Worldwide there has been a massive increase in online sales in the last decade due to a number of reasons like lower prices, convenience, greater variety of products available. Since 2010, the Ecommerce sales have tripled as a percentage of the total sales of a wide variety of consumer products. Increasingly offline businesses are interested in opening an online store, to increase the sales for their products. Businesses who already have an online store are also interested in finding new methods to boost their sales. Some highly effective digital marketing techniques are discussed below.
Reviews
One of the most effective methods for marketing an online retail business is by ensuring that a large number of genuine positive reviews of the product are published online. When online shoppers are purchasing any product from a particular store for the first time, they will check the reviews of the store initially. If the reviews are negative, they will often cancel the order or place a low value order. Customers are more likely to make payment if they find reviews from satisfied customers, since this will help them build trust. The reviews will also provide additional information about the products, which will be useful.
Using advertising
Before spending a large amount of money on paid advertising, it is advisable to ensure that the user interface and design of the site is tested and has no major flaws. Usually advertising on search engines is more effective and has a higher conversion rate, when compared to advertising using social media websites, since the search engine users are more likely to purchase the product. It is also recommended that the seller tracks the conversion rate for the advertising and modifies the advertising if the sales are lower than expected.
Remarketing
Many websites rank well for various organic search terms and are not related to a specific brand. Many online retailers have observed that the conversion rate for these visitors is lower than expected. It is recommended that the online store uses remarketing to remind the visitors about their product, so that the visitor is more likely to purchase the product later. The ecommerce store should also try other methods to generate leads like asking the visitor to register for a email newsletter or leave some contact details, so that they can be sent other promotional offers later.
Loyalty programs
One of the most popular marketing techniques online and offline are loyalty programs for customers, and many online retailers have a loyalty program to reward their regular customers. In most cases, regular customers are eligible for additional discounts at the store or they can choose from a variety of gifts or promos. Additionally, many online stores, have referral programs where customers are offered incentives for referring their friends to the online store. People are more likely to purchase items from a store which is recommended by a person who they trust.
Pop-ups and other messages
Though pop-up advertising is often annoying, at the ecommerce store, utilizing pop-ups can increase the conversion rate. Often the description may not have all the information required, and the pop-up can supplement the data. One of the major problems faced by online stores is that customers will often abandon the shopping cart. In some cases, the pop-ups can be used to lure buyers who are leaving the website, by offering them additional discounts, free shipping, free gifts or telling them that the low price is only available for a limited time period.
Selling on Instagram and Google
Since people are spending a lot of time on social media websites, especially Instagram it is advisable to use it as an additional marketing channel. It is now possible to integrate Facebook with Instagram, so that the process of purchasing is easier for the buyer. Google shopping is also another marketing option available to online sellers, to ensure that their product information is easily available to buyers interested in purchasing the product. Most buyers will search for the product they are looking for in search engines, and then compare the prices offered by the various websites, before taking a decision, so advertising on Google shopping can boost sales.
Though the effectiveness of each marketing tip varies depending on the type of product being sold, most ecommerce stores should try the above tips.
Image: © tong2530- stock.adobe.com