Over the years we’ve been lucky to work on a wide variety of ecommerce stores across a range of industries such as fashion, CBD, food, cosmetics and more.
Many people think all you have to do is create an online store and the sales automatically come in, however it’s significantly more involved than that.
As well as having a visually appealing website, you really need to think about your marketing and ensure you think about store visibility, customer engagement and improving conversion rates.
Following your customers journey through your site and enhancing the user experience is vital in getting more sales and creating a successful ecommerce site.
Let’s take a look at a few options you have to build customer loyalty and be more proactive with your marketing strategy.
Sign-Up Forms and First-Order Discounts
In the dynamic world of ecommerce, building a robust customer database is not just a strategic advantage; it’s an absolute necessity.
In this section, we will explore the significance of establishing and nurturing a customer database and delve into the strategies that can make this process seamless and rewarding for you and your customers.
The Significance of Building a Customer Database
A well-maintained customer database or mailing list is a goldmine of insights and opportunities, offering information about customer preferences, behaviours, and purchase history.
This resource empowers businesses to personalise marketing efforts, enhancing their effectiveness and relevance.
Moreover, the customer database is the cornerstone of a robust customer relationship management (CRM) strategy, facilitating deeper customer engagement and tailored interactions.
Its significance extends beyond initial transactions, as it supports long-term customer retention and nurturing enduring client relationships, ultimately driving sustained business success.
Strategies to Incentivise Sign-Ups
The initial step in constructing a customer database often involves enticing website visitors to subscribe or create accounts.
Other examples of getting more sign ups are:
- First order discounts
- Sales and promotional codes
- Free ebooks
- Loyalty apps
It’s good to be creative and really think about what your customers expect here.
Many sites just say ‘Sign up for our newsletter’ but this is typically un-engaging and quite ambiguous.
Entice your customers with an offer which will make signing up a no-brainer.
Implementing User-Friendly Sign-Up Forms
Once you’ve piqued the interest of potential customers, it’s crucial to ensure that the sign-up process is as smooth and user-friendly as possible.
A cumbersome or intrusive sign-up form can deter even the most interested visitors. Instead, strive for a seamless experience.
Effective sign-up form designs can be the difference between getting lots of signups, and having barely any.
Minimalist forms that request only essential information like a name and email address reduce friction in the sign-up process – so don’t turn it into a survey.
Ensure your sign up form also looks good on mobile since it’s highly likely most of your traffic will be via mobile.
Placing Your Sign-Up Forms In The Right Places
Once you have created a sign up form where do you place it?
Some people tuck it away just above the footer, so you have to scroll down to see it.
We think it’s better to have it high up and more visible, thereby increasing chance people will see it and then sign up.
As well as on the home page why not add it to your product pages, cart and checkout?
Maybe you don’t even need a form but you can show a button or pop-up which triggers it.
(Although having said that we actually find pop-ups really annoying!)
Many ecommerce stores will have a checkbox at the checkout stage alongside the create an account section.
Leveraging the Power of ‘Free Delivery’
Unlock the convenience of hassle-free shopping with our exclusive offer: Free Delivery on all orders!
Much research on the internet suggests that shoppers value having free delivery and perceive it as a good saving.
By creating a threshold for free delivery, or having it via a voucher only available on sign up, you can add to your marketing strategy and increase sales.
Make sure you educate your customers that free shipping is available by highlighting throughout the customer journey.
Increasing Trust with Customer Reviews
Expanding the number of reviews on your product or service can significantly benefit your business in numerous ways.
First and foremost, more reviews build credibility and trust among potential customers.
When they see a substantial volume of positive reviews, they are more likely to have confidence in your offerings.
Moreover, reviews provide valuable insights into the customer experience, helping you identify areas for improvement and refine your products or services accordingly.
Additionally, many reviews can enhance your rankings and visibility, as search engines often prioritise websites with fresh and relevant content, including user-generated reviews.
To encourage more reviews, consider implementing automated review requests after purchase, incentives for leaving feedback, and making the review process as user-friendly as possible.
You bolster your online reputation and foster customer engagement and loyalty by actively seeking and showcasing customer feedback.
Social Media Engagement Apps
Encouraging social media sharing is crucial for expanding your online presence; various apps and tools can facilitate this.
Social sharing plugins like AddThis and ShareThis simplify content sharing on websites.
Contest and giveaway apps such as Rafflepress incentivise sharing through rewards and boost engagement.
Referral programs, managed by apps like ReferralCandy, encourage users to refer friends via social media for rewards.
Social media management tools like Buffer and Hootsuite make consistent publishing and encouraging content sharing feasible.
Incentive-based apps like Growsurf and Viral Loops create referral programs with rewards for sharing.
User-generated content (UGC) apps like TINT and Olapic collect and display user-generated content.
Share buttons in ecommerce product pages, social media contests, social proof apps, and analytics tools further enhance your social sharing strategy, ultimately expanding your online presence.
Harnessing the Power of Email Marketing
Regular email marketing is a vital component of contemporary digital marketing strategies.
It’s a dynamic tool that allows businesses to maintain consistent communication with their audience, fostering brand recognition, customer engagement, and long-term loyalty.
You can keep your subscribers informed and interested by regularly sending well-crafted emails with useful material, product updates, exclusive deals, and tailored recommendations.
Effective email marketing involves careful list segmentation to ensure the right message reaches the right people.
It also entails creating compelling and relevant email content, optimising for mobile responsiveness, and tracking key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates.
We can help you with email marketing from initial set up to ongoing marketing campaigns.
Upselling and Cross-Selling Strategies
Upselling and cross-selling are powerful sales techniques businesses employ to maximise revenue and enhance customer satisfaction.
Upselling involves persuading customers to purchase a more expensive or feature-rich version of a product or service they’re interested in.
For example, a smartphone customer may be encouraged to upgrade to a model with more storage capacity.
On the other hand, cross-selling offers related or complementary products or services alongside the customer’s initial purchase.
For instance, a restaurant might suggest adding fries and a drink to a burger order.
These strategies rely on understanding customer needs and preferences, effectively increasing the average transaction value and customer engagement while providing additional value.
When implemented strategically, upselling and cross-selling can significantly boost profitability and customer loyalty.
Depending on the ecommerce platform you are using there are a number of apps which can be configured to create ‘Frequently bought with’ or ‘You may also be interested in’ sections on your customer journey.
Ensuring a Fast and User-Friendly Website
In today’s digital environment, ensuring your website is quick and simple to use is not only a best practice but a vital requirement.
A fast-loading website is the first step to retaining and engaging visitors.
Slow-loading pages can drive potential customers away, leading to increased bounce rates and missed opportunities.
Consider strategies like image compression, browser caching, and content delivery networks (CDNs) to optimise speed.
Furthermore, responsive design is essential to ensure your site is accessible and user-friendly across various devices, from smartphones to desktops.
A clutter-free and intuitive layout with straightforward navigation helps users find information effortlessly, enhancing their overall experience.
Prioritising website speed and usability not only pleases visitors but also positively impacts your search engine rankings, ultimately leading to increased traffic, higher conversion rates, and a competitive edge in the online marketplace.
Our. Final Word
The above are just a few marketing strategies we feel every ecommerce store should look at.
Many of these are obvious, but you would be surprised at how some sites don’t do them properly, or just don’t do them at all.
With our experience and technical expertise we can help take your online store to the next level and help get more sales, higher sales and improve customer loyalty.
If you need help with managing your store, or just setting it up properly, get in touch and we’ll be happy to discuss more.