Online marketing Switzerland
Go for the top in the Swiss e-commerce market.
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Switzerland is a special market in Europe: technological progress is at the forefront here, and purchasing power is high. At the same time, it is also a culturally diverse market. How do you tailor marketing to Swiss consumers?
Lukas
Online Marketer specializing in the Swiss market.
Online marketing in Switzerland
Special. That's how we can best describe the Swiss market. The country is in the middle of Europe, but due to mountain ranges and their choice not to become an EU member, they still seem isolated. But that doesn't give a complete picture either. This small market is doing extraordinarily well both economically and technologically, giving Switzerland unique opportunities and challenges.
Switzerland has a high percentage of Internet users and a strong infrastructure for digital communication and business, making the Swiss consumer quite tech-savvy. The high purchasing power makes the Swiss an interesting target group for premium products and services.
Cultural differences and privacy
Switzerland is a highly federalized country, making it very different from Alpine neighbor Austria. The cantons have a lot of autonomy to ensure direct democracy, national unity ánd cultural diversity. Switzerland is a country with four official languages: German (62.3%), French (22.6%), Italian (8.0%) and Rhaeto-Romance (0.5%). In practice, Swiss people sometimes use English to talk to each other, but it is still important to offer your webshop in (one of) the national languages. By using the right languages, you show that you understand and respect the Swiss culture. Different languages also require a different tone of voice: in German-speaking regions, formality and clarity are important, whereas for French-speaking Swiss, it may come across as too direct. So the regions may have different needs, which you need to take into account in your marketing campaigns.
The Swiss also care deeply about privacy. Swiss privacy law nFADP, for example, has been amended to be as similar as possible to the European Union's GDPR. Swiss expect clarity on how their data is collected and used. Complying with nFADP and GDPR is the minimum; only with proactive communication about privacy will you really score points with consumers in Switzerland.
Switzerland in figures
Online marketing in Switzerland
Online purchasing behavior in Switzerland
The Swiss are tech-savvy, and therefore have high expectations for online shopping. They value the quality of products and services. That means, for example, that they value a smooth and safe shopping experience, with user-friendly websites, comprehensive product descriptions, a strong mobile experience and easy return policies. In other words, your website should be as functional as a Swiss army knife.
Hallmarks such as "Swiss Online Guarantee" are important to gain consumers' trust. This label provides guarantees of trustworthy online shops and lets consumers know they can store safely.
Invest in strategic marketing channels
In this high-tech market with high quality requirements, SEO is important. With the right optimizations, your website stands out in both Swiss and international searches, giving you extra groed visibility. On platforms such as Google and Swiss marketplaces, paid advertising(SEA) is also effective.
Social media (and social advertising) play an important role in Switzerland, with platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn popular. Influencer marketing is also gaining ground, with Swiss consumers often relying on recommendations from Swiss influencers. Keep in mind that an influencer popular in the Geneva area may not do as well in Zurich: they are areas with different languages and cultural influences. Using social media to get direct interaction with customers is a good strategy to increase brand awareness.
In Switzerland, the most popular online marketplaces are Amazon, Galaxus and Brack. Galaxus (Digitec Galaxus group) is the largest Swiss online retailer, offering a diverse range of products from electronics to fashion and furniture. Switzerland's Brack is slightly more specific, but still very prominent in electronics, IT, household items and sports equipment. These platforms are big in the Swiss e-commerce market, and better not be overlooked. They offer excellent opportunities to create more visibility for your offerings.
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