Running an eCommerce store is an excellent idea if you want to actively make money at a time when every industry is going digital on a mass scale. But, of course, eCommerce isn’t a simple matter of “if you build it, they will come.” You can’t just create a field of dreams and expect it to be found by customers – it’s a big world out there, and you have to draw customers your way.
Luckily, there are many different ways to do that, ensuring that your business cannot only survive but thrive. To help you, here are six tips for drawing customers to your eCommerce store:
1. Delegate
Delegating specific jobs, like eCommerce order processing and 3pl fulfillment will help you grow. Of course, you may have to do everything yourself when you’re getting started. But as soon as you find customers and expand, delegating jobs like order processing to outside companies will help you focus on other more pressing areas of business expansion.
2. Know Your Audience
Knowing your target market is the first step toward understanding how to attract them to your eCommerce site. Every generation has different spending habits, and it pays to understand them all. Here are the general rules to get you started:
- Gen Z is known for short attention spans and a higher likelihood of shopping via their mobiles;
- Millennials are known for becoming loyal when engaged by a brand on social media and are more likely to buy a product based on photos other customers have posted;
- Gen Xers like to shop on laptops and appreciate having home-delivery and in-store pickup options;
- Baby boomers prefer in-store shopping but are partial to social media engagement with brands.
Knowing your target market means targeting your marketing tactics to their habits and needs.
3. Ask For Reviews
Around 72% of consumers won’t go through with a purchase without looking at online reviews first. The easiest way to get reviews of your eCommerce shop is to ask for them with a follow-up email. Even more important is that you publicly follow up on any negative thoughts so that potential buyers have a way to see that you have excellent customer service and a desire to correct any mistakes made.
4. Utilize Video Marketing
Over 85% of video marketers have found that video marketing content has been valuable and effective for generating leads. Whether you create a PR video for a new product, a viral video for your new business services, or a welcome video promoting your brand on your website, consumers will be more responsive to video content than other marketing options.
5. Make Your Store As Accessible As Possible
In America alone, over 32 million adults have experienced some degree of vision loss, which means adaptations like contrasting colors, manual font size adjustment, keyboard accessibility, and a format that works for screen reading will open up your business to those people. In addition, adaptations for people with other types of disabilities and people who speak different languages will ensure that your online store is accessible and can reach millions more.
6. Be Present On Social Media
Over 4 billion social media users are online, representing about half of the global population. So to draw people to your shop, you must have a social media presence, including engagement and regular posts. If you don’t enjoy this or have time for it, consider hiring a social media manager when your budget allows.
With excellent accessibility, targeted marketing, social media presence, and more, you can attract many customers to your website, boosting your brand growth and sales and securing your place in the competitive world of eCommerce.