The first step to create a successful ecommerce brand involves making a Shopify store. But from there, getting your business to really take off comes down to marketing strategy.
Is your product line impressive enough to compete with market equivalents? Are you using the right app to support your store? How are you driving traffic to your website? If you are looking for more features to your store, bundle apps Shopify can enable users to buy several products together and get a discount.
Many small businesses struggle to hit all the goals necessary to increase sales and boost conversion. For most of these businesses, failure is a result of bad market strategy—or worse, no market strategy at all. All the best Shopify stores got to where they are today not just with flashy web design or dedication to customer service, but by executing superior marketing strategy. So in order to rise above your competitors, you need to utilize a winning strategy.
The ecommerce sector is predicted to hit $5.4 trillion USD in 2022. And you can get in on that revenue too if you know how to optimize your ecommerce store. This article will show you how to develop the best marketing strategy, how to increase sales on Shopify, and how to boost conversion quickly.
Nurture Sales with Customer Opt-Ins
Not all online traffic will convert into sales, and that’s okay. Your goal as an ecommerce business owner should be to extract as much value from traffic as you possibly can. So even if online visitors don’t complete a transaction in your Shopify store, you can convert them in other ways that will nurture future purchases.
An easy way to do this is by gathering visitors’ contact information when they first arrive at your website. By quickly collecting an email address or phone number, you can begin marketing to them after they leave your store, even if they didn’t buy anything. A follow-up email or text offer about a discounted product or item related to one they almost bought from your store is a great way to regenerate traffic and secure future sales.
And these types of customer opt-ins don’t just have to be texts or emails. You can offer downloadable discounts as flyouts, chat windows, pop ups, and on-page fields as well. According to analytics, pop ups increase conversion rates 3.1% on average, with the best performers increasing conversion rates by over 9%.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should go overboard with pop ups. You need to be strategic about when pop ups appear, and on which web pages. For example, shoppers who have reached your checkout page already have clear intent to purchase, so bombarding them with a pop up on this page could ruin the buying experience. Instead, feature opt-ins on your homepage, About Us page, product pages, blog posts, and any other educational pages on your ecommerce website.
Promote Engagement Through SMS and Push Notifications
Nowadays, SMS marketing is just as big as email marketing. Which is good news for ecommerce business owners. SMS marketing allows you to send digital marketing messages directly to your customers’ pockets via text. Oftentimes, shoppers will agree to this kind of opt-in since text messaging is their preferred method of communication.
In fact, data shows that SMS marketing is a more effective strategy than email marketing, as the average open rate for email marketing across all industries is just 18%, whereas the open rates for SMS marketing messages can be up to 98%. Sending offers through text messaging is simply the best way to ensure your customers don’t miss out on any special offers and deals.
Or, for customers who would rather remain anonymous, web push notifications are another great strategy to promote engagement similar to SMS messaging. Push notifications get browser opt-in and nudge users toward deals and promotions as they shop, all without having to obtain customer information.
Invest in a Social Media Marketing Strategy
No ecommerce business owner’s marketing strategy would be complete without an impressive social media game. Just look at all of the top stores on Shopify—social media plays a huge role in their success.
For many ecommerce brands, Instagram especially has been a powerful marketing tool, thanks to its focus on images and user-friendly methods for tagging products to ease shopability. Back in 2020, the number of global Instagram users spilled over the one billion mark. And in the coming years its massive user base is only expected to balloon further. It would be a savvy marketing move to join the trend if you haven’t already.
Meanwhile, Facebook offers ecommerce brands another engine for success on social media. Although not as visual a platform as Instagram, Facebook Groups are often busy places full of interactions—perfect for introducing users to your brand, driving engagement, and promoting product sales.
Pinterest is another visual platform similar to Instagram, just with a different demographic. Shoppers often flock to Pinterest specifically to find innovative new products, so this is a good medium to build relationships with shoppers. As long as you post consistent quality content and engage with other users, you will be well on your way to amass a following, spark new traffic, and increase awareness of your brand. Plus, if you’ve already impressed leads with quality content, they will be much more likely to purchase your products when they land on your Shopify site.
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.
Featured Image Credit: smallbiztrends.com
