By now, you probably know that growing an online business is no easy task. The cut-throat world of e-commerce can present many challenges. Some of which can make any business owner stop and reconsider starting an online store.
But what most budding entrepreneurs don’t know is that success can sometimes be found from simply building a social media presence. Or optimizing your site for mobile phones. Or even creating high-quality content to improve your ranking on search engines.
Sounds simple, right? Well, it is. And here’s how you can apply these three quick tips to make your online business a hit.
#1 Build A Social Media Presence
Rising trends in internet use suggest that over 60% of the world’s population will use social media before the end of 2020. With such high stakes, you need to position your business where customers spend the most time- social platforms.
Social media offers a great way to market your brand without breaking the bank or dipping into your profits. Where most people go wrong is setting up business profiles on Facebook or Twitter. Then creating a few posts with cute pictures or entertaining videos and waiting for customers to start liking posts and buying. Which, unless you’re Kim K, just doesn’t happen.
Businesses that find success through social media usually have at least this one thing in common- being social. What does this mean exactly?
- Creating daily posts and not just once.
Platforms like Pinterest need at least 30 to 60 pins per day while Facebook requires at least a minimum of 3 posts per day to build an audience. The number of times you post also depends on the types of products or services you offer. Research your competitors to see what they’re doing then create a strategy tailored to your business and audience.
- Using images as much as possible
A study from Buzzsumo on Facebook usage found that posts with images had 2.3X more engagement than posts without images. Use photos and videos centered around your industry to generate buzz for your business and direct traffic to your ecommerce store.
#2 Optimize Site for Mobile
Although most business owners know that more people are using phones to research brands and buy products. Some still underestimate how much optimizing a site for mobile affects website traffic. If you’re one of them, here’s what you should know:
- Although 93.3% of businesses haven’t optimized web pages for mobile, 51% of mobile searchers are interested in buying.
- While 40% of mobile users turn to a competitor’s site after an unsatisfactory mobile web experience on your site.
- And 57% of consumers don’t recommend businesses whose sites aren’t optimized for mobile.
See how much influence mobile has on your business? Good.
The first step in creating a mobile-friendly site is to adjust images to fit on smaller screens. You should also consider redesigning your navigation bar such that it doesn’t fill an entire screen, overwhelming searchers. And where you can use buttons instead of text links- always go for the former. Buttons are easier to tap or click on the small screens of mobile phones.
Resizing a desktop version of your site to mobile parameters can show you what your site looks like on mobile. Allowing you to easily see where you need to make adjustments. Business owners with capital to spare may also consider creating a separate website for mobile users. Ensuring your business is strategically placed to capture both mobile and desktop users.
#3 Create High-Quality SEO Content
Regularly creating high-quality content establishes you as an authority in your industry. What’s more? Such a strategy is cheaper to implement than say… buying ads on social media or redesigning your website. The only catch is that SEO takes time to produce results – one reason many people consider buying a pre-established ecommerce site.
Use blog posts, infographics, or case studies to give your readers fact-based information. Make sure you use subheadings to separate points. And write using simple language to keep your audience engaged.
With over 27 million pieces of content being shared every day, it’s not enough to just create high-quality content. You also need to optimize the content for search engines, commonly referred to as Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Optimizing content is what ensures your site gets ranked and shows up in search results.
Websites are ranked based on the number of web pages that link back to them. Which means you’ll need to link your content to other sites. And when you do, other sites will start to link to your content. Improving your domain authority and ranking your site higher in search results. Making it easier for your ideal customer to find you.
In today’s competitive online marketplace, appearing on a search engine’s first page can mean the world for your business. Having a good SEO strategy not only improves site visibility but also helps build brand reputation, fosters brand loyalty, and boosts sales. Giving your online store an added advantage in the competitive world of online marketplaces.
