Customers are what keep a drop-shipping business going. They keep your online store going and are a great way to get new customers without having to pay as much.
But you also know that when your store goes live, customers won’t just “show up.” You need to tell people where you are and, more importantly, why they should do business with you instead of your competitors.
There are many ways to get people to buy things from your online store. But be careful: some of them can be expensive, and there’s no guarantee you’ll get your money back. It’s easy to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on getting new customers without making enough money back in sales.
Here are some of our favorite tried-and-true ways to get customers for dropshipping businesses. These strategies will not only help you get customers, but will also help you have long-term success.
Make sure your products have content.
When it comes to marketing, content is king. It turns your products from things on a sales page into real, useful things that people can buy. Content can help shoppers understand how a product works and how good it is, which may make them more likely to buy from you.
Content for dropshipping businesses can come in many forms, like product videos, demos, product reviews, and blog posts. At the very least, you should think about adding a blog to your online shop. Use your blog to talk about your products, write list-style articles about multiple products, and talk about new products in your store.
Then, share your blog posts on social media or with people who have signed up for your email list to get people to visit your site.
The best part is that once you make something, it will always be yours. It’s not like ads where you have to pay for it over and over again. As more people share and look at your content, it will keep getting more valuable. There is no limit to how many times it can be read, shared, or watched, so the potential return on investment is unlimited.
Make a list of emails
Email is still one of the best ways for drop shippers to advertise at a low cost. Even if you pay for an email service, each email you send usually only costs a few cents. Your time is the most important investment here.
Mailchimp data shows that about 21.8% of business emails, or about one in five, are opened across all industries. Conversion rates range from 2% to 5%, so if you send an email to 100 people, you might get 2 to 5 more sales.
If you don’t already have one, you should put an opt-in form on your website to get people’s email addresses. This lets you keep talking to visitors who aren’t ready to buy or don’t make a decision right away. Keeping in touch with your customers helps them learn about your brand, gives you a chance to show off your products, and encourages them to come back.
Make sure search engines can find your online store.
SEO, which stands for “search engine optimization,” is the process of making your website look good to search engines. Studies show that 87% of shoppers start their search for a product online, and that number keeps going up every year. Buyers can quickly and easily compare a wide range of products and services from a single location.
Not only that, but showing up in search results puts you in front of a very interested, likely ready-to-buy audience. They are actively looking for the products you sell, so if you can connect with them at the right time, you increase your chances of making a sale.
Still, getting a high search rank takes some work. Every store wants to rank high, but only a few will because there are only a few spots on Google’s Page 1 of results. You can improve your chances by making sure that your website uses SEO best practices. Some things to keep an eye on are:
Each web page should have a meta title and description.
- Use keywords in the names and descriptions of your products.
- Use product titles that are clear and match what people are looking for.
- Add pictures and videos of each product to its page.
- Make sure your pages load quickly (in less than three seconds, if possible).
- Make sure your website is mobile-friendly.
- Put an.xml sitemap on your website.
With these quick tips, you can get your SEO plan off the ground. Keep looking up keywords that you’re ranking for and keywords that people are searching for that are related to your site so you can use them in your content.
Ask for reviews online
The new way to market is through online reviews. They are the most important sign of trust, and most online shoppers use them to decide what to buy. In fact, 91% of shoppers between the ages of 18 and 34 trust online reviews just as much as suggestions from family or friends.
Online reviews let people know what other people’s experiences were like. These reviews could be about your store as a whole or they could be about specific items.
Getting reviews for your store, like on Google My Business or your Facebook business page, can show people that you’re a reliable company that fulfills orders, helps customers, and gives them a good experience. This is important because drop-shipping businesses like yours aren’t as well-known or backed as Amazon or Target. Your reputation is a powerful marketing tool that can get more people to buy from you.
In the same way, you should try to get reviews of the things you sell. Product reviews can give your buyers more confidence in your products because they show how other people have used them. Buyers know more about what they are getting and can make a better choice. Also, a product looks more popular the more reviews it has. One study found that reviews lead to an 18% rise in sales. With 50 or more reviews, conversion rates can go up by as much as 4.6%.
Make it a habit to ask your customers for reviews, and you’ll get more of them. With the right tools, you can do this on your own. Ask for reviews often and in the same way. Studies show that most people will leave a review if asked, but they don’t always think to do it on their own.
Ask customers to recommend you.
In the same way that you should always ask for customer reviews, you should always ask for customer referrals.
Referrals are a free or cheap way to find new customers. It doesn’t take much work on the part of the customer who sends you a referral, and you can decide whether or not to reward referrals that lead to a sale.
Referrals are a great way to get new customers because they are seen as trustworthy and real. Over 90% of customers believe recommendations from people they know. Also, people who hear about a business from a friend are 4 times more likely to buy from that business. They are what you might call a “hot lead” because they usually have a need they know you can fill.
You can automate customer referrals just like you can with reviews of your products or business. Ask your customers over and over again to share your content and talk about your brand. You can make the deal more appealing by giving the customer and their referrals a discount or some other incentive to act quickly.
You can make this process as formal or casual as you want. You can set up a full-fledged customer referral program, or you can just ask your current customers to send you some business. If you offer rewards, pay attention to which ones people use the most. Find out who is sending you the most customers so you can reward them and encourage them to keep doing it.
Make connections with people who matter.
Influencer marketing is a very powerful way to get more customers. Influencers can help brands reach more people by putting them in touch with their networks. But not just anyone. If you target the right people, you can reach out to the ones who are most likely to buy from you.
Influencers give you a boost to your credibility. When they recommend a product or business, their own reputation is on the line. They want to be able to give something of value to their audience because that’s what their followers expect them to do.
You can find influential people in your market or niche and choose the right ones to represent your brand. Keep in mind that influencers usually don’t work for free, so you’ll need to budget for this cost.
As you look for more ways to get customers, keep adding new products that your customers will like to your store. Explore the dropship-empire platform today to get access to some of the hottest e-commerce products on the market