If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either a) a business owner or b) an aspiring business owner who’s recently decided to give Shopify a go and is now looking for advice on how to best utilize their platform.
With the right strategy, you can absolutely grow your business successfully on the Shopify platform. In fact, we’ve collated a list of the top marketing strategies — for both newcomers and veterans alike — which will help you get the most from your Shopify investment.
1. Build A Community
It’s important to understand the power of community before you start selling on the platform. People love to chat about products and services, so having a vibrant community around your store is invaluable. You can encourage people to participate in conversations by giving them value, and by providing them with something to talk about.
To create a buzz around your store, consider hosting frequent events, such as exhibitions, sales, and competitions. Hold a #MysteryBoxChallenge, where you hide discounts and goodies inside boxes and people hunt for them across social media. You can also ask customers to nominate their favorite products and give them some shoutouts throughout the year.
Aside from encouraging conversation, you can also use social media to expose your community to potential customers. Create videos detailing the features of your products and posting these to YouTube can boost your SEO and make your videos more engaging. Create memes and post them on TikTok to engage with potential customers and expand your social media following.
2. Experiment With Forms
Although many businesses use forms to collect customer information, you can use them to engage with potential customers in a more personalized manner. Instead of just getting a logo and a web address in exchange for your contact details, you can offer customers a range of incentives, such as discounts, special offers, or even a free product to enter their email address.
Offering discounts and freebies to new and existing customers is a great way to grow your business. Not only will you gain valuable customer insight, but you can expand your customer base significantly. You should experiment with different types of forms and find out what works best for your business.
3. Create Content That Matters
In today’s digital world, content is king. Without good content, you have nothing. Creating high-quality content, such as blog posts, eBooks, and webinars, takes a lot of time and resources. Consider creating content around a) selling points b) competitor analysis c) trending topics d) social issues e) money management.
The key to creating content that matters is to make sure that you address a problem which your target audience faces, and that you do so in a way that they will value and benefit from.
4. Experiment With Funnels
There are numerous products and tools available to help you track the performance of your marketing efforts, and one of them is funnels. A funnel allows you to monitor the progression of a specific action — such as a sign-up, purchase, or contact — through to the end goal. For example, if you are collecting email addresses, you can set up a funnel to track the number of leads that come in through each of your marketing channels (e.g. organic search, social media, paid ads).
Funnels also make it easy to see the results of your different marketing channels combined. If you’re using HubSpot, you can set up a funnel to track the click-through rate, or CTA, of each of your webpages, as well as the conversion rate — that is, the percentage of people who took a particular action (e.g. signed up for the blog, made a purchase, etc.) — for each funnel.
5. Measure The Right Things
To track the effectiveness of your marketing efforts, you need to measure the right things. The first step is to set a benchmark — a specific number you want to see in a particular metric — for the amount of growth you’re seeking. If you don’t have a benchmark yet, consider setting a year-long goal, such as getting 100 new customers, increasing your social media reach by 20%, or growing your email list by 10%.
Once you’ve got your benchmark, you can start measuring the results of your marketing efforts. Measurement takes a little bit of time, but it’s an essential part of any strategy. For example, if you’re seeking to grow your email list, you can set up a flowchart to track the results of each of your emails. Measure the activities that correspond with your goals. This way, you’ll be able to clearly see the results of your efforts and identify areas where you need to make changes.
6. Use Analytics To Its Full Potential
If you want to know exactly how people are finding your website, you can use analytics tools to track the paths that lead to your pages. Analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, provide you with insights into how visitors arrive at your site and which pages they spend the most time on. Additionally, you can use this data to further refine your strategy and improve the user experience.
Google Analytics offers several features, such as heat maps, which allow you to see where on the page visitors are focusing their attention, and scroll maps, which show you the areas of the page where visitors are spending the most time. These maps can be incredibly valuable in identifying the most effective marketing channels and promoting content to your audience based on their interests.
7. Test, Learn, And Adjust
When we’re trying to improve our performance as marketers, it’s only natural to want to try new things. That’s why, even if you’ve executed a solid marketing strategy, you’ll always be looking to change something about it. One of the best things about the marketing industry — and the entire world of business — is that it’s constantly evolving. New technologies, innovative ideas, and increasing expertise means that no one marketing strategy or tactic is complete. If you’ve ever worked in marketing, you know this to be true.
With that in mind, it’s essential to continually test your strategy, learn from your mistakes, and change things up whenever you can. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Even if something you’re trying doesn’t seem to be working, it may be the key to unlocking your business’s full potential.
8. Get Inspired
The best way to come up with ideas for your marketing efforts is to get inspired. Sometimes we need a little bit of inspiration to come up with ideas for our businesses. So, instead of just going with the flow and doing what you’ve always done, consider taking a step back and looking at what others are doing.
The Internet is an incredible source of ideas for your marketing efforts. Not only can you find tons of inspiration online, but you can also find a variety of marketing strategies and tactics which you can implement. If you want a fresh set of ideas, you can’t do much better than the internet.
9. Be Brave
If you’re seeking to grow your business, there are a few things you need to do. One of them is be brave. As a marketer, you may not feel comfortable putting your name out there, exposing yourself to the risks of rejection and disappointment. However, if you want your business to grow, you need to take that risk and be brave.
In today’s world, there are a variety of digital marketing approaches and strategies which you can use to grow your business. You don’t have to follow the same old rules. Experiment with different channels, platforms, and creative tactics to gain traction in your niche.