How To Promote An E-Commerce Website

An e-commerce website isn’t a build-it-and-leave-it kind of venture. Just because everyone’s on the internet doesn’t mean that a website guarantees sales and conversion. 

You need to attract and engage people online by applying e-commerce marketing strategies, such as website optimization, paid advertising, and content marketing to lead them to your store and encourage them to check out.

Here are a few effective ways to promote your e-commerce website:

Optimize Your Website

Having a visually appealing website is definitely a plus, but it’s only secondary to having a website optimized for users. When thinking of strategies for developing e-commerce websites, you must pay attention to both user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). Using these as a guideline helps you design a platform that smoothly transitions customers from discovery to interest, and finally to the products and the check out button, guaranteeing sales.

SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a digital marketing strategy designed to increase a website’s ranking in search engines like Google. With techniques such as keywords, link-building, along with  on- and off-page optimization, you can increase the reach and engagement of your e-commerce site, attracting more users and customers.

Mobile Optimization

Most people live on their phones nowadays, so your e-commerce site needs to be optimized for mobile use. It should be designed in such a way that when a customer opens it on his or her phone, he or she can navigate it with ease and without errors. If it works for your business, you can even explore creating an app.

Use Social Media

Social media is a great channel to promote an e-commerce website because it’s highly likely that your target market is already there—and spending a lot of time there, at that. All that’s left to do is to transition them from Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok, etc. to your e-commerce sites, which you can do through integration, advertising, and giveaways.

Social Media Integration

Some social media platforms have features that allow you to integrate your ecommerce store into the platform itself. For example, Instagram has a shopping feature that lets you add your products to your profile, allowing users to browse your catalog and even check-out in-app (though you can also redirect them to your website).

Social Media Advertising

There are several ways you can advertise on social media, from paid posts and stories to influencer marketing. For the former, you can tap potential customers through subtle appearances in their feeds. 

The latter, on the other hand, involves partnering with influencers (social media personalities with large followings) to feature your products on their accounts.

Social Media Giveaways

Social media giveaways are a great way to expand your reach organically. You can tap the networks of already existing customers, getting the word spread about your products. 

For giveaways to be effective, it’s important that the prizes are of high value (not necessarily expensive but substantial enough) and that the criteria for winning aren’t too stringent. 

Leverage User-Generated Content

Your customers are your best promoters because they can provide social proof, which can be the driving factor for a hesitant customer to check out. When a person sees his or her peers buying the same products, he or she becomes more confident about doing so, too.

It’s important, then, that you leverage user-generated content such as reviews, customer photos, testimonials, and the like. Share these on your website or social media platforms to better pique the interest of potential leads.

Spend For Paid Advertising

Though there are various free methods to promote an e-commerce website, spending for paid advertising remains a quick and effective way to drive sales. 

One of the main ways to promote e-commerce sites online is through pay-per-click advertising (Google Ads is the most common channel for this). This strategy places ads of your shop or products on other high-traffic pages, and you only have to pay for each time a person clicks on the ad. It’s cost-effective, plus it allows you to test different ads to see which one is the most effective.

Start Content Marketing

Content marketing involves creating relevant content to drive traffic to your e-commerce website. You can do this by creating blogs and pieces that provide information about your product. Doing so adds value to your services, plus it establishes authority for your brand.

When thinking of content, keep your customer in mind; anticipate or gather queries from them, and aim to address these concerns through different pieces.

Reward Loyal Customers

Taking care of existing customers can effectively boost sales and conversions because these people can connect you with other individuals in the same market. Nurture your client base by giving them rewards for loyalty such as discounts, first dibs on new products, and other promotional advantages.

One way to keep in touch with your customers is through email marketing. Constantly connect with them to talk about what’s going on with your shop to reinforce their affinity with the brand.

Don’t Forget Offline Marketing

There are still a lot of people who rely on offline marketing to drive their purchasing decisions. So while it does make sense to focus on online promotions, you shouldn’t discount the value that offline marketing can give your brand—especially if you already have a strong on-ground presence (e.g. a brick-and-mortar shop that has regulars). 

If you do engage in offline marketing, you have to be smart; apply just the techniques that are relevant to your target audience and make sure that it all redirects to your e-commerce website. You can do this through pop-ups (so people can experience your products), guerilla marketing, brand placements, etc.

Conclusion

Setting yourself apart from other e-commerce websites requires smart promotional strategies. You can apply different methods, but without testing and informed game plans, your efforts will be moot. Ensure that your promos are effective by tuning into your customer and connecting with them through accessible and relevant means.