Growing an eCommerce Shoe Business

If you’re an eCommerce shoe business owner, now is the time to think about growing your business. In 2014, eCommerce was responsible for $1.3 trillion in U.S. sales alone, and due to last year’s circumstances, that number is expected to nearly quadruple ($4.5 trillion) by the end of 2021. Some of the most bought items include clothing. The leads are there – you just need to know how to convert them into paying customers.

To this end, here are some things you can do to grow your online shoe store and increase your revenue.

Create a Blog

If you want more people to buy your products, you first have to get them on your website. That’s why it’s good practice to have a blog. Creating a blog not only adds great content to your website, but it will also allow you to rank on search engines, which can bring in more visitors. Use keywords like “best shoes this season,” “shoe business near me” or whatever is relevant at the time you’re posting your content. You can conduct keyword research using SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Ubersuggest. They can let you know which strings of words have the most volume at the moment.

Do Something Neat on Special Days

People are always looking for freebies, discounts and other deals before they make a purchase. And what better time to send your customers these than on special days? For example, you can send them a coupon that they can only use in their birthday month. If it’s near a major occasion like a sports event or the holidays, then you can offer deals on those days as well. Remind them via email, which marketing automation tools like Klaviyo, Omnisend and Mailchimp can do. These platforms will even allow you to send personalized messages, so the content varies by occasion.

Optimize Your Site for Mobile

More than half of online users browse the web from a mobile device. Therefore, most of your leads will likely visit your website from a mobile device, making it crucial that it’s optimized for different platforms. Have you ever heard of “responsive design?” It’s where the website’s layout adjusts depending on the device it’s viewed on. This allows your page to look great whether it’s opened from a smartphone or tablet. Don’t worry; most website builders like Wix and Squarespace have this feature.

Plus, make sure that your fonts are big and the layout is simple. Don’t put too many plugins as well, since several mobile devices don’t support them.

Go for a Retargeting Campaign

It can be very frustrating to have potential customers visit your eCommerce business website only to leave it without buying anything. However, this is a natural part of the purchasing journey. In fact, 96 percent of customers who initially visit a website aren’t ready to buy from it. They’re there to scope your products, read reviews and maybe place some things in their cart to think about at a later date. This is why you need a retargeting campaign.

By placing a tracking cookie on your website, you can automatically send ads to that user when they visit another website or social media platform.

Tap Into Influencers

More than any platform, it’s social media that gets the most visitors. As such, one marketing tactic anyone starting a shoe business – or growing it – should look into is influencer marketing. After all, this strategy has an average return on investment (ROI) of $18 for every $1 spent, so it’s one of the best uses of your marketing budget. Influencers help get your products in front of more people who already trust their opinion, increasing the chances of them purchasing the advertised item.

Remember to look into fashion influencers that match your product’s branding, like Christine Kong for travel looks or Steven Onoja for effortless style.

Affiliate marketing is the process of earning a commission by making a successful sale. Amazon does this with its products. You might have seen a shoe review or two that have links that directly led to that item’s product page. The poster of that content earns a commission whenever somebody buys the product through their links. You can do something similar.

Reach out to fashion blogs, popular social media pages or even interested partners to market some of your products. The best thing about affiliate marketing is its 100 percent success rate since you don’t pay money unless a sale is made.

Highlight Your Reviews

The best ambassadors are the ones who have already bought your shoes and loved them. Indeed, around 36 percent of Millennials go out of their way to compare and read online reviews before they purchase a product. The Gen Z demographic shows similar behavior. When you’re thinking of what content to post on social media or your homepage, reviews are always a good place to start. In fact, make sure that reviews are easy to find on your product page to encourage more people to buy your products.

Of course, this means that your items and customer service have to be the best that they can be – but that’s a standard for any reputable online store.

Ship Globally

The internet has opened your shoe business to a global audience. In fact, about 2.2 billion people shopped online globally last year, a number that will only increase, so take advantage of this. Your first step should be to look at your website’s statistics to see what country your visitors are from. If you see a surge in a certain location, that’s your cue to expand. Shipping companies like USPS, UPS and DHL Express offer discounted prices for eCommerce businesses.

Just remember that different countries have specific rules and regulations, so look them up while planning your logistics.

Growing your eCommerce shoe business won’t be easy, but if you plan your next steps, their implementation will be smoother. Besides, you don’t have to do all the above now. Start with the methods that you think will bring you a better ROI.