@alleyhassen Shopify growth stagnant? There are three steps to work on before you “scale” - optimize, attract, remarket, then scale 🔥 Keep social selling, and chug along with these steps in the background.
♬ original sound - ShopsThatConvert
Gosh, do you ever see a post go viral, people clamoring for the link to purchase? And wonder how the business is handling it?
"Do they have stock?" "Are they ready to fulfill?" "What else do they sell?" "I hope they have email marketing in place!" "This is creating a great video view audience." "They could totally cross-sell via email later."
I've done it – I've worked with clients who have gotten millions of reach on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube. At a certain point, it's smart to ask "how can we reach more". The answer isn't always "more content".
It could be.
But next steps, and actually scaling beyond a spike in social media visibility, occurs in four phases. And each phase moves the needle enough to provide tangible results for your revenue goals.
So, how can you scale Shopify store sales without posting more?
As a small business owner successfully selling products on Shopify, you’ve likely tapped into the power of social selling. Platforms like Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram have been your go-to channels for driving traffic and making sales. But if you're here, it means you're ready for more. You want to scale your Shopify store, and scaling isn't just about getting more traffic—it's about optimizing your entire business for predictable and sustainable growth.
Scaling a Shopify store requires more than just riding the wave of trends on social media. It’s about creating a solid foundation on your website, optimizing for SEO, building a traffic plan, and setting up remarketing strategies that work.
In this blog post, we’ll dive into a four-part framework that covers everything you need to know: Optimize, Attract, Remarket, and Scale. And trust me, scaling isn’t what you should focus on first—optimization is where the magic starts.
Step 1: Optimize Your Shopify Store
Optimizing your Shopify store is the first critical step in scaling. But let’s be clear—this doesn’t mean hiring a graphic designer or spending a fortune on a new template. In fact, even if you’re using Shopify’s Dawn theme, you can push it to its limits and still see incredible results.
The number one mistake I see is with the homepage and navigation. Your homepage needs to clearly communicate what you offer, especially to those new visitors coming from Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest. Your navigation should guide them to explore your entire product range, not just the item that caught their eye on social media. A well-optimized homepage and navigation are not just good for user experience—they’re great for SEO too.
But the real moneymaker? Your product pages. A product page needs to do more than just showcase your products; it needs to entice visitors to add items to their cart. The standard Shopify product page may not cut it for someone who’s clicked through from a social media platform. Let’s work on making those product pages as compelling as possible.
Step 2: Attract Traffic to Your Shopify Store
The Attract phase is likely where you've naturally poured into and have seen results. Whether your strength is Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest, it might be time to take your traffic game to the next level. Here are three ways to do it:
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Double Down on Your Primary Platform: Whether it’s TikTok, Instagram, or Pinterest, go deeper into what’s working. Understand the trends, refine your content strategy, and engage more with your audience.
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Improve Your SEO: Check if your online store, products, or the brands you sell are ranking in search results. Optimizing for search engines can drive consistent organic traffic to your store.
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Add a Supporting Traffic Channel: It might be time to diversify your traffic sources.
- Email marketing is a powerful tool that often gets overlooked. Are you capturing email addresses before customers make a purchase? This doesn’t have to involve offering a discount or free shipping. There are many creative ways to incentivize sign-ups, which I cover in my community, Shop Success Central.
- Another traffic channel you may want to consider is a referral or affiliate program. This leverages other's audiences and put you in front of a portion of an algorithm, or completely new platform where you haven't been visible. This channel can be right under your nose with your current customers, or you may have some people in mind to align with. Start easily with Smile.io's referral plan. If you do a search there are plenty of Shopify apps that can support you with this, but this one really works like a charm.
- If you have not gotten started with Pinterest, I am here to tell you you're likely missing out on significant traffic potential. Take a look at my guide here.
Step 3: Remarket to Your Audience
Once you’ve optimized and attracted traffic, it’s time to focus on remarketing. This is where you can turn your existing audience into repeat customers and increase your overall sales. Tools like Klaviyo allow you to set up sophisticated email automations that keep your brand top-of-mind for your customers.
Remarketing isn’t just about sending out a few emails; it’s about creating a strategy that nurtures your audience over time. Whether it’s a welcome series, abandoned cart reminders, or post-purchase follow-ups, getting your email marketing right can significantly impact your bottom line.
Step 4: Scale Your Shopify Store
Only after optimizing, attracting, and setting up remarketing should you consider scaling. Scaling your Shopify store could mean investing in ads, launching an affiliate program, or setting up a referral system. These are what I call "conversion events"—actions that directly lead to more sales.
A conversion event could be a product launch, a restock, or a special promotion. To maximize the impact of these events, your store needs to be fully optimized, and your remarketing efforts must be strong. When everything is in place, scaling becomes a natural progression rather than a daunting leap.
The O, A, R phases are not necessarily one-and-done. They can be monitored and adjusted. Audit them each quarter and definitely before Black Friday Cyber Monday.
Final Thoughts
Scaling a Shopify store isn't just about getting more traffic or posting more on social media. It's about creating a strategic, data-driven approach to growth that involves optimizing your website, attracting diverse traffic sources, and setting up effective remarketing campaigns.
By following the Optimize, Attract, Remarket, and Scale framework, you can build a Shopify store that not only grows but thrives. This approach ensures you’re not just spinning your wheels but making strategic moves that will lead to sustainable, long-term success.
Remember, you don’t need to stop social selling, but to truly scale, you need to think beyond social media. Start with optimization, move on to attraction and remarketing, and then you focus on scaling.
Ready to take your Shopify store to the next level? Join me in my community, Shop Success Central, where I teach for free. Let's work together to turn your online store into a scalable, profitable business.