How to Grow Shopify Store: Exploring 11 Essential Strategies

Are you an aspiring e-commerce entrepreneur looking to turn your Shopify store into a thriving online business?

If this question resonates with you, you’re in the right place.

Shopify, a leading eCommerce platform, is utilized by more than nearly 5 million businesses globally due to its user-friendly and powerful features, enabling the creation of visually appealing storefronts.

In this article, we will set off on a journey through the complex world of e-commerce, offering you a comprehensive guide on how to grow a Shopify store, and, ultimately, strategies to unlock its full potential.

10 Proven Strategies on How to Grow Shopify Store

1. Speed Is Your Secret Weapon

An optimized website significantly enhances user experience and search engine visibility. Research shows that 53% of mobile users will leave a site that takes longer than three seconds to load​ (Astra). Moreover, Google gives higher rankings to mobile-friendly and fast-loading websites, directly impacting your store’s organic traffic.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Lazy Loading: Implement lazy loading for images and videos. This means they only load when they come into the user’s viewport, drastically improving initial page load times.
• Minify Code: Remove unnecessary characters from your website’s CSS, JavaScript, and HTML. This can be done manually or with the help of a Shopify app.
• Prioritize Above-the-Fold Content: Ensure that the most important elements of your site load first. This could be a hero image, a call-to-action button, or essential product information.
• Regularly Check PageSpeed Insights: Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool provides valuable recommendations on how to improve your website’s speed. Use it regularly and address any issues that arise.

Get 1 Month Support For Free

Sign up for our 6-month maintenance package now!

24/7 support, including holidays

Emergency after-hours support

Affordable pricing plans (from $499)

Support experts with 10+ YOE

Get Free 1:1 Consultation Now

2. Show Up Where Your Customers Are Searching

SEO is crucial for the journey of  “how to grow Shopify store” as it  increases organic traffic. Businesses that implement SEO can see an average increase of 14.6% in conversion rates​ (BCG Global)​. Organic search is also responsible for 53% of all website traffic​ (Semrush)​.

Here are some effective strategies to boost your Shopify store’s SEO:

• On-Page Optimization: Ensure that every page has a unique and descriptive meta title and description. Use header tags (H1, H2, etc.) to structure your content and make it easier to read.
• Technical SEO: Submit a sitemap to Google Search Console. Ensure your site has a proper internal linking structure and uses canonical tags to avoid duplicate content issues.
• Local SEO: If you have a physical location, optimize for local searches by claiming your Google My Business listing and including your address and phone number on your website.
• Keyword Mapping: Don’t just stuff keywords into your content. Create a keyword map to strategically target different keywords on different pages of your website.

3. Content That Converts

As the effective practice to grow Shopify store, content marketing generates three times as many leads as traditional marketing and costs 62% less​ (Hostinger)​. It also helps build authority and engage customers effectively.

To help you get started, here is a quick summary of the essential strategies:

• User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage customers to share photos and videos of themselves using your products. UGC is highly authentic and can be a powerful form of social proof.
• Interactive Content: Quizzes, polls, and calculators can be a fun and engaging way to interact with your audience.
• Repurpose Content: Turn a blog post into an infographic, a video into a podcast, or a customer testimonial into a social media post. Get the most out of your content creation efforts.

4. Smart Paid Advertising

Paid advertising can be a powerful tool to address how to grow Shopify stores. For every $1 spent on Google Ads, businesses can earn $2 in revenue. But it’s not just about throwing money at ads—it’s about strategic planning and execution.

To make the most of paid advertising for your Shopify store, follow these aspects:

• Lookalike Audiences: Use Facebook’s Lookalike Audience feature to reach new people who share similar characteristics with your existing customers.
• Dynamic Product Ads: Showcase relevant products to users who have already shown interest in your store.
• Remarketing: Show ads to people who have visited your website but haven’t purchased. Remind them of your products and entice them back.

5. Leverage the Power of Social Proof

Customer reviews are gold when it comes to building trust. Influencer marketing can yield up to 11 times the ROI of traditional advertising, and customer testimonials are a form of authentic influencer marketing.

Here’s how to carry it out:

• Types of Social Proof: Beyond reviews, showcase user-generated photos and videos on product pages and in social media feeds. Share customer success stories or case studies to illustrate how your products have helped others.
• Authenticity is Key: Don’t fake reviews or testimonials. Be transparent about your process and highlight real customer experiences, even if they include constructive criticism.
• Influencer Reviews: Partner with micro-influencers or brand ambassadors to create authentic reviews and testimonials that resonate with their followers.
• Visual Display: Use visually appealing widgets or carousels to showcase reviews on your homepage or product pages. Highlight key phrases or star ratings to draw attention.

6. Collaborate with influencers

Working together with influencers might be a successful growth strategy for your Shopify store. 72% of customers won’t take action until they read reviews​ (Semrush)​. Reviews build trust and influence purchasing decisions.

Here are some tips on how to use influencer collaborations to boost your Shopify store’s growth:

• Gifting Programs: Send products to influencers in exchange for honest reviews and social media mentions. This can be a cost-effective way to reach a new audience.
• Affiliate Programs: Offer influencers a commission on sales generated through their unique referral links. This incentivizes them to promote your products actively.
• Co-create Content: Collaborate with influencers to develop content that aligns with both your brand and their personal brand. This can be anything from a sponsored blog post to a joint social media contest.
• Track ROI: Use UTM codes or affiliate tracking software to measure the effectiveness of your influencer campaigns. This data will help you identify your most successful partnerships.

7. Drive Sales with Irresistible Discounts and Promotions

A successful Shopify store involves more than just offering great products. It also includes effective marketing to attract and retain customers, with discounts and promotions being a powerful strategy for this. Discounts can increase sales volume and attract new customers. Over 93% of consumers use a coupon or discount code throughout the year​ (Semrush)​.

Here are some suggestions for efficiently providing sales and promotions:

• Early Access: Offer exclusive discounts to email subscribers or social media followers to incentivize engagement and build anticipation.
• Gamification: Run contests or giveaways that require customers to interact with your brand on social media. This can boost engagement and expand your reach.
• Bundles and Cross-sells: Create product bundles or offer discounts on complementary items to encourage customers to purchase more.
• Exit-Intent Pop-ups: Display a pop-up with a special offer when a visitor is about to leave your site. This can capture potential customers who might otherwise have bounced.

8. Implement referral programs

How can a Shopify store be grown? Implementing referral programs is one answer. Referral programs leverage word-of-mouth marketing, which is responsible for up to 50% of purchasing decisions​ (BCG Global)​. They also incentivize current customers to bring in new ones.

Here’s a quick rundown of the procedures needed to put in place an effective referral program:

• Double-Sided Incentives: Reward both the referrer and the referred friend. This can encourage more participation.
• Tiered Rewards: Offer increasing rewards for more referrals. This can motivate your most loyal customers to spread the word even more.
• Social Sharing: Make it easy for customers to share their referral links on social media.

9. Offer client support

Growing your Shopify store requires offering excellent customer support.Good customer service can significantly impact customer retention. 96% of consumers say customer service is important in their choice of loyalty to a brand​ (BCG Global)​.

Here’s how to implement it:

• Proactive Support: Reach out to customers proactively to offer assistance, answer questions, or address concerns.
• Surprise and Delight: Occasionally send small gifts or personalized thank-you notes to loyal customers. This can go a long way in building long-term relationships.
• Customer Feedback Loop: Actively seek customer feedback through surveys, polls, or social media listening. Use this feedback to continuously improve your products and services.
• Empower Your Team: Give your customer service team the autonomy to resolve issues quickly and efficiently. Empowered employees are more likely to provide exceptional service.

10. Expand Your Reach with Multi-Channel Selling

Expanding your Shopify store’s presence across multiple channels can significantly increase your reach and drive more sales. Retailers using multiple channels experience 120% higher customer retention rates than those using a single channel.

The following is an easy-to-follow guide on how to efficiently examine your data to drive the growth of your Shopify store:

• Regularly assess your sales reports and website traffic data. Identify trends, popular products, and high-converting pages.
• Analyze customer data to comprehend their demographics, behavior, and preferences, allowing you to tailor your advertising and product offerings.
• Keep an eye on inventory levels and reorder products on time to avoid stockouts.
• Enhance your checkout process and website design to boost conversion rates by testing various elements to determine the most effective approach.
• Address issues by actively seeking and considering customer feedback through reviews, surveys, or social media, and making improvements based on their input.
• Monitor your competitors’ strategies and identify areas where you can improve to enhance your store’s performance.
• Analyze the ROI of your marketing initiatives, choose the best distribution channels, and set your budget appropriately.
• Keep track of expenses, profit margins, and overall financial health.
• Continue testing different elements of your website, including headlines, photos, and call-to-actions, with A/B testing to see what works best for your audience.

11. Expand to marketplaces

Adding Shopify stores to online marketplaces is a smart move if you want to build your e-commerce company. With their larger consumer base, better exposure, and inherent trust, marketplaces can help you expand your client base and attract new markets.

Follow these strategies to expand your marketplaces:

• Multichannel Inventory Management: Use a tool like Shopify’s Multichannel or a third-party app to keep your inventory synced across different platforms.
• Marketplace-Specific Optimization: Each marketplace has its own unique requirements and best practices. Tailor your listings to each platform to maximize visibility.

Read more: Top 15 Powerful Upsell App Shopify for Your Store

Develop & grow your Shopify store with Mageplaza

With a suite of powerful extensions and a commitment to innovation, Mageplaza can play a pivotal role in helping your Shopify store grow and thrive.

Here’s how Mageplaza can assist you in growing your Shopify store:

• User-friendly interface. Mageplaza’s extensions are user-friendly, accessible to those with limited technical knowledge, with a straightforward setup and configuration process, allowing full potential utilization.
• Customer support. Mageplaza is committed to providing excellent customer support. In case you run into any issues, our support team is readily available to assist you.
• Cost-effective solutions. Mageplaza provides a cost-saving solution for your Shopify store functionality enhancement, allowing you to choose extensions that align with your budget and business needs.
• Regular updates and improvements. Mageplaza regularly updates our extensions to keep your e-commerce store competitive and secure, offering ongoing improvements and enhancements to help your business evolve properly.
• Access to powerful dropshipping apps. With the connection with Avada Commerce, whose Shopify app store offers a vast library of apps for businesses to customize their operations, Mageplaza extends our capabilities to help you grow your Shopify store.

So, with a commitment to innovation and excellent customer support, Mageplaza is a valuable partner for e-commerce businesses seeking sustainable growth and success.

On top of that, Mageplaza is currently offering a free 1:1 consultation and a 30-day all-app free trial. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to supercharge your store’s growth. Try our services today and watch your Shopify store thrive!

REACH OUT TO US RIGHT NOW

Final thoughts

So, how do you grow a Shopify store? We hope you’ve got your answers after reading about the strategies we provided above.

In conclusion, growing a Shopify store requires a strategic and multi-faceted approach. By focusing on aspects such as product selection, website optimization, marketing, and customer engagement, you can create a successful and thriving e-commerce business.

Also, it’s essential to continually adapt to market trends and customer preferences, analyze data, and stay committed to providing value to your customers.

Remember, the journey to growing a Shopify store is a lasting process. With dedication, creativity, and a customer-centric mindset, your e-commerce store can achieve long-term success.