Are you thinking about launching an eCommerce app but aren’t sure where to start? Maybe you already have a web store that’s doing well, and you’re ready to expand your business by creating a partner app for your business. This is a reasonable next step to take, provided you do so effectively. And to help you succeed, we’ve compiled a list of digital marketing strategies in order to help your eCommerce app launch successfully! Read on to learn how:
- Link Your eCommerce App to Your Web Storefront
Many successful eCommerce apps begin as webpage storefronts and with good reason. It’s become relatively simple to design an eCommerce website thanks to hosting platforms like Shopify and GoDaddy that allow you to handle everything from creating a logo to setting up your POS system in one convenient place. Naturally, your website should be the first place you turn to in order to market the launch of your eCommerce app because customers will already be looking to the website in order to purchase what they need.
The easiest way to funnel your audience over to your mobile app is to add a button to your website that allows them to download the app directly from there. This way, they know that they don’t have to stop shopping just because they’re on the go. In fact, you can even add a pop-up message inviting customers to download the app when they arrive at your site. This is particularly effective for users who visit your website on their mobile phones. According to research, there is about an 11.07% conversion rate for mobile phone popups. This means that users are already more likely to follow your CTA on their phones, but the chance will increase even further if your pop-up is promising them a better user experience in your store while on their phones.
- Use Email Marketing to Share Your eCommerce App
Another productive way to market your eCommerce app is to enact an email campaign that not only lets your audience know the app exists, but why it’s worth their time and storage space to download it. This will require some audience segmentation to take full advantage of the benefits. Take the time to research the differing habits of your customers in order to pinpoint what’s important to them. Some people may be swayed simply by the ability to shop from their smartphone instead of on their laptop. Others may need to be enticed by exclusive in-app deals or offerings.
Once you’ve determined your strategy, you can design an email blast appropriate for each segment of your audience highlighting your app’s value. Be sure to keep your emails simple and to the point. You don’t want to lose out on downloads because of a wordy email that bores people too much to scroll to the end. And most importantly – include that shiny button that makes it easy for people to download the app! Email marketing services such as MailChimp and Drip have template building and audience segmentation tools to help you stay organized when building and implementing the email marketing strategy for your eCommerce mobile app.
- Don’t Be Afraid of Paid Advertising
When it comes to app marketing, paid ads can be extremely effective. People fear the idea of pay-per-click ads, but the truth is that with proper research and management, paid ads will provide the boost your app needs in order to shoot to the top of the app store charts.
If you’re ready to get serious about advertising your app, Google offers a great tool to assist you. Google Ads will “promote your iOS or Android app on Google Search, YouTube, Google Play, and more.” The site allows you to do keyword research so that your ads are better seen, and it lets you target specific locations. This means that you can personalize your ads depending on where they’re being seen. With a consistent budget and a little investment of time, your eCommerce mobile app can be the first thing people see when they do a Google search for a certain product or service.
- Take Advantage of Influencer and Referral Marketing
There are many ways that the internet has revolutionized marketing methods, but the strongest methods still remain word of mouth. There are two ways to take advantage of this – through influencer marketing and through referral marketing.
Referral marketing is closest to the traditional word of mouth marketing technique, but it has its own twist. This marketing method requires a strong strategy that encourages users to deliberately share your app with their friends and family. Ways to encourage your customers to refer your app to others include promos and ambassador programs. This might mean offering them a discount on their next purchase after their referral makes a purchase, or offering them a free gift after a certain number of referrals.
Influencer marketing is another word-of-mouth technique that has exploded over the past couple of years. This method involves hiring an influencer to promote your product to their loyal following. There are influencers of all sizes across niches and you will need to find the right one to work with in order to make the campaign worth your while. Take your time and research the market to see what aligns with your needs. Sometimes a micro influencer can be the most effective because their following, while small, is actually the most engaged with their online presence and most likely to make decisions upon the influencer’s suggestion.
- Pay attention to UX Design and Engage in Post-Launch optimization
Once you get your eCommerce app off the ground in terms of hitting download goals, you have to be intentional about actually keeping users on the app and taking your desired actions. The best way to do so is through post-launch optimization. This is the practice assessing your app for ways it can be improved after the app has become available in stores. Why is post-launch optimization important? It gives you valuable information about how you can gain more customers, hold onto your current customers, and make more sales.
UX design is one of the most important aspects of app optimization for an eCommerce app because your user’s experience directly affects whether or not they choose your app to make purchases. Researching components of your app like its UX design will reveal whether there are aspects of your app that are discouraging customers from moving forward with purchases. If you continue to test and update your app over time, you will continue to have an app that brings in new users and adds a strong stream of revenue to your eCommerce business.
Creating an eCommerce app to complement your business can seem like a daunting step to take, but it doesn’t have to be. By following the marketing strategies outlined above, you can make your app launch both manageable and profitable for your business. So what are you waiting for? Go on and begin outlining your strategy today!