Author: William McMahon

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Growth Academy

WooCommerce Plugins Built to Boost Sales

Woocommerce interesting plugins
Woocommerce interesting plugins

Booster Plus

BoosterPlus is an “all-in-one” plugin that comes highly recommended from many WooCommerce storeowners.  It adds “buy buttons,” price labels, product listings, product images, pdf invoices, and dozens more features depending on the bundle you pick up.  There is a free tier, but it may be worth looking at paid tiers because of the “all-in-one” nature of the plugin.  Great for upgrading your WooCommerce store and boosting sales!

OptinMonster

We here at Ad360 have offered a 3-part series explaining the importance of email marketing to increasing e-commerce sales (link to part I, II, and III).  OptinMonster is well-known for generating leads and converting “abandoned cart” sales at excellent rates. 

OptinMonster could be a strong pairing with Ad360’s services.  Ad360 is the e-commerce leader in retargeting, effective (and automated) ad placements, and professional ad banner design.  Pairing that with OptinMonster’s focus on email marketing could be a potent combination to increase sales on WooCommerce.

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Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce

Once your sales begin picking up, customers will demand a high level of organizational efficiency for shipping.  In order to keep up with the competition, the advanced shipment tracking plugin for WooCommerce empowers storeowners to automate their fulfillment workflow. 

Customers get tracking numbers to follow on the front end, while your business can easily keep track of which packages are marked as “completed,” and which ones are marked as “shipped.”  Very helpful when you begin fulfilling hundreds of orders a day 😊

Honorable Mentions

The plugins below are ones we did not see as “universally” applicable to all stores, but check them out to get your WooCommerce strategy.  You’ll likely start having ideas about what your store really needs just by reading the descriptions of each. 

  1. Dropship Me
  2. Judge.me Product Reviews
  3. Redirection
  4. WooCommerce Cart
  5. WooCommerce Paypal Checkout Gateway
  6. WooCommerce Shipping Estimates
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Growth Academy

3 Tips to Boost Sales on WooCommerce

WooCommerce logo - 3 Tips to boost sales
3 Tips to boost sales on WooCommerce

Research Plugins for site optimization

WooCommerce is unique from Shopify in its ability to customize the site.  There are dozens of “plugins” that add helpful features to your store – ranging from “push notification” tech to product sliders (essential for browsing items through mobile) to allowing customers to zoom in on your products!  Check a helpful list of WooCommerce plugins here to get your marketing research started!

Offer Discounted “Upsells” on the Checkout Page

Whether it’s for a seasonal special or to promote a new line of products, adding an “upsell” plugin to your store is an excellent way to increase sales on WooCommerce.  I’ll give a personal example here – while shopping for CBD products on my favorite site, I was leaving the checkout page when they offered a discounted tincture that sported a new flavor – it was excellent!  I bought several more times after that. 

This personal anecdote speaks to the stats – upselling at checkout can increase sales on WooCommerce by 10-30% on average.

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Learn the Basics of Coding

You don’t need to become a software master, but learning the fundamentals of the coding languages underlaying WooCommerce (e.g. – PHP, Javascript, CSS, HTML), would enhance your ability to customize a standout WooCommerce site. 

Furthermore, a coding base would mean you would better understand what plugins would be most effective for your store, and which ones you can do without.  A better, smoother store experience would translates to increased sales on WooCommerce – learning the basics of coding would empower you to do just that!

If you want, you can check out helpful plugins that other code-savvy WooCommerce storeowners have left here on Github!  There are also helpful courses for the same idea here at UDemy

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Growth Academy

What is WooCommerce? Learn the Basics

WooCommerce Logo and Text 'Learn The Basics'
WooCommerce - Learn the Basics

Customizable Shop and Free Plugins

WooCommerce is well-known for being an affordable option because the website does not come “pre-packaged.”  Instead, users can add a variety of plugins to their store, providing a virtually unlimited number of combinations.  When looking to increase ecommerce sales, WooCommerce offers a chance to lower your overhead – and simultaneously create a one-of-a-kind store design.

Furthermore the code that underlays your WooCommerce store is open source!  This means that, if in the future you decide to set up your e-commerce store somewhere else, you can take the code with you.  If you spent hours configuring your stores code (or paid someone to do it for you), that time and money does not go to waste if you move on from Woo! 

Content Management Handled Through WordPress

It’s also important to know that WooCommerce is integrated with WordPress – the world’s largest content management site.  When trying to increase e-commerce sales, consistent quality content is one of the key pillars of success.  Many storeowners appreciate the full integration WooCommerce into WordPress. It provides a central location for your entire Content Management System.  You can run email correspondence, social media links, and your e-commerce business all from WooCommerce. 

If you want help understanding WooCommerce plugins or how to better customize your store, download the Ad360 app today or try our free demo!  We’ll provide a free site audit and our expertise on how you can increase your e-commerce sales today 😊 We look forward to meeting you and making your store the next e-commerce success!

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Growth Academy

Shopify vs. WooCommerce – Battle of the Platforms

Shopify WooCommerce
Shopify vs WooCommerce

Business owners interested in taking their business online may be wondering, “Do I sign up with Shopify paid advertising or WooCommerce?”  Read below to figure out which e-commerce platform will best increase your sales online!

Shopify vs WooCommerce: Features & Functions

When it comes to functionality, the comparison between these two e-commerce giants is simple – Shopify is easier to use for beginners, while WooCommerce has better flexibility and a wider array of customization features.

If your online advertising strategy is in its early stages, and you do not feel comfortable with the technical aspects of e-commerce yet, it may be best to go with Shopify paid advertising.  WooCommerce may be better for business owners who want firm control over customization of their website.  WooCommerce also is known for its high-end SEO plugins

Shopify vs. WooCommerce: Pricing

Shopify paid advertising, while having the edge in simplicity and ease of use, is usually more expensive than WooCommerce.  Be prepared to spend up to $200/month just to keep your store up and operating on Shopify! 

Make sure your Shopify advertising strategy is in place before you take on this expense.  E-Commerce overhead can add up, and if you do not have a blueprint of how to advertise on Shopify, you could end up feeling overstressed on your store’s performance.

WooCommerce’s plugins are “a la carte,” meaning you can only pick the necessary plugin and run your store for half the price ($100).

Whether you use Shopify or Woocommerce for your e-commerce business, partner with Ad360 to get the best promotional software on the web.  Our app is free to download, and after getting our free trial, you’ll be convinced our automated ad bidding services bring you optimal exposure for an affordable price 😊

Book a Demo and a Free Consulting call with our team.

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Growth Academy

Top 3 Secrets for New Shopify Stores

Shopify Store Growth
3 secrets for Shopify Stores

New e-commerce store owners – learn the vital early steps to increase sales on Shopify!  These tips include effective Shopify advertising tools, as well as a sound (and specific) Shopify advertising strategy.  We’ll also reveal how to advertise beyond Google & Facebook!

Get a website audit

Website audits can check your page loading speed to see if any apps, toolbars, popups, or videos are slowing your site down.  It also provides crucial insight for how to improve your store design (and Shopify advertising strategy) for the best user experience!

Don’t just use Google Ads or Facebook  Ads

Only using the ad networks of large conglomerates – like Google or Facebook ads – can be a problem for new owners, especially if you set a high “daily budget.”  If you don’t know how to collect and analyze your customer data yet, google ads will take your marketing budget before you know how to spend it!

Clear, Written-Down Shopify Marketing Strategy

Here’s the hard truth: most Shopify sites have great products and horrible online marketing.  That is why most end up failing.  

Don’t allow yourself to just say, “Oh yeah, I kind of have the marketing figured out in my head.”  If your advertising strategy for Shopify is that clear, you should be able to write the entire plan down.  Below is a “template” example of what a comprehensive digital marketing “checklist” may look like:

  • Set a $10 daily budget for online ads ($300/month)
    1. Pick (insert favorite site here) to run two “test” ad campaigns on
    2. Create ad banners or auto-generate ads with Ad360
    3. Research competitors and define my “target audience” based on demographics (e.g. – age, location) interests, and previous web behavior
    4. Make sure I have apps ready to analyze my customer data
    5. As my ads are “seen” and “clicked through,” make sure I can interpret data to refine my strategy, pick the more effective ad, and write down key insights while running another “test” campaign with Ad version “A” and Ad version “B”
    6. Don’t change too many elements for each “Ad version” You won’t know what change made the biggest difference!

Alternatively you can download the Ad360 App for Shopify, which will automatically take care of this for you. You won’t need to spend time and effort on this, and can instead focus on your true passion and core business!

Ad360 automatically generates creatives, finds relevant websites and apps to advertise into, focuses budget on outperforming audiences, and gets you the most viewers and buyers possible for your budget. Ad360 gives you the ability to advertise outside Google and Facebook, and tap into new opportunities to grow your business!

Try for yourself the Ad360 App for Shopify with a 14-day Free Trial!

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Growth Academy

Website Audits: Beautiful Site, Beautiful Sales

Website Audit
Website Audit

If you’ve ever felt getting in-depth, specific advice on your website would help improve your advertising strategy for Shopify, get a full website audit!  Read below to learn more about the benefits of a site audit, and how they help increase sales on Shopify.

Why is a Website Audit Important?

To begin, a website audit assesses the structure, function, useability, and overall “look” of your e-commerce store.  Specifically, site audits ensure you know what changes to make to increase your sales on Shopify, and how to change them without affecting your store!

Therefore, getting a fresh evaluation of your online store’s presentation helps boost conversions by improving the user experience and upping your site rank on Google!

What are the Key Factors a Website Audit Analyzes to Increase Sales on Shopify?

  1. SEO Content & Online Display

First, do you have well-spaced paragraphs?  Second, is everything grammatically correct?  Third, is text organized so the page design looks seamless? Finally, what about keyword phrases and long-tail keywords?  Site audits review solutions to the most pressing questions regarding your online presentation.

In addition, site audits also evaluate your social media presence and engagement levels through market data analysis.

2. Website Speed & Technical Performance

Site audits make sure your site is literally “up to speed” and loads quickly with no broken links.  Otherwise, the user experience suffers – and so does your Shopify paid advertising!

3. Design Features that Boost Conversions

Knowing where to put your “call to action” (CTA) buttons can make a huge difference in your sales conversions – same with toolbars, ad popups, and your overall site presentation!  

As a result, it’s not one big thing, but a bunch of little mistakes may be affecting the user experience.  So, if you want a service to ask a whole bunch of questions related to “What can I do to improve my e-commerce store and my Shopify paid advertising?” get yourself a website audit ASAP!

The 6-Part Website Audit Checklist for 2022 [Epic Google Sheet]
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Ad360 Offers Free Website Audits to New Clients

Want the support of a step- by-step review of your e-commerce store?  To expand our business, Ad360 is currently offering a free in-person website audit.  Get all your questions answered in a valuable, step-by-step evaluation. Above all, we’ll provide actionable insight for how to make your e-commerce store stand out from the pack 😉

Get our free website audit to help Increase Sales on Shopify today!

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Growth Academy

Web Display Ads – Freedom from Big Tech

Advertising on Laptop, Tablet, Smartphone
Web Display Ads

“Is there any way to place ads beyond Facebook and Google?”  This is the most commonly-asked question to the Ad360 team.  E-commerce businesses commonly feel “trapped,” as if the only places to advertise are these sites.  Read below to break through this promotional plateau!

The Restrictions and Limitations of Google & Facebook Ads

While their networks are massive and their reach powerful, platforms like Google and Facebook do have limitations when it comes to online advertising.  Their ad networks are “restricted,” meaning any ad campaign you budget only runs ads on their network – nowhere else.  You won’t appear on any blogs that 77% of internet users read regularly.  You won’t pop up on many mobile apps or games. 

This “restricted network” limits your online store’s potential for growth!  Even worse, it makes ads appear in the same context, meaning users can more easily “tune them out.”  Thus, your options to diversify your advertising strategy for Shopify can feel “trapped” within a single network.  If you are having trouble finding success on Google or Facebook, this feeling can be discouraging.  If you cannot figure out how to make Google or Facebook work for your Shopify product advertising, where do you turn to!

Programmatic Ads – Access Every Ad Network Across the Web

Simply put, programmatic ads offer you access to the hundreds of networks beyond Google and Facebook – you are free!  Finally, e-commerce business owners can use a Shopify advertising tool that opens the entire web to ad placements.

Even better, programmatic ads use powerful software that, after receiving your daily allocated budget, will automatically place ads across the web in the most relevant spots to your business.  When it comes to increasing sales on Shopify, there may be no tool better than programmatic ads.  You will appear in a variety of online contexts to your customers, becoming memorable and expanding your promotional reach.  Customers will be impressed – and consider your business more legitimate – just by the fact they see your ads in so many unique spots!  They will assume, “Wow, these guys are all over, huh?  I should check them out.”  When it comes to increasing sales on Shopify and expanding the reach of your Shopify product advertising, nothing beats programmatic ads.

Ad360 Offers Easy Access to Programmatic Ads

Ad360’s flagship service is Quick Ads, which powers entire programmatic ad campaigns in one click.  It really is that simple.  Just enter in your daily allotted budget (along with your location), and our programmatic ad software will automate and optimize your campaign across the web.  You are officially free from the grasp of tech giants!  Check out the power of programmatic ads today, and elevate your advertising strategy for Shopify.

Try for yourself the Ad360 App for Shopify with a 14-day Free Trial!

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Growth Academy

How to Hire Influencers for Shopify stores

influencer illustration
Influencer Marketing to boost Shopify Sales

If you are not browsing social media platforms daily, hiring an influencer to promote your e-commerce business seems like an abstract idea.  This post lays out how out to hire influencers to increase your sales on Shopify!

Think of Influencers as Freelance Advertisers

It’s a lot easier hire influencers for Shopify product advertising than you think:

1. Type in hashtags to major social media platforms (e.g. – Instagram, Tik Tok, Snapchat, YouTube) related to your business. 

2. Treat hashtags like keywords. 

If you are selling car accessories, for example, try #cars, #carlifestyle, #carsofinsagram, #auto.  Check the hashtag finder here to get a good start! Click on influencer posts that appear to resonate with your business.

3. Click through to their personal social media profile

4. Use given business email or dm them with a clear, direct subject line

It could be as simple as “I want to hire you for an Ad campaign!”  Remember – social media influencers receive their income from these promotions, so they love receiving these business inquiries.

5. Set up payment agreement

Talk with the individual first to ensure they are an influencer in the space.  Review their engagement levels by scrolling through their last 20-25 posts (e.g. – comments and likes on each post), and establish clear guidelines to the number of sponsored posts you want!

Why Influencer Marketing is a Good Advertising Strategy for Shopify

Overall, hiring influencers is a great Shopify advertising tool.  It fits into broader advertising strategies for Shopify by amplifying your brand through an individual that has built up trust and credibility with their audience.  You can piggyback off that built-in credibility to reach customers on a more personal and intimate channel – especially compared to Shopify product ads on Google.

Conclusion: Assess the Success of Influencer ads with Ad360

After hiring influencers to “spread the word” about your brand, you’ll want software to retarget any customers that visit your store.  That way, you can continue to promote your Shopify products to interested customers across the web.  Ad360 is an affordable Shopify advertising tool that can help you track exactly where customers clicked through to your site, so you can analyze which influencers are doing the best job driving traffic to your store.  Try out our app for free today to make the most of all your Shopify paid advertising! 

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Growth Academy

Programmatic Ads: Automate Success

Relying on Google & Facebook Ad Campaigns is Holding You Back

Have you felt your Shopify paid advertising has been restricted by Google and Facebook ads?  I mean, there are literally millions of independent websites and thousands of mobile apps not controlled by either the Google or Facebook network!

So, why do so many businesses end up feeling trapped with these online conglomerates being their only options for running ads and increasing sales on Shopify?

Simple – they have not explored and expanded their advertising strategies for Shopify.  Relying on your manual inputs to Google and Facebook can generate traffic, but this is the 21st century! It’s time to automate!

Programmatic Ads – Software that Automates Advertisements for You

The solution to you feeling “stuck” with Google and Facebook ads is simple – programmatic software. Programmatic ad services, once set up to your store, basically scour the entire web and mobile ecosystem for the best deals to place your ads.  They follow your daily allotted budget, and within those parameters, match your Shopify product advertising to your target audience on the web – wherever they are.

Programmatic ads have their own software powering this automated decision-making process, meaning you no longer have to rely on Google or Facebook ads!  Imagine never having to manually create a Google Ads campaign again, while seeing your ROI and data for each audience segment explode.  The clarity brought with programmatic ads will revolutionize any advertising strategy for Shopify.  Not having to rely on Google or Facebook’s networks is a liberating experience – one that brings your Shopify business more opportunities and hypertargeted results.

Ad360 Provides Programmatic Ads in One Click

The software that powers programmatic advertising is at the heart Ad360’s services.  Within just one click, you can set a daily budget and begin running targeted ad campaigns across all websites and mobile apps.  Try downloading our app today to experience a game-changing Shopify advertising tool – the democratization of programmatic ads!  Automation of ads saves you precious time while enhancing the chance to increase sales on Shopify – give it a try to refresh your promotional strategies 😊

Try for yourself the Ad360 App for Shopify with a 14-day Free Trial!

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Growth Academy

3 Easy Steps to Success with Context Ads

Target in front of computer with context ads
Contextual And Retargeting form a powerful combinations

Since we covered the basics of context ads in our previous post here, this entry provides the 3 key steps to making your context ads a success.  Hint – the third step is the most important to increase your sales on Shopify, so read all the way to the bottom 😊

1. Use the Right Shopify Advertising Tool

Because context ads are powered by “web crawling” software, you want to make sure you pick a service that allows you to scour the entire web. Even better, pick an ad service that reaches mobile apps, too.

You’ll find lists of the best “context ad” providers online, but we’ll let you in on a secret – most only cover a few networks.

Furthermore, some services don’t offer the chance to combine contextual ads with other digital marketing strategies, hamstringing its effectiveness! Make contextual ads a key Shopify advertising tool in your repertoire, but don’t make it the only promotional tactic you use!

2. Reach Beyond Google and Facebook Networks

When advertising a Shopify store, don’t limit yourself just to Google and Facebook networks.  Sure, social media and search engine platforms are great, but there are Shopify advertising tools out there that empower you to place ads on independent websites and across the web!

When setting up context ads, don’t rely solely on the tools provided by these networks.  They are powerful, but some Shopify advertising tools and apps can easily extend your reach to millions of independent blogs and sites.

3. Pair Contextual Ads with Ad Retargeting

Marketing data shows that contextual ads are best when paired with ad retargeting.  That means that, after retargeting users who have previously visited your site, you place ads on sites that share similar interests related to your product lines! 

To increase sales on Shopify, contextual retargeting can encourage you to partner with other sites within your industry’s ecosystem.  Using the custom car accessory example from above, that same business could partner with auto repair shops and auto hardware firms.  Both sell different products related to cars, but the customer overlap would make contextual retargeting a winning advertising strategy for Shopify.

Conclusion: Ad360 Can Help you Reach Across the Web with Contextal Retargeting

Download Ad360 for Shopify in the app store today for access to the entire web – sites beyond Google and Facebook – while also learning how easy it is to deploy contextual retargeting to your customers.  Please reach out if you have any questions how these incredibly digital marketing techniques can help increase your sales on Shopify!

Try for yourself the Ad360 App for Shopify with a 14-day Free Trial!