Why is it that relatively few retail-based websites ever see the light of success? While such portals may be offering quality products at competitive prices, this is far from sufficient in this day and age. The name of the digital game is exposure. Portals that are able to list higher within a search engine results page are destined to enjoy a greater level of inbound traffic. So, generating interest is obviously key if your sales have been lagging in recent times. What are some proven techniques to employ and how can these transform a mediocre website into one which enjoys a steady flow of quality visitors?
More is Not Necessarily Better
One all-too-prevalent mistake is believing that online exposure is nothing more than a game of numbers. While this might be true from a purely quantitative perspective, you need to be able to focus your efforts in the right direction. In other words, there are certain sales channels that will always perform better than others. Those who spread their efforts too thin will not be able to appreciate what strategies are producing results and which ones could be better to remove from an existing strategy.
So, what channels are the most appropriate? This will primarily depend upon the type of audience that you are looking to target. We can nonetheless break your options down into to major sections. If you are catering to a younger and more dynamic audience, social media circles such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are often prudent choices. Those targeting professionals are wise to leverage other portals including LinkedIn, Xing and Lunchmeet. Due to the fact that it is normally free to establish a presence within such communities, it is wise to experiment in order to determine which ones represent the most lucrative opportunities to pursue.
The Use of Long-Tail Keywords
The notion of long-tail keywords has existed for some time and yet, this approach has become more relevant over the past few years. Why is this the case? Such keywords are unique in the fact that they provide a greater level of specificity for what it is that you are promoting. This will enable you to obtain more exposure within a niche marketplace and as a result, higher conversion rates should follow.
Long-tail keywords are also becoming prevalent due to the simple fact that user searches are much more detailed than in the past. For example, queries such as “London barbershop” have begun to transform into discrete questions such as “cheap barbershop in London near Regent’s Park”. If you are able to capitalise upon this type of terminology, those who visit your website are more likely to be interested in what you have to offer.
We should also mention that a growing number of online freelancers are employing long-tail keywords in order to hone in on a certain demographic. When utilised in tandem with standard marketing methods, the chances are high that you will be able to enjoy more robust and reliable conversion rates over time.
Working with a Qualified E-Commerce Provider
Inbound traffic is also heavily influenced by what occurs behind the scenes. We are referring to the e-commerce architecture related to your website. Here are some elements which serve to define a reliable e-commerce enterprise solution:
- Scalability
- Ease of use
- A modular nature
- Excellent levels of customer service
- Cost-effective subscription packages
E-commerce packages essentially provide you with the “nuts and bolts” that will be required to streamline your presence while enhancing the user experience. This why it is normally better to partner with a respected third-party firm as opposed to utilising standard open-source architecture such as WordPress.
It should finally be mentioned that any changes are likely to take a bit of time to realise. This is why it is prudent to look at your historical data in order to appreciate whether or not the methods above are producing viable results. Attracting more visitors to your standalone website does not necessarily require you to reinvent the digital wheel. It rather involves identifying which approaches seem to be working as well as those that could use a slight adjustment.
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