6 Tips to Boost Sales through eCommerce Marketing

eCommerce businesses are more common than ever these days as retailers look to technology to expand their market and offer a better shopping experience for their customers. The Canadian eCommerce market was responsible for an estimated US$31 billion of economic activity in 2020, becoming the ninth largest eCommerce market in the world.

However, merely running an online store is not enough to guarantee you a share of this market’s incredible success. Many digital retailers struggle to attract and convert enough leads to reach the sales numbers they were hoping for, even when they also have physical shop locations in high-traffic areas like Toronto.

Do not get discouraged if your current eCommerce sales numbers are not as high as you want them to be. Whether you are selling boutique clothing or tractor parts, there are ways to improve any digital storefront’s sales performance. The six marketing tips listed below are an excellent place to start.

Make Checkout Easier

Many online shoppers make it all the way to the checkout only to become frustrated with the process and abandon their cart. Among other reasons, this might happen because your checkout:

• Takes too long
• Is too confusing
• Offers too little information on key concerns such as return policies or shipping rates
• Requires the creation of an account and login

You can make a few simple changes to improve the likelihood that a customer will purchase the items in their cart rather than abandon them.

Implementing a guest checkout option makes it easier for shoppers to quickly purchase something from your website, encouraging impulse buying and other desirable buyer behavior’s. You will lose out on the opportunity to collect some customer data, but sales are ultimately more important.

Adding Google AutoFill functionality to your website saves your customers some time and makes your checkout forms look much less intimidating. This improves the chances that your shoppers will follow through with their intended purchases.

Finally, ensure that you have highly visible links to relevant documentation available at checkout. This way, customers who are hesitant to buy without further information know exactly where they can go to find out what they need to know.

Implement eCommerce Optimization

eCommerce optimization is the process of setting up your online storefront in a way that maximizes potential sales. This could include efforts to improve your search ranks, changes to product descriptions to ensure your wares are properly classified, tweaks to improve the user experience, and more.

WSI Comandix has helped many eCommerce store owners gain market momentum through conversion rate optimization. When our marketing agency optimizes eCommerce sites, we offer:

• SEO services that improve your website’s rankings for key search terms on Google and other popular search engines
• Site layout and structure optimization services that create the ideal digital environment to bring users closer to your brand
• Keyword research that identifies promising search terms for which your website could take one of the top spots on the search results page
• Optimized content that offers valuable information and incorporates those keywords naturally within the text
• Expert PPC management that ensures you get the best ROI on ads for the most effective keywords
• Compelling calls to action that tell users what they should do next, such as making a purchase or subscribing to your email campaigns

Because eCommerce conversion rate optimization is such a complex process, it is important to verify that what you are doing is translating to your desired results. We also provide our clients with extensive monthly reporting to confirm the effectiveness of our approach.

You also have the ability to check in with your eCommerce specialist by phone or email at any time if you have any questions for them.

Capture Email Subscribers

Your email list represents a golden opportunity for boosting your eCommerce sales. Emails are the perfect channel for reaching interested leads with new product announcements, discounts, promotions, giveaways, and other incentives to shop. You should have most of your previous customers’ email addresses if they provided them during checkout. You can also gather more if you advertise your incentives through your social media accounts and use content marketing to draw more interest in your brand.

Once you have assembled a healthy list of email subscribers, you can use a marketing automation solution such as HubSpot, Sharpspring, or Mailchimp to run highly-effective campaigns with little manual involvement. These tools help you automatically segment your leads based on their buyer profile and target them in all stages of the buyer’s journey.

It is also worth noting that you can use email marketing to grow your subscriber list even more by promoting your blog, newsletter, or other content marketing in each message. While anyone who is receiving your emails has already volunteered their information to you, they may pass your blog links along to someone else who has not yet done so. Subscriber clicks also help your SEO, so they are still valuable for increasing the visibility of your business.

Use Affiliate Marketing to Increase Sales

Affiliate marketing involves partnering with influential individuals or companies to promote your products in exchange for a commission when they generate a sale. Nowadays, this is usually done through digital means: a local blogger might write up a feature post about your business with an affiliate link to your products, then automatically receive a small percentage of each sale that you process that was routed through that link.

Creating an affiliate program for your business can help you get your products in front of interested audiences who you might not otherwise have access to. Shopify has built-in features to do this, but you can also use affiliate networks such as ShareASale and Flexoffers if you prefer. Reach out to influencers, relevant blogs, consumer organizations, and other parties who might be interested in spreading the word about your products. Since you both stand to gain something from this partnership, many will be happy to take you up on the offer.

Use Location-Based Marketing

If you have a physical storefront and an online one, both sides of your venture could benefit greatly from implementing location-based marketing.

Local SEO improves your website’s search rankings for local searches. Using it helps your business get found by people in your area who are close enough to easily visit you in person. These people are usually ready to make a purchase in the near future, so if you can convince them to stop by your shop, you can probably score a sale. On top of that, impressing these leads can turn them into repeat customers who may also frequent your online store for convenience. Both your physical store and your digital store win in this scenario.

Implementing local SEO is relatively simple, following many of the same rules that govern regular SEO. To target local leads specifically, you will want to use additional geographically based keywords that include the name of your city or town. Optimizing your Google My Business listing can also have a tremendous impact on the amount of local traffic you receive. If you have difficulties or are unsure of how to do this on your own, consult a digital marketing agency for assistance.

Get Help from the Professionals

If you are looking to really maximize your eCommerce sales, consider hiring outside help to assist you. Working with a digital marketing agency gives you access to a team of experienced professional marketers who are proficient in all of the techniques you need to promote an eCommerce shop, such as Google ad management, social media marketing, content marketing, and more. This takes the guesswork out of your marketing efforts and allows you to enjoy fast, reliable results.

Jumpstart Your eCommerce Sales with the Best Toronto Marketing Agency

Raising your eCommerce sales numbers might be easier than you think. With the right marketing techniques and professional support, your online business could see the steady upward growth you have always hoped for. WSI Comandix offers flexible yet professional optimization services for eCommerce in Toronto. Contact us today for more information about how our team can help boost your online sales.

Also Read:

• When and Why You Should Redesign Your Online Store
• Key Questions to Answer for eCommerce Success
• Preparing Your eCommerce Site for a Cookieless Future