Every Shopify store owner wants one thing. More traffic.
More traffic means more opportunities for sales. A typical Shopify store converts only 1% of visitors. For every 100 visitors you may only get 1 sale. Increasing traffic is crucial for sustainable income.
To get more traffic most people turn to paid advertising. Specifically paid Facebook or Google ads. And those can be great traffic drivers, they also can get very expensive, very quickly.
Digital ads are not the only way to drive traffic to your Shopify store.
In 2017 I had just launched The Bali Market's new website on Shopify. This was the first time I wasn't able to rely on Amazon's built-in traffic to get customers. Sales were slow but one morning was different.
I was up early drinking my morning coffee at the kitchen island. My phone sitting on the counter made the sound that's music to any Shopify seller's ears. Cha-Ching!
Being a new store, this sound was not too common. But then it happened again. Cha-Ching! Cha-Ching!
Multiple orders were rolling in. I was excited and confused. What was the reason for the sudden increase in orders?
I checked my email and saw the podcast I was on had just dropped. And customers were listening, then coming straight to my store and buying.
My store was getting traffic because I made myself visible.
I continue to drive traffic to my store by making myself both physically and virtually visible.
I've made myself (and store) visible by being a:
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guest on podcasts
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sponsor of podcasts
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speaker at a large conference
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guest at large conferences and retreats
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host of in-person and virtual trainings
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member of local and national networking groups
Speaking at the New Wave Conference in Orlando, Florida
Put yourself in a place where you can meet new customers, and meet people who can elevate your business status.
Personal connections open up access to new customers and business opportunities. You never know who you'll meet when you make yourself open and available. But you're guaranteed to meet nobody if you stay locked in your own bubble.
I'm writing this during the Coronavirus pandemic, which makes in-person visibility almost impossible. But not 100% impossible. Being available to your customers can be virtual. Like on a podcast interview, YouTube Channel (where youconsistently show up as the face of your brand), Facebook Live or Instagram Stories.
Paying to join national organizations opens you up for visibility and access as well.
I've been a member of HeyMama, a national organization for entrepreneur moms.This membership gave me access to a feature on their website, which resulted in sales and other mentorship connections. This was all done virtually.
Pre-pandemic I also attended an in-person event exclusive to HeyMama members.There I met Hailey Duff (actress and founder of Little Moon Society), Sara Happ (the founder of the lip scrub company, Sara Happ), and Sara Gibson Tuttle (founder of the nail salon and nail kits Olive & June).
Meeting high level business owners inspired me to make changes in my business that up-leveled my own brand.
You're influenced by those around you.
Be available to surrounding yourself with people who are doing what you want to do. And can help you get there.
Making yourself available for visibility opens up your store for more visibility. It also makes your store look bigger than it is (and more trustworthy).
Be open to meeting new people. Be available on multiple platforms. Be visible to new customers.
Facebook ads are not the only way to drive traffic to your store. Make yourself available to new people to elevate your brand awareness.
Where should you start?
Go to places your customers hang out.
Join local and national organizations for access to new customers and alliances.
Get featured on blogs, podcasts, and magazines your customers consume.
Ready for more visibility? >>>> Learn more at Let's Get Visible
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