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If you’re looking to grow your eCommerce business, providing a smooth and memorable shopping experience is key.

But this is easier said than done. Especially since consumers are flooded with options. Plus, it can be difficult to transition from an online marketplace to other arenas of business, such as an online store, without thinking one step ahead.

That’s why it’s vital to use the most up-to-date eCommerce growth strategies.

We’ll walk you through effective growth strategies you can employ throughout your eCommerce journey.

But first, let us go over what an eCommerce growth strategy is.

What is an eCommerce growth strategy?

An eCommerce growth strategy allows a business to set in motion the various tactics it will use to attract new customers and increase sales. Put differently, it outlines the specific steps online retailers can take to achieve sustainable growth and enhance the overall customer experience.

Understanding where your business currently stands is a crucial step in developing an eCommerce growth strategy. Look at key eCommerce metrics, including conversion rate, customer lifetime value (CLV) and average order value, so you can double down on where you fall short.

From here, it will be easier to identify opportunities for growth and set realistic goals or internal benchmarks.

At the end of the day, it’s all about the consumer, so be sure to have a firm grasp of your target audience for your growth strategy to work. For example, if your customers are the traditional type, adding augmented reality (AR) might not be well received.

Why is having an eCommerce growth strategy important?

An eCommerce growth strategy is beneficial for a variety of reasons. For example, it lets you:

  • Meet high customer expectations: If you can’t meet rising customer expectations, you’ll lose out on sales. For example, two-thirds of consumers say sustainability is one of the top factors they consider when making a purchase. If your strategy doesn’t include sustainable practices, it could spell trouble. Customers also expect to receive a prompt response whenever they need help. You can meet this expectation by adding chatbots to your website or hiring full-time customer support reps.
  • Gain a competitive advantage: Ecommerce growth strategies can help differentiate your online business from the competition and put you ahead of the game. After all, you might be using tactics that your competitors aren’t aware of, meaning you can outperform them.
  • Keep up with evolving eCommerce trends: The eCommerce landscape is ever-changing, so you’ll need to keep up with the latest trends to deliver a stellar shopping experience to consumers. Some of these trends include a social commerce strategy and artificial intelligence (AI).

It’s also important to note that outdated eCommerce tactics won’t get you far. This includes selling on a single channel and not finding innovative new ways to sell your product(s).

Top eCommerce growth strategies

There are various strategies you can use to grow your eCommerce site and achieve your goals.

Improve website performance

Good website performance is the cornerstone of a business’s success. If it’s subpar, your customers will have no reason to choose you over a competitor or make a purchase.

Aim for a page loading speed of no more than three seconds. In fact, the top 10 eCommerce websites in the U.S. took 1.96 seconds on average to load.

When attempting to speed up your website, consider the following:

  • Reduce image sizes:The larger the image files, the longer it will take for your website to load. Use an online tool to compress images without sacrificing the quality. Examples include Adobe Photoshop Express and Compressor.io.
  • Optimize the code:Minify your site’s CSS, HTML and JavaScript byremoving unnecessary spaces, commas, comments and other elements to improve page loading speed. Tools you can employ for this task include UglifyJS and CSS Minifier.
  • Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN serves up content closest to where a user is located. Some Bluehost hosting plans come with a Cloudflare CDN.
  • Choose the right web host: The right hosting platform will include features to optimize for speed and performance.

You can also use PageSpeed Insights for recommendations on how to cut your load time.

Double down on customer retention

Retaining existing customers is cheaper than attracting new prospects. That’s because to attract new customers, you have to meet them at each stage of the marketing funnel with tactics like search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing.

When customers keep returning, you can reduce your marketing spend devoted toward attracting prospects. This helps lower your customer acquisition costs (CAC).

And when you have repeat purchases coming in, your CLV goes up.

That said, developing long-term customer relationships requires some effort.

One way to do this is to introduce a customer loyalty or rewards program. For example, customers can redeem points to get discounts or special incentives. Or you can give them early access to new products.

Whatever you decide, the goal is to keep them coming back for more. For example, Lucy and Co. has a loyalty program where customers earn five points for every dollar they spend. These points earn them discounts on future purchases.

Develop a loyalty program to retain existing customers and attract new customers.

Another way to encourage repeat purchases is through email marketing. Post-purchase emails work well‌. For example, you can send out emails asking first-time buyers for a review. This shows them their opinion matters and makes them more likely to buy from you again.

Sell your products using social commerce

There’s no better time than now to tap into the power of social commerce to drive online sales and scale your eCommerce brand. According to Accenture, the industry should reach $1.2 trillion by 2025.

So, how does it work?

Social commerce allows consumers to explore and purchase products without exiting a social media app. This results in a frictionless shopping experience that could boost your sales.

In fact, a study by Bazaarvoice found that 54% of shoppers are more likely to buy a product on social media platforms if they could get info about it right there and then.

Facebook is the leading social commerce platform among internet users.

Facebook, Instagram and TikTok offer native shopping tools, with Facebook taking the lead.

How you sell products depends on the social channel of your choice.

Instagram includes features like ads and product tags. With ads, users can tap through to a product description page. Product tags allow you to tag products within your posts and stories.

With Facebook, you can create a Facebook shop and upload your product catalog. In addition, you can speak directly to online shoppers using Facebook Messenger.

In TikTok, shoppers can buy products from your live or in-feed videos. You also can add your product catalog to the app.

Deploy augmented reality

If you’re a fan of video games like Pokemon Go, you might be familiar with AR.

With AR, a user can view digital images in real life via their device’s camera or smartphone. It allows consumers to view products in their own environment and in real time. And unlike virtual reality, they’re fully aware of their surroundings.

For example, if you sell clothing, customers can virtually try them on before they make a purchase. As a result, they may be less likely to return items, which could lead to repeat purchases. Not to mention glowing reviews from satisfied buyers.

AR can also pair well with social media. For example, in 2020, Gucci partnered with Snapchat to sell sneakers. Using AR try-on lenses, Snapchat users could see how Gucci sneakers looked on their feet.

Since there are different types of AR (e.g., marker- and projection-based), do your due diligence before using it in your store. Users trying on clothes virtually before they buy is an example of marker-based AR.

Projection-based AR allows shoppers to visualize how products will look in their homes before buying. Basically, it lets you project 3-D images into the user’s space.

Take Wayfair, for example. Its View in Room app feature allows consumers to see how furniture and decor options look in their homes.

Leverage a multichannel sales strategy

You might be missing out on massive selling opportunities if you’re using a single channel. In fact, retailers who don’t take advantage of multiple channels miss out on up to 30% of sales.

Channels you can look into include an eCommerce store, online marketplaces, SMS, mobile apps, social media and physical stores. For instance, physical stores allow you to sell to local consumers who prefer the in-store experience.

Multichannel selling is a top eCommerce growth strategy and allows you to sell to consumers wherever they are.

A lot goes into setting up a multichannel strategy. First, you’ll need to establish strong branding so that you can provide users with the same shopping experience regardless of the channel they use.

Next, choose the channels you’ll use, as multichannel selling is resource intensive. Marketplaces like Amazon include analytics, so you can use this data to narrow down your list to the most profitable options.

You’ll also need a way to manage your sales in one place. For example, Bluehost offers multichannel inventory management on some WooCommerce plans. That makes it simple to track and fulfill orders across different channels.

Use chatbots

Chatbots enable eCommerce brands to provide ongoing customer support.

Online shoppers can be impatient. So if you or your team aren’t on hand to answer a customer’s questions, you’re at risk of losing that sale.

Chatbots can help you avoid this issue by responding to user queries. For instance, a Userlike survey found that 68% of consumers like the speed at which a chatbot answered their questions. In addition, Gartner predicts that by 2027, about a quarter of organizations will use chatbots as their primary customer service channel.  

And apart from providing timely customer support, chatbots are useful in a number of ways: they can collect customer data, provide personalized recommendations and track orders. Plus, implementing chatbots is cost-effective since you won’t have to increase headcount as your business grows.

Now, chatbots are typically rule-based or AI-based. Rule-based chatbots work with a preset of rules (and are cheaper to implement).

In contrast, AI-based chatbots can understand customer queries using machine learning and natural language processing. They provide a more personalized experience.

The use of chatbots can go beyond your eCommerce website. You can integrate them into your social accounts to boost your social commerce efforts.

Examples of popular chatbot solutions include Chatfuel and Tidio.

Optimize your online store for mobile

An eCommerce growth strategy is incomplete without mobile optimization. Picture this: Each day, Americans spend four hours and 25 minutes on their mobile devices.

And mobile devices account for over 55% of website traffic on a global scale. Plus, a mobile-friendly website appeals to Google, which is great for increased search visibility.

Looking at these numbers, it’s clear that a mobile-optimized website is good for both humans and search bots.

So, to provide online users with a smooth mobile shopping experience, you can:

  • Use a responsive design: A responsive design adapts to any screen size, so users can browse your website effortlessly. This can help with mobile eCommerce sales. A responsive design also comes with cost savings, as you won’t have to create a separate version of your website to cater to mobile users.
  • Keep your checkout process short as possible: You can provide express checkout options like Apple Pay and Google Pay. Both options store credit card details, meaning users can check out instantly.
  • Make your website navigable: Make it easier for online shoppers to find what they’re looking for quickly. For example, ensure a high contrast between the text and background and that the buttons and links are big enough to tap on.

Personalize the customer journey

Wouldn’t it be easier to secure sales (and promote brand loyalty) if you’re able to satisfy the individual needs of each online user?

It’s difficult to attain eCommerce growth without personalization.

When consumers are presented with irrelevant products while browsing your website, they’ll simply move on.

Implementing AI technology is one way to fuel personalization efforts and ensure users encounter a more enjoyable online shopping experience.

AI collects and analyzes copious amounts of data to understand consumer behavior and preferences. It can be applied across every step of the buyer’s journey to enhance engagement and maximize sales.

For example, when a consumer returns to your website, you can display product recommendations based on their browsing history or remind them about items they left in their cart. And when they proceed to the checkout, you can include relevant cross-sell or upsell products that may pique their interest.

AI isn’t only handy for personalization. You also can use the data it gathers to create ads and marketing campaigns that speak to a target audience’s interests and provide dynamic pricing.

Take advantage of remarketing campaigns

When users visit your eCommerce site, browse through your product catalog and leave without buying anything, should that be the end? If your answer is no, there’s something you can do about it.

In remarketing, you display previously viewed products to encourage sales. You can remarket to consumers by way of Google ads, email campaigns and social media ads.

Take Debenhams, for example. In a remarketing email, the brand reminds customers of items they viewed but didn’t add to their cart.

Remarketing campaigns enhance sales and attract potential customers.

Provide multiple payment methods

An eCommerce growth strategy can also include offering consumers multiple payment methods.

If you only offer one payment option, cart abandonment might increase, and you’ll lose out on potential sales. For one, users typically have their preferred payment methods which can incentivize them to buy a product. And if you don’t vary your payment options, competitors may.

Also, relying on one payment provider is like putting all your eggs in one basket. If it experiences an outage, you’d be unable to process payments.

The payment options you could offer include digital wallets like Google Pay, region-specific options like Bancontact and BNPL (buy now, pay later). In fact, 51% of U.S. customers say they’d be more likely to complete a purchase if BNPL was available.

Plus, including mobile-only payment providers like Cash App and Venmo can attract mobile users to your online store.

Providing multiple payment options is a win-win for you and your customers. You’ll increase sales and customer satisfaction, and customers will appreciate being able to use their favorite payment option to check out.

Final thoughts: Ecommerce growth strategies — a blueprint for success in 2024

Any of the above eCommerce growth strategies can help you grow your business in 2024 and prove the value you offer to consumers.

That said, think carefully about what strategies will best serve your business and customers. For instance, if your audience is receptive to email, you could jumpstart your growth with email remarketing campaigns.

To ensure the success of your growth plan, you’ll also need to choose the right eCommerce platform.

At Bluehost, we provide WooCommerce hosting that’s designed for growth and optimized for performance. You’ll get website analytics, advanced security and round-the-clock support.

Want to know more?

Get in touch today and learn how Bluehost can help you propel your business forward.

  • Minal is the Director of Brand Marketing at Bluehost. With over 15 years of business experience in the technology industry, she strives to create solutions and content that fulfill a customer's needs. She is a dog mom and a stickler for calendaring.

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