Over the past few years, eCommerce has etched a significant place for itself. And with the ongoing pandemic that left millions stuck inside their homes, the demand for online shopping increased even more.
To put things into perspective, as of 2020, according to Statista, e-retail sales have surpassed 4.2 trillion USD globally! And over 2 billion people purchased goods online. Moreover, Oberlo reports that in 2021, eCommerce sales are going to account for 18 percent of the total retail sales in the world!
With the rising power and demand for E-commerce, it comes as no surprise that many players are entering the sector. Even those who previously offered solutions via brick-and-mortar stores are now using Ecommerce as an additional channel.
Hence, competition within the eCommerce sector is also on the rise. And it may not be enough to merely create an eCommerce store. Now, to drive traffic to your store, you need to sketch out a well-thought-out strategy.
Here are some tips that will help you along the way.
1. Use referral marketing
Did you know, as per statistics collected by Extole, 81 percent of consumers prefer engaging with brands that have a referral program? And customers that are referred by other customers tend to have a retention rate that is 31 percent higher than customers acquired through other means.
To boost traffic to your website, one way is to leverage your existing clientele to attract new customers. Something as simple as offering an incentive to current customers if they refer your store to others will help immensely.
A brand that has managed to use referral marketing to boost its user base is Dropbox. It offers current users the chance to get 16 GB worth of space if they recommend cloud storage to other people. Neil Patel reports that this simple program has helped Dropbox in increasing its user base from 100,000 to 4 million users.
You can use a similar program for your ecommerce store whereby you offer a flat discount to current users if someone else purchases from the brand owing to their referral.
2. Implement SEO for online visibility
According to BrightEdge, 68 percent of online experiences tend to start at the search engine. Unless you already have strong brand recognition, the chances are that only a few people will visit your store using the website address directly.
Most people will begin by searching for products they require online and then sifting through the search results. You must ensure that your brand is reflected in the right search results, among the top positions. This is where SEO comes in handy.
Search Engine Optimization refers to a variety of tactics that all aim to improve the search engine ranking of a page. Strategies involve keyword optimization, speed optimization, link building, etc.
Conduct an SEO audit and see how you can improve the website experience to attain a high SERP.
3. Attract customers via sales campaigns
As a consumer, do you find yourself clicking on the “sales” tab whenever you visit an Ecommerce store? The average consumer is always on the lookout for the best deal for a given price. And if an online store leverages this opportunity via a timely sales campaign, they are likely to boost traffic.
Take Lyrevo Jackets as an example.
The moment you land on its store, a pop-up announces a limited-time sale of 25 percent. Here, the brand creates a sense of urgency by claiming that the offer is not here to stay. This is likely to prompt people to purchase from the store.
Similar campaign ideas you can implement include:
- First-time purchase discount to encourage product trials.
- Exclusive coupons are available on the website only.
- Buy one, get one free deal on complementary products.
Note that merely initiating a sale on the website is not enough. You need to create ample awareness regarding. Here, social media and email marketing can come in handy.
4. Add buyable pins
People often underestimate the power of Pinterest. Yet, there are over 450 million monthly active users on the platform, as reported by Sprout Social. And a lot of people search for product ideas on Pinterest.
For instance, Neil Patel reveals that 87 percent of Pinterest users have purchased items owing to something they have pinned on the platform.
If your business deals with crafty items or apparel, you will gain a lot by adding buyable pins. This feature allows Pinterest users to search for products on the platform and buy them from the website without leaving Pinterest.
While it may not drive traffic to your website, it will allow you to use your social media presence to boost sales. The best thing about this feature is that, as of yet, it does not come with any additional cost. For businesses struggling to stay afloat, such free tactics to drive traffic and sale can be of immense help.
5. Add a blog
Content marketing is yet another way to grow your website traffic. Adding a blog to your website allows an Ecommerce store to attract customers across their buying journey.
For instance, before people filter out brands for purchasing, first they register a need for the product followed by research about potential options. Blogs can help customers during their need recognition as well as research stage.
Thereby, it helps an Ecommerce store in being considered as a knowledgeable resource that customers are likely to remember when looking for products within its niche.
For instance, Etsy is the ideal Ecommerce store for gift ideas. In a similar essence, its blog, Etsy Journal, offers guides that help in creating DIY gifts, etc. Take inspiration from the store and offer a blog that is aligned with your niche and offer.
Ending Remarks
Use these five tips to devise a holistic strategy for driving traffic to your eCommerce store. Watch as your conversion rates increase.
Do you think there are other ways to improve site traffic? Let us all know.
Guest post courtesy of Alma Causey