PART ONE: 12 Low Cost, High Impact Strategies To Increase eCommerce Sales

In today's fiercely competitive digital landscape, launching a successful consumer brand online has become increasingly challenging. The consumer space is heavily saturated, customer expectations are soaring and marketing costs are astronomical. With the evolving landscape of data privacy regulations, traditional advertising methods often yield inefficient results. Add on an economic downturn with consumers tightening their spending, and you have quite the uphill battle that often leaves companies in search of more effective and affordable strategies. So the question becomes: how can you increase eCommerce sales and foster brand growth without breaking the bank?

In Part 1 of 12 Strategies To Increase eCommerce Sales For Consumer Brands, I discuss how to optimize your website and drive traffic by utilizing low cost, high impact tactics.

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Implementing SEO techniques can improve your website's visibility in search engine result pages (SERPs), driving organic traffic and increasing the likelihood of attracting potential customers who convert into sales.

Effective SEO strategies focus on optimizing specific keywords pertinent to your niche or products. This targeted approach attracts users actively seeking what you offer. Websites that rank higher in search results are often perceived as more trustworthy and credible by users, allowing you to establish authority in your industry. This positively influences purchasing decisions and builds trust with potential customers.

Types of Search Engine Optimization Initiatives?

On-Page SEO

• Create high quality content: images and videos
• Link internally to other pages within your website
• Incorporate targeted keywords: in meta descriptions, alt tags, product descriptions, page headings and titles, URLs, blog posts and more
• Enhance user interface (UI): tell a clear brand story for customers with your site design, content placement and graphical elements (buttons, navigation and icons)

Off-Page SEO

• Obtain backlinks from reputable and relevant websites: another website linking to to your website
• Guest blog on reputable websites within your industry or niche?
• Monitor online reputation: increase positive reviews and mentions of your brand across the web while addressing negative reviews or mentions promptly and professionally

Technical SEO

• Optimize site speed: site should load in under 3 seconds?
• Assure mobile-friendliness: same capabilities and look on mobile devices as it does on desktop
• Increasing crawlability: clear and logical website structure with well-organized navigation and internal linking to help search engine bots find and access all of your site’s pages easily
• Resolving technical errors: removing broken links or duplicate content

Local SEO

• Create a Google My Business listing

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2. Email Automations

Email campaigns and automations are still one of the highest revenue-generating marketing tactics with an average of 25-35% of a brand’s gross sales. Email automations, targeted and personalized emails that automatically send to users based on predefined triggers or actions, lead the way as the primary driver of sales in this category. They allow brands to engage with customers at various stages of the buyer's journey and ensure consistent communication that nurtures leads, drives conversions, boosts retention and promotes brand loyalty.

The first step to creating email automations is segmenting your lists based on factors such as demographics, purchase history or browsing behavior as this allows brands to tailor their messages to the specific interests and preferences of each recipient. This personalized approach not only enhances the likelihood of generating sales by providing customers with relevant content and offers that resonate with them, but also encourages repeat purchases and reduces churn.

Additionally, email automation streamlines marketing operations by automating repetitive tasks and workflows. Once set up, email automations run autonomously, saving time and resources while maintaining a consistent presence in customers' inboxes. I often call email automations the “passive income” revenue model because you virtually set it and forget it.

The 3 Most Important Email Automations

Welcome

Serves as the initial point of contact between the brand and its new audience members, providing an opportunity to establish a positive and engaging interaction from the outset.

Key components

• Greeting: Start your email with a friendly and welcoming message to set a positive tone.
• Introduction to Your Brand: Briefly introduce your brand, including what you do, your mission or values, and what sets you apart from competitors (otherwise known as unique value propositions, UVPs).
• Thank You: Express gratitude for subscribing or joining your community. Make them feel appreciated for choosing to engage with your brand.
• Offer Value: Provide something of value to the recipient, such as a discount code, free resource, exclusive content, or access to a special feature. This can incentivize them to take further action and deepen their engagement with your brand.
• Social Proof: Include social proof elements such as testimonials, reviews or press features to build credibility and trust in your brand.
• Call to Action (CTA): Include a clear and compelling call to action that prompts the recipient to take the next step, whether it's exploring your website, making a purchase, signing up for a loyalty program, or following you on social media.

Abandoned Browser and Abandoned Cart

Serve as invaluable tools for re-engaging with potential customers who have shown interest in your products but have not completed their purchase. These automated reminders prompt users to revisit your website and complete their transactions, thereby recapturing lost sales opportunities.

Key components

• Reminder of Abandoned Items: Start by reminding the recipient of the specific items they left in their cart or viewed on your website. Include images, names, and any relevant details about the products to jog their memory.
• Call to Action (CTA): Encourage recipients to complete their purchase by including a clear and compelling call to action. Use action-oriented language, such as "Complete Your Purchase" or "Return to Cart," and make the CTA button prominent and easy to click.
• Incentive or Offer: Provide an incentive or offer to entice recipients to complete their purchase. This could be a discount code, free shipping, or a limited-time promotion. Highlight the value of the offer and create a sense of urgency to prompt immediate action.
• Social Proof: Include social proof elements such as testimonials, reviews, press features or customer success stories, such as before and after photos, to build credibility and trust in your brand.
• Additional Product Recommendations: Offer additional product recommendations based on the items in the recipient's cart or their browsing history. Personalize these recommendations to match their interests and preferences, increasing the likelihood of a conversion.
• Customer Support: Provide easy access to customer support channels in case recipients have questions or encounter any issues with their purchase. Include links to your customer service email, phone number or live chat support.

Winback

Aimed at re-engaging inactive or lapsed customers by sending targeted and personalized emails with the goal of encouraging them to return to the brand and make a purchase.?

Key components

• Exclusive and Limited Time Incentives: Create a sense of urgency by including time-sensitive and exclusive offers or promotions to motivate an immediate action such as purchase or re-engage with the brand.
• Reminder of Past Interactions: Reference to previous purchases, browsing history or interactions with the brand to remind customers of their relationship with the brand.
• Call to Action (CTA): Clear and compelling calls to action prompting recipients to take action, such as making a purchase, visiting the website or reactivating their relationship.
• Relevant Product Recommendations: Personalized product recommendations based on past purchases or browsing behavior to showcase items of interest to the recipient.
• Feedback Requests: Invite recipients to provide feedback on their previous experiences with the brand to gather insights and improve future interactions.

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3. User Generated Content (UGC)

User generated content (UGC) is any form of content created by customers and shared voluntarily on social media platforms, forums, review websites and other online channels. UGC has become one of the most compelling forms of content for direct-to-consumer (DTC) eCommerce. The reason? Consumers place immense value on authentic experiences and peer recommendations. According to PRWeek , 86% of consumers seek out UGC before deciding to buy a product they’ve not personally tried before. Incorporating UGC into your website fosters trust and credibility which influences purchasing decisions and drives sales. Additionally, UGC fosters community engagement and brand advocacy. Encouraging customers to share their experiences and opinions creates a sense of belonging and strengthens the bond between the brand and its audience, ultimately driving repeat purchases and long-term brand loyalty.

Types of User Generated Content?

• Social Media Posts: Includes content shared by users on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn. It can consist of photos, videos, stories, tweets, status updates and more.
• Reviews and Testimonials: Includes websites like Yelp, Google Reviews, TripAdvisor, Amazon and other review platforms.?
• Blog Comments: Feedback left by readers on blog posts or articles.?
• Forum Discussions: Includes a wide range of topics on online forums, message boards or community platforms such as Reddit, Slack or Discord.
• User-Created Videos: Videos showcasing their experiences, reviews, tutorials, before and afters or demonstrations related to the product or brand on platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo.
• Photographs and Visual Content: Images that capture their experiences, products they've purchased, places they've visited or moments they've enjoyed with your product or brand and shared on platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest or Snapchat.

Gathering UGC should not be complicated - start by encouraging your customers to create and share content about your products. If helpful, you can add incentives around sharing such as offering them a discount code or free product for a share or completed review. You can track this through tags to your social media account or user account information.

Stay tuned for Part Two of 12 Low Cost, High Impact Strategies To Increase eCommerce Sales For Consumer Brands.

Amy Kapolnek is the Founder & CEO of the fwrd group , a NYC-based consulting firm specializing in development, growth and expansion strategies for consumer goods and services. Amy's influence extends beyond boardrooms as a frequent Contributing Editor, Speaker and Panelist, sharing her insights on topics ranging from beauty to business. Committed to championing and supporting women, Amy serves as a Business Mentor to early stage companies within the XRC Ventures' portfolio as well as female leaders and budding entrepreneurs.