Shopify lead generation: 5 ways to attract new customers

If you want to run a successful Shopify business, you need a consistent influx of new customers. Fortunately, there are some proven ways to draw new customers to your store.

Check out these tips for Shopify store lead generation that will help ensure you hit your revenue targets.

1. Identify your ideal customer

The first step in any lead generation strategy is figuring out who you want to attract. Many new business owners have a tendency to say that “everyone” is their ideal customer, but that’s rarely the case.

Before you can determine how to attract leads, you have to identify exactly who they are. This may involve doing market research, conducting surveys, or having a few detailed one-on-one interviews with people who seem like a perfect fit for your product.

Knowing your ideal customer’s demographic, psychographic, and behavioral characteristics will help you understand the challenges they’re facing and how you can address them. This information will be crucial as you set up your business, create your marketing campaigns, and nurture your leads.

It will also help you create personalized content. Melanie Bedwell, e-commerce manager for OLIPOP, notes that when customers see content that’s targeted to them, they’re more likely to respond to the brand.

2. Build an intuitive website

It’s easy to build an attractive e-commerce website on Shopify if you don’t have any prior web development experience. However, this doesn’t mean that all Shopify websites are successful. To pull in leads, you need to create a website that’s easy to navigate, professional-looking, and intuitive.

It should take visitors no more than a few seconds to find the information they’re looking for once they land on your website. Make sure your product descriptions are clear and concise, shipping and delivery details are easy to understand, and your layout and images are alluring and informative.

3. Create content for search engines and people

Search engine optimization plays a major role in Shopify lead generation. When potential customers search online for something related to your business, you want your website to be one of the first search results they see. You can make this happen by doing keyword research and incorporating high-value keywords into specific places on your website, such as page titles, meta descriptions, alt tags, and body copy.

But writing website copy that appeals to search engines isn’t enough; you also have to write for people. Your site’s content should focus on the ideal buyer’s needs and challenges and discuss how your product or service can solve their problems.

Offer helpful content that positions your company as an expert in the industry and builds trust and credibility. Eventually, you can begin trading content for your leads’ contact information so you can further nurture them.

“It’s important to remain consistent with your content strategy,” says Bedwell. “You want to consistently develop content that is engaging and relevant to your target audience.

“This strategy should tie back to your larger goal. Do you want to expand your reach? Or increase your customer retention? Whatever the case may be, ensure your content always points toward this goal.

“In order to generate leads, you want to have a clear call to action (CTA). This CTA should be obvious and display a sense of urgency. A well-written CTA can turn leads into customers.”

4. Use different channels to nurture leads

Social media and influencer marketing, content marketing, pay-per-click advertising, and email marketing are some of the most effective ways to improve your Shopify lead generation efforts. It’s vital to have a multi-pronged strategy that can reach your prospects in multiple ways.

Keep in mind that if a prospect sees your e-commerce website in one place, such as on social media, they may not click on it until they’ve seen it multiple times. If you reach prospects through different channels, you can stay top of mind and eventually convince the lead to head to your store and look around.

5. Expand your reach

Kurt Ellis, president of GLF E-Commerce Fulfillment, advises Shopify merchants to offer international shipping as a way to garner more leads.

“One of the easiest ways to scale your e-commerce business is to expand to the international marketplace,” he says. “The benefits of offering international shipping include increased sales, diversification, and sales consistency.” Catering to customers around the globe instead of just one location opens up your potential to sell to a lot more people.

Effectively applying Shopify lead generation strategies can change the trajectory of your business. Get started by figuring out who your ideal customers are so you can target them effectively.