So you have found an e-commerce platform , set up your payment gateway and built your website – congratulations! Now it’s time to spread the word and drive traffic to your online store. Here are some of the ways you can do to promote your online store.
1. Start with the search
What is the best way to get people to find your shop on the web? Make sure it shows up on the search engines. You must invest in SEO to allow your site to rank in the Google search results.
Here are some key steps to take into account when implementing your SEO.
Research is the cornerstone of any SEO strategy. You want to make sure that you optimize the search terms to attract the best traffic. There are two parts to the SEO search phase: finding keywords and finding competitors.
The search for keywords is to determine the best keywords to target. This is essential because ranking for the wrong keywords can attract the wrong kind of traffic.
How can you find the best keywords for ranking?
A handy tool to use is Google’s Keyword Planner, a free tool that gives you keyword ideas as well as information on search volume. Simply type in the keywords that are relevant to your business, then Keyword Planner will generate a list of keyword ideas, with information on search volume and competition for each keyword.
For example, if you plan to sell organic baby food, you can turn to Google’s Keyword Planner and enter relevant keywords for it (for example, “organic baby food, all-natural foods for babies “, etc.)
The ideal keywords to target are those with a high search volume but low competition. These are the keywords that will be the easiest to rank, so you can start there.
The SEO strategy of your competitor is the other part of SEO research. You will want to get information on the keywords they are targeting as well as the websites that are related to their online stores. This will help you refine your SEO approach.
Use a tool such as SEMRush to find the best keywords of your competitors. You can use this information to decide whether or not to target these same keywords.
Here’s a tip: If a competitor’s website has a much higher domain authority than yours, you may find it difficult to get a ranking for the same keywords. If so, it is best to target other search terms.
Another useful aspect of competitor research is to determine which websites offer links to them. You can do this by using a tool like Moz’s Open Site Explorer that allows you to search for backlinks for a particular URL. This will allow you to identify opportunities for link building and content marketing.
For example, if you sell furniture, you may find that a lot of home improvement blogs are connected to your competitors. Armed with this information, you might consider going to these same blogs and see if they can also link to your site.
2. Optimize your online store
You have found the best keywords on which to rank? Now it’s time to apply these ideas to your website. Take your list of keywords and strategically integrate into your titles and page descriptions (including meta-titles and descriptions), headers, web copy and URLs.
A good rule of thumb is to create unique content. When writing product descriptions, for example, avoid using just what your manufacturer sent you. Instead, write an engaging copy that adequately describes each element.
It’s important to note that optimizing your site for research is not just about incorporating keywords. Site speed, ease of use and mobile usability also influence the ranking, so be sure to keep these things in view.
Make sure your website loads quickly and is easy to use on all devices. Test your site on mobile to see if it offers smooth navigation. Otherwise, work to optimize your site for the small screen. Remember, more and more buyers are using their phones and tablets to browse the web. If your site offers a dismal experience, then your mobile search rankings could suffer.
Create links
Having a relevant and high quality link to your online store will have a positive impact on your rankings, so strive for these high quality links. As mentioned above, you can start with sites that offer links to your competitors. Do some awareness and see if they can include a link to your online store.
Other ways to get backlinks include:
Get product feedback from relevant blogs and sites on your topic
Obtain links from websites in your industry (eg, be listed in a vendor directory of a site in a sales organization).
Write guest articles
Get media coverage
Create content that other sites would like to link to (more on this in the content marketing section)
Also Read: 100+ High DA and PA Social Bookmarking Site List for quality backlinks.
3. Content Marketing
Having a content marketing strategy can benefit you in many ways. Creating relevant and educational content allows you to engage your audience and peers, and positions you as a trusted authority in your space.
Then there is the advantage of SEO. Producing high quality content that relates to targeted keywords and contains the right links can improve your SEO rankings. Plus, creating content that’s worth sharing encourages others to link to your site, further driving your SEO.
Start with content marketing by guessing the questions and difficulties of your target audience. You should then create content that addresses these questions and concerns. The easiest way is to create a FAQ page that answers the most common questions of your customers.
And if you want to take the next step, consider producing in-depth guides and rich resources.
For example, if you sell sneakers and sneakers, you can create something like “The ultimate guide to choosing your running shoes”. Do you sell kitchen utensils? Why not publish recipes or create resources on kitchen maintenance and upkeep?
That’s what I do somehow on my shop dedicated to poker . My website is attached to my blog with sections to learn full of resources like FAQs, guides, courses and articles.
Also Read: How to get ROI in Content Marketing?
4. Social networks
No matter what type of online store you have, there is a good chance your customers are on social media. The question is which social networks they use. As an online merchant, this is the first thing you should ask when you are developing a social networking strategy.
Do some research on your social media habits and then decide where to focus your efforts. Below you will find a little more information about the most popular social networks and how retailers use them to communicate with their audience.
Facebook:
Facebook is a very versatile network that allows you to reach and engage your audience in different ways.
There is your Business Facebook page that allows you to view company information, reviews, photos, ads, and more.
Facebook allows you to add a call to action to your page in order to use it to drive traffic to your site. This is called a “call to action”.
You can also use Facebook to have real conversations with your customers. A growing number of merchants use Facebook Messenger and chatbots to engage users through instant messaging.
In addition, Facebook has a robust advertising platform with specific targeting capabilities to help you reach and acquire new customers. The platform has several advertising products, including:
- Carousel (allows you to display up to 10 images or videos in one ad)
- Pixel Facebook (allows you to measure advertising activity and conversions)
- Custom Audiences (To reach your customers and contacts on Facebook)
- Lookalike Audiences (To find similar people to your clients and contacts)
- Website conversion (to entice people to take action on your site)
- Canvas (Allows you to use full screen to present your messages)
- Collection (allows you to view products and encourage buyers to buy them)
If you have the budget for this, explore these advertising products and see if you can use them in your advertising strategy.
Instagram:
A very visual social network, Instagram is an excellent platform to present photos and videos related to your company and your products. You can use Instagram to present your products, tell stories (visual) and communicate with your customers.
Another great way to enjoy Instagram is to publish stories. If you’re an exclusive e-commerce retailer, you do not have the benefit of face-to-face interaction with customers, so you’ll want to use tools that will allow you to communicate with your audience beyond the photos or words on one page.
Instagram Stories can help you there. Stories give you the opportunity to give your audience a behind-the-scenes look at your business and processes, which in turn strengthens your connection with your target customers.
Pinterest:
When used correctly, Pinterest can be an important factor in website traffic. In fact, according to Shopify, Pinterest is the second largest source of all social network traffic to Shopify stores.
So, how to use this network to your advantage?
Well, the first step is to pin beautiful pictures of your products. This will allow you to highlight your products on your Pinterest account and give your followers the opportunity to re-register your images. You might consider adding the “Pin It” button to your website to give your visitors the opportunity to pin your products.
Plus, you should use Pinterest to inspire ideas (which, potentially, could turn into sales). For example, if you sell clothes, pin images that would give people ideas for clothes. Sell furniture? Post pins of beautiful spaces that could spur redevelopment initiatives in the home.
Twitter:
Twitter may not be as sexy or visual as the social networks mentioned above, but when used properly, it can still offer tremendous value.
Twitter allows you to quickly start conversations with your customers and peers in your industry. Many e-merchants use it to address the concerns of their online customers (or at least direct them in the right direction).
Take a look at this Amazon example, which used Twitter polls to determine what your audience wants!
Also Read: Yup, It’s Not Just You. Social Media Review March 2019
5. Email Marketing:
Social media marketing is helpful and can certainly help you get in front of the right people. There is just one problem: you do not “own” your audience on social networks. The visibility of your content on social networks is controlled by the algorithms and policies of each site or application.
For example, if a social network decides to change the way it broadcasts or displays your content, your visibility may be affected.
That’s why it’s always a good idea to have an audience that belongs to you. This is where email marketing comes in. When you have a list of email addresses, you have total control over how and when your messages are delivered, making email marketing a powerful form of communication and promotion.
If you have not done so yet, sign up for an email marketing solution (MailChimp, Active Campaign, Aweber, etc.) and use it to create email marketing campaigns. For best results, choose an email solution that integrates with your ecommerce platform.
Start collecting e-mail addresses by creating a registration box on your website inviting people to sign up to receive your mailings. You may want to motivate them by offering them an advantage if they subscribe.
For example, on my poker site, I offer free coaching to reward people who sign up for my newsletter.
Once you have these e-mail addresses, start communicating with your subscribers. Send them product updates, give them a warning when you launch promotions, or simply use the email to send content that will be useful to them.
