Online store promotion: an overview of effective methods
E-commerce’s share of the global market continues to grow rapidly. In 2023, it amounted to 14%, which will further rise. With increased competition, paying attention to online store promotion is important. An effective strategy will allow you to maintain your market position and attract new customers.
Key ways of an online store promotion
Successfully creating and maintaining an online store requires a comprehensive approach. The activity should start with developing a site with a well-thought-out structure and well-developed technical features. This will create a solid foundation for further efforts to promote the resource.
Specialists distinguish the following approaches to promotion:
– SEO;
– contextual or search engine advertising;
– promotion through social networks;
– email marketing.
SEO optimisation aims to improve the website and increase its position in the search engine. In this case, specialists pay attention to the technical and content components. They eliminate functional errors, improve the speed of page loading, and adapt the site. In addition, SEO focuses on creating a semantic core, generating attractive content, and other aspects. All this helps to make the online store visible to search engines. It also makes the site more accessible for visitors to understand and use.
Contextual ads are ads that the user sees along with the search results. There are several types of contextual ads:
– ads placed just below the search bar;
– Google Shopping – ads in the affiliate network;
– media network banners;
– videos on websites and media platforms such as YouTube;
– advertising in the mobile app store.
This type of advertising is based on a personalised approach. It allows you to attract consumers’ attention and encourage them to purchase.
Social media marketing (SMM) is an effective tool for increasing an online shop’s sales. The approach includes two main directions: targeted advertising and organic user engagement. The second option is the careful management of social network pages. This involves developing a content plan, branding, and attracting influencers.
Email marketing lets you keep consumers’ attention regularly by actively interacting with them. Sending emails helps to encourage repeat sales, reminding customers of products left in their shopping basket. It helps to inform about discounts, special offers and new products.
Promotion mistakes
Attracting customers to an online shop is a complex task, the results of which may not be immediately visible. Regarding promotion, it is essential to develop and follow a strategy. It should include business goals and the overall vision of the company’s development. In addition, do not forget the importance of studying the target audience and the market. Failure to understand your consumer can minimise all promotional efforts.
Specialists also advise not to stick to one method but to use different tools. For example, SEO optimisation and contextual advertising will give excellent results. SMM, in turn, will attract additional traffic and increase the visibility of the online shop.
