Ecommerce is perhaps the most challenging area of digital marketing. While almost every aspect of digital marketing efforts is trackable, e-commerce is the most demanding. If sales decline, an urgent solution is needed, making it a challenging task for digital marketers. Even when everything is going well, brands and stores are always looking for ways to increase sales. So, how can sales be increased? Which techniques truly work?

There are many strategies for e-commerce, and for better readability and organization, they have been categorized into short- and long-term solutions.

Short-Term Solutions / Immediate Results

Discounts (with special days if possible)

Price is the most important factor for a significant portion of buyers. Discounts, campaigns, and special offers can boost sales. Creating bundles or sets may also be effective.

Reaching Existing Customers

In most cases, previous buyers are the easiest targets for additional sales. Reaching them through email, SMS, or special offers can generate immediate revenue. However, this is a short-term solution—frequent outreach may become ineffective over time, and the customer list is typically limited, restricting the volume of sales.

Budget Adjustments

Increasing Budget
If there are no serious issues with the campaign, increasing the budget is often the easiest and most effective way to boost sales—but it comes at a cost (literally).

Shifting Budget - Branding/Awareness to Conversion Campaigns
Shifting the budget toward more sales-focused campaigns is an obvious option for increasing conversions.

Shifting Budget to Best-Selling Products
While high-priced products contribute to revenue, they often require a longer research period. Allocating more budget to best-selling products can be effective as well.

Testing New Audiences & Keywords

Especially for niche products, continuously targeting the same audience and keywords can lead to market saturation. Testing different audiences and keywords may lead to increased sales.

Long-Term Solutions

For store and brand owners who are not seeking immediate results, long-term strategies often provide more permanent and effective outcomes. Let’s explore these strategies.

SEO

E-commerce SEO primarily focuses on ranking products higher for shopping-intent searches. While this is the ideal scenario, creating regular content that addresses your target audience’s problems can also increase brand awareness. Even if visitors are not immediately ready to buy, your brand will be a strong option when they are.

To convert blog visitors into buyers, always mention your e-store homepage and related products within blog posts. Avoid completely separating your blog from your e-commerce store, as this can create confusion.

Brand Awareness

For product categories that require a high level of trust—such as electronics, beverages, or airline reservations—reaching users through paid ads or organic search may not matter as much, as transactions require trust. Consumers are unlikely to purchase a television from an unfamiliar website. Building a brand is a long-term effort. While digital marketing is crucial, traditional methods such as TV commercials, outdoor advertising, and sponsorship events can also be highly effective. However, initial visibility must be established online.

Loyalty Programs

Loyalty programs provide an additional incentive for customers to buy from your brand again. If returning customers do not receive any rewards or incentives, they may become discouraged and eventually explore other options.

Customer Support & Online Reputation Management

This is one of the most overlooked aspects of e-commerce. If customers cannot find solutions to issues related to product quality, shipping times, customer support, or return policies, they will likely turn to third-party review or complaint websites or social media.

Search engines aim to be objective and provide a variety of results. When potential buyers research your product, reviews and complaints will appear alongside your store’s results. Some customers will even search for terms like "[Product] + complaints" or "[Product] reviews."

For brands with poor reputations, this can create a vicious cycle:

1. Reaching potential buyers through organic search or paid ads

2. The buyer likes the product and starts researching

3. They find negative reviews and abandon the purchase

This means a significant marketing investment is wasted. For long-term success, offering quality products, strong customer support, and a buyer-friendly return policy is essential.

Discovering New Product/Service Trends & Partnerships

Identifying new trends and opportunities is crucial. When Netflix started, it sold and rented DVDs by mail. If the company had not evolved, it would not be where it is today. Exploring partnerships and adapting business models ensures a future-proof brand strategy.

Finding & Fixing Mistakes

Regular evaluations are vital for long-term success. As marketing channels, products, and web pages grow, identifying and correcting mistakes becomes more important. Here are key areas to monitor:

• High return or complaint ratio products – Identify the cause and consider solutions (e.g., adding product details, warnings, reducing visibility, or removing from paid campaigns if necessary).

• Underperforming marketing channels – Determine which channels have the lowest sales or engagement.

• Return, coupon, and policy pages – Ensure they are up-to-date and genuinely useful to customers.

• Payment & loyalty programs – Confirm all systems function correctly.

• Pricing & product photos – Keep listings accurate on your site and third-party platforms.

• Product catalogs – Ensure they function properly across platforms such as Google Merchant Center, Meta Catalogs, and TikTok Catalogs.

• Conversion tracking – Verify that the data from dashboards aligns with actual sales reports.

By consistently improving short- and long-term strategies, e-commerce businesses can create a sustainable and profitable growth path in 2025 and in the future.

Disclaimer:

- All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This content is for informational purposes only.

- This article is based on personal experience in e-commerce. Sales strategies may vary depending on industry, region, product category, and target audience. The information provided is for general knowledge only and should not be considered specific business advice.