The internet and online infrastructure in India have expanded exponentially resulting in the corresponding growth of the eCommerce industry. As per Statista, there are over 658 million active internet users in India.
While the pandemic acted as a stimulus for people to switch to online modes of shopping, government policies also have played a major role in strengthening the online market.
It is estimated that the size of the Indian eCommerce industry will reach around $350 billion by 2030. However, with bigger opportunities come bigger challenges. If you too are thinking of starting an online store or already have an eCommerce store website possibility is that you are aware of the challenges associated with this field.
With the rise in internet users, there is an equal increase in the number of eCommerce stores. In this situation, it becomes extremely difficult to attract the target audience without which it is impossible to run a business. After all, how will you make money without any customers?
If you are struggling to get traffic on your eCommerce store website, we are here with the right guidance.
In this article, we will share with you the most amazing ways that will help you attract traffic to your website just like a magnet.
So, let’s begin!
Optimize Your Ecommerce Website
Offer Discounts and Sales
Start a Referral Program
Run Facebook Campaigns
Indulge in Instagram Marketing
Provide Quality Content
Invest in SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Focus on Email Marketing
Advertise on Google
Use Influencer Marketing
Optimize Your Ecommerce Website
A study conducted by Amazon states that 88% of online buyers do not prefer a site if they have had a bad experience with it once. Therefore, it is highly crucial to design your website to provide the best user experience.
So what should a nicely optimized website have?
- To begin with, a simple and clear structure is a must. It allows the users to navigate through the website easily. Further, it helps the shoppers to look for the products of their choice without any trouble.
- The product in the offer should be clearly listed as users do not prefer the website where they have to take a tour of the entire site before getting to know what is on offer. It is always a great idea to incorporate your catalog on the homepage.
- Also, considering your part, it must have a direct and prominent Call to Action button right in front of the shopper such as “SHOP NOW”. This will prompt the visitor to become a customer.
- Use informative yet interesting language that appears attractive to your target audience. For example, if your target audience is children use bright and colorful themes and fun language to get their attention.
- A picture is worth a thousand words. Use high-quality images of the products. This not just makes the site look attractive but the customer is also able to ensure they are buying the right product. Believe it or not, photographs play a very significant role in a buyer’s final purchase decision. You can also add videos wherever possible.
Apart from these, it is extremely important to maintain the goodwill of your website. This can only be achieved when you only offer quality products to your buyers.
So, before you list a product on your website, make sure you have gone through the product description and other details thoroughly. Choosing high-quality products for your website will also save you from future troubles.
Offer Discounts and Sales
No buyer can actually resist the temptation to at least go through the products listed for sale. Discounts and sales can really get you the traffic you have been looking for. A sales campaign if created rightly can help boost your website’s popularity several folds overnight. A good deal always charms the customers.
You can create campaigns for first-time buyers or may offer free shipping, or coupons that have exclusive prizes. This will motivate the customers to shop from your website.
Creating coupons that work exclusively on your website is also a great idea. Coupons offering discounts on the next purchases encourage the customers to visit and buy again.
Further, like always, creating urgency is a sure way to lure customers into making a purchase. It can be created through tags like offer ends in 24 hours, limited stock available, etc. You can also offer a buy one get one scheme, or create product combos with special discounts when purchased together.
However, the big question here remains, how does the audience get to know about your sale? This is where marketing comes into the picture. Whether paid or unpaid, marketing and promotions are a must for you to make your eCommerce store a success.
In the coming sections, we have shared several marketing techniques that can help you promote your creative campaigns.
Start a Referral Program
Tell me, you are more likely to trust a friend while buying something or some random advertisement you saw while browsing the internet? The answer obviously is a friend.
Most people buy products based on the suggestions they receive from friends and family. This is how the referral program works.
As per a study by Invesp, the conversion rate for customers coming through referral programs is 30% higher than any other marketing strategy. Moreover, these customers have 37% higher retention rates and are more likely to refer and bring in more customers.
Ask your existing customers to refer your products to their friends and family while you offer them rewards in return for every customer they brought to your site. This works as a kind of chain if you have the right products and deals on offer.
If you are still new to the business you can also ask your family and friends to refer your website to people known to them.
Archita Mahajan
Run Facebook Campaigns
With its ever-increasing number of users, Facebook has grown to become the most used social network across the globe. As per Statista, as of the third quarter of 2022, there are around 2.96 billion monthly active Facebook users worldwide.
A survey conducted by Business wire states that around 75% of customers visit Facebook for recommendations and suggestions before they buy a product. Therefore, having a Facebook page for your eCommerce store is no more just a suggestion it is rather the need of the hour.
This page should contain all the necessary information about your store like website links, customer support, product list, reviews, etc. Also, you use this page to promote your products or grab buyers’ attention towards the sale or other campaigns.
If you are willing to spend some money on promotions you can also opt for Facebook pay-per-click ads. You simply have to set the duration for which you wish to run the advertisement, your budget, target audience, and other campaign objectives after which you make the payment and your ad is on roll.
The advantage of using Facebook advertisements is that while you will only be able to promote your products and campaigns amongst your followers through your own page, an advertisement allows you to target anyone on Facebook.
Moreover, Facebook has an enormous amount of stored data. Paying for your promotion will make the platform use this data to target your customers more specifically.
You can also integrate with the Facebook shop so that your customers can browse your products on Facebook itself, and when they finally decide to buy one, they are automatically directed to your website.
Indulge in Instagram Marketing
Not just Facebook, a Crowdtap study reveals that 71% of shoppers turn to social media before actually buying a product. Hence, Instagram being one of the most upcoming and admired social media platforms can really help you get more customers.
You can simply link your website to your Instagram account and give people a glimpse of your products. Optimize your Instagram bio by providing all the necessary information such as website links, contact information, etc.
You can also use Instagram features such as reels and stories for the promotion of your products or campaigns. Craft fun and entertaining content for your website that attracts customer attention and conclude it with a clear Call To Action.
Instagram allows verified business accounts with more than 10,000 followers to add link stickers through which you can direct users toward your website. You can also integrate your Instagram account with your website so that users can make purchases both through your Instagram account and website.
Provide Quality Content
Content marketing is a great way to attract more traffic to your website. It allows you to interact with your customers who eventually start to trust your knowledge and thus, your products.
The key is to provide valuable and engaging content regularly. This can be done through any medium you feel comfortable with, such as blogs, videos, or infographics. Remember that the target of the content is not always to influence the customers into buying a product, but to establish you as an authority in the field.
Blogging is one of the most classic and reliable forms of content. The value of content that provides useful information will keep your customers returning to your website.
Moreover, SEO-friendly blogging attracts Google and your potential customers more convincingly. It helps you build your brand and promote your products at the same time.
Simply choose the topics that sound interesting to your target audience, jot down the most crucial and lesser-known information and get it published through the media focused around your field.
You can also create entertaining and informative videos on topics relevant to your field and post them through your YouTube channel or other social media accounts.
You can also post videos on your website answering FAQs from customers or alongside products highlighting their benefits or providing other useful information.
Infographics are one of the latest and most attractive forms of content. They allow you to share statistics and other insightful information in a visually appealing manner.
Parnas Ghosh
Invest in SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
As per Statcounter, Google controls as much as 92.58% of the search engine market worldwide. Hence, investing in SEO is one of the best things you can do for your eCommerce website.
When done right SEO will help your website rank on Google bringing it to the eyes of your target audience. You will have to find the right set of trending keywords best suited for your potential customers.
There are a number of paid and unpaid tools available for keyword research. Although remember not all keywords are equally important so ascertain that you make a thorough analysis before making the final decision.
Once you have the list of keywords use them in writing the content for your website. For example, titles, product descriptions, etc. Optimize each page of your website for great results.
Focus on Email Marketing
According to the Lyfe Marketing survey, email marketing offers the highest i.e. 40% return of investment in comparison to any other marketing channel. It allows you to nurture your potential customers.
You can collect the information of the customers as soon as they land on your website. You can add a lightbox to your site that offers discounts or coupons in return for the user information.
Later, you can use this information to send them emails offering products of their choice at attractive rates or including offers like buy one get one, etc. Even if many of them may not be ready for immediate purchase you can lure most of them through sales.
You can also use email marketing to promote various campaigns that you start on your website, for example, a holiday sale, a flash sale, end-of-season discounts, etc.
While designing an email, it is important to include three main ingredients. First, an attractive email subject line is sure to grab the reader’s attention. It should be provocative for the reader to open the email.
The second is a clear CTA. This will motivate the user to do what you expect them to do, i.e., make a purchase or visit your website. Also include important links, photos, and texts from your website to provide a better picture to the buyer.
Last but not least, create simple yet engaging content. It is always good to keep it crisp so the user does not just refuse to read merely by looking at the length of the text. Including more visuals in your content is always a good idea.
Keep adding to your email list and never stop sending these emails, as no matter how slowly it appears, the process is certainly worth your time and effort.
Anagha S
Advertise on Google
SEO is the organic way of attracting traffic to your website; however, it isn’t the only way to make your website visible on Google.
Google also allows paid promotion of websites through Google ads. Just like Facebook, they also offer pay-per-click ads, and the rate per click depends on the keywords you choose.
It can be quite expensive in comparison to other methods, especially if your keywords are more popular, as Google uses a bid system for the target keywords. This means you have to compete with other similar businesses, and if your bid is the highest, your ad will be displayed on top.
However, it is equally powerful, as you have Google’s assurance to make your brand popular. So, if you have the budget, we will definitely recommend this for your business.
While selecting the keywords, you can add specifications such as location, demographics, etc. that will allow Google to find your potential customers more effectively.
Basically, Google displays your product or website to users searching for similar products. It also allows you to display your ads on Google search or maps.
The pay-per-click model ensures that you only pay for it when a potential customer clicks on your ad to reach your website or explore your products.
Use Influencer Marketing
Basically, influencers are the people who have established themselves on social media and have a large number of followers who trust them with their suggestions and advice.
All the different social media channels have several influencers who are working in your or related fields. You can collaborate with them to reach a wider and more diverse audience.
Also, coming from a source reliable to your potential customers, your product appears much more trustworthy, and there is a high possibility of more traffic reaching your site.
You can simply look for accounts that are active in your field of business and are highly popular among the audience. Make a list of such accounts and try to approach them through DM or other means possible.
Send them your product samples and provide special discounts to make them talk about your brand through their channel. You can also send them coupon codes that may be applicable only to their followers.
The best part is that you can work with as many influencers as are available and reach a far greater audience than is individually possible.
Through your social media accounts, where you stand as an authority, you can also get engaged in activities like guest blogs or videos to expand your reach.
Conclusion
These were some of the most reliable methods that ensure bringing more targeted traffic to your eCommerce store. Depending on your budget and requirements you can choose a few or all of the above-mentioned tips to increase the number of visitors to your website.
FAQs
How do I bring more traffic to an e-commerce website?
The best ways to bring more traffic to your e-commerce website are:
- Optimize Your eCommerce Website
- Offer Discounts and Sales
- Start a Referral Program
- Run Facebook Campaigns
- Indulge in Instagram Marketing
- Provide Quality Content
- Invest in SEO
- Focus on Email Marketing
- Advertise on Google
- Use Influencer Marketing
Is the eCommerce industry growing in India?
The eCommerce industry is growing rapidly in India, and it is estimated that the size of the Indian eCommerce industry will reach around $350 billion by 2030.
What is a referral program in eCommerce?
A referral program involves asking your existing customers to refer your products to their friends and family while you offer them rewards in return for every customer they brought to your site.
