In the ever-evolving landscape of e-commerce, the ability to acquire and retain customers is paramount for sustained success. As the digital marketplace expands, so do the opportunities and challenges in reaching and engaging a target audience. Whether you’re launching a new online store or looking to revitalize your existing e-commerce business, mastering effective customer acquisition strategies is the key to thriving in the competition.
From harnessing the power of influencer marketing to leveraging the potential of email lists, each strategy is a carefully curated gem aimed at providing actionable insights and tangible steps for your e-commerce success. Join us as we navigate the nuances of building a robust social media presence, optimizing content for search engines, and implementing referral programs that transform satisfied customers into brand advocates.
In this blog, we will delve into the dynamic world of e-commerce and unveil the five best customer acquisition strategies that can transform your online business.
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Build an Email List and Send Promotional Emails – Customer Acquisition Strategies
When a visitor arrives at your landing page, they already moved past the awareness stage. But now, they just know you. They had not trusted you yet. In most cases, people will need at least 7 attempts before they buy something.
Hence, at this point, the best thing you can do is to collect their contact details. It can be either their email or phone number. Since you are not asking them to buy something, it will be easier for you to get their contact details. This information is important for you to follow up, build a relationship with them and nurture them.
In this stage, you can either include a pop-up or a sign-up form on your landing page that will prompt them to ask for their contact details. However, due to privacy and ongoing scams, people are reluctant to provide their contact information just like that. This is why, you need to bribe them to give it to you.
Lead Generation Funnel
This is why we will provide something called a lead magnet. A lead magnet is used to get them to give out their contact details in exchange for something for free. For instance, you can offer an incentive like a free cheatsheet, ebook, Guide, Report, Webinar, or courses to get them to provide you with their contact details.
And after they sign up, you will then direct them to a thank you page. On the thank you page, you will explain how they can claim the free lead magnets and what to expect to receive in your newsletter. You can even tell them what to look for in their email inbox for your Sender name or Subject line so they won’t miss your emails.
By doing this, you will collect a pool of potential customers that you can nurture to buy from you in the long run. Your email list is something that you can access to it anytime without having to pay for any traffic costs. When you have a new offer, you can just send them promotional emails or messages.
It is free to send emails out. Not only that, these are the group of people that you have filtered out to know about you. Hence, the conversion rate will be higher if you build a good relationship with them.
How to Build the Lead Generation Funnel
While it sounds simple to build the lead generation funnel it is very easy. Don’t be overwhelmed with the technical skills required for this. You can start and build everything yourself even if you have not done it before.
There are plenty of tools out there that can do the work. But today, we will be focusing on one of the best tools out there called ClickFunnels. You might hear others claiming that ClickFunnels is expensive and there are some cheaper options out there.
If you look at the monthly subscription price, the value it provides is much more than the price. By having ClickFunnels, you will have your landing page and sales funnel builder, email marketing tool, Ecommerce store, membership site, CRM and analytics.
First, sign up for a 14-day ClickFunnels free trial account and then choose the funnel you want to create.
Then, add and remove the pages based on your lead funnel needs. Typically, you only need two pages. Landing page and thank you page.
Next, customize the page to your content and branding. Add related elements to the page.
And finally, set up your emails with the drag-and-drop email editor…
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Email Automation
After building your lead funnel, now it’s time to create your email automation.
There are two typical email sequences you need to create.
- Welcome email sequence. This is a 5-day email series that is sent out once someone subscribes to your email list. In these 5 days, you are going to introduce who you are, what you do and how you overcame the same challenges they have before getting the solution that you are offering now.
- Product launch email sequence. This is the email series that you send out 1-2 weeks prior to the
Build your email list. Send those people emails consistently. This is by far one of the best ways to grow your e-commerce business and acquire new customers.
Run Referral Programs – Customer Acquisition Strategies
One highly effective strategy that has proven to be a game-changer is implementing referral programs. These programs not only tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing but also foster a sense of community around your brand.
The foundation of any successful referral program lies in creating an incentive structure that motivates your existing customers to become brand advocates. You can consider offering both the referrer and the new customer a reward. It can be discounts, exclusive access to products, or even cashback. The more compelling the incentive, the more likely your customers will actively participate and share their positive experiences with friends and family.
Then, in order to encourage participation, you can make the referral process as seamless as possible. You can implement user-friendly interfaces and intuitive workflows that guide customers through the referral journey effortlessly. Whether it’s through personalized referral links, email invitations, or social media sharing, you must ensure that the process is straightforward and easily accessible across various devices. This can remove the entry barriers and increase the likelihood of customers actively engaging with your referral program.
Besides, you can utilize social proof to showcase the positive experiences of customers who have participated in your referral program. You can do this by featuring testimonials, reviews, or user-generated content that highlights the benefits of both referring and being referred. Showing users’ feedback is the best way to build trust to enhance the credibility of your referral program and create a sense of authenticity that resonates with your potential customers.
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Influencer Marketing – Customer Acquisition Strategies
Leveraging influencer marketing has become a powerful strategy for e-commerce businesses aiming to broaden their customer base. Influencers possess the ability to authentically connect with their followers. When strategically partnered with them, they can significantly impact brand visibility and customer acquisition.
The key to a successful influencer marketing campaign lies in the authenticity and relevance of your chosen influencers. You need to identify influencers whose content aligns with your brand and resonates with your target audience. To do this, you can consider factors such as engagement rates, follower demographics, and the influencer’s overall online presence.
Macro-influencers with a large following or micro-influencers with a more niche audience can both be valuable, depending on your specific goals and budget. When approaching influencers for partnerships, you can make it a collaboration rather than a transaction. By building genuine relationships with influencers, you can foster authenticity in their promotion of your products or services.
Collaborations with Influencers
Besides, you can engage with influencers by commenting on their content, sharing their posts, and reaching out personally. This will provide them with a clear understanding of your brand story and values to ensure that their promotion feels natural and aligns with their personal brand.
By working closely with influencers, you can co-create content that seamlessly integrates your products or services into their narrative. As authenticity is paramount, you can encourage influencers to share personal stories or experiences related to your brand.
This not only resonates with their audience but also enhances the credibility of your e-commerce business. Visual content such as high-quality images, unboxing videos, or tutorials can be particularly effective in showcasing your products in an engaging manner.
However, influencer marketing isn’t just about showcasing your products. Instead, it’s a way to tap into a group of audiences that are interested in your niche.
To do this, you need to create a landing page to attract inbound interest from influencer marketing. You don’t send the traffic from influencer marketing directly to your sales page. Instead, send them to a landing page to collect their contact details before presenting them with the actual offer.
This extra step will get them to be in your contact list instead of the traffic that the influencers control.
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4. Grow a Social Media Presence – Customer Acquisition Strategies
In the digital era, a robust social media presence is indispensable for e-commerce businesses looking to acquire and engage customers effectively. Social media platforms provide a dynamic space to showcase products, connect with audiences, and drive traffic to your online store.
Understanding your target audience is fundamental to selecting the most effective social media platforms. You need to understand different platforms cater to diverse demographics and interests. For instance, Instagram and Pinterest are visual-centric platforms ideal for fashion and lifestyle brands. And, LinkedIn may be more suitable for B2B e-commerce.
Different Social Media Platform
| Social Media Platform | Primary Audience | Content Type | Engagement Features | Advertising Options | Best for |
| Diverse demographic | Various content types (text, images, videos) | Likes, comments, shares, reactions | Robust ad platform with detailed targeting | Business branding, community building | |
| Predominantly younger demographic, visually oriented | Images, videos, stories, reels | Likes, comments, direct messages | Sponsored posts, Instagram Shopping | Visual branding, e-commerce | |
| Broad demographic, particularly news enthusiasts | Text, images, short videos | Likes, retweets, replies | Promoted tweets, trends, and accounts | Real-time updates, customer engagement | |
| Professionals, B2B audience | Professional content, articles | Likes, comments, shares | Sponsored content, InMail | B2B marketing, professional networking | |
| Predominantly female demographic, visually oriented | Images, infographics | Pins, boards, comments | Promoted pins | Visual inspiration, e-commerce | |
| Snapchat | Younger demographic, Gen Z | Images, short videos, augmented reality lenses | Snaps, stories, streaks | Snap Ads, sponsored lenses | Focused on real-time and visual content |
| TikTok | Younger demographic, Gen Z | Short-form videos, challenges | Likes, comments, shares, duets | In-feed ads, branded challenges | Viral content, brand challenges |
Focus your efforts on platforms where your target audience is most active. This can ensure that your content reaches those who are likely to be interested in your products.
Consistency is the Key
When building your social media, consistency is key. You need to establish a content calendar to maintain a regular posting schedule, keeping your audience engaged and informed. Besides, you need to craft content that aligns with your brand identity and resonates with your target audience.
You can utilize a mix of visuals, such as high-quality images, videos, and infographics, to diversify your content and capture the attention of different users. Also, you can encourage interaction through polls, contests, and questions, fostering a sense of community around your brand.
In addition, paid social media advertising is a strategic avenue for expanding your reach and acquiring new customers. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter offer robust advertising tools that allow you to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviours.
By crafting compelling ad copy and visuals that highlight the value of your products, you can entice users to click through to your landing page.
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Create & Optimize Content for Search Engines – Customer Acquisition Strategies
In the dynamic world of e-commerce, the adage “content is king” holds more truth than ever. Creating relevant and high-quality content not only engages your audience but also plays a pivotal role in optimizing your website for search engines.
The foundation of creating relevant content begins with a deep understanding of your target audience and niche. You need to conduct thorough market research to identify your audience’s pain points, preferences, and search behaviours.
Then, tailor your content to address these specific needs, positioning your e-commerce brand as a solution to their problems. By aligning your content with your audience’s interests, you not only captivate their attention but also lay the groundwork for effective search engine optimization (SEO).
Keyword Research For SEO
To optimize your content for search engines, you need to integrate SEO best practices seamlessly into your writing. First, conduct keyword research to identify relevant terms and phrases that your audience is likely to search for. Then, incorporate these keywords naturally into your content, including titles, headings, and throughout the body.
However, you need to also prioritize user experience over keyword density. You should ensure that your content reads naturally and provides genuine value. Additionally, optimize meta tags, image alt text, and other on-page elements to enhance your website’s search engine visibility.
Valuable content not only attracts visitors but also encourages social sharing and backlinking. These are the two crucial factors that contribute to improved search engine rankings. You need to craft content that educates, entertains, or solves problems for your audience.
Whether it’s in-depth guides, product tutorials, or compelling stories, the goal is to establish your e-commerce brand as an authoritative and share-worthy source within your industry. You can even encourage social sharing by incorporating easily accessible share buttons and calls to action within your content.
Fresh and Up-to-date Content
One of the keys for search engines is fresh and up-to-date content. You need to revisit and update your existing content regularly to reflect any changes in your industry, products, or customer needs. This not only signals to search engines that your website is active and relevant. Instead, it also provides an opportunity to improve and optimize content based on user feedback and evolving trends. Additionally, consider creating a content calendar to schedule new, timely content that aligns with seasonal trends, product launches, or industry updates.
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Final Thoughts – 5 Best Ecommerce Customer Acquisition Strategies
From the influential embrace of influencer marketing to the precision of targeted email lists, these strategies are not mere tools; they are transformative forces. They enable you to not only reach your audience but to resonate with them authentically. Building a robust social media presence, optimizing content for search engines, and implementing referral programs are not isolated efforts but interconnected elements that, when woven together, create a tapestry of customer acquisition excellence.
In the fast-paced world of e-commerce, where trends evolve and algorithms change, the strategies highlighted here stand the test of time. They are adaptable, dynamic, and rooted in the fundamental principle of understanding and connecting with your audience. As you embark on your e-commerce journey armed with these strategies, remember that success is not just about the products you sell; it’s about the relationships you build.