8 tips on how to pitch your ecommerce business

The ultimate goal of any business, including yours, is to create an army of loyal customers. Regardless of the stage that your business is in, everything else will follow smoothly from there. Your loyal customers are the ones to keep the business wheels spinning and also keeping your bottom line magnified. So, basically, it all boils down to your customers, which is why it is crucial that you have them. And that you keep them.

In order to attract customers to your ecommerce business, you will need to pitch it the right way. While this sentence may seem like common sense, putting it into practice may not.

You know that customers want to shop, but they want to give their money only to those who provide them with not only great products and services but also valuable experiences. As an ecommerce entrepreneur, you need to know exactly how to attract a steady stream of traffic and sales.

Here’s how you can do just that:

Make your ecommerce website look fantastic

One parameter that your customers (and people in general) will always use to size you up is the way your ecommerce website looks. It needs to be visually appealing and intuitive in design. There is no real need to follow the “latest trends” as long as your website is attractive, user-friendly and up-to-date on the design front.

In order to get tongues wagging, make sure to incorporate high-quality and stunning images, simply because a great image can speak louder than words, and be more effective in telling your product’s story.

Show your customers you care

It is only when your customers believe that you truly care for them that they will return the favour by becoming loyal to your store and recommend it. The most effective way of achieving this is by creating a customer-centric online business.

This entails valuing your customer above everything else. You need to ensure that your ecommerce website design is responsive and they are comfortable using its features. Only then will they come back to you and suggest it to others. This is also the best way to convince your customers to buy from you and gain their trust.

For example, once they’re done shopping with you, send them a quick email/mobile notification about the product, dispatch details and expected delivery time.

Make them offers they cannot refuse

If your ecommerce website is in the initial stages of business, then you’ll benefit greatly from positive word of mouth. It works like an indirect pitch. The first step to getting there involves offering your existing consumers additional benefits like special discounts and free shipping. Also, introduce promotional modules like coupon/promo codes.

One of the main reasons why people purchase from online stores such as Amazon or Idealo is because of the price difference compared to brick-and-mortar stores. They like to think of it as a win-win situation for them, i.e. buying what they need and at a cheaper price. Make sure you live up to such expectations.

Get influential bloggers to review you

Influential bloggers can be your best allies as they tend to have thousands of followers. Liaise with them and make the most of it by getting them to review your products on their blog (favourably, of course). This can bring a lot of new traffic to your ecommerce website.

You can start by identifying about 7 to 10 influential bloggers in your niche and connect with them on social media. This should be followed up by reaching out to them individually by email, which should be concise and to-the-point. Tell them about your business and let them know how much you enjoy and appreciate their content. Finally, ask if they would be interesting in doing a product review for you. This is how it works!

Featured in local and digital magazines

This isn’t a difficult as you think it is. Local publications, for one, are always on the lookout for good companies and brands in their city. This also applies to digital magazines. You can have them write about yours.

Of course, this does not mean that you approach every publication/website. Identify exactly which publications you want to be featured in. Find out who the right people to approach are. This could be an editor/reporter writing about your niche.

Approach them via email and mention that you’re a local entrepreneur. Keep the emails brief and offer to send them free samples of your products.

Be open to guest blogging and/or podcasting

The popularity of blogs and podcasts has increased over the last few years, and these mediums serve as great platforms for entrepreneurs to interact with customers and talk about their business. They’re also always looking for accomplished people to interview. Use this to your advantage and be open to offer your expertise to customers and solving their problems with your products. Over time, this can prove to be a great way to establish your credibility and influence.

Attend industry events

Whether it is a conference, tradeshow or a networking meet, make sure to be present at such events and get to know the important people there. Pitch your ecommerce business to them in person and give your brand a face. Your business will be taken more seriously. The good news is that such events take place frequently. Talking about your business here will ensure that your words reach all the right ears.

Pitch to customers on Twitter

One great way to engage with your customers is by using Twitter. After all, everyone’s on it. You’re going to need to set and follow a disciplined tweeting strategy if you want this to work. Publish your short-and-sweet elevator pitch on this platform to tickle customers’ curiosity and upload lots of great images at regular intervals to keep the momentum going.

Make sure there is enough material to compel your customers to get interested and click on what you pitch to them. The idea is to pro-actively engage with followers and to arouse curiosity about your brand in their minds.

Conclusion

If you thought that you were through with your business responsibilities by just setting up your ecommerce website, think again! Running it is going to take up a lot of your time, which is why it is best that you make it worth the while. Take the right steps in pitching your ecommerce website and you can ensure that you always have ample customers to take your venture to the next level in the most flawless manner possible.

Feature image: Sean MacEntee via Flickr.