Marketing an e-commerce site takes more than the usual online marketing strategies needed to get good placement on search engines. Customer service should be the No. 1 priority of any business owner who sells online. That principle doesn't stray far from brick-and-mortar best practices, so the transition doesn't have to be complicated. It's not that SEO isn't important, but providing a positive customer experience is the true engine behind marketing Internet businesses.
Create an Attractive Site
Build an e-commerce site that's attractive and easy to use. Make sure the design makes sense to first-time users, even though 99 percent of them won't buy anything from you, according to e-commerce advisers at SeeWhy.com. But up to 75 percent of first-time visitors can be convinced to come back if your site is good enough. Mashable suggests getting family, friends and coworkers to test your site. If they can't lose themselves in it for a full hour, something is wrong with the design. Ask for feedback and find out exactly what made them decide to abandon their shopping cart or otherwise lose interest.
Build a mobile app or mobile-friendly site, too. More people are shopping through their mobile devices than ever before. Internet Retailer reports that eight percent of Internet users only shop on mobile devices and 14 percent of online shoppers shopped via mobile in Dec. 2013.
Be sure to personally visit the site from both a desktop and mobile device regularly for testing. Nothing turns off a customer faster than slow downloads, freezes or broken links. If you want customers to come back, you must make a compelling reason for them to do so. A well-functioning site is a very good one.
Strategically Market Online
It should go without saying that any online business needs a solid online presence, but be strategic about where you market. Look for sites that match your product or service.
Pinterest, for example, is a dream site for clothing and fashion marketers because photographs are the primary medium. It's also the third-most-popular online destination for adults, according to Pew, with 21 percent of adults using it by the end of 2013. Moreover, 33 percent of all women online visit Pinterest. Marketing on Pinterest is often times more worthwhile than marketing on Facebook.
For example, let's say your company is Yumdrop and you sell a niche product like lingerie, including plus sizes. Facebook, a natural consideration since it's the No. 1 online site, might not be a good match because it may possibly deny a business page based on "adult content." But Pinterest is a very good match. It recently improved its search function so it will be easier for people shopping for plus-size lingerie to stumble across Yumdrop's Pinterest page. They're likely to click onto Yumdrop.com and purchase your product without much marketing effort. No matter what your business sells, you need to find your audience, learn the distribution channels and market strategically.
Encourage and Incentivize Feedback
Invite customers to provide feedback about their shopping experiences and the quality of the items they purchased. Offer a discount code to all who complete a quick online survey, and request permission to post or tweet reviews (using first names only).
Don't limit feedback only through the e-commerce site. Social media always invites conversation. Build a customer list on Twitter and tweet offers, new arrivals and other information. It's also a great way for followers (and presumably customers) to tweet you directly and privately with feedback.