As the market and consumers evolve non-stop, getting online sales has become even more competitive. eCommerce stores constantly grapple with standing out and connecting with a wider audience. However, you can navigate the challenges, stay competitive, and boost your eCommerce sales if you know the right strategies to implement.
This article will explore tactics you can leverage to attract customers and make them stay. Each technique will come with actionable insights to guide you in driving customer engagement and online traffic.
By the end of this read, you will have the know-how to adapt to a digital-first marketplace and outshine your competitors. With this, you set up your store for continuous growth and meet your business goals.
12 Must-Know Strategies To Boost Your eCommerce Sales
Empower your business with these result-driven tactics. From leveraging multiple payment options to reducing cart abandonment, these will help you strengthen your online store and transform it for long-term success.
Watch out for the “hows” to help you apply these strategies.
1. Develop An Email Marketing Strategy That Resonates
4 billion people are using emails daily in 2023. If you have an email marketing strategy, you will have a direct line to your customer base. Because it allows for personalization, you should leverage your emails to foster loyalty and drive conversions.
How do you build an effective strategy?
Grow your email list. Offer incentives like exclusive promos to encourage your target audience to sign up or subscribe. Make it easy for them to sign up, so have an opt-in form on your website.
Once you have the list of email addresses, create engaging email campaigns. Segment your email subscribers based on their behavior and preferences, including purchase history and engagement level. Then, customize your campaigns for each segment to guarantee your content resonates with them.
Use MailChimp and Constant Contact to manage your email lists, automate your email marketing campaigns, and track metrics. HubSpot and ActiveCampaign also have CRM features to help you improve customer interactions.
To get advanced data, leverage Trace’s analytics platform. This will help you visualize how the metrics relate to one another. It tells you how changes in one aspect (like email content or sending frequency) will affect others (like engagement or conversion rates).
With this approach, you can continuously identify what works and what does not so you can make data-driven refinements.
2. Implement SEO Best Practices To Improve Brand Visibility
With 44% of consumers starting their shopping journeys with a search engine, SEO is crucial for your eCommerce business. When online shoppers search for products, you want your store at the top of SERPs since 54.4% of all clicks in Google Search belong to the top 3 results.
SEO will increase your site’s visibility, engagement, and conversions.
Where do you start? Keyword research.
Use Ahrefs or Moz to identify and analyze the terms your target audience is typing in search engines when looking for products like yours. Then, incorporate these keywords into your product descriptions, blog posts, and other website content.
However, take note that keyword stuffing is a big NO. Your content should be relevant, valuable, and engaging.
Additionally, optimize your website’s structure. Search engines favor sites that provide a great user experience. That means users should navigate your site and find what they want without clicking dozens of buttons.
Make sure your website loads fast. A slow website can push away your customers and lead them to your competitors. To help you with this, utilize the following tools:
- Pingdom
- GTmetrix
- Google PageSpeed Insights
They will help you analyze your site speed and identify areas that need improvement.
3. Boost Engagement Using Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality (AR) is an innovative technology that provides an engaging experience as it immerses customers into interacting with your products.
It bridges the gap between digital and physical shopping to help your customers explore various product choices. Mobile users can use their smartphones to visualize your products in a real-world context.
For example, let’s say you have a furniture shop. If you have AR, your customers can see how a sofa would look in their living room before purchasing it. With this interactivity level, it makes them more confident in their purchase decisions.
Here is a great example from Ikea’s AR implementation:
How do you implement AR?
Identify which of your product lines can benefit most from an immersive experience. Then, look into Apple’s ARKit and Google’s ARCore since they offer frameworks that let you integrate AR capabilities into your mobile application. However, you will need expert developers to help you employ this.
With this approach, you can differentiate your brand, boost customer engagement, and retain their attention. It can help you take charge in your niche by meeting the demands of modern shopping expectations.
4. Minimize Cart Abandonment Issues
Statistics show that eCommerce brands lose around $18 billion yearly due to cart abandonment. So, when customers fill their online shopping carts but bail out, you are losing revenue and a chance to grow your market.
Address your cart abandonment issues and turn these losses into successful sales.
How can you reduce shopping cart abandonment?
Make your checkout process easier. Complex checkouts will frustrate your customers. Opt for a simple order form where they can seamlessly specify the quantity, sizes, and other details relevant to their orders.
Have clear instructions and minimal steps where they need to input their details, including their name, address, and contact number. Your store’s form should also include various payment options instead of taking them to multiple pages to complete 1 order.
Additionally, implement trust signals on your website, like secure payment badges and customer reviews. They reassure your customers about the safety and reliability of your store.
Leverage cart abandonment emails as well. When you send a friendly reminder to customers about the items they left in their cart, you give them a nudge in the right direction.
Plus, some customers just genuinely get interrupted while shopping, so a follow-up email is a great way to jog their memory. You can also sweeten the deal with a limited-time offer or free shipping.
5. Optimize For Mobile For Better Reach
According to Statista, in 2023, global mobile eCommerce sales hit $2.2 trillion. Your customers want and expect a quick and easy-to-navigate shopping experience no matter what device they are using, so give them that.
Provide them with a seamless user experience while they browse your online store on their mobile devices. Otherwise, say goodbye to significant potential sales.
How do you achieve this?
Have a responsive web mobile design. This makes your site automatically adjust its layout to fit the screen size of the device it is viewed on. Make sure your mobile shoppers can browse, select, and click checkout without issues.
Optimize your images to guarantee your site will load fast. Use Imagify and TinyPNG to compress your photos without sacrificing quality. Plus, remember to place your buttons and links where they can be tapped with just a finger.
To guarantee you are providing positive experiences, use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to test your mobile site’s loading speed. The tool will also give you in-depth reports on issues you need to refine on your website.
However, mobile optimization can be overwhelming if you do not have strong technical skills. So, hire a UX expert to develop your site for mobile.
6. Build Strategic Partnerships Through Cross-Promotion
Partner with other online businesses that complement your product and mutually promote each other. It lets you leverage your partner’s customer base and introduce your products to a new audience you might not have accessed otherwise.
When you implement cross-promotion, identify businesses that complement but do not compete directly with yours. For example, if you are selling eco-friendly artisan coffee, you can partner with a brand selling eco-friendly mugs.
Here is how it will work: They can introduce your coffee to their eco-conscious customers, while you promote their mugs. You and your partner will gain exposure to relevant target customers without the extra costs of acquiring them.
How do you promote each other?
You can feature each other’s products on your respective websites, newsletters, and social media channels. Plus, you can create joint special offers or bundled deals to entice more prospects with the added value.
7. Create Influencer-Driven Social Media Campaigns
Partner with popular influencers on social media platforms so they can introduce your brand to their broad audience who trust their word and suggestions. Additionally, they contribute to bringing credibility and creative content to your online store.
To do this effectively, define your campaign goals that can result in more sales, like:
- Do you want more traffic to your website?
- Do you want to promote your new product launches?
Then, identify the ideal influencer for your brand. It should be someone whose followers align with your target audience. Plus, that influencer should reflect your brand’s values and have a genuine interest in your products.
For instance, let’s say you are launching an eco-friendly activewear product line. Collaborate with fitness influencers who are also passionate about sustainability. Let them highlight how your activewear helps them in their fitness journey, share their genuine opinions, or direct their followers to your social media accounts and website.
To help you choose, here is a quick overview of influencer types and their engagement rates:
Despite having the least followers, nano and micro-influencers have higher engagement rates. These personalities are seen as more relatable and authentic. They are also effective for niche marketing or target campaigns. So, do not worry if you do not have the resources yet to hire bigger influencers.
As there are thousands of profiles to go through, hire a social media intern. They can research and reach out to potential influencers who embody your brand ethos and goals.
Plus, a social media intern will be valuable once the paid content is live. They can help monitor and analyze the performance of the influencer campaigns using tools like Keyhole.
You can also have the intern oversee if there is consistent messaging and alignment with your promotional campaigns. This will be a big help while you and the rest of the team focus on other tasks that require more attention.
8. Implement Voice Search For Better Accessibility
Voice search technology, like Siri and Alexa, lets you cater to increasing users who rely on voice-activated devices.
How does this help you drive sales?
It enhances customer satisfaction by simplifying the search process, especially for those who find typing inconvenient or challenging. It can also help you capture organic traffic, drive conversions, and get more happy customers.
To incorporate voice search into your eCommerce brand, optimize your website content for voice queries. This requires you to use natural language and long-tail keywords to mimic how people naturally speak. Remember, when people use voice search, they are conversational.
Here is an example when searching for beauty products:
- Search Engine Query: best luxury skincare
- Voice Search Query: What are the best luxury brands for anti-aging skincare?
If you are selling kitchen equipment, your customer can simply say, “Find me a non-stick frying pan under $30” to their device. Then, your website can quickly display relevant results. With such ease of use, since they do not have to change the way they talk, you are encouraging repeat visits and purchases.
9. Leverage AI Chatbot-Assisted Customer Experience
Integrating automated chat systems on your website will enhance the customer experience throughout the sales funnel. Chatbots can interact with your customers in real-time and offer them instant assistance.
You can program them to provide answers to FAQs to reduce the time and effort it takes for your shoppers to find information.
A great example is the chatbot of Timeplus. Their AI chatbot is programmed to answer basic questions efficiently. If their prospects want a quick overview or summary of what the brand does, they can simply ask the chatbot. Here is an example:
The chatbot answers the users and gives them information on Timeplus’ 2 main services clearly and understandably in bullet points.
In addition, you can have chatbots that provide personalized product recommendations. AI can analyze customers’ browsing behavior and past purchases to suggest items that align with their interests.
To implement this, use AI chatbot builders like Tidio, Aivo, and Pandorabots. These platforms will make it easier to create a chatbot that suits your online business even if you do not have sophisticated coding skills.
10. Put Together User-Generated Content Contests
When you encourage your consumers to create and share content relevant to your products or brand, you breed customer loyalty.
How?
They get to feel a sense of ownership with your eCommerce store. They perceive themselves as contributing to your brand’s story and success.
Additionally, this user-generated creation process can make your customers develop a deeper connection with your company since they invest their time and effort.
Plus, these contests can extend your reach through various marketing channels.
To put these contests together, you have to set clear guidelines. Define what content type you are looking for: photos, videos, or testimonials. You should also establish a strict time frame for submissions and contest duration.
Then, align your contests with current trends, specific products, or seasonal events. This gives your participants clear direction and keeps their submissions relevant.
Announce your contests on your various platforms, including your website, social media, and even newsletters. But make sure to give them ample time to prepare for the contests. You cannot just announce it today and run the contest tomorrow.
To entice them, your prizes should be attractive enough, like featuring them on your platforms, including them in your loyalty programs, or giving them a discount for a premium product in your store.
Here is an example: If you are selling outdoor gear, host a photo contest where customers share images of them using your products on their adventures. After 1 month, you select the best 3 photos and the winners can get a new backpack or a tent.
With this, you get authentic promotional materials and your customers get rewards.
11. Stream Interactive Live Video Shopping
Doing live video shopping lets you showcase and sell your products in real-time and through interactive means. With this, your eCommerce business ideas come to life and your audience gets to see them in action.
In addition, it brings a personal touch since they can comment and ask questions on the spot and you can respond instantly. Live selling also creates a sense of urgency since it is only streamed for a limited time.
So, how do you organize live shopping videos?
Choose a platform where you can stream. For instance, if you have more active followers on Instagram, you can do a live stream there. But if your target audience frequents Facebook more, use that platform instead.
You also need to announce the event in advance through your social media accounts, website, and email updates. This will help your followers set aside time to watch your videos. Thus, you can maximize attendance and engagement.
As for the event itself, make sure your live sessions are engaging and informative to maintain viewer interest throughout. You should also avoid making it monotonous, so include several programs. You can start with a product demonstration, followed by a flash sale, and Q&A segments.
For example, let’s say your online shop offers kitchen gadgets. Schedule a live cooking show to demonstrate your products in real recipes. During the live, mention limited-time bundled offers or exclusive promo codes. With this, you highlight your kitchen equipment and create an interactive shopping experience for your customers.
12. Introduce Game Elements For Better Engagement
These gaming elements tap into customer behavior that favors a more playful and enjoyable shopping experience. With this approach, you will garner more internet traffic and turn casual browsers into active buyers.
Where do you begin?
Start with intuitive popups offering a game-like activity, like a spin-to-win wheel for discounts. Make sure these games offer rewards that encourage purchases, including limited-time vouchers or free shipping on your customer’s next order.
For instance, you can include a scratch-and-win game where your customers will “scratch” a virtual card to reveal a discount code for a desirable product (e.g. a best seller). This can increase their excitement and encourage them to buy.
However, make sure to set clear terms and conditions.
To help you with this tactic, use tools like HelloBar, Gleam, and Gamify. They have many templates and customization features that make adding games to your website seamless and effective.
When you make the customer experience enjoyable, your online store becomes a fun go-to brand for them. The games will help you turn engagement into actual sales.
Conclusion
With hundreds of other online stores vying for the same target market as yours, it can be difficult to boost your eCommerce sales. However, these tactics will help you lay a strong foundation to sustain your business growth and drive up your revenue. From creating email campaigns to using social media, each approach will make you stay competitive.
Use this list to carve your path in eCommerce but make sure you regularly evaluate your sales and marketing strategies to keep up with the evolving market. You need to stay sharp and be unafraid to analyze what you are doing. Refine your plan if needed to stay effective and thriving.
Are you ready for your eCommerce store to get more sales?
Use AllTopStartups to present your eCommerce business to a big audience. Plus, make the platform your resource to boost your continuous learning mindset. Learn how to grow your brand with business guides and lessons from fellow entrepreneurs. Get ahead and make your big move today!
