For large business with marketing budgets that are in the six figures, online advertising is an easy and useful tactic in their marketing arsenal. Such business can afford to spend enough to ensure that their digital ads are seen (and, hopefully acted upon).
But what about business that are just starting out or trying to run lean? Smaller e-commerce business need to work smarter and make their budgets stretch. And they need to employ some tried and true methods of promoting their business. Below are four strategies that will help you improve your search engine ranking, driving traffic and promote your business.
Create Amazing Content
According to many SEO experts the most important ranking factor for Google is content. But what does that mean? By content Google means deep and authoritative articles on your subject matter (the product or service you sell). These must be topical, relevant and written in plain English. If you are smoke shop selling glass bongs then every collection page needs several hundred words on why people need a bong, a water pipe or a dab rig. Focus on features, benefits and the qualities that make them great in a general, non-self-promotional sense. You should also start a blog that is updated often (Google loves FRESH content) that delves even deeper into your product subject matter. Great content will mean that your site rises to the top when people search for your items and ask general questions about the items you sell.
Generate Backlinks From Quality Domains
The second most important ranking factor for SEO is the number of backlinks coming into your website from other web sites. There are many great sources out there for how to embark on a link building campaign, and this should absolutely be something you should do, sooner rather than later. Sure, you can buy Google Adwords and try to compete with companies with much bigger budget on these expensive keywords. Or you can do the work of building quality backlinks to your site, which will result in ranking higher in actual, organic search results. Again, the backlink strategy should focus on the set of products you sell and the target sites will likely be authoritative sources on this subject matter. If you own a vape store then you anchor text will focus on terms like “best portable vapes” and “why should I buy a vaporizer” and terms of that nature.
Establish A Customer Loyalty Program
Your customers have more choices than ever before in today’s crowded world. Your competitor is a mere click away. And if you don’t retain your hard earned customers you may not be in business in a year. The good news is that returning customers spend 67% more than new ones. A relatively cost effective way to keep your customers coming back is to establish a loyalty program. Such programs take many forms. Some, like Amazon Prime, are annual subscriptions that offer discounts and benefits like free shipping. Others are more simple, offering a first chance to buy new merchandise before it goes on sale to the public. But the concept is the same—establishing a program that rewards returning customers with coupons, discounts or other incentives.
To customers who frequently make purchases, a loyalty program may give a customer free merchandise, rewards, coupons, or even advance released products.
Make It Easy For Your Customers To Connect
One of the most frustrating experiences that a consumer can have online is having to hunt around a website for a way to contact the shop. Customer service is one the key elements to running a successful business. Make it very easy for your customers to contact you. Have a dedicated and visible to link to a contact page and make sure it includes an email form and a phone number. In addition, the use of instant chat is becoming a best practice among big brands. There are dozens of apps that allow you to add instant chat to your site, providing customers with an easy and pervasive method of getting in touch. Making it easy for your customers to get in touch adds a level of reassurance and communicates that you care about them, and this helps reduce friction on the journey to check out, which is the goal of every transaction.
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