17 Best Ways To Draw Attention To Your eCommerce Store in 2023
It’s 2023.
New year, new marketing tactics (and also some familiar ones).
In this post, we’ll get super tactical and look at 17 of the best ways to draw attention to your online store.
Some of these will be tried-and-true techniques (SEO and paid ads), and others may surprise you (user-generated content and livestream shopping).
Either way, you’re sure to take away at least a handful of actionable new marketing tactics by the end of this post.
With that said, let’s jump right in.
1. Leverage influencers
What is influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing is a fairly newer form of online marketing that involves connecting your brand with influencers (people with large, dedicated fanbases) in order to increase awareness and engagement.
Influencers are trusted individuals within a certain social platform or niche who have established authority and credibility, often through an engaged following.
Influencers can help you spread the word about your best products and services, create content around your brand, and drive traffic to your site.
Why it’s important
Leveraging the reach of influencers allows eCommerce brands to reach a larger audience and build trust with future customers by leveraging the credibility and influence of popular influencers in their niche.
It’s also a great way to rapidly get in front of your audience without having to spend the time and resources to build one yourself.
Even better, you can often draw users from your influencer’s audience into your own, especially if your offer is compelling enough for them to take action.
How to get started
Start by identifying influencers in your niche who have a significant following and reach out to them to see if they would be interested in working with your brand.
It’s also helpful to check out other competitors or complementary brands to see if they use influencer marketing.
Provide them with a clear idea of what you are looking for and the compensation you are offering.
Reaching out to influencers is a bit like cold-emailing, so the reality is that you will likely experience some rejection (usually in the form of influencers not responding to your messages at all).
However, if you find the right influencers, it’s well worth the effort because the rewards can be tremendous.
Once you’ve established a partnership with an influencer, make sure to provide them with any assets they need in order to promote your products and services effectively.
You may also want to offer additional incentives for their followers, like discounts or special offers. This could encourage more people to check out your store.
Beauty and wellness is an industry that benefits tremendously from influencer marketing, and it’s rare to find a beauty brand that isn’t leveraging this marketing channel.
For example, Glossier, a skincare and beauty brand, has partnered with popular influencers and beauty bloggers to showcase their products and reach a larger audience.
2. Utilize email marketing
What is email marketing?
Email marketing is a marketing strategy that involves sending automated emails to a large group of people in order to build relationships and encourage conversion.Email marketing takes many forms in the world of eCommerce, including welcome emails, abandoned cart emails, product recommendation emails, newsletter emails, and more.
It’s an incredibly effective marketing channel, boasting a 36:1 average ROI for every $1 spent. Plus, you can use it to boost web traffic, upsell existing customers, or sell to prospective customers.
Why it’s important
Email marketing allows eCommerce brands to reach their existing customer base and attract new customers through targeted and personalized communication.
Plus, your email list is yours to keep forever and isn’t subject to algorithm changes, unlike social media platforms.
How to get started
The first step is to set up an email marketing platform, such as MailChimp, ConvertKit, or Constant Contact. These services provide everything you need to create, send, and track the performance of your emails.
Start by building an email list of your customers and prospective customers. A good place to start is with a welcome email series that provides value and prompts people to spend money.
Use email marketing software to segment and target your audience based on their actions and interests.
Think about what type of emails you want to send, such as product updates, discounts, and sales announcements.
Then start building out the content for each email, making sure to include compelling visuals and a strong call to action that encourages users to take action.
Once your emails are ready to go, you can start sending them out and tracking their performance using the analytics features that are provided by your email marketing platform.
Athleta, an athletic apparel brand, does a great job of utilizing email marketing to keep its customers informed and drive sales.
They regularly send out emails that feature product updates, discounts, and upcoming events.
They also segment their emails based on users’ interests in order to provide relevant content for each customer. Segmentation is a huge competitive advantage in email marketing, as it helps you tailor your messages to specific customer groups.
Athleta’s emails have a strong focus on visuals, and the brand does an excellent job of using email to drive traffic to its website with enticing calls to action.
3. Create a referral program
What is referral marketing?
Referral marketing is a strategy in which customers are incentivized to refer friends and family to a company or product.
In exchange for referring new customers, the existing customer usually receives some type of reward. This could be anything from discounts or free products to cash bonuses.
Why it’s important
Referral programs leverage the power of word-of-mouth marketing by encouraging satisfied customers to refer their friends and family to your online store.
How to get started
Begin by offering a discount or reward to customers who refer their friends and family to your store. Use referral marketing software to track and manage your referral program.
Some examples of referring marketing software include:
- ReferralCandy
- Friendbuy
- TapMango
Make sure to incentivize customers with rewards that are attractive and easy to redeem. For example, offer a 10% discount for every friend they refer who makes a purchase.
Promote your referral program on social media, in emails, and in other forms of marketing to get the word out.
Uber is an example of a brand with an excellent referral program. They offer referral incentives for both the referrer and the referred person.
4. Optimize for search engines (SEO)
What is SEO?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or web page in search engine results, such as Google.
Why it’s important
SEO helps eCommerce brands improve their search rankings and increase visibility to their target customer. Namely, those who are searching for products and topics related to their business.
Search engine traffic is also completely organic and free (as opposed to paid traffic from Google ads), and is often one of the more long-term and sustainable marketing strategies.
In other words, once you’re ranking highly on the search engine results page (SERP), you can effectively “take your hands off the wheel” and still reap the rewards of consistent organic traffic.
How to get started
Start by researching keywords that are relevant to your products and target audience.
You can use a keyword research tool like Ahrefs, SEMRush, or UberSuggest for this, or simply just type relevant keywords into Google and see if other eCommerce sites in your niche are ranking for them.
You can download a free Chrome plugin like KeywordsEverywhere to get intelligent keyword recommendations and also determine the competitiveness of each keyword.
If you’re just starting out, it’s wise to target low-volume, low-competition keywords for your own website. Then, slowly work your way up to high-competition keywords.
Once you’ve optimized your online store to target those keywords, you can use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track your website’s performance and make adjustments as needed.
Create a content calendar, post regularly, and you’ll soon see your eCommerce site in google search results and consequently, see more website traffic and new business.
Blue Bottle Coffee is an excellent example of an eCommerce business with a killer SEO and on page content strategy.
Not only are their product pages well-optimized, but they’ve even created content around top-of-funnel queries like “how to brew with a French press” or “how to brew with a pourover.”
Consequently, they’re sucking up all the traffic from those “informational” keywords and using that content as a gateway to introduce users to their products via internal links.
“Now that you know how to brew with a French press, why not buy some coffee to try it out?”It’s not only a clever way to increase web traffic but also to encourage customers to purchase online.
5. Host giveaways and contests
What are giveaways and contests?
Giveaways and contests in marketing are exactly what they sound like: events where people can enter for a chance to win something.
Why it’s important
Giveaways and contests increase engagement and attract new followers on social media, which can help eCommerce brands to build a community of loyal customers.
They often cost money in the form of a prize, but can pay off in terms of increased brand awareness, user growth, and positive customer sentiment.
How to get started
Identify a prize that aligns with your brand and is attractive to your target buyer (ideally a product from your online store).
Create a social media contest and promote it across your social media channels. Use a third-party tool to randomly select a winner and to track entries.
Starbucks is the gold standard when it comes to how to execute giveaways, contests, and a rewards program.
Their rewards program in particular is incredibly popular and allows customers to collect points on purchases, which can then be redeemed for free drinks or other rewards.
Cleverly, they also offer bonus points for referring friends and family.
Starbucks leverages its reward program across all channels: in-store, online, mobile app, and social media platforms.
6. Use retargeting ads
What are retargeting ads?
Retargeting in digital marketing is a way to re-engage users who have visited your eCommerce site, using ads on websites and social media platforms.
Retargeting can be executed through several channels, including display ads, email campaigns, search engine marketing (SEM), and social media.
Why it’s important
Most customers don’t purchase a product on their first visit. This is totally normal.
What retargeting does is remind them of your products and encourage them to come back and eventually make a purchase.
It’s also an effective way to increase conversions for those who have already visited your website, as the ads serve as reminders that they were interested in a certain product or brand.
How to get started
The nitty-gritty of retargeting is a massive topic that goes well beyond the scope of this post, but here’s a general blueprint of how to get started:
- Choose a retargeting platform (Google, Facebook, etc.)
- Install a tracking code on your site to monitor user behavior (this is often called a tracking pixel)
- Make a plan for what customers you want to target and what will trigger an ad to display (browsing a particular product, shopping cart abandonment, etc.)
- Create ads that are relevant to individual user behavior
- Test and optimize your campaigns for best results
Amazon is well-known for its effective retargeting campaigns.
As soon as a user has visited the site, they will see ads that are tailored to their interests — and best of all, those ads can be personalized by Amazon’s powerful algorithms.
This means that the more time users spend on Amazon, the better the experience becomes. It’s a bit “Big Brother”-y, but you can’t argue with the results.
7. Invest in paid advertising
What is paid advertising?
Paid advertising is any type of digital marketing where you pay to get your message seen by potential customers.
This can include display ads, search engine marketing (SEM), social media advertising, and more.
Why it’s important
Paid advertising can be a great way to reach new customers and get your brand in front of people who may not have otherwise heard about you.
It also allows you to set specific goals for individual campaigns, such as impressions, clicks, or conversions.
While paid advertising is a great way to jumpstart your audience, keep in mind that it can get pretty pricey, and as soon as you “turn off the tap,” so to speak, paid traffic will drop off.
How to get started
The best way to get started with paid advertising is to first determine what your overall objectives are and then choose the best platform for achieving those goals.
For example, if you want to reach a broad audience with display ads, Google or Facebook might be best. If you want to target specific keywords in SEM, Google AdWords might be best.
Once you have selected your platform, create a budget and start testing different campaigns to see what works best for you.
Airbnb has mastered the art of paid advertising and is often seen as a best-in-class example of how to do it right.
They use a combination of search engine marketing (SEM), display ads, and social media advertising to reach new potential customers and drive users to their platform.
8. Leverage user-generated content (UGC)
What is user-generated content (UGC)?
User-generated content is any type of content that is created by customers or end-users, as opposed to being created by the brand itself.
This can include reviews, comments, social media posts, photos, and videos.
User-generated content has experienced a surge in popularity in the past several years, likely due the rise of “content creators” on social media platforms and the high quality of modern mobile devices.
It’s also a completely free way to curate trustworthy and relatable content from the best possible source: your customers.
Why it’s important
User-generated content can be extremely powerful for online stores because it helps build trust with potential customers, as they are more likely to believe the feedback of real customers than that of the brand itself.
It also allows brands to leverage the power of social proof to their advantage, as customers will be more inclined to purchase a product that has been positively reviewed or endorsed by other customers.
How to get started
Encourage your customers to share their photos and reviews of your products on social media by offering a discount or reward.
Use a tool to collect and curate the best content and feature it on your website and social media.
A great example of a brand leveraging user-generated content is ASOS.
They feature reviews, photos, videos, and more from their customers on their website and social media channels to give potential customers an inside look into what it’s like to purchase and use the products they sell.
9. Utilize livestream shopping
What is livestream shiopping?
Livestream shopping is a relatively new marketing technique that has become increasingly popular in the past year or two.Basically, it’s a way for brands to showcase their products live on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.
Think “QVC” or the “Home Shopping Network” for millennials.
Why it’s important
Livestream shopping is a great way to engage customers in real-time and give them an interactive experience.
It also allows brands to show off their products in action, which can help increase conversions.
How to get started
The best way to get started with livestream shopping is to find a platform that best fits your needs and can provide you with the necessary tools.
The most common livestream platforms are Instagram Live, Facebook Live, YouTube Live and the lesser-known Amazon Live.
(Yes, even online marketplaces like Amazon are getting in on the livestreaming game.)You’ll also want to create an engaging script and promotions for customers who participate in your livestreams, such as discounts or free shipping.
But honestly, the ultimate way to learn this tactic is to study the brands that are doing it well.
Quivr is a coffee and tea brand that has leveraged livestream shopping to great success.
They often host live Q&A sessions and product demonstrations on Amazon Live in which they interact directly with customers, answer questions, and build a relationship with their audience.
This interactive approach allows them to get direct feedback from customers and show off their products in action.
Remember, social media users want to be entertained first and foremost. So don’t make your livestream one giant sales pitch.
10. Build a community
What is community-building in marketing?
Community-building in marketing is the process of creating an online community around your brand, usually through a combination of content, outreach and engagement.
The goal is to create a place where customers can connect with each other and discuss their shared interests or experiences related to your brand, product or service.
Why it’s important
Building a strong and engaged community around your brand is essential for any business with an online store because it allows you to build relationships with customers, strengthen customer loyalty, and boost sales.
It also gives you a platform to share content, ask questions, and get feedback from your customers in real-time.
How to get started
The best way to start building a community around your brand is to create a space, either on social media or a dedicated online platform such as Slack or Discord.
Once you have a place for your community, the next step is to start engaging with your customers and encouraging them to join the conversation.
This can be done through content creation (blogs, videos, podcasts, etc.), hosting events or promotions, and engaging with customers directly on social platforms.
You should also focus on creating content that resonates with your audience and encourages them to engage in conversation.
Harry’s is a great example of a brand that has successfully built an engaged community around their products.
They have a strong social presence and actively engage with their customers to answer questions, provide product updates, and offer advice.
They also host regular events such as beard trimming tutorials and product demos, which helps them build relationships with their customers while showcasing their products in action.
11. Utilize abandoned cart emails
What are abandoned cart emails?
An abandoned cart email is an automated email sent to customers who have added items to their online shopping cart but didn’t complete the purchase.
Why it’s important
Abandoned cart emails are a great way to remind customers of the products they were interested in and encourage them to complete their purchase.
These emails can also provide helpful reminders of discounts or promotions, and even offer incentives to customers who still haven’t purchased.
How to get started
The best way to get started with abandoned cart emails is by setting up an automated email campaign in your online store.
You’ll need to decide what type of email you want to send (i.e. a reminder of the items in their cart, a discount offer, etc.) and create a template for your email with appropriate content.
You’ll also need to set up triggers within your online store that will send out the emails at the right time.
12. Use video marketing
What is video marketing?
Video marketing is the process of creating and promoting videos as part of a larger content strategy.
Why it’s important
Video marketing is an effective way to engage with customers, build relationships with them, and promote your products or services.
In the sea of “same-ness” of most modern businesses, video helps to humanize your brand and stand out by putting a face with your name.
Plus, the fact that many folks are scared to be on camera means that video marketing has a much higher barrier to entry than written content.
Not to mention the fact that YouTube is still criminally underutilized as a marketing channel by most businesses. It is, after all, the world’s second most popular search engine.
There are lots of brands doing great work with video marketing, but nobody can hold a candle to GoPro.
I mean, they had a guy jump out of a capsule from space (24 miles above the earth) as a marketing campaign.
You can’t really top that.
13. Optimize your website for voice search
What is voice search?
Voice search is the process of using voice commands to ask a question and receive an answer, usually through a smartphone or other device with a virtual assistant installed (Like Amazon Alexa or Google Home).
Why it’s important
As more people use voice search, it’s increasingly important to optimize your website for these searches.
This means ensuring that you have content that answers the questions people are asking through voice search, as well as properly implementing structured data to help search engines understand and organize your content.
This may even mean allowing users to order your products directly through voice search by setting up an integration with a virtual assistant.
How to get started
The best way to start optimizing for voice search is by doing keyword research and understanding the types of questions people are asking in their searches.
Use natural language and long-tail keywords in your website’s content to optimize for voice search.
Use structured data and schema markup to help search engines understand the content on your website. Use tools to track your website’s visibility on voice search and make adjustments as needed.
In order to get your business registered so that users can order products using Google Home and Amazon Echo, you will need to take the following steps:
- Create a Google Merchant Center account
- Connect your Google Merchant Center account to Google Home
- Register your business with Amazon’s Alexa Skills Kit (ASK)
- Create a product catalog
It’s important to note that the steps for registering your business for voice-enabled shopping may change over time, so it’s always a good idea to check for updated guidelines and best practices from the platform providers such as Google and Amazon.
14. Develop a robust content strategy that includes blogging, video, and social
What is content marketing?
Content marketing is the process of creating and distributing content (including blog posts, videos, social updates, etc.) to attract and engage an audience.
Why it’s important
Creating and publishing great content has been, and will always be one of the best ways to bring online shoppers to your eCommerce store in 2023.
By creating content that resonates with your target audience, you can build relationships and trust, attract customers, become an authority in your niche, and ultimate grow your bottom line.
Plus, as Google and other search engines continue to prioritize content that is fresh, relevant and engaging, having a robust content marketing strategy will help you stand out from the competition.
How to get started
Start by doing keyword research to understand what topics are of interest to your target audience.
Choose a mix of content types that best fit your niche and objectives, such as blog posts, videos, infographics, and social posting.
Create an editorial calendar to plan out when you will produce and distribute each type of content. Take advantage of automation tools to make the process more efficient.
To save time, brands will often start with a long-form blog post, and then repurpose that into smaller pieces of content for social platforms and other channels.
Finally, track the performance of your content to determine what is working best and make adjustments as needed.
15. Participate in online communities related to your niche
Where can you find online communities related to your niche?
Online communities related to your niche can be found on social platforms like Facebook, forums, and discussion boards.
Forums such as Reddit and Quora, as well as Facebook groups are particularly popular for eCommerce businesses.
Why it’s important
Participating in online communities related to your niche is a great way to build “in the trenches” relationships with potential customers and stay up to date with the current trends and best practices in your industry.
It can also help you to better understand the needs and pain points of your target audience so that you can create products and services that best meet their needs.
It’s worth mentioning that most online trends actually start on forums like Reddit and Quora, and can often take weeks or months to register in search engines.
So either way, it’s important to monitor subreddits and Quora questions related to your niche.
How to get started
Start by searching for online communities related to your niche on Facebook groups, forums, and discussion boards.
Once you find the best ones, join them and start participating in conversations. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or give your opinion – that’s how relationships are built.
Be sure to listen carefully for any problems or needs of your target audience so that you can use this information to improve your products and services.
Finally, be sure to follow best practices for online forums – stay polite, don’t spam or promote your online store, and respect the rules of each community that you join.
16. Optimize your product pages for conversion rate optimization (CRO)
What is conversion rate optimization?
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is, quite simply, the process of optimizing your pages for maximum conversions.
Why it’s important
When done correctly, conversion rate optimization can help to turn more visitors into customers and increase your store’s revenue.
By optimizing your product pages according to CRO best practices, you can create an experience that is tailored to your target audience’s needs, helping them to make faster and more informed purchase decisions.
How to get started
Start by researching best practices for eCommerce product pages. Look at the best-performing pages in your industry and take note of any common elements they have in common.
Then, create buyer personas to better understand the needs and wants of your target audience.
Design product pages with the user experience in mind – make sure they are easy to navigate, have a clear call-to-action, and include all relevant information about the product.
Finally, use A/B testing to optimize individual elements of your product pages for conversion rate optimization. This will help you understand what works best for your audience and make adjustments accordingly.
Following best practices in conversion rate optimization can help to turn more visitors into customers, increasing revenue for your online store.
17. Implement live chat on your website
What is live chat?
Live chat is a customer service tool that allows businesses to communicate with their customers in real-time.
It’s often used for pre-sales, post-sales and tech support queries, but can also be used as an effective way to increase engagement from web visitors and attract customers who’ve never purchased before.
Why it’s important
Live chat provides customers with an easy way to get the information they need quickly, and can help to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
It’s also invaluable for retaining customers who’ve already purchased.
It also allows businesses to have meaningful conversations with their customers, which can lead to more sales and better relationships.
Not to mention the fact that it can provide immediate, excellent customer service without the intervention of a human, saving you time and money.
How to get started
The best way to get started is by signing up for a live chat service that best meets your needs (or, if you’re into ChatGPT and know some programming, you can make your own!).
Some common live chat providers include:
- Freshchat
- Zendesk Chat
- Drift
- LiveChat
- HubSpot
Once you choose a service, set up the chatbot and configure it to best meet your needs. This can include setting automated messages, assigning specific topics to different agents, and integrating the tool with your CRM.
Finally, be sure to regularly monitor the chatbot’s performance and adjust any settings as needed.
Implementing live chat on your site can help you draw attention to your eCommerce store by providing customers with an easy way to get their questions answered quickly and efficiently.
But, for the love of all things holy, please don’t let your live chat replace true, human-centered customer service, and always include a direct line to your customer support.
Final thoughts
These 17 best practices span various disciplines, such as optimizing product pages for conversion rate optimization (CRO), implementing live chat on your website, joining online forums and communities, and more.
Creating content that ranks highly on search engines and social platforms can help to draw more attention to your online store, while influencer marketing and other tactics can increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your site.
One more tip: don’t try to tackle all of these at once. Rather, focus on one, maybe two at a time, and create 30 to 90-day marketing campaigns to implement those particular goals.
If a tactic doesn’t drive more traffic and more customers to your web store, ditch it and try another. Not all of these will work for every single eCommerce site.
Attracting customers to your online business takes time, patient, and effort, but by following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to making 2023 the most profitable year yet for your eCommerce store!
