Successful ecommerce retailers don’t just sit back and hope for the best. They’re constantly running creative marketing strategies to get their store in front of new audiences and keep sales rolling in.
Looking to boost sales in your online store but unsure where to begin? We’ve got 30 actionable ideas you can try right now. Let’s dive in and get those sales flowing!
First, Check If Your Store Is Sales-Ready
Before you launch your marketing campaigns, check to see if your online store is fully set up for success. An unoptimized store can make it harder to convert visitors into customers, wasting your hard-earned ad budget.
Take a look at your online store and ask yourself:
- Does your online store look trustworthy? It should have clear business and contact information, a professional design, and customer reviews.
- Is your store easy to navigate? Customers should quickly find what they need without feeling lost or frustrated. Clear categories, filters, and a search bar make all the difference.
- Are your product descriptions informative and compelling? Highlight the benefits of your products and provide all the necessary information for potential customers.
- Do your products have clear and beautiful pictures and videos? Visuals are a must for online shopping, so ensure your products are showcased in the best possible light.
- Is your checkout process simple and secure? Long and complicated checkouts can lead to cart abandonment. Make it easy for customers to complete their purchases with a secure payment system and various fast shipping options.
Above all, ensure everything is functioning correctly by placing a test order.
Ecwid by Lightspeed is a powerful ecommerce platform designed to help you build an online store that drives sales. It offers a sleek, user-friendly design, a seamless checkout process, and a variety of flexible payment and shipping options to meet your needs.
Launch your new online store with Ecwid or seamlessly migrate your existing store to this platform.
No matter your niche, Ecwid offers a variety of customizable templates to help you quickly create a professional business website
Free Ways to Drive Sales
Let’s talk about how to drive sales without paid promotion. These ideas are great if you’re working with a very tight budget. The only catch is that free strategies usually take more time to show results, especially when it comes to long-term approaches like SEO.
Sell on Instagram
With one billion users, Instagram isn’t a bad place to start when you’re looking to secure some first sales.
Instagram is a prime channel for building an audience, getting early attention for your products, and leveraging influencers to build buzz around your brand.
There are a few things you’ll need to do to make Instagram work for your store:
- First, complete your profile; use that bio space to build your brand and drive users to your site.
- Second, identify the topics that resonate with your audience. What trends or interests are they engaging with? Use this insight to create content that reaches the right people.
- Finally, post regularly with attractive images and videos that feature your products. Instagram is a visual platform, after all.
To streamline your sales, you can also connect Instagram shoppable posts. Shoppable posts allow you to tag products in your images with specialized links to purchase right from Instagram.
Running an online store with Ecwid? Here are instructions to help you set up shoppable posts on Instagram.
Shoppable posts make it easy for customers to buy your products on Instagram
Considering Instagram? It’s best to create your Instagram profile early — even before you launch your store. The earlier you can get your Instagram rolling with attractive content, the faster your first sales will be. That being said, it’s never too late to start!
Learn more about selling on Instagram:
- How to Sell on Instagram: Guide for Business Owners
- 10 Engaging Instagram Reel Ideas to Promote Your Business
Create a Facebook Shop
To increase visibility for your store, add your products to your Facebook business page. With Ecwid, it only takes a couple of clicks.
Once you’ve connected your Ecwid store with your Facebook business page, a “Shop” tab will allow Facebook users to buy your products.
This will also allow you to advertise your products quickly on Facebook using Facebook’s powerful audience targeting tools. Learn more about Facebook tools available with Ecwid.
You can set up a shop on Facebook by connecting your online product catalog to it
Pin Your Products on Pinterest
85% of weekly US Pinterest users have made a purchase based on content they have seen from brands on the platform. This proves Pinterest is an excellent tool for product discovery, particularly in niches like home decor, fashion, beauty, and food. If your business operates in any of these areas, Pinterest is definitely worth considering.
First, set up a free business account and personalize your profile with eye-catching board covers and titles. Next, start pinning photos and videos with your products. Be sure to make your bio and pin descriptions SEO-friendly by adding keywords that match your products.
With most Pin formats, you can link directly to your website to speed up the buying process. Product pins are especially useful — they show the price and where to buy your product. Here’s how to create product pins.
Pins can link directly to your website to speed up the buying process
Learn more: How to Advertise on Pinterest: Make the Most of the Product Inspiration App
Promote Your Products at a Local Market
Crafty, handmade, local, organic — if any of those words describe your business, you might want to consider trying your hand at a local market. Farmers’ markets and artisan fairs are a perfect opportunity to get your products in front of potential customers and secure a few sales.
To bring your market customers online, print flyers with discounts and your site address, keep business cards or QR codes on hand, and remember to create an experience your customers will want to share.
Ask Friends to Write a Review
If you just launched your online store, this one is for you.
Your family and friends are often your first and most supportive customers. Encourage your personal network to share your products on social media, through word-of-mouth, and on popular review platforms.
Sometimes, just a handful of friends promoting your products online can make all the difference in securing those crucial first sales. Consider offering them free products in exchange for honest, detailed reviews. You might be surprised at how eager they are to help, especially when a little generosity is involved.
Remember to add those first reviews to your website—it’ll make your store look more trustworthy to visitors.
If you’re using Ecwid Instant Site for your online store, you can enhance your site by adding a dedicated reviews section to your homepage or other pages. Additionally, you can showcase ratings and reviews directly on your product pages.
Displaying ratings and rewiews in your online store makes it look more trustworthy
Run a Contest
Contests are an awesome way to promote your business and grab the attention of potential customers while growing your subscribers.
Pick a prize that people will actually want—like a gift card or a bundle of your best products. Keep the rules clear and easy to follow so everyone can join in. And don’t forget to spread the word! Even if your contest is just on Instagram, share it across all your social platforms to get the most eyes on it.
Let your subscribers know how you picked the winner! If it’s a contest, share the criteria you used. If you used a randomizer app, why not record a quick video of the process? It’s a great way to keep things transparent and build trust with your followers.
Add a Live Chat to Your Site
Once shoppers start discovering your store, they’ll probably have a few questions before they’re ready to purchase. And if you want to get those sales over the line, you’ll need to be able to answer those questions quickly.
Email is reliable, but response times are often delayed, and too many phone calls are likely to frustrate both you and your millennial customers. This is why live chat, such as Facebook Messenger, is an excellent choice. It allows for real-time communication and offers a more convenient experience for customers.
With a live chat, customers can easily contact the business while browsing products
If you’re using Ecwid, you can easily add a live chat to your store with various apps from the Ecwid App Market, such as Chaty, Chatway, or WhatsApp Chat.
Participate in a Group Giveaway
Brands love teaming up with bloggers and influencers to create buzz with prizes and giveaways. Usually, all the audience has to do is engage with them on social media in a specific way to enter. It’s a great way for new stores to gain followers, get likes, and even make sales as part of the entry process.
Plus, if your profile has valuable content, there’s a good chance people will stay and interact with your brand long after the giveaway ends.
Brainstorm your own group giveaway or partner with brands that are already gaining traction. If you decide to join an existing giveaway, look for one centered around a specific theme relevant to your target audience, like an “eco giveaway,” so the prize feels exciting for the audience.
You can also partner with an influencer to run a giveaway
Start a YouTube Channel
Achieving YouTube fame is no easy feat, but by staying on top of trends and putting in the effort, you can leverage its reach to secure your first sale.
Unboxing videos are one of the most popular trends on YouTube, making them an ideal strategy for ecommerce businesses. If you know someone with an established YouTube channel, consider asking them to create an unboxing video featuring your product.
Alternatively, if your budget allows, you can collaborate with an influencer to produce a sponsored video showcasing your product.
Don’t just stick to unboxing videos—there are so many YouTube trends you can tap into depending on the products you sell. Think makeup tutorials, recipes, or how-to guides. Check out Think with Google, Google Trends, and your competition to see what’s working for similar brands on YouTube.
If you’re fairly new to YouTube, you’ll want to do some research before you jump in. Get started with resources like this: YouTube for Ecommerce: How to Sell Without Selling.
Support a Charity Organization
Charitable giving is not just a great way to give back—it’s also a PR opportunity and a chance to make your first sale, especially if you’re a small business supporting your local community.
To make your donations really count, take some time to pick the right organization. Whether it’s a local cause or a bigger one, make sure their values align with your brand.
La Mer donates to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Engage in the Platforms Where Your Customers Are Most Active
This is a strategy for organically building strong customer relationships. Identify where your target audience spends their time—whether it’s a Reddit thread, Threads, or another platform—and engage authentically in those spaces.
Avoid overt sales pitches; instead, focus on being helpful, approachable, and genuinely interested in connecting.
In time, people will recognize who you are and what you offer, taking action on their own without any prompting. This will lead to increased sales and referrals—great news for the growth of your ecommerce business.
This isn’t a shortcut to quick sales, though. Instead, the focus is cultivating genuine connections and building trust within these communities.
Consider exploring trade shows, local flea markets, or farmers’ markets to connect directly with potential customers. These venues provide a great opportunity to showcase your products and engage with shoppers face-to-face.
To maximize your reach, prepare incentives like discount coupons or branded stickers to encourage people to subscribe to your email newsletter or follow your social media pages.
Master Your Networking Skills
Business networking is a great way to connect with new customers or partners and get a better feel for the market. It’s all about making your business more visible and building valuable relationships.
You can network in person—at conferences, business meetups, or coworking spaces—or online. Social media is “social” for a reason! Join Facebook groups in your niche or jump into discussions on forums to start making connections.
Networking isn’t just about handing out business cards at events or following industry experts online. It’s about building meaningful, long-term relationships that bring mutual value and can support your business’s growth and success.
Take a look at our guide to business networking and get started, or tune in to this episode of the Ecwid Ecommerce Show about building connections in ecommerce:
Start an Email Newsletter
Collecting email addresses for your email newsletter allows you to continuously stay in touch with potential or past customers. The ROI is significant, too: recent studies demonstrate email marketing’s profitability, delivering a $36:1 return.
Wondering how to start collecting email addresses? Here are a few easy ideas:
- Add a simple email sign-up form to your ecommerce site
- Ask customers to opt-in at checkout
- Offer an irresistible incentive, like 10% off, for signing up
- Add an opt-in link to your email signature.
Encourage people to subscribe to your newsletter by offering something valuable in return. It could be a chance to win a free product every week or month—who doesn’t love a fun giveaway?
This email form entices subscribers to sign up by offering freebies
As your subscriber list grows, you’ll stay top-of-mind with shoppers who repeatedly return to your online store.
Learn more: Ecommerce Email Marketing Best Practices to Increase Sales
Create a Blog
A blog isn’t just for promoting new products or sharing sale info — it’s a great way to connect with your customers on a more personal level.
Use your blog to give your audience a behind-the-scenes look at your business. Share how you package and ship orders, talk about where your ideas for new products come from, and let your customers get to know you as the person behind the brand.
Consider using Buy Buttons—these enable you to embed your products within the body of an article, capturing your customers’ attention while they’re fully engaged with your story.
With an Ecwid account, you can embed a customizable product card and secure checkout on any website, blog, or platform using a simple code. Here’s how to do that.
Ecwid allows you to seamlessly integrate Buy Buttons into your blogs, enabling readers to make purchases
Learn more: Blogging for Ecommerce: Best Strategies for Online Stores
Improve Your Store’s SEO Performance
Search engine optimization refers to the process of optimizing your website and its content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Improving your SEO helps increase organic traffic to your website, which can ultimately lead to sales.
Remember that this is a long-term strategy, so you won’t see immediate results. However, consistently working on your SEO can significantly benefit your online store in the long run.
If you run an Ecwid store, there are multiple ways to improve your store SEO and make your products more visible in search results.
Learn more:
- 6 Common SEO Practices You Need to Leave in the Past
- A Quick Tip to Make Your Products More Discoverable in Search Engines
Create a TikTok Shop
TikTok is another powerful social media platform businesses can use to boost sales. It allows businesses to connect with a vast audience while showcasing products in a creative and entertaining way.
TikTok also features shopping tools similar to those on Meta and Pinterest. These allow users to seamlessly purchase products showcased in TikTok videos without leaving the app.
If you have an Ecwid store, you can set up a TikTok Shop by syncing your Ecwid product catalog with the social media platform. You can do it with the help of the TikTok Shop Connector app.
TikTok lets shoppers purchase products directly from videos without leaving the app
Also: How to Sell and Advertise on TikTok
Share Links to Your Store
For shoppers to make a purchase, they first need to discover your store. One of the most effective ways to boost your store’s visibility is by placing strategic links.
Here are a few ways to promote your store by sharing its link:
- Your personal email signature
- Social media profiles, including your own
- Guest blogs you’ve contributed to on other websites
- QR codes can be printed and displayed on your car or in high-visibility areas
- Comments in forums and groups where your audience is active.
Leverage a Link-in-Bio Tool
Building on the previous point, a link-in-bio tool makes it easy for your audience to access your store. With this tool, you can create a personalized landing page that features links to different products or pages on your site. It’s a simple, eye-catching way to showcase your offerings and send people exactly where they need to go.
Make sure to include a link-in-bio page in the social media bio of every account you manage for more visibility.
A link-in-bio tool helps direct customers to your website or specific products
Offer Free Shipping
Eight in ten shoppers consider free shipping a crucial factor in their online shopping experience. And let’s be honest, unexpected shipping costs are one of the main reasons people abandon their carts.
Free shipping makes it easy for customers to add items to their carts and check out without hesitation. No surprises, no hidden fees—just the price they see. It’s a small change that makes a big difference in helping them hit that “Buy Now” button.
Free shipping doesn’t have to mean lower profits, either! Learn how to market your free shipping offer for maximum results.
Run a Live Stream Event
Social media is a great way to get people excited about your products early on, and live video makes it even easier. With platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, you can go live, share your brand’s story, and connect with your audience in a fun and engaging way.
Video live streaming is one of the most popular video content types (Source: Statista)
Get the most out of your live video by planning something fun and interactive—like a contest, a giveaway, or an interesting talk—to keep your audience excited and wanting to join. Make sure to announce your live event ahead of time and keep promoting it in the days leading up to it. Build up the hype and watch the engagement roll in!
If you’re using your live stream to boost sales, share an exclusive coupon code with your audience at the end. Keep your stream short and fun, and don’t forget to ask for feedback so you can make your next event even better.
Prepare Gifts
In the world of ecommerce, discounts are everywhere. But what if you changed your approach and offered a free gift instead of a cash discount of the same value? A study involving lotion sales revealed a surprising outcome: offering a bundle rather than a discount increased sales by an impressive 73%.
Most of the time, customers are way more excited about getting something extra for free than just a small cash discount—even if the value is the same.
So, before your store’s grand opening, take a moment to think about what kind of offer will really grab your customers’ attention. Is it a free product? An exclusive gift? What’s one offer that fits your store and gives your customers something they’ll love?
The Nordstrom site has a dedicated page that lists all gifts with purchase customers can get
Offer Free Returns
Returns are just part of online shopping, but don’t let them get you down. Handle them right, and you can not only save the sale but also earn your customers’ loyalty in the long run. The key? Make returns simple and free—it’s a win for everyone!
Offering free returns gives new customers the confidence to shop with peace of mind, allowing them to test your products risk-free. This strategy is particularly beneficial for new businesses with fewer reviews, helping to build trust and encourage purchases.
If offering free returns isn’t an option, consider providing gift certificates for returned items. This approach allows you to retain the sale while giving customers the flexibility to choose a product they want.
An example of a gift card in an Ecwid store
Be sure to include a clear and easily accessible return policy on your online store.
Offer Buy Now, Pay Later
A shopper’s decision to complete a purchase often hinges on the convenience of your payment options. For higher-priced products, customers may hesitate—especially if your store is new and lacks an established reputation.
That’s where Ecwid’s “buy now, pay later” feature comes in. It allows customers to split their payments into manageable installments, all with no extra fees. You can use Klarna, Afterpay, PayPal, or Stripe to set up a “buy now, pay later” in your Ecwid store.
Publish an FAQ Page
Customers always have questions and usually want answers before they feel confident enough to buy. The easier it is for them to find helpful info, the more likely they will purchase.
Having a clear, well-organized FAQ section can make all the difference. It helps shoppers get the answers they need fast and return to browsing—and buying—without any hassle.
It’s a good idea to add information about extra costs and payment in the FAQ section on your website
Common questions to cover in your FAQ are:
- What types of payment methods do you accept?
- How long does shipping take?
- Do you offer international shipping?
- What is your return policy?
- How can customers reach you with questions about a product?
Learn more: Self-service: An Affordable Way to Scale Customer Support
Paid Ways to Drive Sales
Let’s explore some sales-driving strategies that require an investment. The good news? These methods deliver results much faster than free options like social media posting or SEO improvements.
Test Meta Ads
Meta simplifies advertising by giving you full control over your budget, schedule, target audience, and ad design. Few advertising platforms offer this level of customization, and the best part is that you can pause your campaigns at any time.
With Facebook’s built-in analytics, you can easily track and measure the impact of your ads, gaining valuable insights into what drives success. Since Instagram is part of the Meta network, adding your ads to this platform is as simple as checking a box.
An example of an ad on Instagram
Create Facebook ads that speak to your target audience and have a compelling CTA for customers–and then watch the sales roll in.
If you use Ecwid for your online store, you can set up retargeting ad campaigns featuring your products on Meta in minutes with Kliken. It simplifies the process of setting up your campaign so that you can easily convert window shoppers into paying customers.
Read more:
- 7 Steps to the Best Ads for Facebook and Google Campaigns
- Facebook Pixel Strategies to Help You Run More Targeted Ads
Run Google Shopping Ads
Google Shopping Ads leverage targeting, bidding, and keywords to help you reach a broader audience and create effective ad campaigns. The best part? Google Shopping seamlessly integrates with Ecwid, making it easy to run optimized ads—even if you’re new to the platform.
Simply follow three straightforward steps: select your target audience, choose the products you want to promote and launch your campaign.
Listing products on the Google Shopping tab helps to reach more store visitors
Consider Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing allows people to earn commissions by promoting someone else’s products. Basically, you pay affiliates for every visitor or customer they bring to your website through their own marketing efforts.
You can team up with bloggers or other businesses in your industry. For example, give them a special link to your store or even let them feature your whole store on their website. The best part? You’re promoting your products to people who are already interested and only paying when it works.
By the way, several apps in the Ecwid App Market can help you run an affiliate program.
An example of an affiliate marketing blog post
Learn more: Affiliate Marketing for Ecommerce: An Actionable Guide
Partner with an Influencer
Think about who your audience listens to when it comes to your type of product. Is it a blogger, podcaster, news outlet, or someone else? Start brainstorming some potential partners and reach out to pitch a contest, giveaway, or product spotlight.
Influencer marketing is a great way to get your online store in front of a new, interested audience. Plus, it acts as social proof—having someone else vouch for your product makes it feel more trustworthy and takes the pressure off any sales-y pitches. Let someone else do the talking for you, and watch the sales roll in!
Allow influencers to showcase their creativity—for instance, this cosmetics brand collaborates with an influencer known for humorously mocking movie clichés
Send free samples to influencers in your industry (or even a related one). Once they review your product, you’ll gain traffic, followers, and validation from trusted experts. You could even ask influencers for an interview. It’s a win-win—you get fresh content for your blog and new followers from your audience.
Learn more:
- Podcast: Influencer Marketing Without the Guesswork
- How to Grow Your Ecommerce Business with Influencer Marketing
Find Distributors for Your Products
Struggling to get your first sale? Let someone else make it for you. Distributors are third-party professionals who work with retailers to get your products into their stores.
The right distributor partner can dramatically increase your sales by helping you reach untapped markets and create new channels for sales and promotion.
Bear in mind, however, that adding more middlemen can also eat into your profits, so it’s best not to look at this as a long-term strategy. But when you’re just starting out, distributors can be a great way to spread the word about your products and build a loyal customer base to grow your operations.
Read more about finding distributors for your products.
Open a Popup Store
If you’re selling locally, setting up a pop-up shop at a street market or festival can be a great way to boost your sales quickly.
It’s more than just getting your products out there—it’s about connecting with your customers face-to-face. Then shoppers might tell their friends about your shop (as long as they have a good experience).
Run TikTok Ads
TikTok ads can be incredibly effective in reaching a younger audience.
To get started with TikTok ads, create an account and choose your target audience based on demographics such as age, location, and interests. Then, you can create engaging video ads that showcase your products and link directly to your website or online store.
TikTok ads offer a significant advantage over TikTok Shop—they’re accessible in far more countries.
Plus, with Ecwid, creating TikTok ads is effortless, as you can feature products from your Ecwid catalog. This makes TikTok ads an excellent choice, especially for those new to advertising.
Shoppers can explore a variety of products all from one ad
By the way, Ecwid allows you to run ads on Pinterest and Snapchat, too. If that’s where your audience hangs out, it’s definitely worth giving it a try.
More Resources to Help You Grow Sales
If you haven’t tried out some of these strategies yet, now’s the perfect time to get started! Before you know it, you’ll be celebrating your online sales and happily packing up orders.
Discover more strategies for drawing shoppers to your store by exploring these blog posts:
- 12 Free Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Online Store
- Increase Online Store Traffic: 10 Ways to Attract More Shoppers
- How to Sell Online: The Ultimate Guide for Business Owners
- How to Sell Online Without a Website
- 7 Mistakes That Prevent You From Making Your First Sale
- How to Work With Focus Groups to Test Your Niche
- How to Write Product Descriptions That Sell
- Tips to Make Your Products More Attractive
- Top Reasons for Returns and How to Minimize Them
- Navigating the Luxury Market: How to Create and Sell High-End Products
- How to Pay Yourself When You Own a Business
- 8 Different Shopper Types And How To Market To Them
- Mastering Sales Prospecting: The Ultimate Guide
The post 30 Ways to Drive Your Online Store Sales first appeared on Ecwid | E-Commerce Shopping Cart.
