eCommerce continues to be one of the most fiercely competitive industries. It requires a lot of strategic decision-making, ranging from selecting the right platform to narrowing down on the right technical features. Everything ultimately boils down to empowering customers.
However, what would happen if there were no customers?
What a dreadful situation to be in, right?
Without an effective online marketing plan, very often robust eCommerce websites wither and die. As eCommerce development technology advances and new media platforms emerge, users interact with the web in diverse ways. Contextual information rules and keywords do not always matter.
Here are a few tips to help you rein in shoppers on your website, and improve eCommerce traffic.
Leverage Content Marketing – Remember content converts passive visitors into loyal customers.
Gone are those primitive days of online marketing. It is not just about stuffing site with keywords, spinning articles or rehashed content. Digital marketing has evolved in the ever-changing world of Google algorithms and manual penalty. Content marketing is the new age solution. In today’s world, we can safely say that content is Google’s best friend.
Content marketing is about creating value, educating users, and inspiring trust. Content marketing focuses on creating brand recognition, authority, and loyalty; activities that have proven positive for growth when compared to the failings of continuous hard selling.
Just providing mundane information about product and services does not help. Start solving customer’s problems. A caveat: Content marketing could be a painstakingly slow process and not a magic wand to drive traffic.
However, the quantity of time and effort that you put in provides superior result in the long run. Nothing is wasted in content marketing, every little bit adds up to boost growth and visibility.
Takeaway: Successful content marketing aims at utilizing relevant content to grab audience’s attention in the hope of not just gaining market traction, but also developing a relationship that transcends beyond a single purchase. The key lies in delivering consistent, pertinent, and crucial information.
Make social media a natural extension of your e-commerce site.
The world is going social. Well, this is not an exaggeration, but a fact. Social media is probably the quickest and the most cost-effective way of driving traffic. However, it is not just about creating accounts in social media sites and posting arbitrary tweets or irrelevant posts on the Facebook page. Don’t use social media as a random activity, apply strategic thought.
Takeaway: Add exciting and appropriate content relating to promotions, sales, and links to the articles that shoppers may find interesting. Also, consider offering freebies or discounts to social media users.
Make connections with customers.
When baffled about why your site is not bringing in revenue, turn to your customers. It is important to track your efforts to determine what’s working and what is not. Never ignore customers’ feedback. Think about different ways to reach out to your customer.
Takeaway: Ask customers what they like about your site and what tends to alienate them. Or, how you could improve the overall shopping experience? Create surveys or polls. Put strong feedback mechanism in place and value user advice.
SEO still works if you do it right.
Every time Google rolls out new algorithms, the pessimists clamor about the ‘Doomsday for SEO’. However, like any other doomsday theory these to prove lose steam and are forgotten. New algorithms beg us to use new strategies –and teach us new methods to draw in traffic.
When applied correctly, SEO still comes to your e-commerce sites rescue. Fundamental SEO principles still work and can bring in more traffic.
Takeaway: Make sure to add your URL to search engines, update Meta descriptions to attract customers and a site map outlining your site layout. These simple tips can work wonders for SEO.
Reach Out to Influencers and get top industry stalwarts on your side.
Soliciting endorsements from influencers and ace bloggers is a good way to boost the popularity of your eCommerce site. We still live in a celebrity stricken world, where users turn to experts they trust for advice. First, get your strategy in place. No random mass mailing, please! Influencers with great social media followers can persuade other users to visit or avoid certain sites.
Takeaway: Identify bloggers and publications catering to your target audience. Approach them and pitch in the best possible manner. You would be surprised to see tons of shoppers flocking to your site in a matter of a few days.
Strategically use PPC to boost website traffic and sales.
While most of the options above are free, PPC requires time and money (a substantial budget) as well as a meticulously outlined plan regarding budget limit, analytics and location targeting.
Takeaway: Carefully select preferred advertising network such as Yahoo, Bing or Google AdWords to run your online campaign. Remember to opt for the most appropriate keywords and terms to trigger clicks from users.
Finally
These tips are only a few ways to increase traffic to e-commerce sites. You should look for new avenues to promote your website from time to time.
The key to success is to stay updated, and constantly innovate.
How do you increase traffic to your e-commerce site? Please leave a comment below and share your feedback!