While traffic is not normally something we look for, when we’re talking online traffic to your e-commerce offerings, that’s a different story. And you don’t want just any traffic, you want people who have an interest in your niche, are willing to sign up for your mailing list, and who want to become customers.
E-commerce sales are projected to exceed $2 billion this year and you’ll want to win over more consumers and encourage more conversions to make sure your brand gets its piece of the market. But first, you need to get people to your online store. Here are some strategies you can try to increase the traffic to your online store:
Identify Instagram influencers and provide them with free samples. Look for popular users who may be willing to showcase your product to their followers. Send a sample along with a product description and request that the person consider sharing it with his audience should he have a favorable interaction with the product.
Identify bloggers who may be interested in your product. As you would with an influencer, send a sample along with a product description and request that the person consider sharing it with his audience should he have a favorable interaction with the product.
Pitch your products to local news media. Be concise, be unique, be interesting. Send an introductory email to the appropriate person that identifies your brand, your story, and your products.
Utilize Reddit to share brief posts that highlight your store via a captivating headline and eye-catching image.
Engage with Twitter users who may be interested in your brand and products. Use a tool like Followerwonk to help identify those people. Value-added posts will perform best.
Build your lists – email, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp Broadcast. Nurture consumers through regular communications and always with a link to your website and e-commerce store. Also, be sure visitors to your site always have an opt-in opportunity in sight.
Publish regular blog posts to establish yourself as an authority on relevant topics. Feature links to purchases from your store as well as an opportunity to sign up for emails or newsletters. Include social share buttons to encourage sharing and drive more traffic your way.
Feature a giveaway with exciting (and niche relevant) prizes. Even better, make the prize a gift certificate to your site and encourage people to window shop prior to the prize drawing.
Create content that offers a crystal-clear value proposition. Use concise yet enticing verbiage to communicate what makes your brand unique and why your products are the best solution to whatever the consumer challenge might be.
Utilize the feature available on social media platforms that lets you add a link to your store on your brand’s social media profiles. While it makes sense to link to your e-commerce homepage, consider campaign-specific landing pages when you have the opportunity to do so.
Create a Facebook Ads campaign to showcase your top sellers and entice viewers to look for more on your website and online store.
Start a referral program to make the most out of word-of-mouth marketing. You might consider offering an incentive as a small token of your brand’s appreciation but, often, satisfied and successful customers will happily share their positive experiences with their friends, family, and colleagues.
Create and push out a slew of email communications – abandoned cart messages, product review requests, wish list reminders, recommended products notes, promotions, VIP opportunities, and so on.
A mobile responsive site is essential. Ask people to work through a search and purchase and provide feedback on the experience. Or, utilize a page like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test for a comprehensive understanding of where you stand with mobile users.
Ensure your checkout process is streamlined and hassle-free. Simplification, speed, and multiple payment options will go a long way to creating repeat and referral traffic.
Create a rewards program to promote repeat traffic.
Video content is more engaging than other types of content and will account for almost 80% of all online traffic by 2021. Post product demonstration videos on YouTube and social media sites to put your brand in front of consumers and encourage them to visit your website and online store.
Integrate live chat to answer questions, address concerns, and better engage online store visitors.
Incorporate user-generated content. Reviews are fabulous social proof – even better are consumer submitted photos that show people interacting with your brand, using your products.
Strategies focused on increasing traffic will work differently for each brand. Don’t give up if you are unsuccessful with an effort – tweak it or move on to another strategy to find what works best for your brand and your products. The key is to make sure your brand and products stand out from the competition. The team at Strategy Driven Marketing is ready to help you drive traffic in, convert your visitors, and understand the performance of your site so you can make informed decisions. Let’s get started – contact us today!