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10 Online Marketing Ideas for e-Commerce

Who doesn’t love to buy goods and services right from the comfort of their home? E-commerce has become quite popular over the past few years as people can shop at their own convenience, with total comfort, without the headache of beating the traffic and standing in long queues. If you too have decided to launch an e-commerce site or have already done so, to cash in on this trend, you need to promote it well to rake in the moolah.

Improving the online presence of an e-commerce site is not an easy task. After all, SEO professionals and online marketers have to optimize the website in order to improve the user experience and achieve better rankings. But the buck doesn’t stop there. You should also use all the available channels to promote your store online. In fact, there are many ways to generate more traffic. All that you need to do is figure out what trick works best for your business and follow that accordingly. Here are 10 ideas that can help you to market your ecommerce site online:

  1. Submit product feeds – Since you sell products online, you should definitely use product feeds. This will help you reach a broader audience. A product feed is a file that is generated from a website which lists several product details like descriptions, pricing and photos. You can submit these product feeds to different shopping comparison websites and search engines. You can also make these available to some customers using feed readers.
  2. Upselling your products – Not many businesses try this but you can ask your potential/existing customer if they would be interested in a slightly more expensive product when they consider buying a similar one. If you are in a dilemma about whether it would work or not, it will - say some research results. According to these, upselling on e-commerce sites is 20 times more effective as compared to cross-selling. At times, your customers may not know about the availability of a better product, or could be sure that a different product would be a better fit for their needs. You should emphasize the difference and your customer may be convinced to go for an upgrade.
  3. Submit your site - Most e-commerce website owners submit their site to the key search engines and then wait for customers to visit their online store. What they forget is to look for other niche sites and directories available, where they can submit their business information and website. Some of these sites and directories will not only improve your link popularity, but can also drive highly targeted traffic to your online store. Though many overlook this step, you shouldn’t, as it is an important step for marketing your e-commerce site online.
  4. Claim local listings - Google, Yahoo, Yelp as well as many other search engines, local listing sites and directories have tools to help local shoppers find your business. Some of them even help prospective buyers get maps of location (in case you have a physical store too), hours of operation, and even discounts coupons. You should create/claim your business listing to attract more local traffic. Some of these listings are free for basic information though you can upgrade for a fee to have more options such as adding a business logo, uploading videos etc.
  5. Make a strong social media presence – Social media networks are one of the most powerful tools to promote your e-commerce website. Make sure your website has a strong social media presence and the social media buttons are placed strategically on your website. Check product ratings and reviews thoroughly as it will help you understand which products your target customers like the most. You can also organize contests related to your services and products as this will help generate a positive buzz for your business. If you want to generate highly targeted traffic to your website, you can opt for PPC advertising. You can also create a business blog and write reviews for the best selling products. Email marketing campaigns and affiliate marketing can also help boost your sales.
  6. Send press releases – One of the best tricks to spread the word about your e-commerce site is to send press releases. You can consider sending press releases about your products, services or stores. Whether you launch a new line of products, conduct a special event or open a new shop in another city, you can send press releases to various media outlets and online news distribution services.
  7. Sharing your knowledge – To establish yourself as a voice of authority or an expert, you can share your knowledge across different platforms. Starting from article marketing (where you write and submit articles to increase awareness of your online store’s presence), to hosting seminars, classes, or workshops online, you can educate your target audience, establish credibility and build trust. All these will eventually make people open to buying from you.
  8. Create your own commercials – Instead of print marketing, opt for video marketing online. It allows retailers to extend the reach of their message to a larger audience. Create a unique online ad or a video that will promote your brand or convey your message. These not only generate interest among your target audience but also help you earn a significantly high ROI.
  9. Go mobile – Since people across the globe these days prefer to search and access information through mobile phones instead of desktop or personal computers, it is advisable to develop a mobile version of your website. The standard desktop version won't run on a mobile and even if it does, some elements may not display properly. This is why you have to develop a mobile version. Make sure this version is absolutely simple and loads quickly so that your users can access it without any difficulty.
  10. Give freebies –Everyone loves freebies and giveaways. Retailers have been using these marketing tools for decades. You too can offer some of them, from time to time, to encourage your existing and potential shoppers to return for more. However, remember that your giveaways don’t need to be expensive. You can give special offers for contest winners, product samples for survey responders, or coupon codes for the first 50 buyers on a specific day or between a specific time schedule. You may even consider giving helpful content as promotional giveaways. After all, a big advantage of online marketing is the chance to offer such freebies easily and quickly to woo your target customers.

What are you waiting for? Follow these ideas to promote and market your e-commerce website online effectively.