If you are an ecommerce business owner, two of your main priorities should be boosting online traffic and increasing conversions. But when it comes to developing a good marketing strategy, it can be difficult knowing where to begin.
A simple Google search will bring up millions of different online marketing tactics to try. So if you’re wondering how to sift through all the search results to find the best tactics to promote your online store, don’t worry. We’ve done the research for you, and have identified some of the most effective eCommerce marketing strategies to promote your ecommerce website, drive sales, and grow your customer base.
8 ecommerce marketing strategies proven to work
1. Improve SEO
In terms of ecommerce, SEO (search engine optimization) refers to how well your online store utilizes keywords to rank on Google SERPs (search engine results pages). Strong SEO will help your business rank high and show up more often on Google’s first page of search results. Weak SEO, however, will result in your online store getting buried under pages and pages of more relevant search results. Realistically, you should want to see your product pages among Google’s top 10 search results.
Here are some tips to improve your ecommerce SEO:
- Design your website’s structure to optimize user experience.
- Research keywords, and put them in your page URLs and product descriptions.
- Build backlinks from reputable websites.
2. Launch an Influencer Marketing Campaign
One of the smartest ways to accelerate your ecommerce business is through influencer marketing. Online influencers are people who have large followings, sort of like the internet’s version of celebrities. By collaborating with an influencer, they act as an ambassador for your brand, helping you build brand awareness, reach new audiences, and generate greater sales. And in return for promoting your business, you can pay or reward the influencer with free products or discounts.
Data on marketing campaigns shows influencer marketing is an effective strategy, with 90% of marketers in agreement. And while Instagram is the most popular medium for influencer campaigns, you can also conduct influencer marketing on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch.
3. Return Customers to Their Shopping Carts
Abandoning a shopping cart in public is awkward. But abandoning an online shopping cart is as simple as putting your phone down—in fact, 75% of ecommerce customers end up abandoning their shopping carts, never to return.
Email reminders are an easy way to bring customers back to their shopping experience with your ecommerce store. You can automate abandoned cart emails by integrating your ecommerce software with a mailing provider so that the reminder emails send themselves.
4. Upsell Products
“But wait, would you like to supersize your order for just a dollar more?” This is an age-old tactic called upselling. Essentially, this marketing strategy works by offering your customer a premium version of the product they’d originally intended to buy, enticing them to spend a little extra. And sometimes with ecommerce digital marketing, upselling and cross-selling can prove more effective than gaining a net new customer.
Consider these two things when upselling your products:
- Make sure all upsells relate directly to the original products.
- Remember, your customer has an anchor price in mind, so make sure your upsell remains within their anticipated price range.
5. Send Text Campaigns
SMS marketing is a great way to reach out to both existing and potential customers through promotional SMS messages. Use these text messages to inform shoppers of special sales, offers, updates, promotions, alerts, product information, or anything else relevant to what your ecommerce store has to offer.
In addition to special sale information, you can also utilize SMS marketing for abandoned cart recovery, cross-selling, reviews, and customer support. Some of the best apps for SMS marketing include Attentive, SMSBump, Postscript, TextMagic, and Textedly.
6. Simplify Your Store’s Web Design
A poorly designed ecommerce store will cause your customers to leave before even looking at your products. Poor web design may include low-quality images, convoluted site navigation, hard-to-read font, vague pricing, etc. As an ecommerce business owner, it’s crucial to build trust with your customers. You can do this by creating your website with a pleasing, user-friendly design.
Make sure all products are properly segmented, and don’t include too many items on a single page. Balance text with visuals, and only use high-quality images. Ensure your website’s theme compliments and matches your products to avoid confusing shoppers. And above all, keep the checkout process simple.
7. Begin Content Marketing
Sites that create consistent new content generally rank better on SERPs. So if you like writing, or if you have a writer on your staff, creating a blog for your business is a great idea. Regularly blogging keeps you connected to your customers—and it keeps your customers regularly connected to your ecommerce store.
Other than blogging, there are lots of other ways to take advantage of a content marketing strategy. Try starting a podcast, or get featured on a podcast to promote your brand, products, and expertise. Or create how-to and instruction videos. Any content you create for your business gives you the opportunity to generate backlinks, grow your online presence, build a broader community of customers, and improve your overall SEO.
8. Optimize Your Site for Mobile Use
This last eCommerce marketing strategies might seem like a last-minute detail, but it shouldn’t be. After all, virtually everyone has a mobile device nowadays. And many people prefer to do online shopping on their handheld devices. So make sure your ecommerce site is designed with mobile users in mind as well.
Staying up-to-date in the software industry is a full-time job. And developing a successful marketing strategy for your ecommerce business can be a challenge. That’s why many companies turn to business partners like KitelyTech, INC. for assistance. At KitelyTech, INC., we work with companies to develop and implement new software solutions, marketing strategies, and more. Call us at (800) 274-2908 to discuss your business’s software needs and find out how we can help.
