11 Ways to Generate Organic Leads as an E-Commerce Seller

Do you run an e-commerce business? Then, you should be aware of the importance of organic leads. An organic lead is a potential customer that comes to your website or store without your paid efforts. These organic leads can help increase sales and grow your brand more cost-effectively than paid advertising.

However, getting these organic leads isn’t easy – it requires strategic planning and careful execution. But before we dive into the strategies to generate organic leads, let’s quickly define what an organic lead is and why it is important for your e-commerce business.

What is Lead Generation and Why is it Important?

An organic lead is someone who visits your website, checks out product pages, interacts with them, and possibly makes a purchase without any prompting from you or external forces. Organic leads are not the same as organic traffic, which can be generated from multiple sources, such as search engine optimization, content marketing, and social media campaigns.

Lead generation is an important aspect of e-commerce because it helps you target potential customers and increase sales. With the right lead generation strategies in place, you can generate leads organically and convert them into paying customers at a lower cost than with paid advertising.

Who is Your Ideal Lead?

Before you start generating organic leads, it’s important to define who your ideal customer is. Take the time to understand their needs and preferences so that you can tailor your content and strategies to your target audience.

High-quality leads are those that have a higher chance of converting into customers. The more you can define your target audience, the better your chances of generating high-quality leads. You can start identifying potential leads by looking at their online behavior, such as the kind of content that interests them, the type of products they’re searching for, their pain points, and any other related information you can gather.

What is the Lead Generation Process Like?

Online lead generation is the process of attracting potential customers to your website or store. It’s a vital part of any marketing strategy, as it helps you reach out to more people who may be interested in your products.

Lead generation is especially crucial for e-commerce businesses because it helps acquire more customers without overspending on marketing. The lead generation process starts by identifying the right audiences, then getting those people to take an interest in your products through various methods.

Now that we’ve covered the basics of organic lead generation, let’s move on to 10 strategies you can implement today to start generating organic leads for your e-commerce website.

10 Lead Generation Strategies for E-commerce Businesses

1. Leverage search engine optimization (SEO) to get your product pages to appear on the first page of search engine results.

Search engine optimization or SEO is a powerful tool when it comes to generating leads. SEO involves optimizing your web pages to help them appear higher on search engine results page (SERPs). By investing in SEO, you can increase the visibility of your products and get more organic leads to your website or store.

Other ways to increase your rank on search engines are to use relevant keywords in your content, fresh and engaging content, and optimize images with alt tags.

2. Create attractive visuals such as product videos and share them on social media.

Social media posts with visuals tend to receive more likes, shares, and comments than those without. Creating product videos can help you attract more leads as people are more likely to watch a video about your product than read a blog post.

According to a  recent study by Wyzowl, 91% of consumers prefer to see more online video content from brands, indicating that the preference for video content is not only limited to entertainment but also extends to brands and products. Nonetheless, you can also use visuals such as infographics, photos, and GIFs of your products to create engaging content on social media.

3. Start a blog and share content related to your products.

Search engine algorithms tend to favor websites that regularly create content, as it indicates to them that your website is updated with fresh content. Additionally, blogging can help you establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry and also provide valuable information to potential customers.

Content marketing involves creating topics related to your products or services, providing helpful tips and tricks, answering customer questions, and linking back to relevant product pages on your website. Quality content helps drive site visitors to your product pages and eventually leads them further down the sales funnel.

4. Use competitive keywords to boost organic traffic.

Keyword research is an essential element of SEO and can help your website to rank higher on search engine results. It involves researching words or phrases that potential customers use to find products like yours.

Once you’ve identified the right keywords, you can use them in your content, product titles, descriptions, and tags to help boost organic traffic and leads to your website. Additionally, you can also use long-tail keywords, which are more specific keywords that have lower competition but still drive traffic to your e-commerce website.

5. Use a lead magnet to capture email addresses.

Lead magnets are offers that you can use to entice potential customers in exchange for their contact details such as their email address. These could be anything from a free trial of your product, an eBook related to your industry, or even access to exclusive valuable content. This is a great way to capture leads as people are more likely to provide their contact information if there’s an incentive.

Once you have these email addresses, you can use email marketing to send newsletters and special offers to encourage leads to purchase your products.

6. Leverage email marketing.

Email marketing is another effective way to generate qualified leads for your online store. It involves sending newsletters, promotional emails, and special offers to subscribers who have given you their contact information.

These emails should be targeted toward potential customers based on factors like age, location, and gender, as this can help increase your chances of conversions. Lead generation campaigns that are sent through email can be incredibly effective as it lets you connect with potential customers on a more personal level and build relationships with them over time.

And of course, make sure to always track your results so that you can identify which marketing campaigns are working and adjust accordingly. This will help you optimize your lead-generation efforts and ensure that you’re making the most of your time and resources.

7. Give out discounts for referrals and loyalty programs.

Giving out discounts for referrals is a great lead-generation strategy, as it encourages existing customers to spread the word about your products. Additionally, loyalty programs are a great way to build customer relationships and encourage them to keep returning to your website for more purchases.

You can also use referral marketing tools such as  ReferralCandy which offer automated referral systems that make it easy for you to track and manage your referral program.

8. Take advantage of influencer or affiliate marketing to reach new audiences.

Today, social media engagement is more important than ever, and partnering with influencers or affiliates can help you reach new audiences and generate more e-commerce leads.

Influencer marketing involves working with influential people on social media platforms who have large followings and the ability to share your brand’s message. 

On the other hand, affiliate marketing involves paying a commission for sales or leads generated by affiliates who promote your products. Since you'd be working with different people and platforms, make sure that you send a consistent message across all channels.

These are both great ways to reach new audiences and increase conversions, as people trust influencers and affiliates more than traditional ads. So, take the time to find the right influencers or affiliates for your business and start leveraging their following!

9. Do conversion rate optimization (CRO).

Conversion rate optimization is the process of improving your website’s performance in order to start generating leads. This includes things such as optimizing your website site structure, design, and content, using persuasive copywriting techniques, testing different layouts and designs, and more.

CRO is a great way to improve the number of leads you generate from your website as it allows you to identify and address any issues that are preventing website visitors from becoming customers. The goal of CRO is to get visitors to take action, whether it’s signing up for your newsletter or making a purchase.

By utilizing CRO tactics, you can make sure that your website is user-friendly and optimized for e-commerce lead generation, which will ultimately help you get more leads and sales.

10. Host virtual events like live Q&As, webinars, and online courses.

Hosting virtual events is a great way to generate leads, as it allows you to engage with potential customers in real time and build trust with them over time.

By hosting live Q&As, webinars, or online courses, you can provide valuable information that your target audience will find useful while also positioning yourself as an expert in your industry. This is a great way to build relationships with potential customers and encourage them to take action, such as signing up for your email list, purchasing products or services, etc.

11. Utilize page-level targeting.

Page-level targeting allows you to serve ads on specific landing pages or sections of your website. For example, suppose you want to target users who have expressed interest in a particular product or service. In that case, you can create an ad that is only visible to those users who have visited the relevant landing page. This helps ensure that your ads are reaching people who are already interested in your business.

Page-level targeting can be used with other lead-generation tactics, such as email marketing or social media advertising, to maximize the reach of your campaigns and ensure that you’re getting the most out of each one.

Final Reminders

Generating organic leads as an e-commerce seller can be challenging, but it is far from impossible. By applying the tactics listed above, you can start engaging potential customers and increasing your sales.

Before starting any lead generation strategy, however, make sure to do thorough research on your target audience and create a plan that addresses their needs and interests. This will ensure that your lead generation efforts are successful in the long run.