20 ways to increase the number of hits on your online store
08/11/2024
10 min
Bartosz Lewandowski
20 ways to increase the number of hits on your online store
08/11/2024
10 min
Bartosz Lewandowski
Before potential customers decide to make a purchase, they first need to land on your website. So, how can you increase traffic to your online store and how many visits can be deemed satisfactory?
For every entrepreneur, a key challenge remains answering the question: how to increase website traffic? There are many factors at play, all of which must work in synergy to effectively attract users. Search Engine Optimization (SEO), social media activity, and engagement in advertising campaigns are just the beginning of the path to increasing your store's online visibility.
In this article, we will discuss 20 proven methods that will help you boost traffic to your online store. We will look at both traditional methods and modern technological tools that allow for effective reach to a wide audience. You'll also discover how to effectively use email marketing, which SEO strategies will be most effective in the coming months, and how to collaborate with influencers to naturally build brand awareness.
Whether you're just starting your e-commerce journey or want to improve current sales results, these strategies will provide inspiration and concrete knowledge about the behavior and preferences of modern consumers. Invest time and energy into learning the latest trends and analytical tools that accompany the development of an online presence — and watch your site attract more and more visitors. It's time to maximize the potential of your online business and effectively increase site visits!
SEO Optimization as the Foundation of Traffic Growth
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the key strategies for attracting more visitors to your online store. Given the evolving algorithms and growing competition in the online space, effective SEO implementation must be well thought out and consistently applied. Below are key aspects of SEO that can help increase traffic to your site.
Utilizing Keywords in Titles, Meta Descriptions, and Page Content
Functional SEO starts with thorough keyword research that your potential customers might use in search engines. Keywords should be used not only in headings and article content but also in product titles, categories, and meta descriptions. Meta tags are critical as they directly impact how your page is displayed in search results. Make sure they are both concise and persuasive to increase CTR (click-through rate).
Implementing Structured Data (schema) for Enhanced Search Results Appearance
Structured data, also known as schema markup, helps search engines understand the content of your site on a more detailed level. Implementing schemas like product, review, or event can enhance your search result appearances, making them more attractive to users. Displaying elements like prices, reviews, or availability in search results increases click chances. Schemas can be manually implemented in HTML code, but many platforms, including Shopify, offer plugins and tools that simplify this process.
Creating Valuable Content on a Blog Linked to Your Store
Regularly publishing valuable content on a blog related to your store is an effective way to attract organic traffic. A blog can be a space where visitors seek advice, inspiration, or detailed product information. Content written for long-tail keywords can attract more precise traffic. Ensure each article is well-structured, contains internal links to relevant products and categories, and is optimized for keywords.
The Importance of Local SEO for Increasing Visits from Local Users
If you run a store that, aside from online activity, also has a physical location or plans to target its offer to a local community, local SEO should be an integral part of your strategy. Optimization for local search results, using local keywords, registering your business with Google My Business, and gathering reviews from local users can significantly increase your store's visibility in results for nearby users.
In summary, a well-thought-out SEO strategy is the foundation of an effective campaign that should result in increased visits to the store's website. Optimization of the purchasing process through improved SEO contributes not only to traffic growth but also to better quality traffic, leading to higher conversions and customer satisfaction. In an online store, each visit has the potential to turn into a sale, making investment in SEO an investment in your business's future.
Social Media as a Traffic Generator
Social media has become more than just a place for making connections; it is now a powerful marketing tool that enables increased traffic to online stores. Through social media, brands can engage directly with customers, build their identity, and engage a community around their products or services. In 2024, not leveraging social media's potential is almost a sin in the e-commerce sphere.
Using Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads to Promote Products
Facebook and Instagram ads are powerful tools for precise targeting, which is key to increasing site traffic. Creating compelling, visual ads allows you to reach a wide yet appropriately selected audience. Tools like Facebook Pixel can track user activity on your site and create remarketing campaigns to remind visitors of your products. The ability to continuously test different ad creatives and user segments allows ongoing campaign adjustments to increase effectiveness.
Creating Viral Content that Engages and Captures Attention
Viral content can spread rapidly and reach a large audience. The key to creating it is understanding what engages your audience — this could be humor, emotions, current trends, or educational elements. Messages and posts should be authentic and consistent with the brand's voice. Examples of viral content could be challenges, contests, or social campaigns centered around a specific idea or hashtags.
Building a Community Around the Brand on Platforms like TikTok or LinkedIn
Platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn offer unique opportunities for community building. TikTok, with its short, dynamic videos, encourages creative campaigns that can quickly gain popularity among younger users. You can promote new products through tutorials, challenges, or collaborations with influencers who strengthen ties with audiences. LinkedIn, on the other hand, as a professional network, allows you to build reputation and position as an industry expert, making it ideal for B2B marketing and establishing the brand as a thought leader in a specific area.
Analyzing Campaign Results and Adjusting Strategy Based on Analytical Data
Effective brand presence on social media relies on continuously adjusting strategy based on collected data. Tools like Facebook Insights or TikTok Analytics provide detailed data on user engagement, reach, and ad effectiveness. This information helps understand which content works best and how marketing strategies can be improved to boost engagement and site traffic. Regular reporting and analysis of results allow dynamic responses to changing trends and user preferences.
An integrated approach to utilizing social media, focused on effectively using advertising campaigns and naturally engaging the community, is key to increasing traffic to the online store’s website. With the right analytical tools, you can constantly improve your actions, positively impacting brand visibility and translating into increased visits and, importantly, conversions.
Email Marketing as a Tool for Retention and Increasing Visits
Despite the emergence of many new communication channels, email marketing remains one of the most effective tools in e-commerce for building relationships with customers and encouraging repeat visits. It offers direct contact, the possibility of personalization, and maintains engagement through planned and strategically developed campaigns.
Building Effective Newsletter Campaigns with Personalized Content
Content personalization is becoming increasingly important in the era of information and data availability. Newsletter campaigns should be tailored to individual customer preferences and needs, including personalized greetings, product recommendations based on previous purchases, and audience segmentation based on interests or purchase history. Using dynamic content that changes according to user behavior can significantly increase engagement and click-through rates (CTR).
Automating Emails About Participation in Promotions and Special Offers
Email automation is a key element of an effective email marketing strategy. You can set up automatic email sequences sent, for example, after a newsletter signup, cart abandonment, birthdays, or during special promotions. Automation tools like Klaviyo or Mailchimp allow for creating advanced scenarios based on customer data, enabling delivery of more relevant and engaging content.
Testing and Optimizing Send Times and Message Content
A/B testing is a technique that allows you to identify the most effective elements of your email campaigns. You can test different versions of email subject lines, calls to action (CTA), or layouts to see which resonates most with your audience. Similarly, optimizing send times helps determine when your subscribers are most likely to open emails, allowing you to adjust the sending schedule to increase open rates and engagement.
Creating Surveys in Emails for Better Understanding of Customer Needs
Email surveys are excellent tools for collecting customer feedback. You can use them to assess customer satisfaction, product feedback, and gather suggestions for new features or products. Responses received can then be analyzed to tailor offerings to customer expectations and make them feel heard and valued. This strengthens customer relationships and increases their loyalty, translating into increased site visits and, crucially, sales.
In summary, email marketing is not just a communication tool but a powerful means of acquiring and retaining customers. Through personalized campaigns, automation, and strategic data analysis, you can significantly increase not only site visits but also build lasting customer relationships that translate into the profitability of your online store.
Collaborating with Influencers to Expand Reach
Influencer marketing has become an essential component of e-commerce strategies, especially when it comes to expanding reach and engaging new customer groups. Influencers, with their authenticity and dedicated audience, can effectively promote your products and drive traffic to your online store. Below are key stages of successful collaboration with influencers.
Identifying and Collaborating with Influencers Aligned with Product Categories
The first step is finding the right influencers whose values, style, and audience align with your brand and product categories. Tools for social media analysis, like Social Blade or HypeAuditor, can be used to understand influencers’ profiles, reach, and audience engagement. Authenticity and credibility hold more value than choosing the influencer with the largest reach.
Establishing Collaboration Rules and KPI (Key Performance Indicators)
Preparing clear and transparent terms of collaboration with an influencer is key to success. Together, define campaign objectives (e.g., increasing brand awareness, boosting sales, number of new followers) and set key performance indicators (KPI) to measure the initiative's success. Metrics such as click numbers, conversions, or reach of promotional posts can be targeted.
Organizing Joint Contests to Increase Engagement
Contests are a great way to increase engagement and interaction with the brand. Collaborating with an influencer to organize a contest can not only boost brand awareness but also encourage action among individuals outside your current audience. Contests might involve posting photos with products, creating creative content, or encouraging visits to the website. Prizes must be attractive to motivate participants to join and share experiences.
Analyzing Collaboration Outcomes and Planning Long-term Relationships
After a campaign or collaboration concludes, careful analysis of results is necessary. Reviewing whether KPIs were achieved, assessing the return on investment (ROI), and the quality of traffic to your site help evaluate the collaboration’s value. Understanding outcomes enables better decision-making in the future. Building long-term relationships with an influencer who fits well with the brand image can bring even greater benefits, potentially turning them into a brand ambassador.
In summary, collaborating with influencers can significantly expand reach and access new customer segments, thereby increasing traffic to your online store. The key to success lies in strategic approach, effective communication, and continuous result analysis, allowing optimization of efforts and building valuable business relationships.
Analyzing and Optimizing Website for Better UX
Good user experience (UX) is a key factor affecting sales effectiveness in e-commerce. Regardless of how well your products are promoted, if users encounter difficulties using the website, the likelihood of conversion drops significantly. Here are strategies for analyzing and optimizing a website to improve user experience and increase visits and conversions.
A/B Testing and User Testing to Improve User Interface (UI)
A/B testing involves comparing two variants of a site or its elements to see which one performs better in terms of user engagement and conversion. This may concern elements such as CTA buttons, banners, background colors, or page layout. User testing allows you to gain direct insights into customer experience by observing and analyzing behavior when using the site. By using software like Optimizely or Google Optimize, changes can be made based on real data, not assumptions.
Optimizing Page Load Time Through Graphics Compression
Page load speed is crucial for both UX and SEO. Users expect fast site performance, meaning every second delay can lead to loss of potential clients. One of the simplest ways to speed up load time is optimizing graphics. Using image compression tools like TinyPNG or JPEGmini can significantly reduce file size without sacrificing quality. It's also worth using the latest image formats like WebP, which offer better compression.
Implementing Intuitive Navigation and Strong Call-to-Action (CTA)
Intuitive navigation is crucial for guiding users through the purchasing process naturally and seamlessly. Designing a page based on minimalism and clarity principles allows users to easily find products or information of interest. Strong, visible CTAs direct users' attention to the site’s crucial aspects, such as adding products to the cart, subscribing to the newsletter, or completing a purchase. Clear and convincing CTA formulations can significantly improve the conversion rate.
Monitoring Click Maps and Customer Journey Analysis
Click maps visualize where users most frequently click on your site. Tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg can identify areas that attract the most attention and those that are neglected. Customer journey analysis helps understand how potential customers navigate the site, steps taken before purchase, and stages where they abandon the transaction. This knowledge allows the identification of potential UX issues and their elimination.
In summary, constant analysis and optimization of the website for UX focuses not only on improving user experiences but also on increasing visits, retention, and conversions. Attention to every detail, from load speed to clear navigation and strong CTAs, leads to creating an environment that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and user-friendly.
Bartosz Lewandowski
CEO