How to get 100 customersfor an eCommerce store inone week?

Launching a business is alwaysexciting and challenging. Launchingan e-commerce store is even morespecial because upward of 85% of thenew e-Commerce stores started in2016 were started by smallbusinesses, and the trend is here tostay.

I am going to take the example oflaunching an online apparel andcosmetics store and explain thestep-by-step process of getting a 100customers in just the first week of thelaunch.

Having a solid pre-launch strategy isone of the keys to the success of youronline store.

Pre-launch activities:

1) Writing is a verb. Blogging isan emotion.

Start blogging about six monthsbefore the launch of your online store,creating engaging content that willattract your target audience. In thecase of online apparel and cosmetics

store, you can create content aboutthe latest trends in fashion, DIYmakeovers to try out and tips on howto dress up like a pro for the nextweekend party. Content creation istime consuming but it will reap richrewards in the longer run.

2) Let's get social.

Social media platforms like Facebook,Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest canbe extremely handy when promotingyour content and your product.Create visually beautiful ads with

witty and humour filled copy lines topromote your content. Most of thesocial media platforms allow you tochoose the demographics of yourtarget audience to display the ads,including their age and interests.

They even help you target thefollowers of a similar store run by acompetitor.

3) From readers to subscribers.

I'm sure you must've seen smallpop-ups on blogs asking for emailaddress like the one below. Well, it'stime to get one on your blog too.Notify your subscribers whenever anew post or video goes live toincrease the returning traffic. Includea social sharing button in yournewsletter to increase the new trafficto your blog.

4) Can't spell 'successful onlinestore' without SEO.

The sales conversion will be high fromorganic traffic, so it is important tobuild SEO into your content strategy.Don't stuff your webpage withtargeted keywords. Instead, put outgood quality educational content and

work on effective backlinks. It will betough and time consuming, but willscale as you grow, and it's worth it inthe long run.

Launch activities:

5) Hold a sale. Give a free sample.Stay Awesome.

You are done with all the hard work ofcreating a buzz around your website.On the launch day, send anannouncement to all those who havesubscribed to your blog. Run visuallystunning ads of your products onTwitter, Facebook and Instagram.Most importantly, hold a 'Launch daysale'. Don't just offer discounts,instead consider giving away a freestylish t-shirt with minimal brandingthat your customers would love to

sport outdoors.

6) Measure and engage websitevisitors in real time.

It is easy to get carried away with allthe buzz happening around thelaunch of your website. But it iscritical that you measure yourwebsite's key metrics like traffic, itssource, unique page views, newvisitors vs returning visitors, shoppingcart abandonment rate andpurchases. It is also important toengage your visitors, say through livechat. You can use a tool like ZohoSalesIQ that combines live chat,website visitor engagement andanalytics, to identify and reach out tothe best prospects visiting your onlinestore and increase your sales.

Post-launch activity:

7) Referral programs are great.

Positive word of mouth, customerreviews of your products and referralsare the best way to get the word outon your store. Always follow thetwo-way traffic system, wherein boththe referral and the beneficiary arerewarded a coupon or points to beused during their next purchase.Referrals will be a major source ofnew sales.