6 WAYS TO INCREASE WEBSITE TRAFFIC FOR YOUR E-COMMERCE

In this modern era, it seems that fewer people like to leave the comfort of their homes as we get more and more things done and delivered to us than we did in the past. The truth is that the online world is taking over the real world. The only problem is that, besides popular, the digital world is not forgiving. If you make a wrong first impression, the internet will make sure that impression lasts. Is your e-commerce platform ready to face the online shopping challenge? Are you taking the right steps to increase website traffic?

Based on the figures shown from 2009 to 2013, 206.2 million US citizens are expected to make online purchases in 2016. Out of this incredible amount of people, an estimated 136.3 million will have made at least one purchase from their mobile device, either via mobile app or web browser. This leaves only 69.9 million people in the US that will do online shopping by other means.

A survey applied by Forrester Research Inc. in 2013 on 53,427 adults aged 18 and more revealed that 69% of iPhone owners use their devices for online shopping. That year, statistics showed that 57.8 million people, in the US only, owned an iPhone. In 2015, the number increased exponentially revealing 75.23 million US citizens possess an iPhone. This means that more than half of those consumers shop online using iPhones over other mobile devices.

This data tells us that the future of your business depends on how well you position your website on searches and if you get to be among the first ones that get to show your products and services to clients both locally and internationally.

There are a number of actions online shopping site owners should take to make visitors feel comfortable, and increase website traffic, and we’re here to help you know them. Let’s go through some of the best advice you will ever hear (or read) to boost your site’s traffic.

1. Know Your Audience

Are you aware of who is accessing your website and how they are doing so? Getting to know these aspects is the key to improving your E-Commerce performance since it gives you the opportunity to give special attention to the details people are most focused on.

There are many tools used by SEO experts that help you get vital data from your visitors, like demographics, buying style, the language used, level of trust, and many other aspects that will help them create content that appeals to that audience.

As Google aims to privilege sites that are relevant for its users, your site must be then created having this in mind. Only a professional SEO agency can help you design content that answers the questions made by potential customers when they are looking for solutions. This will make them trust you and your site and come back again. But, what are you going to do with this information now? This takes us to step number two.

2. Invest in a Responsive Website

Something that can give a potential customer a very bad first impression is to click on an item on your page and find ‘error 404- page not found’; that’s why a considerable investment is a good idea if you really mean to have a user-friendly site which will ultimately help boost your income.

We know that the majority of e-commerce website traffic comes from mobile access. Now, what do you have to do? You call an experienced SEO expert that can optimize your site for mobile users and even set up an app if possible. Make the consumer’s experience buying on your site an incredible one to increase website traffic for your business. Take as an example the amazing Boston Globe site. We invite you to open their site on the biggest and smallest device you own, you’ll always get the finest interaction. Their website has been perfectly designed to adapt to all your screens. Only a professional SEO agency can turn your site into a perfect fit for any device that accesses it.

3. Go Social

Nowadays social media is a must for e-commerce website traffic no matter the size of the company. The important part is to make smart moves. For instance, not all social media marketing efforts make the impact you need to make a difference in your online business and mistakes could be very costly. Studies show the undeniable effectiveness of social media marketing over e-mail marketing, and other statistics demonstrate that Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest generate the most e-commerce website traffic compared to other social media platforms.

Professional SEO marketing practices enable you to lead effective social media campaigns to create brand awareness and thus, attract more people to your website. However, not all campaigns work on all social networks. For instance, the content you use for an effective Instagram campaign might prove insufficient for Facebook, or be found too shallow for Reddit users. Tailoring the content you share on those networks is a key aspect to make sure you get the organic backlinks you need to position your website.

A quick tip: Everyone likes a good bargain and feels some degree of commitment to buy when a site gives them any sort of preferential treatment. E-mail special limited-time coupon codes and alert your customers about flash sales, this will make your sales go up and keep your traffic rates over the top.

4. Keeping it Real to Increase Website Traffic

No matter how trustworthy a site seems to be, there’s always at least a bit of fear of being scammed online, or at the least, not being entirely satisfied with their purchase. That can explain why so many people are often reserved when it comes to the actual act of buying, resulting in shopping cart abandonment. Try to make the experience as smooth and transparent as possible for them.

An original idea is to produce your own videos for your products; don’t underestimate them, they’re a major plus. Let’s take 6pm.com as an example. These guys made a great move by showing their prospective clients how certain items would look on them versus an image of a mannequin with a perfect plastic body wearing an article of clothing. Plus, those are nice pairs of shoes, don’t you think?

Another incredible way to boost your sales (and increase website traffic) is to employ user-generated content. It’s the best way to show your customers you value them and that their opinions are important to your company. Starbucks hit a home run with their White Cup Contest on April 2014. Starbucks’ Creative Digital Team Director, Briar Waterman stated the phenomenon started when they noticed pictures clients posted on Instagram decorating their iconic white cups. It was a win-win situation when clients got their art showcased around the world and Starbucks received over 4.000 entries for the contest in only three weeks. Well done, Starbucks, well done.

Interesting yourself in your clients makes a type of bond; this helps you gain some buyer-seller trust that can only do you good. When you care about them, they care about you. Think about what you would like to see on a website and then do it for your customers. SEO experts always have innovative ideas for online businesses, why don’t you ask a pro?

5. Encourage Feedback

Hearing good words from a friend about a product goes a long way, but online shopping often doesn’t work the same way. With so few options to give a good online impression, how else would you help your customers get the ‘friendly’ advice to make the purchase? Encourage your current buyers to leave reviews about the products they acquire. In 2014, people from Canada and the US were surveyed to study consumer attitudes and usage of online reviews, showing that online purchases are very much influenced by online reviews.

Did you know that an incredible 88% of a population of 2,104 users trust online reviews just as much as they would trust a personal recommendation? Feedback is relevant, unique content that optimizes your website and boosts its ranking when employing Google’s algorithm which favors sites that constantly update their information. An added plus: The people who take the time to write reviews are more often than not, the same ones that take the time to make personal recommendations to their friends and family. Result: 8 out of 10 people believe there are valid reasons to trust online reviews. Need we say more?

6. Make Personalized Item Reviews

Items on your website will attract more attention from the public if you write personalized reviews for each one. Getting to know your products and making their best features stand out goes a long way over just copying what everyone else has said about them. It’s well established that people look for an extra push before trusting you and your site with their personal information. Providing detailed descriptions for your items may be tedious but it will optimize your website, helping you reach your SEO goals much easier.

Conclusion

Give your sales the boost you were waiting for by applying these quick tips to increase website traffic and seek the help of experts with SEO marketing practices to optimize your website. You might be confident in your abilities to make all these changes on your own, but it will take an ungodly amount of time and resources that might get you halfway if you´re lucky. In the end, it is always better to let professionals take care of these aspects, while you dedicate all your efforts to your products and services.

Remember to stay tuned for this and more trending topics on the internet Over the Top SEO has for your uprising business.