Growing Ecommerce Business in 10+ Free Ways

Growing Ecommerce Business may look like a mammoth task with no solution in sight. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Nope, we ain’t bluffing! Ecommerce businesses have the highest potential in the coming years. In fact, according to Nasdaq estimates, by 2040, 95% of purchases would be conducted online, making traditional physical stores virtually redundant.

And if you haven’t tapped into this goose that lays golden eggs, you’re at the right place at the right time. Read on to find 10+ insider tips on growing your ecommerce business today! 

#1 Bank Upon Your Customer Reviews

Your customers are your best marketers. They can build your online credibility and dramatically improve your conversions. In fact, 89% of people read online reviews before making a purchase decision. That’s how powerful online reviews are in terms of establishing your online reputation.

Think of Amazon. Any purchase you make is followed by an email asking for your experience and review. Their email copy is designed in a way that you end up feeling that your opinion does matter.

Furthermore, think of review websites like Google+, and even Facebook. It will give a massive boost to your brand reputation and reach.

#2 Hangout on Instagram

Do not commit the sin of being absent on the go-to social media platform for Growing Ecommerce Business – Instagram! The #1 reason we say this is because there are expected to be 1.2 billion users on Instagram by 2023. 

But what’s more? Instagram has consistently brought new features that aid creators, business owners, and entrepreneurs to maximize their sources of revenue online. 

With the introduction of Instagram’s Marketplace, Instagram facilitated in-app shopping experiences and check-outs. But that was just a start. Since then Instagram has brought multiple features like Reels, IGTV, and more to help businesses to sell online. 

While these features open doors for e-store owners and make Instagram a cool place to hang out with customers, your conversions depend on how well entertained and engaged your prospects are. So be innovative and don’t make everything about your products. Instead, humanize your brand and show behind-the-scenes, product launches, etc. not just on stories but also on Instagram TV! Sprinkle humor and repost your customer’s posts with curated hashtags!

Interestingly, here’s a brand that takes user-generated content legit seriously. Frank_Bod heavily posts real people’s photos/creatives. It so happens that they grew their sales to $20 million in a year mainly through Instagram! Encouraging piece of news, don’t you think?

#3 Recruit Your Army of Influencers

Before you hit the panic button, let us tell you that we’re still talking about how to market ecommerce business for FREE! All you have to do is shortlist influencers, preferably micro-influencers, who fit your niche and brand ethics. They are trusted and have a fan-following that holds their opinion in high regard.

In fact, approach a micro-influencer who is already your follower. It will be a golden opportunity for them to be able to represent a brand they adore. Some of them might even agree to review your products for free! Just figure out the scope of work and send them samples! This acts as a great ecommerce marketing strategy!

Also, keep the following things to keep in mind.

1. Take into account the demographics of their followers, especially if you are a local business and want to be relevant and establish an instant connection.

2. Study how connected they are to their audience.

3. Last, choose the platform carefully. Whether it is bloggers, Instagrammer, or YouTubers, know which social platform is best for your business.

Resource: Top Ecommerce Growth Hacks That You Must Implement!

#4 Mingle with the Redditors

Reddit is a social news aggregator and discussion website that is available in nearly 70 languages! It has close to 430 million monthly active users. Imagine, if you could drop a word about your ecommerce business in a relevant subreddit. 

You could stand a chance to not only grow your ecommerce business but also get feedback as Beardbrand did. Eventually, it helped them earn $40K per month under a year! Craaaazy, right?!

However, remember that all of this doesn’t happen overnight.

You will have to participate in discussions and gradually speak about your ecommerce business. Let’s say, you are a sustainable fashion brand. It will be a good idea for you to subscribe to subreddits like /r/Entrepreneur/, /r/BuyItForLife/, or r/environment. Participate in discussions and contribute to the community you actually belong to.

Resource: Social Media Hacks To Grow Your Business

#5 Leverage User-generated Content

Videos are a massive hit! One of the most telling signs is that “61% of marketers see video as a “very important or extremely important” part of their marketing strategy.” 

Ecommerce businesses can see a huge boost in sales and growth if they use more user-generated video content on their social media platforms and websites. 

Take WarbyParker’s Instagram account for instance. With adorable user-generated videos and photos, they create authentic content and stay on top of people’s minds. 

Resource: Your Guide To Social Video Marketing

#6 Build a Community through your Blog

Wondering how else to grow your ecommerce business? This is as simple as it gets but mind you, it’s not easy! Create a strong web presence through ecommerce content marketing strategies like writing blogs that aren’t an extended sales pitch. These blogs must provide value and make your prospects feel that they really are a part of a community.

One of the examples we can think of is BioLite Energy’s blog. They are an ecommerce business that sells outdoor energy gear. Through their blog, they subtly promote their products and at the same time strike a conversation with the reader.

#7 Write Guest Posts for Free Publicity

Hustle, you guys! Write to companies that are related to your niche but are not direct competitors. To make sure they accept your pitch, focus on a topic that is valuable for both your as well as their audience. Most importantly, write for high-ranking websites and make sure that you get the byline, and include your website link.

For example, if you are a DIY expert and sell wall photo frames you could approach interior design websites (similar to Apartment Therapy) and pitch for posts like “10 Ways Vintage Photo Frames Can Give Your Home a Facelift”. Ideally, your aim should be to make the blog as informative as possible and not an over-the-top sales pitch.

#8 Distribute Press Releases and Create a Press Kit

With press releases, you stand a chance to pop up in Google search when someone’s looking for more information about your brand. Besides, there’s no cost involved in marketing your ecommerce this way. As there are plenty of free directories available where you can distribute your press releases.

Another way to market your business is by doing half the work. If your brand is interesting to the press they would refer to the information provided (press releases, samples of past media coverage, mention of awards and recognitions etc.) and write about you!

Sample the press kit section of Annmarie Skin Care website. They have their story, product guide, and photos, philosophy, brand essence, and process ready for press consumption.

Resource:  11 Smart Ecommerce Promotion Ideas

#9 Embrace Online Classified Listings

It may seem old school but online classifieds connect buyers and sellers around the world and locally too. Take, for instance, Craigslist. It is a free marketplace where you can sell just about anything you want.

Regardless of it being a simple advertisement pin-up board, it is quite popular. Even established businesses post there. Since it’s free, why don’t you give it a shot? Here’s a complete guide by Shopify on how to start posting on Craigslist.

#10 Engage Your Audience Using a Chatbot

If you thought you can always be available for prospects flocking in on your website, you might want to rethink. Well, fret not – chatbots will be your best friend to cover for you. 

Chatbots can answer some of the pressing concerns of buyers on your ecommerce website without you having to appoint a salesperson. Certain repetitive questions can be answered by providing support documents and pre-built responses. 

Thus chatbots act as a fantastic ecommerce marketing strategy that allows you to grow your ecommerce business while you sleep! Moreover, chatbots offer great list-building opportunities. 

Have you always thought building a chatbot is rocket science? Your worries may not be unfounded but we are here to help you! How about you try building seamless and easy-to-use chatbots for free? No coding is required, we promise!

Growing ecommerce business can become a breeze if you use personalization. Personalizing involves making buying decisions easier for buyers. This can involve adding recommendation quizzes, calculators, etc to your ecommerce website. 

Take Care/of for example. Their website greets you with a CTA (Call-To-Action) – “Take The Quiz” which looks super lucrative. And since this ecommerce store offers vitamins and other supplements that really need to be personalized, it is a fantastic ecommerce growth strategy. 

Quizzes are not only useful for driving ecommerce sales. But also help to build your email list. This is done by adding a lead generation form at the beginning or end of your quiz. This shall give you a potential audience that you can then retarget. This further helps in performing data-driven marketing to grow your ecommerce business.

And getting lead information opens the doors for a vast variety of opportunities for you to nurture them and make them recurring customers. 

#12 Email Marketing Is Not Dead!

Email marketing is an ecommerce business’s best friend. There is a huge variety of email chains that you can set up to ensure your prospects and buyers don’t drop out. 

Ecommerce email marketing can range from onboarding emails, follow-up emails, back-in-stock emails, and numerous other kinds. 

Let’s discuss a bit about them here. 

1. Opening mails ensures smooth onboarding. 

2. Follow-up emails and best offer emails ensure that you stay on top of the minds of your audience and prospects. 

3. Back-in-stock emails are for those who have been keenly following a product that’s out of stock or have certain out-of-stock products on their wishlist. This is a fantastic email chain and has huge chances of resulting in a sale. 

4. Abandoned cart emails are like extending that olive branch that might do wonders. 

Those are just a few examples of the kinds of emails you can send out for growing ecommerce business. However, you can always experiment. Check out this email by Rudy’s. It has an eye-catching and witty headline with an appropriate CTA. 

Conclusion

You don’t need to have a massive marketing budget to be successful in the ecommerce industry. 

Ready to take the plunge? Do let us know if these helped you in growing ecommerce business. If there’s anything else you are doing differently that has worked for you, drop a message below! 

If you’d like to read more about ecommerce marketing in general, check out our comprehensive ecommerce marketing guide below!