You have a great online store with all the bells and whistles. You pay attention to how your search engine optimization is working and you even read your Google Analytics report when your IT department brings it to your desk. Heavens, you even understand it, or at least most of it.
If this describes you, then you might also be wondering why your online store is not doing as well as you thought. You have done the homework, including shopping for the best payment gateway providers to provide security to your customers. But if you are doing the right things, why aren’t customers flocking to your online store? Here are three great reasons you can adopt as your own to make that store sing with customer traffic and sales.
You Connect Your Site to Your Store
Not everyone who visits your site is an online buyer. In fact, in many of the surveys done about shopping habits we know that many shoppers will look online but in the end, they will buy in a physical store. Don’t drop the ball on these shoppers, give them a reason to connect to your physical location as well.
Here are a few ways to make sure that your online browsers turn into real world shoppers for you and your store. Start by making sure they can find your store with a clear store locator and even directions on how to get there in a multitude of ways. Going to the store by car, by transit or by foot should all be taken into account. Remember to add in real-time inventory numbers so they know if what they want is at your store or in your warehouse. And don’t forget to use local SEO to help locals find you quickly.
You Use Events to Drive Traffic
This is true for physical stores but it works for online stores just as well! People love to be entertained while they shop, so why not give them what they want? You plan for both events that will make major traffic and ones that will add to your name recognition even if they don’t contribute as much to the traffic.
If you have steady traffic with visitor bumps at the events, then you know you are doing it right. Those curious visitors will come back even when you aren’t hosting a three-ring circus on your site.
You Reach Out to the Community
Just as no man is an island, so too no store should try and stand alone. Whether you have a physical store or not, if you are a success it is because you are connected to your online and offline community. Maybe you blog about things you know will matter to the community of your customers.
For a fashion store, it might be reporting on fashion trends and celebrity shopping sprees. For a book store, it might be interviewing authors and reviewing the latest books. If you are smart, and we know you are, then you will be always reaching out to that community to contribute to your social media and more.
