No matter if you already have your online store for some time or you are just starting your adventure with ecommerce – you won’t succeed unless you can attract clients to your e-business. Of course, that sounds like it is easier said than done – acquiring users for an online store may be really difficult and time-consuming. To make this process easier, we have listed for you 5 most effective ways that will help you get lots of traffic without spending a huge budget 😉 Check it out!
1. A beautiful store
First thing you need to do is to ask yourself if your website is attractive. The design of an online store is crucial, because if it’s ugly customers will simply click away. You have to be aware that a user ‘s purchase decision is usually made just after 3 seconds on your website – so it is the first impression that counts. If customers do not like it, they won’t buy anything and won’t ever come back. As Patryk Pawlikowski, CEO of an ecommerce platform Shoplo.com states:
A store’s website is its representation. That is why it has to be beautiful and professional, especially if products being sold are very aesthetic. If a client seeks an outstanding dress and comes across a neglected and ugly website he will back off. Customers having thousands of online stores to choose from, will pick the one whose design is the most modern and aesthetic. And the reason of this is simple: a beautiful store is considered more reliable and trustworthy.
2. Social media activity
Social media is one of the channels that enables you free promotion. Of course, if you publish ads among networks, you will pay, but the mere presence is free. And it can bring lots of benefits too!
The key to success in social media is providing a marvelous content. You have to be interesting and outstanding, so that people will want to follow you. If you manage to do so, you will have a great marketing channel at no financial expense. So what actually should you do to attract customers using social media?
- post regularly – at least on a daily basis, so customers can’t forget about you (but not at all costs – if you post just because you should, it may have a reverse effect!)
- engage your users: ask them questions, reply to their comments, try to catch their attention
- choose the best channels for you business, but always focus on Facebook and Pinterest, because those drive the most traffic to online stores (FB: 55%; Pinterest: 25%)
- use graphics – posts with images usually get 50% more engagement that others
You can also check infographic about it.
3. Customer care:
Another thing that will help you attract many users is an outstanding customer care. Always remember: there is no better promotion than satisfied clients. Make the experience of buying in your store remarkable – but only in a positive way. A Forrester research states that 45% of US consumers will abandon an online transaction if their questions or concerns are not addressed quickly. This means that if you want to attract clients, you need to reply to all their comments and inquiries. And as soon as possible, cause timely responses are the key to success in this matter.
So, remember! Never ever underestimate the impact of customer care. A research conducted by McKinsey revealed that 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated. As it turns out, it is not the product itself or the ads that are the key – it is customer service. And your task is not simple – people are two times more eager to share negative than positive impressions. It is even said that is takes 12 positive customer experiences to make up for one negative. Thereby, make sure that all your clients are satisfied with the service you provide. Be nice, helpful and competent and you will see that the customers will come. Believe me, you will be surprised how great the power of word of mouth marketing is.
4. Promos
We all love promos and discounts. But usually it is not these 5$ that we save which makes us happy. It is rather a psychological mechanism that is responsible for these feelings. It has been confirmed that the world „free” makes us feel irrational excitement, which stimulates association with positive emotion.
How can you use it in your online store to attract clients? One idea is to offer clients a free shipping. As Patryk Pawlikowski from Shoplo.com says:
Many of our stores propose their clients free shipping and it turns out to be a success. The number of purchases in their stores grows significantly, as a shipping fee is one of the reasons why customers resign from purchase. Some of the stores offer free shipping from a peculiar price – for example only for those who spend more than 50$. It is a great way to stimulate clients to buy more products than they planned just not to pay for shipping. Consequently, not only do you give a special value that a customer appreciates, but also generate more sales.
Another way is to distribute discount coupons. You can give them to new clients, so they have a stimulus to make their first purchase. It is also recommended to aware loyal customers by giving them a special offer such as for instance: „Buy 2, get third for free” or „second item 30% off”. All of these will make your clients feel special and encourage them to shop in your store.
5. E-mail marketing
Last, but not least: e-mail marketing. It is both a cheap and effective solution to attract customers. An Epsilon „Branding Survey” has demonstrated that 54% people have more positive attitude towards companies that send them e-mails. What is more, 71% of respondents stated that when shopping they always remember e-mails that a company send to them. These results confirm the importance of e-mail marketing. But what actually can you do?
Some of the most common ideas are:
- send mails about new products
- send mails about sales and promos
- send mails after purchase with similar or recommended products, so that people are eager to make another purchase
- send mails to clients who haven’t been active in your store for a while with discount coupons to make them revisit your website
- send some tips or stylizations related to your products – this way you will inspire people and make them visit your store
As you can see, you do not need millions to attract clients to your online store. The most important thing is to be creative and know which channels to use. Now that you have that knowledge, go ahead and start promoting your store! Be remarkable and you will rock it 🙂
Good luck!
Author: Agnieszka Lekszycka
Courtesy: www.positionly.com
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