The next wave of retail technology is bringing with it digital brands and online marketplaces. With 87% of shoppers now starting a purchase with online searches, e-commerce is reaching new heights.

The race is on between online businesses to see who can grab the most customers. The focus is on providing customers unique products through a speedy, personalized shopping experience. Amazon is topping the charts (accounting for 44% of online sales in the U.S. last year), alongside others like eBay and Alibaba.

Wondering what tactics successful companies are utilizing to drive organic traffic to their sites? Here’s everything you need to know.

Generate more traffic

In the world of business, whether retail or online, everyone knows that you’ve got to build a strong customer base and keep it growing. In e-commerce, the attention shifts to increasing traffic to your website. More traffic equates to more leads, which in turn means more revenue.

Essential sources include search engines, social platforms, referral/link traffic, PPC, and bookmarking. Businesses can tweak these elements to boost their e-commerce traffic. Many like to hand over this responsibility – and headache – to SEO agencies.

Not only do they have the experience to manage all aspects of generating traffic to a website, but it also allows entrepreneurs the opportunity to focus their time and money on other essential facets of the business.

Why focus on organic traffic

Organic traffic refers to visitors who land on your site through search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. It’s driven by current SEO practices using competitive keywords. And since the algorithms for search are constantly changing, businesses must stay on top of the latest trends to maintain online visibility. Here are a few ways to get organic traffic for your online business:

1. Produce great content

One of the easiest ways to increase the organic traffic to your website is to publish quality content that is relevant to your business regularly. Companies with active blogs receive 97% more links to their website than those without active blogs.

Despite popular belief, there is no magic formula for a successful content marketing campaign. Some may find that the length and format of the content matter. However, it is better to provide a variety of content so that you have the chance to appeal to a broader audience.

Longer pieces with in-depth information may be the best approach for technical blogs, while shorter ones may be ideal for news-based or entertainment niches. Trends are indicating that video and images are gaining a substantial amount of traction in the SEO department.

2. Focus on catchy headlines

People are busier than ever and rarely read anything that doesn’t grab their attention. So just like you dress to impress, write headlines that will make readers instantly curious for more. Though it’s not an easy task, it is essential.   

3. Utilize long-tail keywords

The realm of search is entering into voice tech, so keywords will have to change. Voice search tends to follow a conversational style. Therefore longer phrases will now replace shorter ones.

4. Implement schema

Schema markup is a type of microdata that is applied to the content of a webpage, making it simpler and more accessible for search engines to crawl and interpret information on the page.

Though it may not increase traffic to your website on its own, it can, however, facilitate search engine bots to locate and index your pages. Another benefit is better rich snippets. They help people to understand more about your website, thereby improving click-through rates instantly.

5. Acquire referral links

Links are pretty powerful in the SEO world. Even though people do not click on every link they see, it does get your content out to a new audience.

This helps to boost conversions. But it all begins with exceptional content. Give consumers a solid reason to click through to your site. Similarly, according to Google’s standards, external links help to determine the relevance and authority of your site.

6. Provide internal links

The use of internal links is another way to strengthen your profile. This is exceptionally important for e-commerce. It helps to improve user experience, a crucial factor for increasing traffic.

Simple ways to incorporate internal links include providing viewers with links to related products or product reviews on your site.

7. Don’t forget about getting social

As any entrepreneur will tell you, you have to be proactive to succeed. Even if you have a superb product and great content to back it up, you still need to get your brand out there. Using social media is one of the most effective and easiest ways to increase website traffic.

For instance, anyone with a large number of Instagram followers can become an influencer and has the power to drive a spike of social referrals. Remember to build a rapport between all visitors to create substantial return traffic, possibly with the aid of newsletter signup prompts or loyalty reward programs.   

8. Use custom images and visuals

Utilizing custom content is a passive way to generate backlinks. Since the use of visuals has dramatically increased, any material that uses custom images and visuals will create a valuable link. Other companies will cite and mention your brand. You can consider it a form of free publicity.

9. Optimize your website

No matter how much effort you put into content and SEO, if your site is sluggish, you are not going to see a high conversion rate. People are always on the move. They demand quick responses. Make sure that your site has swift loading times- the faster, the better.

Moreover, your website needs to be mobile optimized, allowing access to your products and services from anywhere, at any time, from any device. More importantly, it should promote more tapping and less typing, preferably with the use of CTAs. 

10. Do more research

You’ve got to study the competition. It’s a valuable practice that helps you gauge your brand against others. Find out what they are offering that is making them popular. Emulate that standard of content and divert traffic to your website.

Simultaneously, utilize analytics to keep a close watch on the various aspects of your website. Examine visitor data, identify the demographics, and comprehend the specifics about the traffic that is landing on your pages.

Key takeaways

Retail technology is revolutionizing. Machine learning augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI) are already adding a personalized touch. Future trends will revolve around customers using voice tech, sensors, and blockchain technology.

It’s vital to note that shopping experiences and expectations will change. For those who desire to stay ahead of the competition, you need to embrace, invest, and implement this new technology.

Guest contribution by Alma Causey is a Freelance writer writing for agencies such as SETalks by day and sports fan by night. She writes about tech education and health-related issues. Live simply, give generously, watch football and a technology lover.

Read next: How To Build A Digital Marketing Strategy For Long-Term Success

And: SEO Guide: How To Grow Your Blog With SEO

Resources for your business:

• What Is a Business Model? 30 Successful Types of Business Models You Need to Know
• The Complete Guide To Business Development
• Business Strategy: Definition, Examples, And Case Studies
• What Is a Business Model Canvas? Business Model Canvas Explained
• Blitzscaling Business Model Innovation Canvas In A Nutshell
• What Is a Value Proposition? Value Proposition Canvas Explained
• What Is a Lean Startup Canvas? Lean Startup Canvas Explained
• What Is Market Segmentation? the Ultimate Guide to Market Segmentation
• Marketing Strategy: Definition, Types, And Examples
• Marketing vs. Sales: How to Use Sales Processes to Grow Your Business
• How To Write A Mission Statement
• What is Growth Hacking?
• Growth Hacking Canvas: A Glance At The Tools To Generate Growth Ideas
• Distribution Channels: Types, Functions, And Examples

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