Growing community eCommerce: Why it's the new growth strategy for your brand

Introduction to Community Building

Community is one of the most important factors for eCommerce growth, it allows you to build strong relationships with your customers, increase brand loyalty and increase sales. A well-built community can provide invaluable feedback, encourage user-generated content and help you understand your target audience. By using social media, online communities and community platforms, eCommerce businesses can build a loyal community that will advocate for your brand. Building a community involves creating engaging content, hosting events and offering incentives to encourage members to participate and share their experiences. This will not only increase customer satisfaction, but also drive sustainable growth for the business.

What Does “Community” Mean in eCommerce?

Community means creating a space - digital or otherwise - where your customers feel like they belong. It’s about turning one-time buyers into brand advocates through genuine engagement, who interact with your content, contribute ideas, and promote your products voluntarily.

Think about brands like Gymshark, which built a massive following by spotlighting real customers and athletes, or Glossier, which used customer feedback to co-create new products. These communities didn’t grow by accident - they were designed.

And what happens? More repeat purchases, higher customer lifetime value, and a lower cost per acquisition over time. Valuable feedback from these communities helps in co-creating new products, driving loyalty and sales.

Why having a community is literally powerful

1. Ads can't buy the loyalty of loyal customers.

A customer who feels like part of something is much harder to lose to a competitor. They don’t just stay longer - they spend more. A Harvard Business Review study found that emotionally connected customers are 52% more valuable than those who are just satisfied.

When you build a community, you’re creating an emotional connection. Implementing a loyalty program can further enhance this emotional connection and build loyalty.

2. Your audience becoming your marketer

When people feel like they’re “in” on something (a new drop, an inside joke, a shared identity), they naturally talk about it.

Take Oodie, the wearable blanket brand. They turned their fans into a social media machine by creating a dedicated social media group, encouraging user-generated content (UGC), and featuring customer photos in their email marketing.  

3. Free, honest feedback from real customers

When you have a direct connection with your audience - through comments, chats, or feedback forms - you don’t need to guess what they want. Understanding customer preferences becomes easier as your community tells you directly. That makes everything from product development to customer service easier and more effective.

Some brands even invite customers into private beta groups to test new ideas before launch. This not only improves the product but makes customers feel valued.

The role of eCommerce community

An eCommerce community is an important factor in the success of an online store, it's where customers can interact with each other and the brand. A strong community increases customer loyalty, encourages repeat purchases and word of mouth. eCommerce communities are also a valuable source of feedback, helping businesses to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions. By creating a sense of belonging among community members, an eCommerce business can build a loyal customer base that will advocate for the brand and drive long-term growth. This sense of community not only improves the customer experience, but the business as a whole.Your audience becomes your marketer

Real-world ways to build community as an eCommerce brand

You don’t need to launch a full-scale forum to build community. Here are a few simple, scalable ways to get started:

Brainstorming engaging content ideas such as polls, Q&As, and AMAs can attract community members and encourage continued participation and interaction.

Tracking progress and adjusting approaches, including increasing the frequency of live events, can significantly enhance community engagement and overall success.

✅ Start a loyalty or referral program

Reward customers for more than purchases - integrate marketing initiatives such as loyalty and referral programs to reward them for reviews, shares, or feedback. Tools like Smile.io or Yotpo Loyalty can plug right into your store (on platforms like Shopify or Shopware).

✅ Create a private space for VIP Customers

A Facebook Group, Discord server, or Slack channel is a great platform for giving your top fans a place to connect with each other - and your brand. Use it to share sneak peeks, ask for input, or host live Q&As.

✅ Feature your customers

Create a “Customer of the Month” spotlight to showcase the stories of a satisfied customer. Share their story in your newsletter or on Instagram. Let them know they’re seen and appreciated.

✅ Share your journey to boost community engagement

Founders who are transparent and share behind-the-scenes stories humanize the brand by maintaining a consistent brand voice in their communication. People love being part of something that’s growing and evolving - and they’ll root for you along the way.

Encouraging customers to join community

Get your customers to join a community to build a loyal community. eCommerce businesses can incentivise customers to join by offering exclusive discounts, early access to new products or loyalty points. Use social media to promote the community and get customers to join. Email marketing campaigns can also be used to invite existing customers to join the community and comment. Make the community feel exclusive and valuable and customers will join and participate. This will not only increase community engagement but also deepen the relationship between the brand and customer.

Importance of engaging content

Content can include educational articles, industry insights, and in-depth discussions on topics relevant to the target audience. Businesses can use social media platforms to share content and encourage community members to share their thoughts and opinions. User-generated content can also be used to showcase customer experiences and create social proof. By creating engaging and valuable content, businesses can keep their audience engaged, encourage participation, and foster a sense of community among members. This not only enhances the community feel but also drives long-term loyalty and growth for the business.

Partnering with brand ambassadors

Partnering with brand ambassadors is an effective way to promote an eCommerce community and increase engagement. Brand ambassadors can help to create content, host events, and encourage their followers to join the community. Businesses can partner with influencers, like-minded entrepreneurs, or satisfied customers to serve as brand ambassadors. By leveraging the ambassador’s social media following and influence, businesses can increase brand awareness, drive traffic to the community, and encourage new members to join. Effective partnerships can also help to foster loyalty and advocacy among community members, driving long-term growth and success for the eCommerce business. This strategy not only enhances community engagement but also strengthens the overall brand presence.

Tools that can help

If you’re running your store on Shopware, Shopify, or another modern eCommerce platform, selecting the right platform and tools is crucial for effective community building. There are great tools to support your community strategy:

• Wishlist & loyalty extensions for Shopware

• Klaviyo for personalized email flows to reward loyal customers

• Gorgias or Zendesk for community-driven support and conversations

• Stamped.io or Loox for social proof and customer stories

A community-driven store

Let’s imagine: A customer buys from your store. They receive an email with a thank-you video from the founder, a 10% discount for referring a friend, and an invite to a private online community group.

Next week, they post a photo of themselves using your product. You reshare it, tag them, and send a surprise reward. They feel seen. They talk about your brand. They come back again and again - not because they need to, but because they want to.

That’s the power of a community-first approach.

Final thought: Connection is the new conversion

In 2025 and beyond, the eCommerce brands that win won’t just have the best products - they’ll have the strongest relationships built on a successful community that enhances brand loyalty and customer engagement.

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