How to Grow and Expand Your eCommerce Store: 7 Marketing Tips
If you’re like most other eCommerce store owners, you’re probably looking for ways to grow and expand your business. Yet, you’re probably also unsure of where to start. With so many different avenues to consider, you’ll want to make sure you’re dedicating your time and efforts to the channels that promise the best results.
Luckily for you, we’ve narrowed down a few of the tactics that work best.
Our suggestion? Try each out for a specific period of time – one week, for example – and then review your results to see which strategies work best for your store.
7 Marketing Tips to Grow & Expand Your eCommerce Store
1. Address Shopping Cart Abandonment
Shoppers abandon their cart for a number of reasons. From problems with coupon codes to unexpected shipping costs, there are many factors that can deter someone from purchasing from your store. Yet, the leading reason – and one that fortunately also has the simplest solution – is being forced to create an account.
Today’s consumers are looking for simplicity and convenience. Streamlining the checkout process as much as possible by transforming your lengthy process into a one-page checkout is a simple and effective way to drive conversion.
Of course, there are other ways to address shopping cart abandonment, too. Setting up an email recovery campaign is one option. Send a notification to remind visitors of their full shopping cart, and perhaps incentivize a purchase with a one-time offer.
Related post:
Abandoned Carts Are Now Built In To Handsome Checkout for WooCommerce
2. Refine Your Email Marketing Strategy
Email remains an important component of a strong digital marketing strategy, and it accounts for nearly a quarter (24%) of revenue. Make sure your store traffic is prompted to sign up for emails immediately, and use your emails to promote your newsletter and blog. Here are some specific examples of emails that your subscribers will actually want to open and read:
- Welcome emails sent upon a customer’s first purchase
- Free gifts and other exclusive promos
- Newsletters featuring tips for using your products
- BOGO offers, especially around the holidays
- Personalized notes for highest-value customers
- Requests for feedback
3. Give Upsells a Shot
Upsells are a powerful tactic that significantly boost sales with minimal effort on your part. They leverage your existing customers by encouraging them to add on to their order directly after they’ve made their purchase. With extensions like One Click Upsells for WooCommerce, you can prompt shoppers to make additional purchases through a one-time offer right after they’ve checked out. They won’t even have to re-enter their information, and you’ll catch them while they’re still in the buying mood.
Keep in mind, there are a few tips to implement upsells effectively. For one, the item you’re promoting should be related to the item they’ve already purchased. For another, the item should also be suited to the shopper’s anticipated price range. It’s unlikely they’ll want to spend more than what they paid for the original product, so take that into consideration when implementing upsells.
4. Leverage Customer Reviews
Customer reviews establish trust and generate proof that your store’s products are worth purchasing. The majority of shoppers – 69% use reviews to inform their purchasing decisions. Make sure you’re showcasing your positive reviews by displaying them in a place that’s easy for shoppers to spot.
5. Implement Instagram
If you haven’t already done so, make it a priority to start building your Instagram audience. As of June 2018, the platform officially reached a billion monthly active users, so it presents a huge pool of potential targets for you tap into. While paid Instagram ads are one avenue to consider, you can also use hashtags to attract followers in your niche.
One important quality of mastering your business presence on Instagram is engaging with your followers frequently. Responding to comments, posting at the right time, and using high-quality images are all critical. You might also want to explore giveaways to help build your follower base.
6. Develop a Video Series
Short and engaging how-to videos can go a long way in strengthening your eCommerce marketing strategy. Showcase examples of how to use your product or show your bestselling items in action. In addition to how-to guides, you might also try “behind the scenes” videos offering sneak peaks into new inventory, as well as product explainers. Share the clips everywhere – from emails to Facebook, to Instagram and even SnapChat if you have a business account there. See which get the most engagement, and continue producing more of that type.
7. Partner with Influencers
If there’s an influencer in your niche who has amassed a sizeable following, consider getting your product in front of their followers. Having a popular blogger or vlogger endorse your products could expose your brand to a sea of devoted followers, and while you may have to pay for the exposure, the results can be well worth your minimal investment.
