The challenge to start an online retail store today is not going to trade offices to file paperwork or the capital to fund the startup. It is that there are too many competing businesses all vying to get attention. For instance, if you plan on starting an online clothing shop, you will be competing with other online independent retail shops and big stores that also offer online shopping. But the good news is, there are ways to drive more traffic and sales to your website by executing digital marketing best practices.
The strategies listed here should guide you as you funnel visitors from cart to checkout page. Start taking notes!
Domain name registration and social media page creation
Obviously, the first thing you do is set up the website and social media channels. Go to any Internet registrar like Crazy Domains and go through their domain business name registration process. Next, create a Facebook and a Twitter first before any other social media page. In this way, you are not opening accounts your audience are not even using. Through your Facebook, Twitter, and the website, find out what other social network they are still using.
Push email campaigns
Email is still one of the best ways to do online marketing because it is basically multipurpose. It can help personalise your relationship with your customers, can be a content marketing tool, and it can drive traffic to your website. Of course, this is going to depend on what you will put in your email. The top suggestion is to alternate between a newsletter that summarises the activity for the month or the week or a promotion announcement. Keep in mind that sending daily emails may annoy your customers and run the risk to be sent to the Spam folder. Stick to a weekly schedule, but if you must send multiple emails during the week, schedule it every other day (at least three times or twice a week).
Other kinds of emails you can send is an Abandoned Cart Email and a Wishlist Email. The goal behind these two emails is to convince your customers to take the final step of purchasing. Remind them that they have shown interest in certain items, enough that it almost reached the checkout page or their Wishlist.
Social media integration
This is not just about posting the products available for purchase or the discounts you are offering, this is about allowing them to buy from their social media accounts. Once your page has been converted into a business page, both on Facebook and Instagram, your customers can start shopping for available items.
However, keep in mind that Facebook and Instagram do not have an Add to Cart option, which means you or your team will have to be ready to answer inquiries about the products. Of course this does not mean that someone needs to be online 24/7, just do not leave a customer hanging for more than 48 hours.
Additionally, do not hesitate to spend for social media promotions. Maximise the use of the sponsored promotions by targeting your demographic. You can do this by choosing the age group, the location, and interest groups.
Customer engagement
Another way you can maximise the use of your social media page is to use it to engage with your visitors. Talk to them, do not just post about your products and what you are selling. Engage them in conversation by asking them what they like about you, what you need to improve, how they are using your products, and more.
You can also encourage them to leave reviews on the page, especially if they are satisfied with your product or service. A lot of potential customers will see a variety of posts on your page and will look at the reviews section reading 5-star comments.
Consider blogging and vlogging
Content is what will help you rank on search engines. So consider writing blog articles, guest posts, videos, even webinars, and then share it all on your website and social media pages. This will tell Google that your content is relevant and that your pages are always updated.
Implement all of these strategies one at a time, and then perfect it overtime. Remember that much of digital marketing is trial and testing, and there is no one way to do it. So keep building on these strategies and increase your sales!