As promised, we continue the previous article and add some of the methods you need to apply to promote your online store. In this article, we will also address elements that apply very well when there is a physical store as well, not just a virtual one.
10. Print the store URL on all promotional materials. Whether it is a business card, a flyer, or a correspondence envelope, the store URL must be found everywhere. Moreover, you should always have a promotional material on you (it does not have to be an A5 flyer, it can also be a nicely customized small note) on which the URL and distinctive brand elements are printed. Shopping bags should also be customized with the URL when you have a physical store and put the purchases in such a bag. You can also add a customized small bag in the shipped packages. If you think the cost will be too high, you can choose to put it only in certain packages whose value exceeds a certain threshold.
Your personal or company car (where applicable) can also be inscribed, more discreetly or more visibly, with the store name and URL.
11. Add a small gift in the shipped packages. One of the most commonly used gifts is the refrigerator magnet, which obviously has the store URL printed on it. If well made, people will put it on the fridge and remember every time where they bought the products from, and there is a very high chance they will return to order again. Additionally, being visible, the magnet will be seen by friends and can easily become an interesting topic of discussion, and from there to a visit (at least) to the site is a very short path.
12. Offer discount coupons when shipping orders. You don't have to offer big discounts, nor for every order or to all customers. You can set certain thresholds, either based on loyalty, total value, or as a reward for recommending the site to other potential customers. These coupons can be transferable, so they can be given to another person interested in your products. A customer gained.
13. Optimize the images on the site. The product photos you upload to the site must be named correctly and as expressively or representatively as possible. In other words, change the photo name from 2435.jpg to "purple-platform-shoes". Thus, those searching the internet for purple platform shoes or platform shoes have a better chance of finding your site through that photo.
14. Reward your customers who recommend you. You can create a referral system, a system through which you encourage people to recommend you to their close ones. Thus, on the first purchase made by a referral, the person who made the recommendation can receive either a discount or a gift of choice from the site. This method is very good for attracting new customers and for retaining existing ones.
15. Comment on various blogs or forums. Be careful, though, we are not talking about spamming or aggressively promoting the site, but about including a URL in the signature or linked to the username. By commenting, answering questions, and actively but honestly engaging with as accurate and relevant information as possible, you will gain a very good reputation, and people will start clicking on your name or the link in the signature. However, care must also be taken in choosing the username: as representative as possible, easy to remember, and not something like kitty2015 or mihai2653.
16. Create partnerships with other local businesses. You probably haven't had much contact with other small or medium businesses in your area or city. However, it is time to do so. If you also have a physical store, you can propose to other stores to place some flyers with your store and especially its URL somewhere on their counter. In exchange, you can offer exactly the same. If you don't have a physical store, you can try to offer something else in return, such as placing a link to them on your site or taking their flyers with you when you attend various exhibitions, fairs, or events related to their field.
17. Actively involve your employees. The simplest way to do this is to provide them with customized t-shirts and outfits to wear during work, whether we are talking about the physical store, events they attend, or when making deliveries in the city (for example), but even during their free time.
18. Sponsor local events. If you have a smaller store or are just starting out, it is harder, but not all sponsorships have to be very substantial. Carefully choose an event where as many people from your target market as possible will participate, and choose a sponsorship that is as visible as possible. For example, if you have a clothing store, you can choose to offer as a prize in a contest for young people 10 t-shirts printed with the store name and URL, or you can offer 3 more substantial prizes with some of the most popular or newest products on the site to make them curious to visit and see what other news are on the site. You will also be promoted with a link on the organizer's or event's website, but you can also distribute flyers or balloons at the event. The possibilities are endless, but it depends on imagination, availability, and especially how well you manage your promotion budget.
19. Customize the "Closed" sign on the physical store door. Instead of a plain word, you can put an expression like "The store is now closed, but you can order our products online by accessing the link www.store name.xy". It is a simple but effective method, especially for a store located in a very busy area.
So, we have gathered 19 methods through which you can promote your virtual store without making huge investments and without needing specialized staff within the company. If you don't have enough time (as is the case for most of us), you can choose one or two of these methods to apply in one day. By allocating 30 minutes daily for these methods, you can test them all. Some will have immediate and long-term effects without repetition, others will require longer preparations, but using them will certainly be beneficial for the store.
