You have created your online store. You’ve put all your effort into choosing the right ecommerce platform, giving it an attractive look, designing the ideal products for your business… Everything seems perfect and yet, sales are not coming.

There is no “ecommerce magic wand” or any universal trick that guarantees that you will start selling overnight. We have always said it: an online business requires time and effort.

In our experience in the world of e-commerce we have learned that there are some common reasons why our clients see how their revenue does not come in or how their traffic does not translate into sales.

If you find yourself in any of these situations, you’ve come to the right place!

In this article we want to help you both increase your store’s web traffic and convert your visitors into buyers, go to the section that best suits your needs and get ready to sell!

I just opened my online store: how to generate visits to my website?

You’ve already jumped into the pool: your online store is ready, your products have everything they need to appeal to your niche… but why doesn’t anyone buy them?

It’s likely that, if you’re just starting out in the world of ecommerce, making your first sale is a bit overwhelming. After all, this process involves presenting your new business to complete strangers and convincing them that what you offer is just what they need. What a rush!

You already know that getting off to a good start is very important for everything to work well in your online business in the long run. Therefore, in this section we want to help you avoid the most basic mistakes in the process of creating your business, as well as to make your first sale.

Let’s get started!

Mistakes you may be making in your online store and that are preventing you from selling

If you decide to embark on the ecommerce adventure, you will realize that the first steps are always the most technical.

There are many factors to take into account at this point in the process and, therefore, it is normal that some loose ends can be left out. Who has not ever made a rookie mistake? We’ve all fallen down at one time or another.

To save you the trouble, in this webinar we present 10 beginner’s mistakes you want to avoid if you want to start selling from your website. Check that you are not making them and, if you come across any of them, don’t worry! Because we also explain how to fix them.

How to increase visits and get the first sale from your online store

The technical side is already under control, so let’s move on to the good stuff!

Getting to the eyes of your first buyer is a simple idea: make yourself known through different channels. The more the better.

Multichanneling (both in terms of communication and sales) has two main advantages:

They allow you to reach wider audiences in less time.

It is perfect for experimenting with new channels and, in the long run, discovering which of them is the most appropriate to approach your niche and generate more traffic to your business.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Let’s see which media to use to reach your first customers:

1. Word of mouth
Simple, but very effective.

No marketing strategy can convince of the quality of a product better than the recommendation of a friend.

Don’t be shy and ask your friends to share your business on social networks – you have all the necessary features to generate interest!

A unique design made by you, exclusively for a certain niche.
Quality products backed by Printful’s full warranty.
Faster shipping and handling than other providers.

2. Forums
The Internet is full of forums and Facebook groups covering every topic you can imagine – find one related to your niche and talk about your business!

We recommend you to introduce yourself with humility, telling that you have just opened your business and the reasons why you have decided to make your dream come true! Surely more than one person will identify with your story and will at least pay you a visit.

3. Social networks and e-mail
Create profiles in the social networks where you think your niche is moving and start publishing! Remember to establish a regularity and upload attractive and interesting content, so your followers will want to share your posts and you will reach a wider audience quickly!

Once you have a good base of followers, offer them to join your mailing list (newsletter) so you can keep them up to date with all your news through their email. Tailor your email marketing campaigns to your niche and the season and the sales will follow!

4. Discounts
Nothing attracts customers like a good discount. Even if it’s a 5 or 10% discount, reducing the price of your products for a limited time is a magnet for sales.

In the first few months of your business, there are a few tricks that can help you make your first sales:

Introduce a discount code in your posts on networks or offer it to those who subscribe to your newsletter.
Offer free shipping for a limited time.
Apply a market penetration strategy to your product pricing.
Or simply offer a general discount to celebrate the opening of your business with your customers and engage them.
5. Organize sweepstakes
Nothing to encourage your buyers to share your posts like organizing a good sweepstakes on Instagram, Facebook or via email!

A sweepstakes won’t bring you immediate profits, but it can increase your visibility a lot!

You can do it in two ways:

On your social networks: asking your followers to tag you in their posts and share your content on their profiles.
Via email: asking them to join your newsletter and raffle some of your products among your new subscribers.
It is important that, in your sweepstakes, you always ask the contestants to follow your profiles on social networks or to join your newsletter. This way you will have joined your network and you will be able to keep them up to date with all the news from your store!

6. Paid advertising
Paid advertising can be a great help, especially in the early days of your business, when organic traffic is practically non-existent.

Take advantage of the form of advertising that best fits your niche and plant yourself on the screens of the target audience that interests you. We have already recommended two ways:

Through Facebook Ads or Facebook Ads
Through Google Ads

7. Optimize the SEO of your store

Working on the SEO of your business is the most effective way to work on the positioning of your store and appear among the first search results, as well as the best option to keep your business alive in the long term!

Make sure not only to add the keywords you are interested in, but also to offer quality content that will engage your visitors.
Attract links to your website with a guest blogging strategy.

Even if you already have customers, all of these techniques mentioned above can help you generate more traffic and reach new customers. Keep them in mind!