You’ve worked hard to create an online store and it’s simply beautiful..now what? Unfortunately, just having a good site doesn’t really translate into sales—you have to have good traffic too. But how do you get people to discover and then fall in love with your online store? Once your store is online, what next? Sure, you could rent a billboard or pay for a TV commercial, but is traditional advertising really the right route for a non-traditional business? When it comes to generating traffic to a new online store, a bit of creativity and out-of-the-box thinking can lead to that initial surge of traffic that builds into a successful, long-term endeavor. Here are 20 non-traditional marketing ideas to generate traffic to your online store.
Give customers a bonus for referrals
Who doesn’t like free stuff? Reward your customers that tell their friends about your store with a referral bonus. Referral bonuses are easy to integrate into your website with an add-on app, for example, Shopify and Bigcommerce users can use Referral Candy. The app generates a unique URL code for each customer to share and keeps track of how often that link is used, so they know who to reward. Since it’s app-based, this is an easy marketing tactic to use, though users have to pay monthly for this particular one.
Build a Google AdWords campaign
A successful advertising campaign needs to be where the people are—and online advertising is a good way to easily target the right people. Google AdWords is a pay-per-click platform, so advertisers only pay when someone actually visits their site. But, there are a few tricks to really reap the most rewards from a campaign.
- Know what you want to achieve. Think about what, exactly, you’d like to get from your ad before you get started. Is it more website hits, more sales of a certain product, more visits to your blog? Without having a defined goal, it’s impossible to map out a good route.
- Know who you are targeting. Who is your audience? What search terms might they be using? These are all essential to getting people to click on that link to your store.
- Establish the desired action. The best online ads often use a call to action. Write the ad in a way that includes a verb (ex. try, click, visit, check).
- Don’t be afraid to experiment. You don’t pay for an ad unless someone clicks on it, but of course, more clicks means more traffic and more sales. Try writing an ad in two or three ways. Watch the statistics—which one has a better ratio of clicks per views? Continue using that ad, and keep that style in mind when you write future ads.
Write a blog
Blogs drive traffic to your website by offering information that people are actually searching for. It may take some time to build up enough posts to see a big traffic change, but blogs can also be relatively low budget strategies. Blogging is part of content marketing, or providing content that people are looking for as a marketing strategy. The key is to provide information that people in your target audience are actually looking for. Explore Google’s Keyword Tool to find phrases people are searching for that have low competition. Use that keyword in the headline, as well as a few places in the rest of the post as well. Try typing a related word or two into a Google search, and seeing what the automatic suggestions come up—those are often good topics to write about as well.
Write a Guest Post
If you’re not patient enough to build your own following on a blog, reach out to blogs with an established audience by submitting a guest post. Write an informative blog post (not a sales pitch), following all of the guidelines above for writing a blog. Then instead of publishing on your own site, submit it to another blog to use. Many bloggers are happy to receive content they can use for free, and in exchange will include a link back to your website. Search for bloggers that write on a topic similar to your store, then send them a short email proposing your guest post, like this:
Dear {Blogger’s Name},
I loved reading your posts on eliminating processed foods and eating healthier. Unfortunately, most beauty products on store shelves are packed with chemicals too. I have attached a guest post on how to eliminate preservatives and chemicals from your beauty routine that I believe may interest your readers. All I ask for in exchange is a link back to my own website, {yourwebsite.com}. Please let me know if you are interested in publishing my guest post.
Best wishes,
{Your Name}
Start a Vlog
Not good at stringing a sentence together and don’t have the budget to hire a blogger? A video blog or vlog can work well too, particularly if you have a funny or outgoing personality or expertise in a related area. Just like using a blog, videos that provide information that people are looking for can drive traffic to your website. It’s a good idea to add the video to YouTube as well as on your website for even more exposure. Video blogs are quite a bit different then content-based blogs. Use the format to your advantage by letting your personality shine through. Video blogs are also great to provide information that is more difficult to understand with just words, such as how to guides. Just like with a blog, use the Google Keyword tool to find topics people are searching for to generate the most traffic from your video.
Reach out through the inbox with email marketing
Email is often a successful but overlooked marketing tool, but it has to be done right, otherwise all that effort winds up in the junk folder without even a glimpse. Using a service like AWeber helps prevent inadvertently winding up with all the spam. The challenge to starting a successful email campaign is getting emails in the first place. Add a sign up list on your website, and share it on social media. To really build an email list, offer something for free in exchange for their email, like a coupon or a guide that’s a bit more extensive then a blog post. Or, you can also host a social media contest and require an email to enter. Once you build up an email list, take some extra time when writing the subject line—that’s what will get readers to either open the email or ignore it. Try writing a few different headlines, and choose the best one. Short, catchy subject lines tend to work the best. Don’t give everything away in the subject either, make the reader curious enough to open it.
Optimize your website
Can potential customers find your store simply by doing a Google search for a keyword? If you integrate good search engine optimization practices, they can. Use the Google Keyword Tool to find search terms related to your product. Try to target keywords that have a low competition, but a high number of monthly searches. Use these keywords wherever you can naturally use them in the text, without sounding forced—in product descriptions, blog posts, image descriptions, etc. SEO is a topic broad enough for an entire volume of books, but here are some of the basics that eCommerce owners need to know:
- Don’t repeat content. Google will penalize websites that have the same content repeated on multiple pages, so avoid using the same block of text in every product description. This also means you shouldn’t copy text from anywhere else, including product descriptions supplied by the manufacturer.
- Update frequently. Google also monitors how often your website is updated. More updates mean better SEO rankings.
- Don’t forget about individual products. Add keywords in your product descriptions and product titles too, if you can. Head back to the Google Keyword tool to find new keywords directly related to that particular product.
- Take advantage of what your website builder has to offer. Many platforms offer SEO tools and tips that work well for that particular builder.
- Don’t bury your links. Your product pages will rank higher if there’s a link to them on your home page.
- Link, link, link. The more links a webpage has from respected websites (not spam websites), the higher that page will rank. Reach out to other sites that may be interested in sharing links. Encourage links on social media by adding buttons for visitors to quickly share a page. And, whenever you can control the text that is linked, use the keyword there instead of just “click here.”
Try a shopping search engine
The beauty of shopping search engines like Google Shopping and PriceGrabber is that most of the visitors on those platforms are actually looking to buy something, or at least the very least are creating a wish list. The downside is that it makes it easier for consumers to compare prices, so it’s often a good option for online stores that already have low or competitive prices. Each shopping search engine varies a bit in the process (Google Shopping’s process, for example, is detailed here), but most require uploading a CSV file of your products with a few basic details, like the price and the link. Many of these platforms are pay-per-click, so you only pay when someone visits your website, not whenever your product shows up in the search result.
Send samples to popular bloggers
Bloggers love free stuff. Store owners love product reviews. It’s a match made in eCommerce heaven. Many bloggers like to write product reviews, and many blogs reach out to a very specific audience. Perhaps even more importantly, most of those readers trust that blogger and what they have to say. Start by researching blogs that target readers that might be interested in your products. For example, a business selling handcrafted children’s toys could reach out to parenting bloggers; a business selling sporting goods could reach out to sports bloggers. Do a Google search for the “_____ blogs” that fit your target audience and find the bloggers contact information. Then, send them a brief message offering to send them a free product in exchange for an honest review. Compliment an aspect of their blog, then explain why their readers may be interested in the product. Here’s an example:
Dear {Blogger’s Name},
I loved reading your posts on developmentally appropriate toys for toddlers, and how little ones learn through play. Learning should be fun, which is why I would like to tell you about the handcrafted toys in my online store. I would love to send you a toy, at no charge, in exchange for an honest review on your blog. Please browse through the options at {your url here} and let me know what you think.
Best wishes,
{Your name}
Not everyone will respond, so reach out to a handful of bloggers that write for a similar audience. You can apply the same concept to popular profiles on Instagram and other social media outlets. Try using tools like Websata to find Instagrammers using hashtags related to your market.
Write entertaining product descriptions
Product descriptions that are good enough to go viral can even drive additional traffic to your online store. Just take a look at Whiskey River Soap, for example. They’re simply describing a bar of soap, but they do so in a way that’s entertaining. This method isn’t for every business, but if funny or spunky descriptions fit well within your brand, it can be successful, particularly when well integrated into social media marketing too. Here are a few tips for this strategy:
- Keep it conversational, and don’t use fancy words. Some businesses, when it fits their brand, even use text speak and slang.
- Get into the why part of the products—like why they are made, or why they are good.
- If it sounds like an advertisement, rewrite it.
- Read a lot of examples to help get you started. Read through some of the descriptions on the Whiskey River Soap website and Mimoco.
- Be sure to integrate well into your social media—be the first to share and encourage others to share.
Create a challenge
Remember the ice bucket challenge? (Well, who doesn’t?) While that particular challenge was used to raise money and awareness for a non-profit, businesses could use a similar concept in their own marketing endeavors. A hair product company can create a crazy hair challenge and ask followers to share pictures of their hair on social media. A children’s clothing boutique can challenge parents to try a new activity with their kids or ask fun questions and share the responses. Whatever your challenge is, make sure to:
- Promote it on social media, and create a hashtag for it. You can also pair it up with another promotional idea, like including it in a guest post or Google AdWords, for example.
- Keep timing in mind. The Ice Bucket challenge didn’t ask people to dump ice water on their heads in December.
- Invite “celebrities” such as the bloggers you may have contacted about product reviews or guest posts to join in.
Host a contest
Social media contests are great ways to gain new followers, collect emails and increase website traffic. Give away one of your own products to generate hype for what you offer in your store. Using a contest tool like WooBox or Rafflecopter makes the process much simpler. Some options are free, but it’s often the paid plans that offer the most features. To get the most out of a contest:
- Require a share to enter. Your exposure will increase dramatically if every person that enters also shares the contest page for others to see and then enter themselves.
- Set a goal. What do you want to achieve with your contest? More social media followers? More emails for your email marketing? More website visits? If you want more emails, be sure to require an email in order to enter the contest.
- Don’t go too crazy with requirements. The more that’s involved to enter, the fewer entries you’ll get. Be sure to include a requirement that meets the goal of your campaign, but don’t go too crazy unless you keep them as options for extra entries, and not requirements.
Get a table at an event
Just because your store is online doesn’t mean you shouldn’t direct some of your marketing efforts locally. Rent table space at a farmer’s market, craft show or other local event. People may be more likely to take a risk on a new business when they can see the product in person. When you make an in-person sale, be sure to hand them a business card with your website on it—you may turn them into long-term customers.
Invest in some merchandise
If it suits your brand’s style, don’t be afraid to put your website on a t-shirt or other merchandise—coffee cups, water bottles, pens…the options are only as limited as your imagination. Hand them out at local events, or add an inexpensive item with your URL on it free with every order. Wear a t-shirt with your website on it, use your computer with a custom laptop skin in the local coffee shop—you may be surprised at how many conversations can be sparked by a simple item.
Host or sponsor an event
Hosting or sponsoring an event is a good way to spread the word about your brand, particularly when the event attracts the same target audience. Online stores selling sporting goods, for example, would do well hosting a 5K or sponsoring a local T-Ball team. Stores targeted to women could host or participate in a local women’s expo. To get the most out of an event, be sure to display your products, particularly any items that are good conversation starters. Encourage attendees to follow your social media pages. If you use email marketing, have an email sign-up out. Event attendees also like freebies—give away coupons, branded merchandise or free samples.
Write a press release
Press releases inform the media about your event, and online press releases can be useful for SEO as well. While they’re a bit trickier to compile then blog posts, they can be a useful tool, particularly for businesses that are brand new. When writing a press release, don’t be afraid to:
- Get professional help. If you find it hard to string a sentence together and properly format a press release, a professionally written one will likely lead to a much better outreach. Try finding professionals on Elance or going through a service.
- Highlight what’s unique. Always answer the “so what” question—why do media outlets (and their readers) care about your business? Highlight where you’re from when submitting to local outlets, for example.
- Read a few examples first. Do a quick web search for press releases and read a few first. Pay attention to how they are formatted and how they are worded.
Participate in online forums
Often, online forums can lead to additional website traffic, and the links are often good for SEO. Find a few forums where your target audience hangs out. Keep posts brief, and always include a link. You can also respond to other comments too—this works particularly well if you offer a product that solves a problem by sharing that information in forums about that issue. Consider forums as an avenue for conversation and a way to “meet” new people that are beneficial for your business.
Post on Craigslist
Craigslist and other similar online classifieds are often overlooked opportunities. Craigslist is particularly beneficial because posts are divided into categories—which can help businesses to reach out to the right audience.
Give out samples
Businesses that offer products small enough for samples can benefit from offering small portions of their products for free. This may work well for beauty products, food items and more. The Honest Company, for example, offers new customers a free (plus shipping and handling) sample-sized pack of diapers. It can be difficult to judge a product that you can’t see, so free samples are a good way for online stores to get over that obstacle and hook new customers with a solid product.
Stop failing at multiple social media outlets and start focusing on one
Social media is now one of the more obvious marketing ideas—but many new businesses own sign up for multiple platforms at once, then never really get anywhere. If you have the time to manage Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn all at once, great—by all means, do it. But often, small businesses owners either don’t have the expertise or the time to manage all of them successfully. It’s better to be successful growing one profile then to get minimal engagement on multiple platforms. Master one, then adds in another as you grow. Which one should you focus on first? Well, that depends a bit on your target audience.
- Facebook is the most popular social media outlet and reaches out to a wide range of audiences. While most users are between ages 20 and 50, teens and even senior citizens are on this network. It works well for businesses that target a wide demographic.
- Pinterest is primarily dominated by women. It’s designed to save an image (which links back to a webpage) to reference later. Some of the most popular categories on Pinterest are DIY, food and drinks, home decor and parenting.
- Twitter has a fairly wide demographic too, being popular for teenagers but also for businesses and professionals too. Mastering Twitter takes a little more time though since posts are based chronologically, it’s best to tweet multiple times a day and tweet the same thing more than once.
- LinkedIn is a good option for B2B type online stores. More users on this platform are college educated and in a higher income bracket. It’s also used strictly for professional networking, where other platforms may be used both professionally and personally.
- If your businesses could benefit from a more visually-oriented platform, YouTube is a good option. It’s excellent for how to videos, as well as humorous clips, interviews and other types of posts that work well on video. Once on YouTube, the videos can then also be easily shared on other social media networks.
Social media is a marketing strategy that works meshes well with other strategies, so pick a platform you can excel in, and use it to further your other eCommerce strategies. The internet has created new avenues for non-traditional businesses, and with it, non-traditional marketing strategies that can be used to lead to that very first sale on your eCommerce website.
