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Increasing sales on an online store requires a strategic approach and knowledge of modern SEO tools. In our article, we present 26 proven methods that can help your site attract more customers and improve sales performance. From optimizing your store structure to improving internal linking to using video, these techniques open the door to better SEO and increased online visibility. Keep reading to learn more about these key strategies.
26 ways to boost your online store sales
Want to increase sales of your products online? We have prepared 26 aspects you need to implement at your site, such as an SEO audit, the UX of your homepage and other subpages, or connecting your site to social media. Learn effective ways to increase sales in your online store!
1. Check your store structure
Checking your store’s structure is the first step in increasing its online sales. Proper site organization, easy navigation, and intuitive layout of elements are crucial for users, which translates into their purchasing decisions. Ensuring that your store’s structure is SEO-optimized and user-friendly is the foundation on which to build further marketing and sales strategies.
2. Improve internal linking between sub-pages of your store
Improving internal linking between your store’s subpages is crucial for SEO, as it makes it easier for search engines to index your site and improves navigation for users, which can increase time spent on your site and improve conversion rates. This strategy involves creating logical paths between product pages, categories and supporting content, making it easier for viewers to find the information and products they are looking for.
To improve internal linking, first conduct a site audit using SEO tools such as Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to identify current links and potential errors. Then, create a site map that shows how the pages are linked together. Focus on placing links to related products, blog articles, or categories in places that are natural to the user. Make sure anchor texts are relevant and descriptive. Update and monitor these links regularly to ensure they are up-to-date and effective.
3. Remember to document your site
Page documentation in, for example, Excel allows you to effectively manage your products, especially in the context of those that have been discontinued. It facilitates quick updating of information on the site, ensuring that customers always have access to up-to-date data. In such a file, break down the site structure, categories, products and their key phrases, linking or content plan. This translates into a better user experience and can increase sales, as potential customers can more easily find available products and get to the buying stage on your store.
4. Check your competitors’ keyword phrases and choose the right ones for your products
To check your competitors’ keyword phrases and select the right ones for your products, use tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz. Analyze what keywords your competitors’ sites rank for, and then identify the ones that are most relevant to your products. Focus on phrases with high search volume and low competition. Incorporate these phrases into your site content, including product descriptions, titles and meta descriptions, to improve visibility and increase traffic.
5. Ensure meta tag optimization in search results
Optimizing meta tags, such as page title and meta description, is crucial for the SEO of an online store. Well-constructed meta tags can significantly boost e-commerce sales, as they improve a site’s search engine visibility. Include keyword phrases that you want to rank for, but do so in a natural and thoughtful way to encourage potential customers to click. Remember to make your meta tags attractive and concise, capturing the essence of the products or services you offer.
6. Check URLs
Design the URLs on your store to be intuitive and reflect the content of the page, making it easier for both search engines and users to understand what they will find when they navigate through. Short, descriptive and keyword-laden addresses, such as /category name/product name, can significantly improve SEO and site usability. For example, for a shoe store, the URL to the product page could look like this: www.twojsklep.pl/buty/meskie-sneakersy-biale
7. Get your online store found by Google’s search engine for graphics
One effective way to increase your online store’s visibility in Google’s search engine, especially in its graphics section, is to optimize the ALT tags of your images. Including key phrases that relate to specific pages and the products you offer greatly increases the chances that potential customers will come across your products when browsing graphics on Google. Such optimization is a simple yet effective step towards better SEO and increased traffic to your store.
8. Do an SEO audit
An SEO audit is a crucial step for e-commerce owners who want to increase traffic to their stores and improve sales performance. It’s an analytical process to assess how well your site is aligned with search engine guidelines, allowing you to identify areas for optimization and improvement. Here’s how to conduct an SEO audit, step by step.
1. Keyword analysis
At the beginning of the audit, it is worth focusing on keyword analysis. Understanding what phrases are most often used by potential customers when they search for the products you offer is the foundation for optimizing your store. This allows you to tailor your site’s content and increase its visibility in search results.
2. Technical review of the site
The next step is to thoroughly check the technical aspects of the site. In this regard, elements such as how fast the page loads, how well it works on mobile devices and how well it is indexed by search engines are important. Technical problems can adversely affect your store’s ranking in search engines, so identifying and fixing them is essential.
3. Content optimization
Content analysis is the next key step. This is where you check that the content on your site is unique, appropriately saturated with keywords and tailored to your audience’s interests. Content that is interesting to users not only attracts more visits but also encourages purchases.
4. Link building
An important part of the audit is also to assess your external and internal link profile. Good linking, both to and from your site, can significantly improve its position in search results, which directly translates into increased traffic.
5. Competitor analysis
Analyzing how your competitors are performing should not be overlooked. Understanding which SEO strategies are effective in your industry can provide valuable insights to optimize your own e-commerce site.
Although the above steps are doable on your own, having SEO knowledge and skills is key to conducting an effective audit. Here comes the recommendation to use the services of a professional SEO agency. Agencies not only have the right knowledge and tools but also the experience to provide deeper analysis and more effective optimization. By outsourcing an SEO audit to a specialist, you are assured that no important aspect will be overlooked, and all recommendations will be tailored to the specifics of your e-store. It’s an investment that brings long-term benefits, increasing your store’s online visibility, website traffic and, consequently, sales.
9. Bet on content marketing – company blog
In your store’s sales amplification strategy, content marketing through a company blog is invaluable. Maintaining a blog is an effective way to engage your customers, which translates into increased traffic to your store. By publishing valuable content that answers potential buyers’ needs and questions, you build trust and position yourself as an expert in your industry. Regularly adding unique, keyword-rich articles also supports SEO, improving your store’s visibility in search results. As a result, a company blog becomes a powerful tool that not only attracts new visitors but also translates into real sales growth, creating a loyal customer base.
10 Add various payment methods
Adding different payment methods to your e-commerce site can increase sales. By allowing customers to choose their preferred payment method, such as credit cards, PayPal, bank transfers, or mobile payments, you not only improve their shopping experience but also build trust in your brand.
11. Include structured data
Adding structured data to your online store improves search engines’ understanding of your content, resulting in better display in search results. This precise information helps present rich search results, which can increase click-through rates and visibility of your site. This makes it easier for potential customers to find your products, which can lead to increased site traffic and improved sales rates.
To add structured data, use tools such as Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper. Select the type of data you want to describe (e.g., product, reviews), and then tag the elements on your page, assigning them the appropriate properties from the available schemas. Once completed, the tool will generate JSON-LD code to be placed in the <head> section on the relevant pages of your store.
12 Add promotions sub-page
Adding a promotions sub-page is an effective way to increase sales in your store. By presenting attractive offers, sales and exclusive discounts on a dedicated page, you will attract customers’ attention and encourage them to make a purchase. Promotions not only generate an immediate increase in sales but also build long-term relationships with customers, encouraging them to visit your site more often in search of new bargains.
13. Catch the customer with an interesting product description
Creating an interesting product description can significantly increase sales in your store. Good descriptions not only communicate a product’s features and benefits but also tell a story that resonates with customers’ emotions and needs. Use storytelling to show how your product fits in and solves your audience’s problems, making it indispensable.
14. Check what Core Web Vitals your store page has
Checking and improving the Core Web Vitals of your online store is a key step in optimizing the user experience and SEO of your site. Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics for a site’s loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability that have a direct impact on visitor satisfaction. Long sentences can be an example here: Neglecting these aspects can lead to a lower ranking in Google search results, which in turn can have a negative impact on the amount of traffic to your store, so it’s crucial to regularly monitor these metrics and make the necessary optimizations to ensure users have a smooth and enjoyable navigation experience on your site, which will undoubtedly contribute to increased sales.
15. Good UX will increase sales
Investing in good UX (user experience) is crucial for anyone who wants to increase sales on their online store. Designing with the user in mind not only increases the value of your brand but also directly translates into your store’s ability to attract and retain customers’ attention. A well-designed interface, intuitive navigation and fast and seamless shopping processes are essential elements that help increase conversions
Every element of your online store, from product descriptions to images to how a user completes a transaction, should be optimized to provide the best possible user interaction. Remember that the first impression is extremely important; it can determine whether a new customer decides to buy or leave the site. Therefore, investing in professional UX design services can have a direct impact on your revenue and is an investment that pays for itself quickly by improving the overall customer shopping experience and building a positive image for your brand.
16 Add feedback from satisfied customers
Adding satisfied customer reviews to your online store is an effective strategy that can significantly influence the purchasing decisions of potential buyers. Testimonials from satisfied users act as powerful social proof, building trust in your brand and products. When customers see positive reviews from others, they are more likely to decide to buy, as the reviews lower their sense of risk in choosing an unfamiliar offering.
17. Update the sitemap and robot.txt
Updating your sitemap (sitemap.xml) and robots.txt file are important steps in SEO optimization that can significantly boost your online store’s sales. A correctly updated sitemap makes it easier for search engines to quickly find and index new products and content, resulting in better online visibility and increased traffic. In turn, proper configuration of the robots.txt file allows you to direct search engine robots to the most important sections of your store for sales, ensuring more effective indexing. Thanks to these measures, the store’s website achieves higher positions in search results, which directly leads to an increase in the number of potential customers and increased sales
18. Suggest similar products that may interest the customer
If you want to increase sales in your online store, one effective strategy is to use add-on sales and cross-selling. This involves offering customers products that are complementary or alternative to those they are already browsing or intend to buy. This approach not only increases the value of the average shopping cart, but also improves the customer’s shopping experience by presenting them with products that may meet their previously undefined needs.
Add-on sales techniques encourage the customer to purchase accessories or add-on products that match the main item of interest. For example, when buying a cell phone, you might suggest a protective case, headphones, or an additional warranty. Cross-selling, on the other hand, involves suggesting products from other categories that may appeal to the customer based on his or her browsing or purchasing history.
19 Invest in link building
Investing in link building is a key strategy for anyone who wants to increase sales results for an online store. By effectively acquiring quality backlinks to your site, you can significantly improve search positions, which is essential for potential customers to more easily find their way to your store. High positioning in search results not only increases the visibility of your listing, but also builds trust among users, which has a direct impact on in-store conversions.
Link building involves acquiring links from external, reputable websites that direct users to your store. Such links are interpreted by search engines as signals indicating the value and credibility of your site, which translates into better positions in search results. Effective link-building strategies include creating valuable content that naturally encourages sharing and linking, partnerships with other industry sites, and online PR activities that promote your brand and products.
20. Be sure to make your site mobile-friendly
In Poland, 75% of users use a smartphone to shop online. Consumers expect to be able to shop conveniently and seamlessly, whether they use a computer, tablet or smartphone. This is an opportunity to increase sales.
Adapting your site to mobile devices, also known as responsive web design, ensures that your store will display and function properly on any device – it’s the key to improving user experience, which directly translates into increased conversions and sales. Mobile optimization includes several key activities:
- Load speed: Mobile pages need to load quickly because mobile users are less patient. Optimizing images and minimizing CSS and JavaScript code can significantly improve loading speed.
- Navigation: Menus and buttons should be easy to click on on small screens. Consider using a hamburger menu to save space and maintain readability.
- Customization of content – text and images should be scaled appropriately to ensure readability without zooming.
- Forms – purchase and contact forms should be easy to use on mobile, with a minimum number of fields to fill out.
In addition, Google uses mobile-first indexing, which means that the mobile version of your site is considered first when determining your position in search results. A site that is not adapted for smartphones can drop significantly in the rankings, negatively affecting your online visibility and potential traffic.
21. Support online sales, with Google Ads
Integrating Google Ads and Facebook Ads campaigns with traditional SEO efforts is key to increasing the effectiveness of your online presence and boosting sales results. Google Ads campaigns allow your offer to appear immediately at the top of the search results page, which directly contributes to an increase in in-store visits. This is especially important for new products or promotions, where reaching potential buyers quickly can significantly affect sales results. On the other hand, Facebook Ads offers advanced targeting capabilities, allowing you to reach the exact audience that is most likely to buy the products you offer. As a result, these campaigns become extremely effective in building brand awareness and directly redirecting interested users to your online store. Using both of these advertising tools in combination with SEO optimization creates a powerful marketing strategy that can significantly accelerate the growth of your online sales while increasing the effectiveness of your online marketing investment.
22. Connect social media to your site
Connecting your ecommerce site with social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, is a revolutionary tactic with a real impact on increasing online sales. Packed with tools to promote your brand, engage your audience and draw traffic directly to your online store, these platforms open up new opportunities for your business. With them, you can not only expand your brand’s reach but also build an engaged community around your products and services.
23. Use free and/or paid analytics tools
Free analytics tools, such as Google Analytics 4 (GA4) or Google Search Console (GSC), are invaluable for optimizing and growing your online store. GA4, the next generation of Google Analytics, offers advanced tracking and analysis of users’ behaviour on the site, enabling a deeper understanding of their needs and preferences. As a result, you can tailor your offerings and marketing strategies to better meet your visitors’ expectations, which directly translates into increased sales. GSC, on the other hand, is a key tool for monitoring the health of your site, analyzing the keywords through which users are coming to your site, and identifying potential indexing problems. Using these tools allows you to continuously monitor and optimize your site’s visibility in search results, which is essential for attracting more potential customers. An investment in analytics tools, whether free or advanced, paid options, is an investment in the future of your online business, allowing you to base decisions on solid data, not just intuition.
Additionally, paid tools like Senuto and Ahrefs offer even deeper capabilities for analyzing keywords and competition, as well as building and monitoring your backlink profile. Senuto is invaluable for planning and optimizing content for SEO, allowing you to identify key phrases that can attract traffic to your site. Ahrefs, on the other hand, is a powerful backlink analysis and SEO audit tool that allows you to gain a deep understanding of the factors influencing your site’s online visibility.
24th Rethink SEO for your site in foreign markets
Extending your e-commerce business to foreign markets is an opportunity for greater sales and brand expansion. However, to be successful, thoughtful positioning of your online store in these markets is key. This means not only translating content into target languages but also adapting SEO strategies to local search engine specifications and user preferences.
25. optimize your website not only for Google!
Although Google dominates the search engine market, you shouldn’t ignore other platforms that can be a source of valuable traffic for your online store. Optimizing your store for different search engines, such as Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, or Baidu, can open up your offering to new markets and allow you to increase your reach of potential customers.
Bing and Yahoo
Bing, a search engine from Microsoft, and Yahoo, which uses the same database, represent a significant portion of the search engine market in certain regions and demographic segments. Optimizing for Bing and Yahoo requires similar SEO efforts as for Google, but it is worth noting the slightly different ranking algorithms and indexing rules. Bing Webmaster Tools is a tool that can help you monitor your site’s performance on these search engines.
Yandex
Yandex is the dominant search engine in Russia and has a significant market share in Eastern Europe. For companies targeting these markets, optimizing for Yandex is essential. Yandex places a strong emphasis on localization and personalization of search results, so it is important to focus on local SEO and tailoring content to the preferences and language of the local audience.
Baidu
Baidu is the most popular search engine in China, where Google is limited. If your strategy includes the Chinese market, it will be crucial to tailor your site to Baidu’s requirements and preferences. This includes using the Chinese language in content, optimizing the site for loading speed from Chinese servers, and focusing on Chinese social media platforms and linking services.
26. Add video to product sub-page, main page, etc.
Adding video to a website can positively impact SEO and potentially improve its ranking in search results. Video increases the amount of time users spend on a page, which signals to search engines that the site provides valuable content. Additionally, a properly optimized video (including title, description, and keyword tags) can increase a site’s visibility in search results, especially in Google Video. Video also makes content more attractive, which can contribute to better engagement rates and lower rejection rates.
Increase sales on your online store with Up&More!
Develop your e-commerce and achieve better sales results with professional support from the Up&More agency! Our team of SEO and digital marketing experts uses the latest strategies and tools to maximize your store’s online visibility, attract more leads and increase conversions. Get started today and see how we can help you achieve e-commerce success!
