A recent study by research firm OnePoll found that worldwide, the average internet user spends around 26 minutes on a website before leaving. That’s a major concern for E-commerce websites. With so many competitors in the marketplace, it becomes imperative to find new ways to get potential customers involved with your site and keep them there for as long as possible. Below are some of the ways to accomplish this.
But first, it is imperative that you have a customer-friendly website in place. In other words, make sure that your site is user-friendly and addresses customer complaints and queries on a timely basis. (If you’re still struggling with your website, you can hire a web professional at World-Wide Web.com.)
1. Email marketing
According to research by the Direct Marketing Association, 95 percent of consumers use email. This makes it one of the most effective forms of direct marketing available. Email can also be used to drive customers to your site, which increases your chances of making a sale. And since it doesn’t cost much, you can send emails from a personal account (as opposed to company-specific emails) and still appear professional and legitimate.
2. Mobile marketing
Mobile marketing isn’t a new invention, but it is gaining popularity. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 90 percent of smartphone users say that their phones are a source for information about news, entertainment and shopping. With all of these consumers surfing the internet on their smartphones, there is still a place for mobile marketing. You can use mobile marketing to advertise your store or website on your phone and make sure that people see it whenever they have time or need to travel from one place to another. You can also market your products to these consumers via SMS and e-mail.
3. Social networking
Social networking sites are a great place to market your products, since they have millions of users, who use them for a variety of reasons. You can use social networking to promote your products on LinkedIn and Facebook, as well as other sites that allow you to post messages and links directly from the site. You can also use social networks to advertise your website, blog or other products on your social networking page.
4. Search engine optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization is a marketing tactic that focuses on making sure that your site appears in the best possible spots on search engines and directories. It can work closely with a search engine consultant to help you improve your ranking and increase your search engine visibility. You can post links to your website on Google, Yahoo, MSN and other popular websites and make sure that they appear in the search results. You can also use search engine optimization to get people to click on your website. This can be accomplished by placing ads in such places as newspapers or magazines.
5. Print advertising
While a lot of people are turning to the internet for information, print is still a great way to advertise your business and products. You can use print advertising in such places as newspapers and magazines, which will allow you to get the attention of consumers who otherwise might not have heard about your website. You can try using inserts or coupons that direct consumers to your website, blog or other social networking sites.
6. Search engine marketing (SEM)
SEM is a strategy that involves placing ads on search engines, including Google, Yahoo, MSN and others. You can use a variety of keywords that relate directly to your business or products to place these ads. You can also use client-specific keywords related to your services or products as well as general keywords that users might type in such as “web design” and “seo”. With SEM, you can include links and text in the ad that direct people directly to your site.
7. Mobile advertising
Mobile advertising is similar to search engine marketing and mobile marketing, but it works with mobile phones in particular. You can create ads for phones that will direct users to a particular website, blog or other social networking site. These ads can be used as ringtones on cell phones and also displayed on the screen of some devices.
8. Event marketing
One of the best ways to reach potential customers is at an event or conference that your target audience might attend. You can get in direct contact with people and let them know about your products or services and why they would benefit from using them. If you have a product or service that will appeal to a specific group of people, you can meet with those individuals beforehand at a different event.
9. Referral marketing
When you have satisfied customers, it’s important to let others know about your business. Referral marketing involves letting your current customers refer others to you. According to a study by the Direct Marketing Association, 50 percent of people who receive a referral will buy from the person who referred them (and in some cases, they won’t even use that person’s name). So if you make sure that your customers are satisfied and happy with your service or product and then let them refer others to you, you can get new customers easily.
