According to the latest Marktest E-commerce Barometer, it is estimated that 5.2 million users in Portugal already buy online, an increase of more than 60% compared to 2021.
In this climate of growth, the most important thing to boost sales is to increase qualified traffic and visits to your online store.
1. Optimize your online store for search engines
Although it may seem elementary, you should keep in mind that optimizing your website to be found by search engines, also known as SEO (Search Engine Optimization), is essential – and perhaps the number one rule – for generating traffic to your online store.
Make sure that all content pages are indexed for the best keywords so that your audience can find your website more easily. Check if every link works and if the website structure is user friendly, because many potential buyers get lost on a website when it is not easy to browse. As a consequence, it will hurt your performance in the organic results list.
2. Create content that is relevant to your audience
Users like to know who they are talking to and value receiving additional useful information for their daily lives. Regularly sharing vital information for your customer’s activity is essential to improve your reputation as an expert in the community and ensure more organic visits to the online store.
Publish frequently and choose topics that can be more easily searched by your target audience. For example, if your online store sells shoes it might make sense to write an article on how to choose the best boots for the winter. Another way to generate relevant content is to create digital events – workshops, live streams, etc. – on topics that may be of interest to your audience, and from there, channel it to your online store.
3. Choose the marketplaces that best suit your business
Marketplaces are on the rise. Since the pandemic, there has been a huge growth, with the biggest ones in Portugal attracting millions of monthly visitors to these virtual malls. Choose the marketplaces that best fit your product and where you will have a greater chance of converting.
In fashion and footwear, you can count on marketplaces such as Farfetch, LaRedoute, Vinted, Asos, among others. Consider adding your online store to social media marketplaces like Instagram or Facebook, which can help generate more traffic to your website.
4. Have a unique email marketing strategy
For many people, email is still the easiest way to receive news about their brands of choice, and this is a very important traffic-generating medium for every business.
Take advantage of your email list to offer exclusive promotions and content, birthday discounts, announce pre-sales, among other useful information. Choose an exclusive strategy and don’t make the mistake of sending generic content, because your client might get tired of receiving non-relevant emails.
5. Create a loyalty program
In the same way that email marketing can build consumer loyalty, having a program where the best customers are rewarded can drive more qualified traffic to your online store. This happens because those who do so already know your product.
Offering discounts or rewards (such as free shipping on your next purchase) to those who purchase a product is the first step towards building a loyal customer base. That way, you are more likely to sell again to those who have already bought something. The same goes for new cross-selling or up-selling opportunities that start from brand suggestions with related products.
6. Make the most of your partner network
Whatever the business, doing everything yourself is not always the best idea. Make sure you have the right partners to increase visits to your online store. This includes having the best delivery providers, the best CRM, and of course the best payment gateway. Easypay can equip your online store with a checkout page developed to reduce friction, lower cart abandonment, and provide all your customer’s preferred payment methods. With easypay, checkout can be customized to your brand’s image and colors and is fully mobile friendly.
Besides providing specialized know-how in each area, partners also help increase visits to your online store. Being external websites, they can publish content related to the partnership. If they link to your website, even better, because it will increase the authority perceived by the search engine. It is a simple and free way to receive more traffic and reinforce existing partnerships.
7. Create remarketing and retargeting plans
Those who saw a product once may want to see it again, or even buy it. Sending an email to a consumer who reached the checkout and did not complete the purchase is one of the most effective remarketing strategies to get more traffic.
Likewise, create retargeting campaigns with ads that impact consumers who have been to your website but did not buy. Of course, to have the desired effect, it is essential that users have a positive first experience on-page, especially at the checkout. That is why the checkout page developed by easypay is fully customized and designed to reduce the number of steps and information needed to complete the purchase.
8. Choose the right influencers
Influencer marketing is already a trend, and its importance will grow for brands that want to generate online traffic. Choose influencers that best suit your business – including niche influencers and micro-influencers – as this will help your online presence have more value, and generate more website visits.
Influencer videos, in particular, are one of the fastest growing formats. According to a study by Wyzowl, 87% of marketers say that implementing video has helped increase website traffic.
These are just a few strategies that will help your online store grow in visits and sales. However, to get better results it is important not to neglect the entire on-page customer experience, especially the payment experience. Thus, a good checkout page should contain the most preferred payment methods, be fast, simple, intuitive and frictionless. By implementing the new easypay checkout, you will provide your customers with a great payment experience. Follow these tips and prepare your online store to sell more.