This article was contributed by Matthew of Aumcore.

The Digital Age calls for a digital storefront. If you want to sell, you need to be online. From social media integration to referral programs, here are 5 actionable marketing tips that will drive your ecommerce sales!

Ecommerce is growing 23% year-over-year, yet 46% of American small businesses still don’t have a website. If you’re one of the 46%, then your first step is to GET ONLINE. Sticking to a brick and mortar shop simply won’t cut it anymore — it’s not the 50s, the 70s, the 90s, not even the early 2000s anymore. You’re either online or you don’t exist. After all, 51% of Americans prefer to shop online, and 96% of them have made an online purchase in their life, 80% in the past month alone.

Once online, you have to find a way to stand out above your competition. And no, what you’re doing is not enough, you can always do more. For starters, you can team up with a company that specializes in ecommerce development. Then again, while efficient, not everyone can afford this option. If that’s you, here are 5 actionable marketing tips that will drive your ecommerce sales (and won’t burden your wallet):

1: Integrate Social Media

Ask any five people if they have a social media platform and the majority will nod their heads. We, as humans, are social creatures (apologies to any extraterrestrials out there), and flock to social media to connect with friends, family and our favorite Brands. This is why it’s monumental to have a social presence.

Elaborating on social media, the digital marketing agency, Aumcore, says, “It’s prime realty for fostering relationships and improving them, and the perfect place for a two-way conversation to take place between you, the shop owner, and your audience, the customers.”

Okay, so what we have here is an avenue for you to connect with your customers. Not only are you building your relationship with them, but you’re also giving them an option to give you feedback, and more importantly, see how others are interacting with you.

Think about it, with almost a quarter of online shoppers (23%) being influenced by social media recommendations, when your customers have positive experiences with your brand, your followers (and potential customers) will take notice and be more inclined to follow suit.

2: After Integration, Start Selling

If integration is the first step in your social media strategy that leads to increased ecommerce sales, the second step is to start selling. 30% of online shoppers say that they’re likely to make a purchase from a social media network like Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat, and the last thing that you want is to disappoint them.

A lot of ecommerce platforms like Shopify and Squarespace offer the option to integrate your store with social media channels, and some even let you sell through Facebook Messenger. Why is this beneficial? Because you’re shortening the customer journey.

So instead of:

• Potential customer sees a product they like on one of your social pages
• Potential customer navigates to your site
• Potential customer make a purchase

You’re offering your customers a one-stop shop:

• Potential customer sees something they like on one of your social pages and makes a purchase right there

Social integration is faster, cleaner, and improves the customer’s experience with your Brand. What’s not to like?

3: Rewards, Referrals, and more Rewards

“The purpose of a business is to create a customer who creates customers.”

How can a business create customers who will then create more customers? A ecommerce referral program:

1. Person A interacts with Brand A
2. Brand A offers Person A the option to be rewarded for referring Person B to do the same
3. Person B takes over the referring role with Person C, and so on

That’s the mentality behind referral programs. It’s all about the rewards, but more importantly, it’s about the deal. Speaking of, why do we like deals/rewards? They’re a bargain. We’re essentially getting more for the same. So instead of paying X-amount for one item, we’re paying X-amount for two items.

4: Control Opinions with an Influencer

An influencer wields influence over others. An influencer is someone who says, and others follow. In other words:

“They are people who are followed by many because people enjoy what they do whether it be singing, creating or simply being famous. They place a lot of trust in that person, and may even take their opinion over someone that they personally know. An influencer can skyrocket your brand as they garner many views and impressions.”

In a contemporary example, what happens when a Kardashian endorses a product? The product flies off the shelf. Influencers have high credibility and use that to sway opinions. They know what they’re talking about, and you expect them to similarly guide you in the right direction. Makes sense, right?

5: Product Reviews: Mini Influencers

Product reviews are like mini influencers. The person leaving the review may not be widely known, but they’re still relatable. From a buyer’s perspective, reviewers are like different versions of future you. They’re people who were in your shoes, bought the product, and are now describing their experience.

This is why 69% of online shoppers want more reviews from ecommerce sites. They want to know what works, what doesn’t work, and most importantly, if the purchase was worth it. At the risk of sounding like a salesman… but wait, there’s more! Because search engines consider product reviews as ranking signals, reviews also have the added benefit of improving your Brand’s SEO. Ever heard of killing two birds with one stone?

Tip Recap!

Social media, influencers, reviews and rewards. Did you get all of that? Actually, it doesn’t matter. Here are the tips all over again:

1. Integrate social media and start a two-way conversation with your audience
2. Enhance your online presence and sell through social media channels
3. Use an influencer to shape opinions surrounding your Brand
4. Make use of product reviews and treat them like mini influencers
5. Reward your users

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This post is written by Matthew, he is a creative content writer with a passion for marketing and all things digital. He works for Aumcore, a digital marketing agency based in NYC, and specializes in ecommerce web development.