1. SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is vital to promoting your online store and that’s why we made it Number One. SEO is the process of making your site searchable online–the higher your SEO, the more searches you will appear in on search engines like Google and Bing. SEO has a particular formula and requirements such as keyword useage, sentence structure, meta description, etc. If you are confused about how to increase your SEO, consider hiring an expert.

2. Offer Deals

Who doesn’t love a deal? Customers are more likely to give something a try if the know they are receiving a discount. Offer deals frequently to gain attention, and then keep offering deals to your loyal customer base.

3. Use Social Media

Using social media is more than just creating a Facebook account or Twitter handle. Research the hashtags and keywords associated with your brand or product. Use these to increase your traffic. Follow/friend accounts that will be of benefit to your business. Social media is exactly like networking–it’s about introductions, connections, knowing who to talk to, and what to say.

4. Social Media Contests

One excellent way to use social media is by promoting contests and competitions. You can promote actions such as “the first ten customers to retweet this link will receive a 10% discount” or perhaps “tell us your best customer service experience for a chance to win a [insert item]!” Be creative and fun.

5. Create a Regular Mailing List

No one wants to end up in someone’s Spam folder, but having a regular mailing list is useful to staying on customers’ minds. Email customers regularly about deals or special happenings with your business. Send the emails frequent enough that customers are interested, but not so frequent that they are annoyed.

6. Start a Blog

Blogs are a great way to keep customers informed. You can post “behind the scenes” happenings or you can celebrate a recent accomplishment within your business or industry. You can write the blogs yourself, hire a writer, or include guest posts. Whatever you do: make sure the posts are on-brand, written well, and engaging.

7. Add Your Website URL to Your Email Signature

Adding your website URL to your email signature may seem like a trivial detail, but it can have a big impact. Adding your URL to your email signature will constantly remind email recipients of your business. It can also create intrigue and email recipients will click on the URL to learn more about your business.

8. Promotional “First” Item

When a customer first purchases something from your website, consider giving them a promotional gift as a thank you. Some companies may offer “50% off your first purchase” or “receive a free tote bag with your first purchase.” Customers like to feel appreciated. What better way to show your appreciation than by offering a gift?

9. Hire a Google AdWords Professional

A Google AdWords Professional is an expert in the phrases, keywords, and strategy you need to boost the traffic to your website. They are experienced in marketing and advertising, and will strategically implement a number of Google advertising strategies, custom tailored to meet any of your campaign goals. A Google AdWords Professional can be hired remotely, meaning your company can be in LA, but hire someone from Toronto if that person is the best AdWords professional in the business! For example, here is a Melbourne pay per click management company.

10. Keep It Personal

Don’t just send emails and messages “To Whom It May Concern.” Make sure your emails use each customer’s name. Look at the items a customer has purchased and, based on those choices, recommend other products they may like. Take extra steps to let your customers know that you appreciate each and every one of them.

Social media isn’t just a tool for connecting with friends, following celebrities, and sending kitten videos. It’s also a business tool used to build clientele, promote your brand, and sell products. One of the best social media tools to use is a blog.

Blogs are great avenues for regular updates with customers as well as a running list of useful, brand-related, information. For example, a clothing company may want to include blog posts about the latest fashion trends. A bicycle manufacturer may want to write about bicycle maintenance, biking trails, or fitness advice. A dog grooming business could talk about pet adoption, pet health, or include news stories involving animals.

Here are some key reasons why every e-commerce business should have a blog.

1. Tell Customers About Your Brand!

Obviously customers can learn a lot about your brand simply by scrolling through your website, but sometimes your website can’t tell them everything. Your website should be succinct enough that customers understand what you’re selling, but also leaves them intrigued enough to try out your product. Having too much information on your website can be an overload and customers will move onto a site that’s a faster read. Your blog is where you can unload as much information as you want. Did you learn about a new piece of technology that relates to your business? Blog about it! Is your company doing charity work that you think customers should know about? Blog about it! Whatever is on-brand and of interest to you and customers, post it in your blog. Maybe not every single client will read it, but those who do will become loyal customers.

2. It’s All About the SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a fancy way of saying, “Get search engines to promote your website.” The better your SEO, the more likely you are to see your business as one of the top search results on engines like Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. A blog is a great way to boost your SEO ranking by including creative content, subjects of interest, and key product-specific searched words and phrases. If you don’t know SEO, it’s best to study up or hire someone who does. Achieving a high SEO is more than just throwing in a certain word a few times. It’s also about sentence length, originality of the post, and whether the article is informational or strictly promotional. The better your blog, the more likely you are to turn up in searches.

3. Sell! Sell! Sell!

Although a blog should primarily be informational, the whole point of a business is to sell, right? Use the blog to promote your brand and your products. Talk about new, cool stuff your company is doing or talk about a new item you’re selling. Be descript and concentrate more on educating customers rather than simply writing out a commercial. If you educate well enough, that will be all you need to convince clients to buy your stuff.

4. Have Some Fun

While your website content doesn’t have to be super serious, it should be professional and straightforward. Your blog, however, can be as whacky and jovial as you want it to be. Post funny stories, videos, photos, whatever! Create something fun that customers will genuinely be interested in reading. A blog is a chance to build the personality of your company. Do you want to be an uber serious business person or a fun best friend? With a blog, you can be whichever one you choose!

5. Blogs are Worldwide

Check how this leader in web design and online marketing uses their blog: Adelaide Hills Websites. Here is a good tip on how to use a social media content calendar.

Does every e-commerce site need a Wish List? An area where they can save items they want to buy, but maybe can’t/shouldn’t right now? 

While having a Wish List is not a requirement of an e-commerce website, there are several important reasons to have one.

The first is understanding need. Understanding the needs of your customers is crucial to having your business succeed. A Wish List lets you know what is on your customers’ minds. While past purchases can illustrate one’s preferences, a Wish List shows you what a customer likes, but maybe feels they can’t/shouldn’t have right at that moment. Knowing these “wishes” will help you curtail future promotions, products, and advertisements, and clue you into what may generate the most business.

Providing a Wish List also allows shoppers a way to share their purchase desires with family and friends. Making these lists shareable generates more business because friends and family are able to choose the right gift for everyone. Having these links available to share through multiple channels (such as email or social media) is also crucial to reaching a wider audience and appealing to all users.

A Wish List can be used for a variety of special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, baby showers, engagement parties, etc. Gift givers are able to use the Wish List to learn what gifts are actually desired/needed. They can also see what items have already been purchased, which is beneficial not only for the gift giver, but the recipient as well. Purchasing via a Wish List allows for easy returns and exchanges as the transaction record is kept online.

Wish Lists are great marketing tools because they generate greater interest in the sites that use them. For example, if you have a friend who mentions their online Wish List with a specific business, you are likely to visit that site to view that list and see about creating your own. When users see how easy and convenient creating and buying from a Wish List is, they are likely to have their own list in the future, thus creating a loyal customer base.

Lastly, a Wish List encourages customers to keeping returning. A Wish List creates so much convenience for users that they won’t want to shop anywhere else. A site that lets you save desired items and send a condensed list of those items to others is vastly preferable to a website that does not allow for a Wish List. Wish Lists allow users to shop and buy with ease, and give and receive gifts hassle free. What could be better?

When considering whether or not to add a Wish List to your e-commerce site, there’s really only one right answer: yes. When looking at successful e-commerce sites such as Target, Amazon, Walmart, and other large shopping websites, what’s something they each have in common? Wish Lists. Give your business the boost is deserves and add a Wish List to your e-commerce site today!