In 2022, the ecommerce market was worth over $5 trillion, and online sales increased rapidly.
With such a profitable industry, business owners are increasingly turning to the internet to expand their reach and drive sales. And as with any business, generating leads is essential to making this happen.
However, just having a well-designed website or engaging social media page is not enough for customers to find you. You’ll have to put in a bit more work than that. Proactively targeting potential customers through social media, email marketing, or even search engine optimization are just a few methods you should use to get people interested in what you have to offer.
With so many methodologies to choose from, digital marketing can seem a bit daunting. That’s why it’s essential to be strategic in your approach and find the techniques that are most likely to bring you success.
If you’re struggling to figure out where to start, we’ve developed a list of the most effective strategies you can use to ensure your ecommerce business is thriving.
Who is your ideal lead?
Before you start implementing any strategies, you must first understand who your leads should be. To do this, you’ll need to identify the characteristics of a potential customer that would make them an ideal lead for your business.
Look at factors including:
- Household income
- Age
- Education
- Gender
- Location
- Hobbies or interests, etc.
For example, if you’re selling luxury handbags, your ideal customer will likely be high-income women looking for a high-quality product in a premium price range. Knowing this, you can focus on targeting affluent individuals interested in fashion through digital platforms such as Instagram and Facebook rather than relying on traditional ad methods like radio or print media.
Whether you’re a seasoned business owner or just starting an LLC, by picturing your ideal lead, you can better target them with marketing campaigns, create blog content tailored to their interests, and provide promotions they cannot resist.
Next, let’s look at four strategies you can use to generate leads for your ecommerce store.
Ways to generate leads
Social media marketing
Social media is a powerful tool for targeting leads. Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook allow you to reach out to potential customers in an organic way that doesn’t come off as overly sales-y or intimidating.
By taking a thoughtful approach to each platform, you can engage with followers and create relationships that will draw them into your brand’s story. The more they interact with your content and feel connected to it, the more likely they will make a purchase.
To ensure you’re reaching the right people, use social media ad campaigns to target specific demographics based on factors such as age, gender, or location. You can even create lookalike audiences based on existing followers or customers who have purchased from your website so that you’re always looking for new leads.
Search engine optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a must for generating leads for your ecommerce business. With so much competition online, you must ensure that your website stands out and is easily found by potential customers through Google searches.
To do this, focus on using relevant keywords that describe the products you’re selling. This will help improve your position in search results so that customers are more likely to find your website and buy something from it. Additionally, take advantage of other SEO tactics, such as optimizing page titles, meta descriptions, and images with alt text tags to further boost visibility.
Discounts & promotional codes
Discounts and promotional codes are a great way to entice potential customers to make purchases. You can offer exclusive discounts or free shipping to attract new leads or reward existing customers for their loyalty.
You can spread the word about these offers through social media marketing and email newsletter campaigns. You could also advertise your top deals through SMS campaigns using VoIP services if you want to reach out directly. A VoIP phone service keeps your sales team connected with your customers at all times, providing instant access to all contacts and files. When choosing a VoIP service, look for a platform that integrates with SMS messaging, team chats, and call recordings.
Keep in mind that your discount code must be easy to find no matter what method you choose, so potential customers can quickly redeem it.
Email marketing
Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach leads. It is more affordable than other channels and allows you to target existing customers and potential leads with personalized messages tailored to their interests.
By segmenting your email list and sending out targeted campaigns, you can create a sense of familiarity with recipients, making them more likely to engage with your content and click through to your website. Additionally, email marketing allows you to track the success of each campaign so that you can better understand what works best for different customer segments.
Final thoughts
Ultimately, there are many different strategies you can use to generate leads for your ecommerce business.
By researching each channel and tactic thoroughly beforehand, you’ll be able to mine which ones are likely to be successful so that you don’t waste any time or resources on ineffective methods. By leveraging various channels and creative campaigns, you’ll be well on your way to generating more leads and sales for your ecommerce store.