Traffic. For most people, the word simply pertains to that everyday headache faced during your daily commute. However, for anyone working within the world of eCommerce, traffic is the most critical element of business and the one on which everything hinges. Regardless of how stellar your products are or how meticulously designed your website is, your business is all pomp and circumstance signifying nothing unless you find a way to connect with your intended audience.
However, attaining the attention you need to make your business a success takes more than simply worthwhile effort and a solid foundation upon which to build a customer base, especially in today’s increasingly competitive environment. Key processes must be in place to ensure that you earn the eCommerce traffic you need to maximize conversion and boost the bottom line. Thankfully, automation has become the name of the game in recent years.
How Automation Can Impact eCommerce Traffic
Online businesses may be continually searching for new and inventive ways to attract users and keep their traffic on the rise. From media outreach to an even more grassroots approach, eCommerce sites have struggled to remain relevant in the face of an incredibly mutable marketplace. Circumstances have forced many sites to consolidate their operations and take on multiple paths toward fostering growth. That’s precisely why automation is currently all the rage, as it allows optimum results for minimum effort. In tandem with traditional methods, automation can propel your business forward and streamline your processes.
Here are a few ways automation can boost your business:
- Automated email campaigns: Regular communication with customers, of course, is a proven way to stay top-of-mind within your market, but automating your email campaigns provides the chance to deliver your message at the optimum time. Newsletters are perfect to send special offers, tips relating to your niche and reminders to participate in a current sales or event.
- Content publishing: The key to any successful business is consistency. There’s no better way to build trust and develop a relationship with current and prospective customers alike. So consider implementing an automated system for your content marketing efforts in order to ensure that you have a regular schedule in place.
- Search engine optimization: Despite the current emphasis on search engine optimization — better known as simply SEO — many businesses fail to capitalize on the benefits it offers. Now that so many key elements of SEO can be automated, there’s little excuse not to up your SEO game and expand your reach as a result.
- Social media management: Just as search engines have proven to be an invaluable part of keeping your business thriving, social media has similarly become inextricably linked to eCommerce traffic. Nearly all major sites have a major presence on the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Reddit. Don’t miss out on your chance to optimize your activity on these social networks to reach the widest possible audience.
- Leverage your wishlist: eCommerce sites almost universally have a wishlist function designed to help shoppers keep track of items they may be interested in purchasing down the road. However, most businesses fail to recognize the potential in this feature to drive conversion. Incorporating an automatic reminder to refresh shoppers’ memory of their pending purchases often proves more powerful than you might realize.
- Abandoned carts: Similarly, abandoned carts are a tremendous missed opportunity for many sites. Whenever a shopper leaves products in their cart without finalizing a purchase, it’s a wise move to set up an automated message system that removes that lasting bit of buyer hesitation. Sometimes, simply a reminder will suffice, but you might also pitch a discount or incentive, such as expedited shipping. You’ll be surprised with the difference this simple step makes.
Shifting to Automation
As the technology continues to evolve, the role of automation in everyday business is only set to increase in the coming years. Now is the perfect time to integrate these systems into your existing processes, especially as your competitors may already be up to speed with the latest time-saving innovations in your field. Don’t risk your chance to stay ahead of the curve and lose the valuable ground you’ve worked so hard to establish in the marketplace. After all, automation is fast becoming the way of the future, and your eCommerce traffic may very well depend on your ability to adapt.
