eCommerce
eCommerce

Ecommerce Marketing That Helps You Sell Smarter

Marketing for ecommerce isn’t just about getting clicks—it’s about turning shoppers into customers and customers into repeat buyers. For startups, that means having a plan that covers the whole funnel: traffic, conversion, retention, and growth.

This page walks you through the essentials so you can market your ecommerce business with focus, not guesswork.

Ecommerce Marketing That Helps You Sell Smarter

Marketing for ecommerce isn’t just about getting clicks—it’s about turning shoppers into customers and customers into repeat buyers. For startups, that means having a plan that covers the whole funnel: traffic, conversion, retention, and growth.

This page walks you through the essentials so you can market your ecommerce business with focus, not guesswork.

    Tips to get you started with startup ecommerce marketing:

    (Click linked headings for guidance)
    • Understand Your Target Audience
      Start by gaining a deep understanding of your target customers—their preferences, behaviors, pain points, and buying habits. This knowledge forms the foundation of your startup ecommerce marketing strategy.
    • Market Research
      Conduct thorough market research to identify trends, assess the competitive landscape, and uncover opportunities for growth within your niche.
    • Competitive Analysis
      Analyze your competitors to understand their strategies, pricing, product offerings, and customer engagement tactics. Use this information to differentiate your brand.
    • Product Optimization
      Ensure that your product listings are optimized for search engines and user experience. Optimize product titles, descriptions, images, and pricing.
    • User-Friendly Website
      Create a user-friendly and mobile-responsive website that offers a seamless shopping experience. Implement clear navigation, intuitive search functionality, and a secure checkout process.
    • Content Creation
      Develop high-quality and engaging product content, including product descriptions, images, videos, and user-generated content. Persuasive product copy can significantly impact conversion rates.
    • SEO Strategy
      Implement a robust SEO strategy to improve your website’s visibility in search engines. Focus on keyword research, on-page optimization, and link-building tactics.
    • Email Marketing
      Utilize email marketing to nurture customer relationships, promote products, and recover abandoned carts. Personalize emails and segment your audience for better results.
    • Paid Advertising
      Consider paid advertising channels like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads to drive targeted traffic to your website. Allocate budget based on performance.
    • Social Media Marketing
      Leverage social media platforms to engage with your audience, showcase products, and run advertising campaigns. Tailor content to each platform’s audience.
    • Influencer Partnerships
      Collaborate with influencers in your niche to expand your reach and tap into their dedicated followers. Ensure influencer partnerships align with your brand image.
    • Customer Reviews and Ratings
      Encourage customers to leave reviews and ratings on your products. Positive reviews build trust and can boost sales.
    • Abandoned Cart Recovery
      Implement automated abandoned cart recovery emails to remind customers of products left in their carts and incentivize them to complete their purchase.
    • Loyalty Programs
      Create customer loyalty programs that reward repeat shoppers. Offer discounts, exclusive access, or early product launches to loyal customers.
    • Analytical Tools
      Utilize analytics tools like Google Analytics and ecommerce-specific platforms to track key metrics, including conversion rates, average order value (AOV), and customer acquisition cost (CAC).
    • Budget Allocation
      Allocate your marketing budget strategically, focusing on tactics and channels that yield the best ROI.
    • Legal Compliance
      Ensure that your ecommerce practices comply with relevant regulations, including data privacy laws (e.g., GDPR) and advertising standards.
    • Adaptability
      Be prepared to adapt your ecommerce marketing strategy based on changing market conditions, customer behavior, and industry trends.

      Tips to get you started with startup ecommerce marketing:

      (Click linked headings for guidance)

      Understand Your Target Audience
      Start by gaining a deep understanding of your target customers—their preferences, behaviors, pain points, and buying habits. This knowledge forms the foundation of your startup ecommerce marketing strategy.

      Market Research
      Conduct thorough market research to identify trends, assess the competitive landscape, and uncover opportunities for growth within your niche.

      Competitive Analysis
      Analyze your competitors to understand their strategies, pricing, product offerings, and customer engagement tactics. Use this information to differentiate your brand.

      Product Optimization
      Ensure that your product listings are optimized for search engines and user experience. Optimize product titles, descriptions, images, and pricing.

      User-Friendly Website
      Create a user-friendly and mobile-responsive website that offers a seamless shopping experience. Implement clear navigation, intuitive search functionality, and a secure checkout process.

      Content Creation
      Develop high-quality and engaging product content, including product descriptions, images, videos, and user-generated content. Persuasive product copy can significantly impact conversion rates.

      SEO Strategy
      Implement a robust SEO strategy to improve your website’s visibility in search engines. Focus on keyword research, on-page optimization, and link-building tactics.

      Email Marketing
      Utilize email marketing to nurture customer relationships, promote products, and recover abandoned carts. Personalize emails and segment your audience for better results.

      Paid Advertising
      Consider paid advertising channels like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads to drive targeted traffic to your website. Allocate budget based on performance.

      Social Media Marketing
      Leverage social media platforms to engage with your audience, showcase products, and run advertising campaigns. Tailor content to each platform’s audience.

      Influencer Partnerships
      Collaborate with influencers in your niche to expand your reach and tap into their dedicated followers. Ensure influencer partnerships align with your brand image.

      Customer Reviews and Ratings
      Encourage customers to leave reviews and ratings on your products. Positive reviews build trust and can boost sales.

      Abandoned Cart Recovery
      Implement automated abandoned cart recovery emails to remind customers of products left in their carts and incentivize them to complete their purchase.

      Loyalty Programs
      Create customer loyalty programs that reward repeat shoppers. Offer discounts, exclusive access, or early product launches to loyal customers.

      Analytical Tools
      Utilize analytics tools like Google Analytics and ecommerce-specific platforms to track key metrics, including conversion rates, average order value (AOV), and customer acquisition cost (CAC).

      Budget Allocation
      Allocate your marketing budget strategically, focusing on tactics and channels that yield the best ROI.

      Legal Compliance
      Ensure that your ecommerce practices comply with relevant regulations, including data privacy laws (e.g., GDPR) and advertising standards.

      Adaptability
      Be prepared to adapt your ecommerce marketing strategy based on changing market conditions, customer behavior, and industry trends.

        Running ecommerce marketing solo means leaning on data, staying flexible, and learning as you go. With the right approach, you can attract the right customers, drive sales, and build a store that actually grows.

        Running ecommerce marketing solo means leaning on data, staying flexible, and learning as you go. With the right approach, you can attract the right customers, drive sales, and build a store that actually grows. 

        Basic Resources

        What to Read (and Use) to Build Your Ecommerce Strategy

         

        Basic Resources

        What to Read (and Use) to Build Your Ecommerce Strategy

        eCommerce Places

        Where to start an online store: The best places for eCommerce - From Zapier

        Starting an eCommerce Business

        How To Start an Ecommerce Business - From Shopify

        Selling Online

        Hook, Story, Offer: The 3-Step Method For Selling Online - From Click Funnels

        eCommerce Tools

        Ultimate List of Ecommerce Tools - From HubSpot

        Shopify

        Getting Started with Shopify - From Shopify

        eCommerce eMail Marketing Strategy

        A Retailer’s Guide to Email Marketing Strategy - From Constant Contact

        eCommerce Podcast

        eCommerce Marketing School Podcast - From Privy

        eCommerce Marketing Strategies

        18 Tested ECommerce Marketing Strategies To Boost Sales - From Moosend

        eCommerce Platforms

        Top 16 Ecommerce Platforms: Find the Best One for Your Business - From HubSpot

        eCommerce Marketing Metrics

        5 Essential E-Commerce Marketing Metrics You Need to Track - From Drip

        Starting in eCommerce

        How to Start an Ecommerce Business [Steps + Must-Follow Tips] - From HubSpot

        Advanced Resources

        Further develop your startup ecommerce marketing strategy

        Advanced Resources

        Further develop your startup ecommerce marketing strategy

        Social Media Tips

        8 Smart Social Media Marketing Tips for eCommerce - From Creative Minds

        Marketing Automation

        Supercharge your ecommerce business with marketing automation - From Keap

        Email Hosting

        The 5 best email hosting services for business - From Zapier

        Consumer Trends

        What do online shoppers really want from brands? New data reveals 3 current consumer behavior trends - From Klaviyo

        Online Shopping Stats

        50 Ecommerce Statistics To Know - From HubSpot

        TikTok Sales

        How to Track Sales Coming from TikTok - From Hero Blog

        Order Review Pages

        9 Highly Effective Order Review Pages to Inspire Your Own - From HubSpot

        Payment Processing

        The 6 best online payment processing services - From Zapier

        Business Growth

        How to Grow Your Ecommerce Business - From SemRush

        Impulse Buys

        Recreating The Impulse Buy Online - From Media Post

        Discount Strategy

        Ecommerce Discount Strategy: a Nearly Fool-Proof Guide to Help Your Business Grow - From Get Response

        CTAs

        15 Ecommerce CTA Examples and How To Write One - From Shopify

        eCommerce Pricing Strategies

        Top 10 Essential Ecommerce Pricing Strategies To Beat Your Competition - From Seller App

        Customer Engagement

        14 Strategies to Boost Year-Round Customer Engagement in Ecommerce - From CM Commerce

        Email

        12 E-commerce Emails to Level Up Your Product Promotion - From Really Good Emails

        Holiday Emails

        Retailers And Consumers Agree On Some Holiday Email Tactics, But Not All: Study - From MediaPost

        Payments

        14 Essential Features for Taking Payments on Your Website - From HubSpot

        Abandoned Cart

        13 Reasons Why Shoppers Abandon Cart and How to Fix it - From WP Rocket

        Abandoned Cart

        9 Abandoned Cart Emails to Win Back Customers - From Drip

        Social Media

        8 Smart Social Media Marketing Tips for eCommerce - From Creative Minds

        WordPress Themes

        52 Best Ecommerce WordPress Themes - From HubSpot

        Landing Pages

        What's a Great Ecomm Landing Page Look Like? - From Unbounce

        Payment Methods

        11 Best Online Payment Methods for Businesses - From HubSpot

        Luxury Goods

        The Luxury E-Commerce Wars Heat Up - From New York Times

        eCommerce Photography

        The Complete Guide to Ecommerce Photography - From Shopify

        Holiday Guide

        Your Holiday Shipping and Order Deadline Guide - From Printful

        Abandoned Cart Emails

        3 Ways to Turn the Abandonment Campaign on Its Head - From Iterable

        eCommerce Marketing

        100 Marketing Tactics To Grow Your Shopify Store (with Examples) - From Privy

        WooCommerce Plugins

        The 31 Best WooCommerce Plugins for WordPress - From WP Rocket

        WooCommerce vs. Shopify

        WooCommerce vs. Shopify: Which Is Better for Ecommerce? - From HubSpot

        Plugins

        8 Best WooCommerce Product Slider Plugins for Showcasing Your Products - From HubSpot

        WooCommerce

        How to Speed Up Your WooCommerce Store on WordPress (11 TIPS) - From WP Rocket

        Order Forms

        How to Create an Order Form (+ 12 Templates) - From HubSpot

        Online Marketplaces

        How marketplaces are evolving - From Retail Dive

        Social Proof

        How to Use Social Proof to Improve Your eCommerce Marketing Strategy [Infographic] - From Social Media Today

        Shoppable content

        The new way of buying online (and 3 brands doing it right) - From Sprout Social

        New Customer Nurture

        How to nurture customers new to ecommerce - From Spotler

        Returns

        Ecommerce Returns: Average Return Rate and How to Reduce It - From Shopify

        Online Payments

        11 Best Online Payment Methods for Businesses - From HubSpot

        SEO

        SEO Best Practices For Migrating To Shopify - From Search Engine Journal

        Website Builders

        The 13 Best Ecommerce Website Builders - From HubSpot

        Retail API

        What Is a Retail API? 13 Best Examples - From HubSpot

        eCommerce Stats

        Know your customers: 778 online shopping stats to help you sell smarter this year - From Klaviyo

        Abandoned Cart Series

        A 3 Step Abandoned Cart Series to Improve Cart Recovery - From Active Campaign

        Payment Processors

        How to Accept Payments Online [9 Top Payment Processing Providers] - From HubSpot

        Conversion Rates

        Ecommerce Conversion Rates Across Industries (And How to Raise Yours) - From HubSpot

        Tools to develop and manage your startup ecommerce marketing function

        Tools to develop and manage your startup ecommerce marketing function

        Shopify

        Shopify is an ecommerce platform that allows businesses to create online stores. It provides tools for product management, order processing, and marketing.

        Klaviyo

        Klaviyo is an email marketing platform designed for ecommerce businesses. It provides tools for creating targeted email campaigns and automations.

        Hotjar

        Hotjar is a website analytics and feedback tool. It provides heatmaps, session recordings, and surveys to understand user behavior.

        OptinMonster

        OptinMonster is a lead generation tool that helps businesses convert website visitors into subscribers and customers through targeted campaigns.

        Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento)

        Adobe Commerce is an open-source ecommerce platform with a range of tools for creating and managing online stores. It offers flexibility and scalability.

        Oberlo

        Oberlo is a dropshipping app that integrates with Shopify. It allows businesses to find products to sell and automate order fulfillment.

        Facebook (Meta) Ads Manager

        For businesses advertising on Facebook, the Ads Manager provides tools for creating and managing ad campaigns.

        BigCommerce

        BigCommerce is a cloud-based ecommerce platform that provides tools for creating and managing online stores, including features for marketing and analytics.

        Google Analytics

        Google Analytics provides in-depth analytics and insights into website traffic. It's essential for understanding user behavior and optimizing marketing strategies.

        Trustpilot

        Trustpilot is a platform for collecting and managing customer reviews. Positive reviews can build trust and credibility for ecommerce businesses.

        WooCommerce

        WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that turns a website into a fully functional ecommerce store. It offers flexibility and integrates with WordPress.

        Mailchimp

        Mailchimp is an email marketing platform that offers tools for creating and sending email campaigns. It's user-friendly and integrates with ecommerce platforms.

        Canva

        Canva is a graphic design tool that allows marketers to create visually appealing graphics for social media, marketing materials, and more.

        Don’t let marketing slow you down—or drive you nuts. If you’re stuck, swamped, or just tired of Googling everything, Mathlete Marketing has your back.

        Don’t let marketing slow you down—or drive you nuts. If you’re stuck, swamped, or just tired of Googling everything, Mathlete Marketing has your back.