How To Make Your First Ecommerce Sale

Finding your first customer can feel like a big challenge, but it’s all part of the exciting journey of building your business. With so many ways to promote your brand and products, there’s a world of opportunity out there.

When you’re starting an online store, it’s easy to get caught up in the details of your website—spending hours experimenting with colors, fonts, and layouts. But instead of getting lost in the design phase, focus on what truly matters: launching your store, sharing your brand with the world, and welcoming shoppers through your virtual door.

In this post, learn how to make your first sale by driving the right kind of traffic to your store.

Sourcing free traffic

When you start an online store, it might be tempting to spend lots of time choosing the perfect colors, comparing fonts, or adjusting your pricing. While these elements are important, they only really matter once you have a steady flow of visitors.

Therefore, one of the first steps for new store owners should be to drive traffic to their website.

Start by targeting free traffic sources. This means tapping into relevant communities, appearing in Google search results, and using incentives to attract your first customers. To get started:

• Share your store with personal networks and relevant online communities.
• Offer a discount code to welcome new customers.
• Create content that ranks for relevant Google searches.

Sharing your store

Many entrepreneurs find their first sales come from people they know. So, don’t hesitate to announce your new store on your personal social media accounts.

Every online interaction is an opportunity to drive traffic to your store. Make sure you link to your website on all your social media bios.

You could also send a direct email to close contacts about your store’s launch, asking them to share your store with others. They don’t need to make a purchase to support your business.

“Our first three or four sales came from friends and colleagues,” shares Jayanti Gupta, the founder of Parinita, a saree clothing store. “Within a month, we started receiving inquiries and sales from new customers who found us online.”

Expand your reach by posting on forums like Reddit, joining Facebook Groups, and engaging with niche online communities related to your industry. Search for groups where your audience is active. This strategy can be especially effective if your store caters to specific interest groups, like dog owners or trail runners.

For extra support as you go after your first sale, join entrepreneurial communities like r/Entrepreneur on Reddit, or Shopify Community for advice from fellow merchants.

Offering discounts

Consider offering a discount code to draw people to your store. Discounts serve as a powerful incentive for first-time visitors.

Alternatively, boost your incentives by creating product bundles, hosting flash sales, or organizing giveaways to increase engagement.

For instance, the jewelry brand Scarlett reached potential customers through LinkedIn by offering $25 gift cards in exchange for submitting an email address and completing a survey.

Avoid spamming your audience with repetitive promotions. Instead, focus on making authentic connections by tailoring messages to your customers’ needs and interests.

Appearing in Google search results

A Google search is where most online shoppers start their journey. If your website shows up for relevant searches, you have a better chance of attracting customers.

The task of appearing in search results is called search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is about identifying which search terms your potential customers are using and creating content that matches those queries. Start by doing keyword research to find popular phrases related to your products.

Then, consider adding a blog to your website or making videos that provide helpful information. For instance, if you sell kitchen gadgets, you could share cooking tips or recipe ideas. Posting helpful content not only boosts your visibility in search results but also creates a richer website experience.

If you find SEO tasks complex, get some help from a Shopify partner.

Running paid ads

Paid ads put your store in front of large, relevant audiences. Most online advertising platforms use a pay-per-click model, where you set a budget and your ads run until they’ve attracted a certain amount of traffic to your store.

Each advertising platform is different, and you should pick channels based on who you’re targeting. If you’re aiming at specific countries, for example, check which social networks are popular in those regions.

Before diving into paid social media marketing on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google, make sure your profile’s feed is filled with engaging content. Then, start running ads on the platforms most relevant to your audience:

• Invest in targeted Facebook ads.
• Build brand awareness with paid Instagram posts.
• Appear in relevant search results with Google Shopping Ads.

Facebook ads

Facebook is still the most popular global social network, attracting a range of users across age, income, gender, and locations.

Leverage this user data with Facebook’s Audience Insights tool to find people who are likely to be interested in your products. For instance, if your store sells t-shirts decorated with pop culture references, target users who have liked a TV show fan page or are members of a video game community.

See how clothing store United By Blue uses Facebook ads to promote its eco-friendly products to users interested in the environment and conservation:

Instagram ads

Instagram’s visual format helps ads blend seamlessly into users’ feeds. The platform’s engaged user base uses the Explore feed to discover new products.

With Instagram ads, you can promote your brand and products while also entertaining users. For example, Brandless uses video ads to showcase its products in action:

If you can build a following and use relevant Instagram marketing strategies, organic (unpaid) Instagram posts can also reach a significant audience.

Google Ads

With Google Shopping Ads, you can position your products on search results pages for relevant queries.

As the world’s largest digital ad platform, Google Ads offers visibility for your store on Google’s search engine, YouTube, and a multitude of third-party websites. Choose from text ads or banner ads to display your brand assets.

Explore other paid advertising platforms like YouTube ads, Pinterest ads, and TikTok ads for a trend-focused audience.

Marketing partnerships

After you’ve promoted your store with organic content and paid ads, increase the impact of your marketing by getting others to recommend your brand.

The internet is full of potential marketing partnerships, whether that’s collaborating with influencers, gaining coverage from media outlets, or working with other like-minded brands.

Use these methods to enhance your brand through a positive story or product review:

• Create content for bloggers.
• Collaborate with influencers.
• Build local goodwill for your brand.

Reach out to bloggers

With a compelling pitch or press kit, you can forge partnerships with relevant bloggers and media websites.

Identify publications that resonate with your niche and propose a collaboration, such as a sponsored content arrangement or a guest posting opportunity, where you share your expertise alongside details of your product.

Alternatively, ask for a product review from a respected voice within your industry. This gives potential customers a trustworthy recommendation, boosting their confidence in the quality of your products.

Work with influencers

Big brands aren’t the only ones benefiting from influencer endorsements. Partnering with influencers is a popular way to place your products in front of a relevant and engaged audience.

Explore ways to work with influencers, such as offering your product for review or co-creating content that entertains and informs both of your followers.

While you can approach influencers directly, influencer marketplaces also facilitate connections between brands and creators.

Try word-of-mouth marketing

Not all marketing needs to be online. Engage with your local community to spread the word about your products.

For instance, if you sell dog collars, consider pinning a flyer at your local dog park or chatting with dog owners about their needs. This direct engagement can lead to valuable insights and increased brand visibility.

If you can produce low-cost products or samples, consider distributing them locally. You could set up your own pop-up shop.

Combining traditional and online marketing tactics can be an effective strategy. Today, it’s straightforward to share a QR code or mention your website address to interested shoppers.

These efforts can kickstart word-of-mouth marketing, build community goodwill, and potentially lead to sustained interest in your products.

Learn from your efforts

As you launch marketing campaigns and drive traffic to your store, you’ll start to collect performance data. Analyze this data to understand the types of content and marketing channels that are most effective at generating traffic and sales.

Use your ecommerce platform’s analytics dashboard and any reporting tools from the ad platforms you’re using to pinpoint where your marketing might not be translating into traffic or sales. Understanding customer behavior through data can help you make informed adjustments:

• Enhance ad targeting to reduce bounce rates.
• Use market research to persuade browsers to buy.
• Simplify your checkout process to reduce cart abandonment.

Bouncing traffic

If your store has a high bounce rate, it could indicate that your traffic is low quality or not well-targeted.

To reduce bounce rates, try making your marketing more targeted to attract relevant visitors. Also, review your landing page content to ensure it engages your traffic.

Another common cause of bouncing traffic is that your store might not be loading efficiently. Be sure to optimize your website’s load times by compressing images, reducing unnecessary plug-ins, and using a mobile-responsive design.

Browsing without buying

If visitors are browsing but not adding products to their carts, it could be due to a lack of product-market fit. Alternatively, your pricing strategy may need adjustment.

Conduct market research to ensure your products meet customer needs and expectations.

It’s also important to ensure your store instills consumer trust, making shoppers feel confident about purchasing from you.

Increase transparency by adding customer reviews and clear return policies. Ensure your website design is professional and your contact information is easy to find.

Abandoned carts

A high rate of abandoned carts could indicate issues with your checkout process. It may also mean that your shipping terms are not attractive to shoppers.

Simplify your checkout process by reducing the number of steps and asking only for essential information. Offer multiple payment options and transparent shipping.

Build a brand and grow

Making your first sale is a key milestone on a journey to build a brand that’s well-known and loved by your target audience. Keep refining your marketing strategy and engaging with customers, and you’ll set the foundation for a successful business.

Remember, every big brand started with a single sale!

Illustration by Eugenia Mello

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