Today, we're going to discuss a few Actionable Tactics to Drive More Sales to your site - you can read more in depth here on Shopify's blog. They've put together an overview of effecting marketing tactings to help business owners, like us, take our websites and e-commerce strategies to the next level. From straightforward tactics of sale acquisition to generating repeat purchases from the customer base you have already grown. We've simplified and narrowed it down to some of the most important ones, in our opinion. Let's face it - us moms need a quick and easy read.
1 - Integrate social media, especially Instagram.
With over 500 million daily active users, Instagram is one of the fastest growing social apps around, connecting consumers, influencers, and brands.
Even though every business model is different and some require more in-depth social strategies, having an active social presence is very important in today's e-marketing world.
Our favorite platforms to get involved with: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest
Did you know that Shopify has a program where you can link your business page to your available products on your website + have your followers directly shop from your posts? It's so cool!
2 - Reduce abandoned carts.
One thing is for sure, as a mom - we're epic for visiting a website and getting sidetracked and completely forgetting what we were even doing. Imagine how many times that could happen to a certain business.
What you need is an email recovery campaign, which can convince (or gently remind) your visitors to make a return visit and complete their original purchase.
3 - Email Subscribers + Campaigns.
Dollar for dollar, email marketing is one of the most effective channels at your disposal for making sales and generating repeat customers. Roughly 17% of digital marketing spend happens in email, but it contributes 24% of revenue, according to a 2015 study by Forrester Research.
There are too many tweets and Facebook posts for us to keep up with, and email can offer a more intimate interaction. People are still more protective of messages sent to their personal inboxes versus their social feeds. Plus, email gives you the space to say things that can’t fit into a social media post.
It’s not enough to simply capture a bunch of email addresses, though. You then need to send regular, valuable emails for the channel to be an effective e-commerce marketing activity. Holidays, promotional efforts/sales, welcome emails, personal notes of appreciation - even to solicit feedback on the customers shopping experience!
4 - Anticipate future sales.
Hello, pre-sale!
One more creative way to test out your market? Pre-sell items to see how many people place orders.
If you’re trying to decide which of three to-be-released products to sell, for example, create pages for all of them, making sure to use quality product photography and compelling copy for each one. Then list them as “out of stock” and see which product gets the most attention in terms of back-in-stock notification requests. That’s the one to sell.
5 - Start a content marketing program.
"Content is king."
Every ecommerce store should consider blogging regularly to connect with customers and to rank better in search engines. If you’re already creating content, consider actively featuring your blog on your online store.
Don’t forget, there are more ways to take advantage of content marketing than simply blogging:
- Start a podcast to feature your expertise or build a stronger community
- Guest post on other websites and blogs to build awareness and generate backlinks, which also help with SEO
- Create long-form content and guides to help customers use your products more effectively
6 - User Generated Content + Reviews!
User Generated Content is a great way to generate social proof. When prospective customers see that people just like them are regularly purchasing your products, they’ll feel more confident in doing the same.
According to Salesforce, 54% of consumers trust information from online reviews and recommendations from their peers, compared to the 20% who trust the brand itself.
One of the most effective types of UGC is pictures of customers actually using your products. Linking back to building your social presence - make sure to include and feature your customers using/wearing your products.
UGC can take many forms. Technically, even product reviews are UGC.
Product reviews are an indispensable asset when trying to instill customer confidence, increase your conversion rate, and drive more online sales.
Product reviews are a form of testimonial. Your visitors will see immediately what people are saying about a product that they’re considering purchasing.
7 - Optimize for Mobile
Make sure that your website is just as effective on mobile web, as it is on a desktop.
By 2021, more than half of all online shopping is expected to happen on mobile devices, according to Statista. Optimizing your store for mobile means more than having a responsive design. It means you’re designing your site with mobile visitors in mind from start to finish.
Perhaps you have a bigger add to cart button on all mobile product pages, making it easier for the visitor to add to cart without zooming in, for example. You might also present your images in a different format, making it faster for mobile visitors to load product photos and easier to zoom in.
8 - Reward your customers - and personally thank your highest-value customers.
Almost everyone loves a good rewards program. A great incentive to keep your customers coming back for more.
Focusing on customer retention is a cost-effective way to increase online sales. Return customers account for 22% of a retailer’s revenue, while making up just 11% of the total customer base, according to Stitch Labs. They also spend 15% more over the course of a year.
With that being said...
We suggest trying to implement at least one of these ideas every day into your business plan + strategy for the next month. On the last week of your new "game plan", review and take some notes on which tactics worked best for your website to drive new sales.
Hoping these tips help you while building your e-marketing plan for your business.
What are some ideas that you use for your business that you'd love to share with our community? We'd love to feature those on here as well.
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