How to Promote Your Online Store: Marketing Strategies to Build a Robust Ecommerce Business

Your new online store opens up vast opportunities to reach customers worldwide with a seamless shopping experience. But launching is just the beginning — you need a strategic approach to stand out and drive traffic.

Today's digital marketplace is highly competitive, with consumers shopping across search engines, social media, and major ecommerce platforms. This shift to digital presents a significant opportunity: 41% of global consumers start their shopping journey through search engines, making online visibility crucial for retail success.

To create effective marketing strategies for your online store, you must first understand your ideal customers and what drives their purchasing decisions.

Driving traffic to your online store: understanding your audience

To truly succeed, consider marketing your ecommerce site through the lens of specific audience groups. Rather than a simple, three-pronged approach, consider your marketing in terms of two primary groups: existing customers and new prospects. Understanding these segments will help you focus your efforts for maximum impact.

First, look at your existing customers, those who have already purchased from you. This group isn't monolithic. Instead, it comprises valuable subgroups like repeat buyers who make regular purchases. There are also one-time buyers, those who've only purchased once, and high-value customers who spend a lot. Don't forget about your lapsed customers, shoppers who haven't purchased recently. Tailoring your marketing message to these subgroups allows for more effective communication. For example, you might use email marketing through Mailchimp to send targeted offers to lapsed clients or create loyalty programs for your high-value clientele.

Next, consider new prospects and potential new customers who have not bought from you. This group includes website visitors without purchase history and individuals who browse but don't complete their buying journey. It also includes your email subscribers, who have shown interest in your brand by signing up.

Additionally, it's essential to consider lookalike audiences who share similarities with your existing customers. Target those in your demographics, for example, specific age groups with particular interests. Reaching this audience requires different strategies. You can utilize search engine marketing (SEM), like Google Ads, to help people find your product when searching online. Your goal should be to drive more high-intent traffic, putting your message in front of those most likely interested.

By understanding and segmenting your audience, you move beyond a generic approach and create marketing campaigns that speak directly to them. This clarity creates opportunities to promote your business effectively and grow your customer base.

Top 10 marketing tactics to promote your online store

We'll explore ten actionable steps and results-driven strategies to drive traffic to your new online store, covering everything from engaging current customers to attracting new prospects. These methods offer diverse options, from free tactics that leverage organic reach to more targeted paid advertising routes.

With these marketing tactics in your toolkit, you'll be well-equipped to promote your online store successfully. Let's dive in and explain how to maximize your reach and impact.

1. Harness the power of email marketing.

A robust email list should be vital to your email marketing strategy. Begin collecting email addresses at every opportunity. Think of customers, prospective buyers, or people interested in your product. Once your store launches, you'll be able to let them know your new online shop is ready for business.

Consider providing an exclusive promotion when reaching out to this audience or perhaps a referral bonus. Encourage those on your list to share the site with friends and family. Email marketing remains a powerful tool for ecommerce, with revenue projected to pass 9.5 billion dollars in 2024.

Always work to gather new email addresses. Many online shops use pop-up boxes to ask for a visitor's email, often in exchange for a small reward, like a discount. Tools like Mailchimp or Klaviyo can automate your email campaigns and schedule them to go out regularly.

Automation helps keep a consistent flow of communication with people on your list, including promotions, new content, product launches, and other relevant information. You may wish to consider exclusive pre-launch deals or seasonal discounts to increase engagement.

LandCafe, a Polish-based online store selling artisanal coffee beans, successfully implemented an educational email marketing campaign that yielded impressive results. The campaign's success was evident in the following statistics:

• A 41.30% sales rate during the welcome series.

• A 13.30% sales rate from the discount coupon email.

• A 54% total sales rate.

2. Enhance your organic social presence.

Every online business needs to boost its digital engagement. One of the most effective ways is to ensure your channels include compelling images and engaging videos. An app like Onollo allows for scheduled posts. This strategy will inform your followers when to expect new product updates or now-in-stock alerts.

A great example is how Dippin' Dots uses its Instagram channel to showcase beautiful product photos. Other clever ways to leverage social media include hosting giveaways, collaborating with influencers in your niche, and using suitable hashtags.

If your social channels have an established audience, this is an excellent time to build on that base. Increase the frequency of your posts, boosting interactions with your followers and increasing brand awareness to their following. Encourage sharing among your fans, and use content generated by your users.

You don't have to be active on every platform. Instead, ensure you have a presence on channels appropriate for your ideal customer and put your energy into these platforms.

3. Optimize your site for SEO.

Search engine optimization, known as SEO, has many different parts. Trying to optimize everything at once may feel overwhelming at first. Here are a few items to consider as you begin.

You should place yourself in the shoes of your potential customers. How does your ideal audience speak about your products, and what do they want to know? Keyword research will help product pages improve search rankings. Tools like Google's Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush help you discover new terms, estimate search volume, forecast advertising costs, and analyze competitor levels.

Next, pay attention to the content on each page. On-page elements include product titles, descriptions, photos, and any blog or educational content you offer. Your site's content should use the exact wording your customers might use when searching. Be sure to answer any questions they might have.

Also, meta tags are crucial for search engines. Title tags, like headlines for search, help the system determine what each page is about. Every page of your website should have its unique title tag. Meta descriptions give short summaries for every page. When your site appears in the search results, the user will see your title and description before any other content.

4. Create engaging, helpful content.

Creating great content for people looking to buy your product is a great way to bring traffic to your site. It also provides helpful information that positions your brand as an authoritative voice in your vertical. Let's explore different formats and channels for your content strategy.

Blog posts offer an excellent way to share in-depth information and answer common questions. You could publish these directly on your company's website. Videos provide a dynamic way to showcase your products, tutorials, or brand stories. You can share these types of videos on platforms like YouTube. Infographics present data and information visually. They are great for sharing on social channels or even embedding them within a blog.

You can boost your brand by providing educational content that serves your audience. For example, Home Outlet's marketing team extended its efforts beyond traditional online promotions. The website directs customers to relevant content based on product searches, guiding them to the best choice for their needs. Improving the customer experience gave shoppers a reason to return. As a result, the brand has seen a 17% increase in sessions and a 19% increase in users since incorporating blog content and migrating to BigCommerce.

Home Outlet exceeded its customers' expectations by focusing on authentic, helpful, quality content rather than sales pitches.

When deciding where to publish, consider the best channel to reach your intended audience. For example, you might use Medium for more thought leadership-style articles or social media for short, engaging videos.

Mixing different types of content, especially user-generated content and posting it across multiple channels allows you to reach people in various places and ways.

5. Try out Google ads.

Search engine marketing is an excellent way to promote a website because it doesn't need any design and can be very effective for new traffic.

Using Google Ads for search engine marketing allows you to bid on keywords so your business can show up high on the Google search results page. Securing the coveted "top spot" through SEO optimization takes time, but remember that Google Ads will still appear at the top. 

Here's a simple three-step plan:

1. Keyword research: This first step involves finding the words people use when searching for your products. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help. Start with branded terms (your business name) or even target competitors' brands.

2. Set a budget: Google Ads gives you control over your spending. Begin with a daily budget you're comfortable with and adjust it based on your results.

3. Craft compelling ad copy: Write explicit, engaging ads highlighting your unique selling points. Focus on what makes your product special.

Google estimates a 2:1 return on investment when using Google Ads, meaning you can expect a two-dollar return for every dollar spent. Plus, you can adjust your approach as you get results.

6. Advertise on social platforms.

Social media is a great place to concentrate your ad budget because potential customers will likely spend their time on these platforms. Think of social media advertising as choosing the best location for a billboard. Reaching the right audience is key.

If your audience spends most of its time on Instagram, you'll want to focus there. Businesses on Instagram will likely reach a younger demographic that responds well to visual content.

If your ideal customer is on Facebook, experiment on that platform. Facebook allows businesses to target a broad range of demographics with greater specificity. If you're looking to influence professionals and B2B companies, consider LinkedIn.

Photos and videos work well in ads, but you may want to start small. Launching a photo ad or engaging product imagery in action is a great way to show your product to potential buyers. Track your results with platform analytics, and adjust your approach over the first few weeks.

Consider a starting budget of $5 to $10 per platform daily. Monitor key performance indicators such as click-through rates and conversions to optimize spending.

7. Partner with complementary brands.

Create partnerships with other brands to cross-promote and grow your reach. Find a company targeting a similar audience while offering a complementary product. In that way, each business will reach a completely new, yet still very relevant, audience. For example, if you sell outdoor gear, you might seek a partnership with a brand focused on quality hiking shoes.

Cross-promotion methods vary greatly. Approaches can occur at every point of the sales journey. Try co-sponsoring an outdoor living podcast or blog. Depending on the season, a co-branded gift guide could be practical. You might even run promotions down the funnel, like offering a discount on one product with the purchase of another. Newsletters are an excellent venue for cross-promotion, or you can co-host an engaging giveaway.

To find the right partners, look for companies that share your target audience, offer products that complement yours and have mutual marketing aims. One successful example involves Starbucks and Spotify. They partnered to offer Spotify Premium subscriptions to Starbucks employees and allow customers to discover music in-store, driving traffic and brand engagement for both.

8. Participate in online events and discussions.

Online events are re-emerging as popular destinations and represent opportunities to increase brand awareness. Leverage your expertise by participating in webinars or virtual conferences.

Consider virtual trade shows, where you can show your products to a focused audience. Another way to reach customers is through industry-specific webinars, where you can share knowledge. You may also want to check out online Q&A sessions, where you can answer customer questions directly. Seek chances within virtual malls and marketplaces.

Tools like Eventbrite can help you find and even host events. As you network at these events, ensure your elevator pitch is at hand; making a positive introduction is vital.

9. Explore influencer marketing.

Influencers are individuals with large online audiences who can influence their followers' buying choices. Working with the right influencer can expose your product to prospective buyers and increase brand awareness.

To get the most from influencer marketing, target influencers whose followers match your audience and whose values match your brand. Consider the type of influencer, too. Nano-influencers have smaller, very engaged audiences, ideal for niche markets. Micro-influencers have more significant followings than nanos and often specialize in specific areas. Macro-influencers have huge followings, increasing visibility but potentially decreasing engagement.

Typical influencer tactics include writing blog posts about your product, posting content, reviewing or demonstrating your product on social media channels, or talking about your product at events. To measure your return on investment, track key metrics such as engagement rate and cost per engagement.

Platforms that help you find influencers include Afluence, a discovery tool for audience demographics; Lolly, which helps you identify the most relevant creators for your brand based on your marketing aims; and TRND, which connects brands with micro-influencers for product testing and reviews.

10. Leverage your offline store(s).

If your brick-and-mortar business has strong name recognition and a loyal following, you can use your in-person time with your customers to help drive traffic to your new online store.

You can employ unobtrusive methods to keep your customers engaged with your brand. For example, you can ask them to sign up for your email list at checkout and inform them about your customer loyalty program if you have one. You can also utilize QR codes in physical locations. The codes can link to online promotions or exclusive discounts. Consider incentivizing buyers to follow your online accounts.

Local marketing is a key strategy for building brand awareness. Consider techniques such as optimizing local SEO for actual locations. Another option would be to sponsor events close to your location to help drive traffic. You might also offer flyers with promotion codes your customers can share. Word-of-mouth marketing can work very well.

Work to turn your in-person customers into brand evangelists. Happy customers may prove to be your greatest assets.

How BigCommerce supports promoting your online business

Take your online store to new heights with BigCommerce's powerful online marketing features. These features work smoothly with popular platforms such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram. You can easily connect them and show your products to a broader audience, letting customers purchase without leaving their favorite platforms.

Entrepreneurs and small businesses leverage built-in SEO tools that automatically optimize product pages and metadata for better search rankings, which we know is your customers' first step in their online shopping journey.

Email marketing is another powerful tool. Automated email campaigns flow smoothly through Mailchimp and Klaviyo partnerships, helping you nurture customer relationships. Cross-channel success arrives naturally with integrated marketplace listings on Amazon, eBay, and TikTok.

Hear from a few of our customers how BigCommerce's expertise helped them overcome challenges unique to their ecommerce store.

Walton's.

Case Study: Walton's

In 1986, Don Walton saw that meat processing businesses needed expert help buying equipment. Over 40 years later, his focus on service and expertise remains unchanged.

One of the main reasons for migrating to a new platform was the need to sell both DTC and B2B on the same platform. While this functionality existed on their previous sites, they were missing key features that made B2B sales challenging, especially on the back end.

Once Walton’s launched its new site, it noticed drastic changes to its organic traffic. Walton's Customer Success Manager set them up with a BigCommerce SEO auditor, who immediately helped identify some key fixes. Due to improved Core Web Vitals scores, its search rankings improved within hours.

EXPRESSO.

Case Study: Expresso

For over 70 years, EXPRESSO has developed solutions for lifting, hauling, and transporting goods in Kassel, Germany.

They wanted a solution that would enable them to design custom pages with custom banners, text boxes, and image galleries to fit their needs. They also wanted to integrate more marketing tools and access them freely through the site's back-end.

They chose BigCommerce because of its cost, speed, and functionality.

The BigCommerce Page Builder met all of EXPRESSO's customization requirements, and the open APIs allowed their teams to integrate marketing, PIM, and other tools quickly. They also added another new feature to their site: the ability for customers to customize and personalize their hand cart.

This customization created a powerful ecommerce solution, resulting in a 26% increase in conversion rate, a 48% increase in orders, and a 17% increase in site visits.

US Cutter.

Case Study: US Cutter

Known for its vinyl-cutting products, USCutter also makes vinyl products, digital printers, flatbed cutters, and other goods. The website offers educational content, including case studies, video tutorials on product use, news articles, and a forum for customers to ask questions.

Flexibility, innovation, and automation won the day. BigCommerce's ability to create B2C-level experiences for multiple audiences paved the way for US Cutter's long-term growth.

Automated systems like Klaviyo for email marketing and managing cart abandonment grew sales exponentially. Collectively, integrated tools drove millions in revenue by optimizing and leveraging data to sell more.

Jentri Quinn.

Case Study: Jentri Quinn

How does a store without a storefront reach customers and grow? The pandemic had owners Alex De Mola and Jentri Quinn asking themselves that question. They knew they needed to bring the in-house experience online and chose BigCommerce to help them.

Their solution was an omnichannel strategy, selling makeup and skincare products to customers across marketplaces and social platforms. The native integrations with BigCommerce and several other apps in the app store made this a primarily seamless endeavor.

The positive user experience paired with high-quality products has helped improve traffic by 293% and sales by 804%.

The final word

Opening an online store is just the start — getting people to notice it is where the real challenge begins. To stand out, it's all about knowing your audience. Whether it’s loyal repeat customers, curious first-timers, or potential buyers who’ve never heard of you, each group needs a unique approach. Think personalized emails, engaging social media content, and solid search engine strategies.

Don’t stop there — team up with like-minded brands, try out influencer collaborations, and even turn in-store shoppers into online fans with QR codes and exclusive deals. The key? Mix and match tactics to create authentic connections that keep customers coming back for more.

FAQs about how to promote an online store