100+ Ways to grow an eCommerce Brand
Welcome to your ultimate guide on ways to grow an eCommerce business. Whether you're just starting out or looking to scale your online store, this comprehensive resource is designed to provide tips and strategies to help your business grow.
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Table of Contents
Marketing
What is Marketing?
This is the key way in which a brand attracts leads and communicates its value to prospective customers. Transforming interest into engagement and ultimately driving sales.
Two primary objectives of marketing:
> Increase the amount of qualified leads to your business
> While minimising the cost of those leads
Best Practices
The following strategies are best practices that all eCommerce brands should implement.
Inbound Content
Creating meaningful and educational content
Organic Social Media
Post on relevant platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Pinterest
Strategic Partnerships
With brands that share a similar audience but don't compete
Influencer Marketing
Engage with influencers to help promote your products
Lead Magnet
Create content and incentives to capture email addresses
Google Shopping
Include your products in Google Shopping merchant
Referral Programs
Reward your best customers to provide leads
Paid Social Media
Paid campaigns targeting both new and existing customers
Invest in SEO
Images ALT text, keywords and blogs
Email Marketing
Send educational emails and offers to current leads
Maybes
The following strategies may vary depending on your brand, industry, and customer base. Tailoring these approaches to the unique characteristics of your brand and the specific needs and preferences of your target audience will maximise their effectiveness.
Retail Outlets
Sell your products through retail outlets, stores and distributors
Online Marketplaces
Amazon, Etsy, Hard to Find, Ebay
Pop up Stalls
Set up stalls at markets to increase your brand's visibility
PR Strategy
Get news outlets to run a story on your business or product
Discount Directories
Partner with discount directories to offer first-time discounts
Giveaways/Contests
Create a giveaway or competition to collect leads
Google PPC ads
Run intent based PPC campaigns
Billboards
In relevant locations where your target market is present
Cold Calling
Reach out to potential customers who may be interested in your product
Networking Events
Attend networking events related to your industry
Radio Ads
Try radio ads on stations that your audience listens to
TV/Streaming Service Ads
Consider running ads on streaming services relevant to your audience
Print Media
Publish ads in journals or magazines relevant to your audience
Letter Box Drops
Distribute mail or flyers to promote your brand and products
Community Sponsorships
Sponsor sporting clubs or community events
Published Articles or Books
Write a book or have an article published in a magazine
Social Media Groups and Forums
Create and actively participate in social media groups and forums
Sales
What is Sales?
Sales involves any activities that turn leads into paying customers.
Two primary objectives of sales:
> Increase your conversion rate
> Increase your average order value
Best Practice
The following strategies are best practices that all eCommerce brands should implement.
Mobile Responsiveness
Ensure your website is responsive across different device sizes
Abandon Cart Emails
Send an email to customers who have left items in their cart
Reviews and Testimonials
Include product reviews and testimonials on your site
Personalised Recommendations
Include product recommendations based on customers' browsing history
Add Live Chat
Allow potential customers to ask questions while they are deciding
Digital Merchandising
Correctly set up product tags and collections to ensure customers can find your products easily
Conversion Content/Tools
Blogs, resources, sizing charts and how to guides
Offer Returns Policy
Include a returns policy, even for change of mind
Slide Out Cart
Implement a slide-out cart to enhance the shopping experience
Cross/Up-selling
Include suggestions for related products based on purchase history
Include USP on home page
Tell website visitors what makes your brand special
About Us Page
Talk about why you do what you do and share your purpose
Conversion copy
Address questions and objections about your products
FAQ Page
Include answers to some commonly asked questions
Retargeting Ads
Reengage with potential customers who have viewed your ads and site.
Low Stock Alerts
Include low stock numbers on your site when stock levels are actually low
Improve product images
Include lifestyle images of your products, loading speed, etc
Product Bundles
Offer bundles of related products to provide value and encourage higher purchase volumes
Improve Site Speed
Improve site and page loading speed to enhance user experience
Add Social Media Links
Include social media links in the footer of your site
Contact Form
Include a contact form to make it easy for customers to reach out
Site Brand and Design
Ensure consistent design and brand across your site
Flexible Payment Options
Include different payment options such as Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, etc
Email Capture
Include an email sign up for resources or newsletter subscriptions
Shopify Shop App
List your store on the Shopify Shop app
Product Filter
Allow your customers to filter your product collections by their preferences
Frequently Bought Together
Recommend frequently bought-together products on product pages
Single Page Check Out
Reduce the amount of steps needed for a customer to checkout
Flexible Shipping Methods
Give customers options for standard or express shipping
User Friendly Menu
Ensure your site menu is easy to navigate so customers can easily find products
Dynamic search bar
Allow customers to search for products and pages on your site
Highlight Best Sellers
Include a best sellers section on your home page
Maybes
The following strategies may vary depending on your brand, industry, and customer base. Tailoring these approaches to the unique characteristics of your brand and the specific needs and preferences of your target audience will maximise their effectiveness.
A/B Testing
Conduct A/B testing on site changes and variations to determine what works best
Sample Packs
Offer smaller sample packs so customers can try your product before committing to a larger purchase
Offer Free Gift
Offer a free gift with orders over a certain value to encourage higher AOV
Offer BNPL
Some customers prefer to make purchases using specific payment platforms
Offer Free Shipping
Determine if free shipping is viable for your business
Shoppable Instagram Posts
Create Shoppable Instagram posts and display them on your website
Progression Bar
Include a progress bar to incentivise customers to purchase more
First Purchase Discount
Offer potential customers a discount on their first purchase
Expand Product Variants
Include more colours, sizes and variants of your products
Expand Product Range
Include a variety of products that appeal to your audience’s interests and needs
Show Credentials
Awards, qualifications or memberships/accreditations
Flash Sales
Create urgency for your product by offering a discount to move slow stock
Quiz or Questionnaire
Allowing you to provide product recommendations and collect emails
Improve Site Accessibility
Make it easier for visually impaired customers to navigate your site
Increase Prices
Could you increase your prices without impacting conversion
Currency Conversion
Allow customers to shop in their local currency
Personalised Experiences
Customise the site experience based on location and interests
Page Abandonment Offer
Customise a pop up with an offer when a visitor is about to leave the page
Social Proof Notifications
Notify site viewers when another customer purchases a product
Multi Language Site
Make your site available in multiple languages
Back in Stock Notifications
Collect emails to notify when a product is back in stock
Quick Shop Buttons
Add dynamic shop buttons to product pages
Image Roll Over
Showing a second image when someone engages with or hovers over the image.
Money Back Guarantee
Include a money back guarantee for your products
Post Purchase Offer
Provide a before you go discount that sits between the cart and checkout
Expand Returns Policy
Increase number of days or offer a change of mind return
Limited Time Offer
Provide a before you go discount that sits between the cart and checkout
Buy More & Save
Include a buy more and save discount to encourage higher spending
Proactive Customer Service
ave a customer service rep reach out if a visitor spends an extended time on a product page
Pop-ups
Include pop-ups with different offers or discounts
Limited Edition Products
Offer limited edition products or collection related to events or partnerships
Extended Product Warranty
Offer customers extended warranties on your products
Shipping Insurance
Give your customers the option to insure higher value items
Affiliate Offers in Orders
Include an affiliate offer from a partner brand with orders
Service
What is Service?
These activities are focused on delivering on your brand's promises and serving your customers.
Two primary objectives of service:
> Make sure your customers are happy
> Retain those customers for as long as possible
Best Practice
The following strategies are best practices that all eCommerce brands should implement.
Email Welcome Series
Run an email welcome series to engage new customers
Segmented Email Campaign
Send customers emails based on previous purchase history
Faster Fulfilment & Shipping
Improve fulfilment and shipping processes to ensure faster dispatch and delivery
Expand Service Channels
Offer more ways for you customers to contact you
Order Tracking Updates
Keep your customers updated on where there order is and when to expect it to arrive
Order Confirmation Emails
Use order confirmation emails to remarket to your customers
Customer Surveys
Ask your customers what their purchase experience was like and get feedback
Thank you Cards
Give your customers hand written notes or personalised stickers
Maybes
The following strategies may vary depending on your brand, industry, and customer base. Tailoring these approaches to fit the unique characteristics of your brand and the specific needs and preferences of your target audience will maximise their effectiveness.
Unboxing Experience
Create a memorable unboxing experience
Limited Edition Products
Seasonal or event based products
Build Online Community
Create a community of raving vans
Birthday/Anniversary Gifts
Reward loyal customers with personalised discounts
Returning Customer Discount
Provide incentives to customers who haven't purchases for some time
Incentivise Photo/Video Reviews
Give customers discounts to encourage photo/video reviews
Loyalty Program
Reward loyal customers with perks and discounts
Product Subscriptions
Offer subscriptions to make it easier for customers to continue to purchase
Cross/up-sell
Cross-sell and up-sell on product order confirmation pages
Free Gift
Giving customers a free gift in their order increases customer satisfaction scores
Customer Follow Ups
Proactively reach out to customers that bought high ticket items to gather feedback and provide support
Magic Moments
Every so often make a magic moment for a customer
Catalogue in Orders
Include a catalogue about other products your brand offers when someone makes a purchase.
Paid Membership
Offer a paid membership for extra discounts and services
Brand Flyer in Orders
Include a flyer talking about your brands unique selling points
Trade in/Buy Back Programs
Offer a way for someone to trade in or buy back an older product when they are upgrading
Reorder Incentive
Send reminder emails with offers when customers may be running low on consumable products
Maintenance and Service
Offer a service and maintenance program for your products