EFFECTIVE E-COMMERCE MARKETING TACTICS

If you've been running an online store for a few years, I am sure that you already know who your main competitors are. Some of them may have a very strong online presence, but the good news is that e-commerce provides several opportunities for the little guy as well. Here's how you can make the most out of them.

Optimize your store for search engines. Yes, I know that you are really busy, but you should strive to optimize all the product pages, making sure that they are the perfect solution for people who are interested in purchasing a particular product. To do this, optimize each page title and its URL, making sure that it targets the desired key word. If you sell outdoor post lights, for example, it makes a lot of sense to set the page title to "Outdoor Post Lights Store", and the URL to www.yourstore.com/outdoor-post-lights-store. Then, optimize the names of the image files and their alt tags; set them to "led-solar-lights.jpg" and "self charging outdoor led solar lights", etc.

Make use of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. The competition is fierce in this sector, but PPC can help attract some eyeballs to your store, especially if its position isn't prominent in the search engines. Most PPC platforms – Google AdWords, for example - allow people to specify a list of key words, displaying their ads anytime somebody types the targeted words in the search engine's box. The ads stop being displayed as soon as the monthly PPC budget has been reached.

Add review fields to as many website pages as possible; they will entice people to buy from your store, especially if the reviews are provided by a trusted third-party company such as Trustpilot. Don't be afraid by negative reviews; just do your best to provide top notch products and support.

Expand your reach, driving new website visitors and sales through guest posts on authoritative industry sites. Contact webmasters who accept guest posts, and then send them a few article ideas. Then, hire a skilled writer to create the chosen article. Don't forget to include a link that leads to your site, of course; that's how people who read the article will be given the chance to discover your fantastic online store.

Use social media marketing. Instagram and Facebook rule, but you shouldn't ignore the power of Pinterest and Twitter. Create high-quality images and short videos which show people using your products – and raving about them! – and then post them online. Don't be too salesy, though.

Work with influencers. There are several platforms which can put you in contact with people who have thousands to millions of Instagram followers, for example. Many retailers use social media influencers to increase brand awareness and boost sales. Sure, you may not have the budget to hire the services of a top Hollywood superstar, but you will be surprised to discover that most micro-influencers have a highly engaged audience.

Email marketing continues to be very effective. To benefit from it, start building your list by giving away something of value in exchange for your website visitors' email addresses. Maybe you can give away a high-quality digital product which teaches people the basics of outdoor lighting or so. Then, you can email your subscribers, letting them know about new products, discounted offers, etc.

Don't forget that mobile apps can drive lots of sales; that's why we're building them in the first place. With push notifications, you can attract your users' attention at anytime, and let's be frank and admit that most people look forward to being interrupted by their phones' notifications ;). Once again, don't be too pushy; you want to gain these people's trust, so be sure to become their remote friend by giving something away, even if it's "just" useful information.