10 Marketing Ideas for a Successful eCommerce Business

Aug 12, 2023

Building a successful eCommerce store takes a lot of hard work. It isn't just a matter of providing a user-friendly experience and a strong product range online. There is also the issue of marketing the store and getting enough traffic.

Ideally, anyone that visits your website to learn more about you will click through to the store. However, traffic can increase significantly with the right marketing tools via email, social media, and other platforms. The greater your reach, the better your chances of success.

With that in mind, here are the 10 best marketing tools to help you enjoy greater eCommerce success. Those that make the most of all ten and create a strong strategy should thrive.

Optimize Your Website for a Better User Experience

The best way to get started with website optimization is to ensure people get the best experience. When users click on your homepage, things should be clear from the start that you have a successful eCommerce store with a fantastic product line. You can promote this on the landing page with direct links. You can also improve the website's taxonomy for easy navigation to product lines.

The more efficient and visually appealing your website is, the greater the chance buyers will click through and get what they need. Your bounce rate is more likely to increase if you have a landing page with too many pop-ups, a bad design, or a slow loading speed.

Build a Range of Social Media Platforms

Besides a well-built and optimized company website, you need a wide range of social media profiles to boost your marketing endeavors. These can be a pain to manage when you're struggling for follower numbers or dealing with trolls. But they are worth it for all the positive feedback, shares, and increased social reach.

There are lots of options out there.

  • Twitter/X is still worth it for visibility
  • Instagram is perfect for the visual content of new product lines
  • YouTube can get a lot of hits if you put effort into some quality video content
  • Facebook has a community vibe that works for local businesses
  • A Threads profile is a great way to gain traction among modern and informed users
  • LinkedIn doesn't hurt, either
  • TikTok is equally great but works best for a Gen-Z start-up

Post Quality Content at the Right Times

Whatever social media platform you choose, you need to ensure the content is high-quality. Typically, users engage most with visual posts, such as photos, short video clips, and gifs. Also, ensure you use captions and ALT text for greater accessibility. You should endeavor to make a short and engaging promotion or product line that everyone understands at first glance. Those who like what they see can click the links to your sales pages.

You also need to consider when you post this content for optimal visibility. Posting at quieter times, such as 1-3 pm, means you aren't going to get lost in the crowd.

Connect with People on Your Social Platforms of Choice

One benefit of choosing to market on social media is the option to connect with your audience or community. For instance, if you choose to market on Facebook, you stand a perfect chance to build a loyal community that subscribes to your brand. This is stronger than on other platforms, where comment sections and replies can get a little more negative in tone.

Here are some of the tips you can use to build a connection on Facebook:

  • Encourage comments about ads and promotions to see what people like and dislike
  • Be gracious when discussing any feedback
  • Like and share posts from people that tag your company and products

It helps to have the same attitude with followers on YouTube and Twitter. Twitter is also great for polls for easy market research. Also, don't forget that the mute and block buttons are your friends when you need them.

Cross-promote Your Products Across Your Platforms

Cross-promotion is something that companies often forget about when it comes to successful eCommerce marketing. The more you cross-promote across each platform, the better your chances of social reach. One simple way to do this is to share content from one site on another with a direct link.

Some of the tips to consider include:

  • Send an invitation. It can be as blatant as an Instagram photo on Twitter with an invitation to see more product images there.
  • You could post BTS photos from an upcoming YouTube video on Instagram
  • You could also shout out to your Facebook community in the description box on YouTube

In addition, you need those little icons and links on all profile pages and landing pages. Once someone new checks out your website and sees the Twitter link, they can click through and choose to follow you for further updates.

Work with other Brands and Influencers

This one can pay off when you set up the right relationships. Influencers have massive followings that they can convince to purchase products in high numbers just with a single recommendation. For example, sales could skyrocket if a make-up vlogger talks about how great a new brush set is and adds a link to that brand.

Another way to take advantage of this is to pay content creators to market your brand. YouTube stars often do this and pair up with brands that fit their vibe. They will start the video with a quick ad-read enthusing over a product and then offer a short-term promo code for viewers. The product may be cheaper to these viewers, but this balances out with the number of sales. A good partnership here can continue for years.

Show off Customer Testimonials to Encourage More Traffic

Building a community of followers and happy customers is great for any thriving business. It shows that you have quality products and customer service. However, there is greater authority in official testimonials than in Facebook comments. Google reviews will always catch the eye of consumers, but only in the right place. You can add these reviews to the bottom of landing and blog pages by using Ryviu platform to incentivize visitors to check out the eCommerce store.

Besides, you should offer volume discounts to lock in your customers and receive even more genuine reviews. Kaching Bundles is easy to set up, and within minutes your first bundle offer is ready.

Build a Strong Email List

Email marketing is a great way to connect with anyone that dealt with you once but needs reminding of your presence. However, getting people to sign up and stay subscribed can be difficult.

Here are some of the best tips to attract these subscribers to your email program:

  • Create a website pop-up with a promotion for their next order
  • Offer a double opt-in system to show that they are in control. This simply means asking for further authorization when sending the first email.
  • Ensure that every email offers valuable information, promotions, and visual content.

Over time, you can revise this email list and eliminate anyone that hasn't engaged with your emails for a while. Focus on a smaller list of valued customers and deliver high-value content to lower the likelihood of emails ending in spam folders.

Take Advantage of Google Business Profile Tools

With so much focus on social media and email marketing, Google My Business is another tool that is often overlooked. Google Business Profiles are always going to help companies stay visible online. With this tool, your business becomes more accessible with information about services, locations, reviews, etc.

In 2022, the services section received a significant upgrade; not all companies took advantage of it. There is now the option to add niche services to a profile to stand out further. While some of these seem random, they are actually based on common search terms. Adding them can improve SEO and online visibility and boost traffic.

Review all of These Regularly to Adjust Your Strategy

This final tip is quite simple. You can't sit back and say that your work is done when all these tools are in place. It is highly likely that the combination of better social media, email marketing, and SEO will lead to increased traffic and eCommerce success. However, some factors will work better than others. You need to review the analytics to see what success is and what could be better.

For example, you might find that you get a lot of traffic from Facebook but no views on YouTube. Revise your content and strategy accordingly. You may also find that your first influencer relationship isn't that fulfilling, and you don't get along. It might be worth sending DMs to other, more compatible creators. There is nothing wrong with admitting that something isn't working and trying something new. It’s important to understand what works best for you and what doesn’t so you can improve on your strategy much earlier in the process.

Final Thought

The success of your eCommerce business's marketing strategy will depend on how well you combine the above strategies based on what is most lacking in your existing process. You may put all your effort into building social media reach and working with influencers. However, you can do this and end up cringing your email list or the quality of your website. The best way to go about this is to strike a balance to achieve the most for your business.

Alice Pham

Writer and Blogger about Technology and Marketing. I also share my knowledge of Shopify, WordPress, and WooCommerce. Contact me via email: thuyphuong082@gmail.com or alicepham8295@gmail.com

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