impact on print media like newspapers, magazines, books and comics. However, this assumption has never been so far from the truth. The allure of holding that first edition comic book and feeling the pages of paper will never fade.
Digital platforms play an important role in spreading the availability of products like comics, and stores should implement different strategies for a more recognized online presence. Stores have become somewhat redundant with the advancement of online sales, and creating a good store where customers can browse at their own pace is the main goal of an online store.
Customers usually prefer a hard copy of their favorite comic, but these days they’d rather search for it online than visit a store in town. This is why working on your online presence is essential.
There are a few strategies that online comic book stores can implement to help them rank well in search engines. These include:
- Improve SEO
SEO is crucial for the success of a website. Without optimizing the on-page and off-page factors of your website, you run the risk of poor rankings. On-page and off-page optimization techniques may include, but are not limited to:
On the page:
- Content optimization: Update metadata, title tags or write blog content.
- Internal link: Set up internal links between relevant pages
- Mobile friendliness: Create a mobile version of your website.
- Schema markup: Create a snippet that shows up in search results.
- Loading speed: Check the loading speed of your website.
off page
- Link building: Create quality links to your website.
- Social Media Marketing: marketing on social platforms
- Influencer Marketing: marketing with the help of online influencers
Find reliable SEO Partners that offer white label SEO packages or services is key to the success of your comic book store’s online presence.
- Optimize your presence on social networks
Social media is a tool that many marketers use to promote services and products. People tend to browse their social media accounts for hours. This allows brands to extend their reach to a wide audience.
Online platforms make online marketing easier for comic book stores. Social media marketing techniques include:
- Scheduled announcements
- Publication Information
- Share relevant content
- Launch cross-channel campaigns
Social media plays an important role in delivering traffic to a website and helps build trust. Try setting up a social media marketing campaign to help your comic book store.
- Use business listings
Listed business directories and their contact information are a quick and efficient way for potential customers to find the store they are looking for online. These directories might charge a small fee for website maintenance.
It is also beneficial to create a Google My Business account to help you showcase your comic book store information at a glance. Google My Business is a great way to help you with your online marketing efforts.
- Invest in creator ads
Graphic design has become a booming business for online advertisements and marketing. A well-designed visual representation could boost the image of an online store and improve its ranking as more and more visitors visit the site.
Hiring a professional to design the logo, images, and other photos can have a high upfront cost, depending on who you commission. However, good impressions last and effective marketing visuals are always worth it in the long run.
- Have multiple online payment options
Customers don’t like checkout-only options. They want quick and clear solutions with different options tailored to their preferred payment methods. The different payment methods you could include are:
- Credit card
- PayPal
- Bank transfers
- Cryptocurrency payments
Online stores should be easy to navigate and offer multiple solutions to attract more customers, which is good for results and their online presence.
- Provide good customer service
Online stores that regularly interact with their customers gain confidence. If your comic book store gains more trust through reviews, new people are more likely to visit your online store.
The same effect occurs when potential customers have questions about a product or service and they receive a quick response. It shows that you are a customer-focused comic book store that cares about its customers. It might improve the way people see your comic book store and they might choose you over the competition.
Ways to provide good customer service include:
- Set up a chatbot on your website and have staff monitor it throughout the day.
- Set up a phone number that people can call if needed.
- Train staff to know the ins and outs of your comic book store process and products.
- Train staff to be polite no matter the customer’s tone.
These are just a few ways to provide good customer service.
- Increase page load speed
Customers prefer fast loading websites over others. No one has time to sit for minutes waiting for their information to appear on the screen. Especially when another site can give them the same information in seconds.
But what causes a slow website? There are a few different things which include:
- Images too large
- Hosting plan
- Great websites – e-commerce
- JavaScript issues
- High number of flash content (videos/gifs)
- Do not use cache version
If your website is loading for more than 3-4 seconds, you may need to investigate why it is loading slowly.
- Clearly define the products by adding details
Many online stores do not provide updated product descriptions. Being a comic book store is no different. It’s important to write clear, well-detailed product descriptions of your comics, so customers know what they’re getting. Here are some tips to achieve this:
- Clearly write the title, year of creation, and what movie/TV series the comic is about.
- Clearly add the number of pages and prices on the page.
- Write specs using bullet points
- Use 2-3 line paragraphs to break up blocks of text.
- Provide a detailed description of what the comic is about.
These key details and ways to write a description can help you stand out. So, make sure your descriptions are up to date.
- Write exciting articles about comics
Blog posts with compelling topics and information give customers more reason to revisit your website. Setting up a content calendar is a great way to organize your content, what to write, and when to post it. When setting up a content calendar, here are a few things to consider.
- Organize topics by popularity. Using tools like Ahrefs can give you ideas about which keywords around your comics are more popular than others. You can then use those targeted keywords to get ideas to write about.
- Always write about what’s hot right now. If there’s a new Star Wars movie coming out, then write on star wars comics. This is just one example of what you could do.
- Arrange to post a article or blog regularly on your website. Set up to post on the same day every week. Those who love your blogs will be eagerly awaiting the new content to come.
- Share on social media after posting your new content on the website. It will also help you gain traffic.
By keeping a routine, you can help improve your content offering and website ranking.
- Word of mouth
Asking friends to share ads on their social media, referring customers to the website, and even wearing promotional materials like t-shirts that would drive potential customers to the online store are great ways to help create exposure for your comic book store.
Friends and family can be just as proud of the business as the owner, making it easier for them to spread the word without coming across as pushy. Comic shops with many credible advocates increase their level of trust with potential customers.
- Make efforts to organize trade shows
Online stores do not have a physical store for customers to visit and interact with products. For this reason, a trade show is an ideal opportunity to provide customers with a hands-on experience that would showcase the excellent service they can expect from an online comic book store.
Direct booth visitors to the website with phrases such as: “Please read our blog post about it” or, similarly, “Find more information on our website”. Give them a business card or brochure with the details of the online comic book store.
Another fantastic benefit of setting up at a trade show is networking with other business owners and influencers who might collaborate with your brand. These joint ventures could attract more customers to make purchases.
It doesn’t take a superhero to see that a few tweaks and additions to your online comic book store’s marketing strategy can lead to better results. An increased digital footprint and smart funneling techniques are essential if you want to improve traffic to your website. Do you own a comic book store?
