Easy steps: how to optimize your e-commerce store for lead generation?

SEO in e-commerce as an internet marketing strategy

The future of e-commerce depends on search engine optimization. If your website isn’t optimized, chances are it will fall behind your competitors. To be competitive in any industry, you must embrace SEO as an important piece of your marketing strategy. The best e-commerce sites use SEO to generate leads and increase sales across all channels.

Top tips

Have clear goal-oriented calls to action

Calls to action are an important part of any business. They’re what you use to encourage users to engage with your product or service. With a clear CTA, you can also easily track down which campaigns and ads are producing results in terms of return on investment (ROI). CTA placement is particularly important on landing pages, where visitors need to be immediately motivated to act. For businesses that sell products online, product positioning is key.

Are you positioning your online store to generate leads? If not, then consider tweaking some elements of your site. For example, if you have a clear goal-oriented call to action in a prominent position on each of your product pages, it’s likely that people will be more inclined to convert—and companies are increasingly using ecommerce as an effective lead generation channel.

Define your audience

To attract visitors who are likely to convert into leads, be clear about who your target audience is and what kind of company you want to be. Once you’ve figured out what works for your business, it’s easier to position yourself in search engines like Google by using keywords that describe your business. If you own an online store, keyword research is especially important because these are how potential customers find and discover you in search results.

Offer free shipping or at least free returns

Offering free shipping, or at least offering free returns, can help your online store convert more shoppers into buyers. These are great marketing tools that also help keep shoppers happy. And as you attract new customers and establish a reputation as a place where they can shop with confidence, you’ll have an easier time generating leads from other channels—including SEO and email. Even if you don’t offer free shipping now, it’s something to consider adding in the future.

Use rich descriptions that engage your customers

No matter how much work you put into improving your seo, if your product descriptions are incomplete or boring, they won’t do you any good. Every online store should take a moment and really describe their products. What makes them unique? Why is it better than competitors? How can users benefit from using it? By crafting rich content around your products and service offerings, you can generate more leads while also strengthening relationships with current customers.

Make sure you have great photos

A picture is worth a thousand words, and great photos attract more visitors. Invest in your product shots by hiring a professional photographer or taking them yourself. High-quality images will set you apart from competitors who are still using stock photos and give potential customers an accurate idea of what they’re buying. In fact, studies show that consumers are 55% more likely to purchase from brands that use clear, high-quality pictures on their website.

Get testimonials from your customers

Customer testimonials are a great way to build trust with potential customers who want reassurance that your product or service is worth it. Create a private page on your website and encourage customers who purchase from you to write reviews. Make sure they know you’ll share these comments on your homepage, as well as other channels like social media. This way, new visitors will get an idea of what it’s like working with you or using your product or service before they make their own purchases.

Give them a reason to subscribe to your newsletter

Email marketing is a great way to get new customers. It gives you an opportunity to build a one-on-one relationship with your prospects, and once they’re hooked, they’ll be more likely to purchase from you again in the future. Of course, having people sign up through your website or social media is easy—you can even buy email lists!

To sum up

If you’re looking to grow your e-commerce store, it’s important that you have an effective lead generation strategy in place. A well-positioned store will make a big difference in how much traffic you get and, thus, your overall business growth. Don’t let your next attempt at optimization go by without incorporating these elements into your design plan—you may not only see a spike in customer interest but also an increase in site activity and conversions.