How to diversify your acquisition of traffic for an e-commerce site?

Diversify Your Traffic Sources:

In business, it's sage advice not to place all your bets on one option, and the same holds true in the digital realm.

Relying solely on Google for traffic acquisition puts you at risk of losing everything with each Google algorithm update that doesn't favor your site.

That's why we're presenting alternative avenues to expand your business and diversify your traffic sources.

 

Review Sites:

Today's consumers habitually compare products before making a purchase, and a brand's or site's reputation can significantly impact its success.

When users search for a brand or a brand along with the word "review," numerous sites appear on Google's first page, complete with star ratings reflecting customer feedback (both genuine and fake).

One way to earn trust is by amassing positive reviews and ratings from customers. Customer satisfaction is a criterion that Google considers, influencing your position relative to competitors in search results.

Transparency is key. When a customer voices a concern online, don't dismiss it. Instead, listen, empathize, and respond. Your responsive approach can reassure potential customers, showing them that you value feedback and strive to resolve issues.

Showcase your customer reviews proudly on your site's homepage, product pages, and create a dedicated page for reviews. Regularly monitor review sites mentioning your business, including Google My Business, Facebook, Yelp, Trustpilot, igraal, etc. Despite occasional negative feedback (as it's easier to share criticism than praise), these sites generate backlinks that Google recognizes.

If your company lacks reviews or has few, get creative. Various methods can help generate reviews:

• Share case studies highlighting satisfied customers, who are likely to reciprocate positively.
• Respond to all messages, whether positive or not.
• Include a link to your Google Business Profile reviews in email signatures or enclose a card with a QR code in orders, for instance.
• Consider offering incentives to users who take the time to leave reviews. Sometimes, a simple "thank you" suffices.

Social Networks:

Your target audience isn't limited to Google; French users spend nearly 2 hours per day on social networks.

You can reach your target audience differently on various networks. Even if you haven't built a substantial social following yet, advertising campaigns on these platforms can rapidly boost brand visibility and turnover.

Some networks enable you to showcase product visuals with integrated product information (name/price) that direct visitors to product pages, increasing sales prospects.

In my view, social networks are perfect for brand promotion and establishing yourself as a market player. Before selling on these platforms, focus on creating content to establish credibility. Facebook Ads-type campaigns can swiftly generate income during the campaign period.

 

Local SEO:

Local visibility strategies are pertinent if you operate a physical business and wish to drive Web-to-Store traffic (leading online visitors to your physical store).

With the rise of mobile searches, it's crucial to be discoverable by nearby users seeking your products. Here are three aspects to enhance your local visibility:

• Google Business Profile: Apart from reviews, this profile enables you to furnish essential information about your business and location, simplifying navigation to your premises via Google Maps.
• Citations and backlinks from local business websites: Google considers the theme and geographical proximity of linking sites. Hence, Local SEO carries substantial weight.

Newsletters and Mailings:

Email communication has its limitations, but with a healthy, regularly updated email database, a newsletter strategy can foster customer loyalty and drive sales with minimal effort and investment. Collaborate with business partners or local enterprises to combine efforts and gain exposure through each other's newsletters. This introduces you to new audiences.

 

Dissemination of Expertise:

Sharing insights on blogs, forums, and thematic social pages to answer queries is always relevant. You're an expert in your field, and writing doesn't daunt you? Become the go-to authority in your niche, the reference.

Through comprehensive guest articles or brief forum contributions, help online users. Strive for objectivity and honesty. Instead of claiming "My product is the best," convey advantages, and address the questions your audience poses. This approach leverages the long-tail effect, capturing searches linked to specific keywords.

 

Videos:

Video communication can be highly effective in your e-commerce communication strategy. Product presentation videos, unboxings, tests, etc., find audiences on platforms like YouTube (the world's second-largest search engine) or TikTok. Traffic generated by video description links typically exhibits high conversion rates.

Of course, creating an excellent video is crucial, but it's not sufficient for visibility. Comprehensive video descriptions and channel presentations significantly impact visibility.

 

Partners and Influencers:

It's common for endorsements from trusted figures with broad audiences to yield substantial returns. Identify influential figures in your sector and devise strategies to become visible within their communities. Provide content, products for testing, contests, discounts, or exclusive product launches. These individuals have secured the trust of their followers, so maintain transparency in your approach to win their approval.

In Conclusion:

There are various other tactics to diversify your traffic acquisition channels. By employing multiple strategies, you can expand your e-commerce traffic and maintain visibility even if Google's algorithms fluctuate.

One of the advantages of the digital realm is the ability to track the outcomes of your actions. Through tools like Google Analytics, measure the effects of your initiatives and calculate the return on advertising spend (ROAS) or return on investment (ROI) for each campaign. This helps identify the most effective strategies, channels, or platforms.

A website that derives 50% of its traffic from sources other than organic search is more resilient over time.