The missing link: innovative link-building ideas for e-commerce websites

If you’re running an ecommerce site, you’ve probably already taken these steps to build links back to your site:-

• Technical backend optimization
• Extensive use of keywords
• A crawlable internal link structure
•  PR, directory submissions
• Blog posts

Now, the big questions are what next, and is there scope to grow?

Let’s tackle the second question first: yes there is.  Online ecommerce retail revenues are continuing to grow quarter on quarter and there is still great scope to increase the worth of your ecommerce venture.

So how do you take your link-building strategy to the next level? The answer is: content. Let’s look at some ideas how you can use innovative, interesting content to build links for your ecommerce site-

1. Exciting category pages: Category pages are important for an ecommerce site; these are the pages that make the customer get down to business, selecting their final purchases. But getting links to a category page can be tough. This means you have to think of interesting ways to present these pages.
2. Sell a unique, attention grabbing product: One newsworthy, wacky product can gain you a lot of links, and traffic for conversion. Look at your offerings, scour your suppliers’ catalogues or conceive of a unique twist of your own; that one product that stands out can become a flagship for your whole line, bringing in traffic.
3. Do personalized give-aways: Choose an event that is topical to your audience and give away exciting gifts to members of your online community (you do have a community, don’t you?!). This is bound to create buzz and links as community members share details of their gift via emails, blogs, discussion boards and social networking and sharing sites.
4. Build anticipation: Remember all those teaser campaigns we see in traditional advertising? Use the same technique in your store, leading up to new product releases with an exciting pre-launch communication campaign, something fun and interesting that will attract interest and gain links in its own right.

These are just a few ways to gain links for your ecommerce site with innovative content. Innovative content that drives real business goals: that’s what the i-Vista Digital Communication team specializes in. Interested? Get in touch with us!