26 E-Commerce Marketing Strategies to Boost Sales – Part II
In Part I, we discussed 11 e-commerce marketing strategies to boost sales. We will cover the remaining strategies in this part, so keep reading.
E-commerce marketing strategies to boost sales
12. Streamlining the Purchasing Experience for Clients
A poorly designed store can lead to lost clients. However, what precisely does a poorly designed store look like?
Besides appearing untrustworthy, a poorly designed store may have unclear navigation, hard-to-read fonts, and no clear value proposition.
Even after addressing these issues, you might still encounter design pitfalls, such as miscategorizing products, overcrowding pages with too many items, or failing to balance text and images.
13. Engaging Visitors with Live Chat
There are other high-impact ways to engage site visitors and clients beyond email. For example, live chat allows real-time communication with shoppers on your website.
Many live chat tools enable you to engage visitors based on their activity on specific pages or if they arrive via an email newsletter. This feature allows for direct interaction, helping you address client concerns right when they are considering a purchase.
14. Predicting Future Sales
If you want to expand your product offerings, you must evaluate market demand and the associated costs. You can achieve this through various methods, including keyword research, geographic analysis, and monitoring social media trends. Another innovative approach is to pre-sell products to gauge interest levels.
For example, if you're trying to identify which of three products will sell best, create dedicated pages for each with high-quality images and persuasive descriptions. Mark them as "currently unavailable" and observe which one generates the most interest when it becomes available again; that’s the product you should focus on selling.
15. Content Marketing
Consider blogging regularly to engage with clients and improve your search engine rankings. If you're producing content, consider prominently featuring your blog on your online store.
Remember, there are ways to leverage content marketing beyond blogging:
- Create a podcast to share your expertise or build a stronger community.
- Publish on other websites and blogs to build awareness and create backlinks, which can enhance your SEO.
- Create in-depth content and guides to help clients use your products more effectively.
16. Personalization
Personalization is a powerful marketing strategy to boost online sales. You can leverage behavioral data to provide personalized experiences to visitors based on their behavior and previous preferences.
Also, it’s important to consider geographical location in personalization to create relevant experiences for your clients worldwide. For example, while individuals in one region may be looking for swimwear during a specific month, those in another area might require winter coats.
17. Leveraging User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is a great way to tap into the collective mindset. Potential clients will feel more assured about buying your products when they see others regularly doing so.
UGC can take various forms, including product reviews, but one of the most impactful types is photos of clients using your products.
18. Local Marketing Approach
A local marketing strategy isn't limited to physical stores; online retailers can also adopt this approach to enhance their e-commerce sales.
Identify regions with a significant client presence and focus your promotions there. Analyze the products these clients are purchasing and their spending habits, and consider timing your promotions around local events or seasons.
Additionally, if you operate warehouses, consider promoting free or discounted shipping or fast delivery to nearby clients. This will be easier for your operations team to implement and will help you promote sales cost-effectively.
19. Optimizing Product Pages
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) involves refining your website to boost on-site conversions and increase sales. CRO helps you identify issues on your site.
Where are you losing sales? Who is abandoning their purchase, and why? What can you do to seize missed opportunities? This process is conducted through qualitative and quantitative research, giving you a comprehensive and unbiased perspective on your site's effectiveness in converting visitors.
After identifying challenges and opportunities, you can develop hypotheses and run tests to determine which strategies yield the highest sales.
20. Mobile Compatibility
Optimizing your store for mobile compatibility goes beyond just having a responsive design. It means designing your entire site with mobile users in mind.
You might have a larger "Add to Cart" button on all mobile product pages, making it easier for visitors to add items to their cart without zooming in. Additionally, you can present your images in different formats, making product image loading faster and easier for mobile visitors to zoom in.
21. Rewarding Loyal Clients
Client loyalty programs are a great way to reward loyal and high-spending clients. These programs can be leveraged in various ways, providing clients with additional motivation to make purchases and refer others while keeping your brand at the forefront of their minds through automated reminders.
You choose how to reward clients, how often, and what actions are required. For example, you might have a points-based program that can be redeemed for discounts, free shipping, or free gifts.
22. Selling Product Bundles
Product bundles consist of two or more related products offered at a discounted price. You can sell bundles through your store or sales channel. Selling bundles can increase the average order value, help clear out old inventory, and broaden your product range.
23. Offering Interactive Product Images
The future of e-commerce marketing goes beyond a static product page. Consider creating interactive experiences like 360-degree views or zoom features to help clients get a better look at the products.
24. Video Marketing
Video content has emerged as a crucial component of digital marketing. One study found that 91% of companies use video marketing, with 87% stating that this tactic has helped increase sales.
E-commerce brands can publish various types of videos:
- Brand videos highlighting your product.
- Live videos to engage with clients.
- Testimonial videos featuring satisfied clients.
- Educational videos that provide knowledge to shoppers.
25. Affiliate Marketing Programs
Affiliate marketing programs are reward-based systems where partners promote your products in exchange for commissions. Clients or content creators might advertise your products on their personal accounts, directing their followers to your store. Then, they earn a commission on sales made through their unique link.
26. Hosting Webinars or Online Workshops
Webinars and workshops are great ways to connect with clients and educate them about your products. You can hold in-person demonstrations to showcase how your products work or host webinars featuring industry experts discussing topics relevant to your brand.
Frequently Asked Questions about E-commerce Marketing
What distinguishes e-commerce from digital marketing?
E-commerce refers to selling and delivering products and services. Digital marketing involves strategies to reach potential and current clients to drive purchases. For example, when someone visits your site to buy new shoes, the process of purchasing and receiving the shoes is e-commerce.
How do you market an e-commerce business?
- Social media marketing.
- Search engine optimization (SEO).
- Affiliate marketing.
- Influencer marketing.
- Email marketing.
- Local marketing.
- Loyalty programs.
- Conversion rate optimization.
- Paid advertising.
- Follow-up emails for abandoned carts
How can I leverage social media for e-commerce marketing?
You can use social media to market e-commerce in several ways:
- Create engaging content that highlights your products.
- Target ads to specific demographics.
- Engage directly with clients through direct messages and comments.
- Collaborate with influencers to promote your products.
- Host live streams for demonstrations or provide product usage tips.
How can I evaluate the effectiveness of my e-commerce marketing efforts?
How you measure success depends on the e-commerce marketing strategies you are using. Each strategy has different metrics. You should monitor conversion rates, traffic to your website from each source, and overall sales.
In Conclusion
Implementing the right marketing strategy is essential for reaching potential clients, enhancing average order value, and boosting sales. These are critical areas for optimization.
By following the e-commerce marketing strategies outlined above, you can build a successful store that provides a great shopping experience for clients while being fulfilling and rewarding for you.