If you've recently launched a new e-commerce website then you'll need to market it in order to drive potential new customers and sales.

Here we detail three key online strategies that you can use.

Content marketing

Content marketing is the process of creating articles, videos, infographics, and other forms of content for publication on your website's blog (your website does have a blog, right?!).

For example, let's say you run an e-commerce business which sells windows and doors. You'll need to sit down and think of a list of engaging articles about windows and doors, which you can create for the blog. Examples might include:

• How do I install a new window?
• Which type of front door offers the highest security?
• Common winter door problems, and how to fix them

By creating a well written, informative and SEO optimised article, the blog that you have published stands a chance of appearing in the search results when someone searches for relevant phrases - for example, when they search for "high security front doors".

When the searcher sees your article in the results, they may click through to your website and read the article. By including within the article a link to the page on your website showing the high security front doors you have for sale, the reader might then have a look at your products page. As the reader is actively searching for information about secure front doors, they are in the right frame of mind to browse your products and make an enquiry about them.

Mailing list

Email marketing is a key way in which you can drive sales. To be able to email potential buyers however, you first need to collect a list of their email details.

The best way to capture email details is to create a simple pop-up form on your website. Using the example of a company selling windows and doors, a pop-up offering a small discount - say 10% off a first order - can be incorporated into the site. The offer can be claimed by the site visitor submitting their name and email address via the pop-up. Similarly, an opportunity to sign up for your mailing list can be offered to customers during the checkout process.

Once you have assembled an email list, it's time to craft a compelling mailshot to send out the people on the list. In your mailshot you might promote:

• new products
• special offers
• blog articles

It's a good idea to vary the emails you send out, between product and non-product content - this way your mailshots do not appear too 'salesy'. Don't overdo the number of emails you send out either, as this will appear spammy and recipients may unsubscribe from your mailing list!

Don't forget that an engaging email subject line is crucial because it is the key element that will persuade people to actually click on and read your email.

Social media

Everyone uses social media these days and social media channels can be a great way to connect with potential customers, and keep in touch with existing customers.

If the product you sell is visually appealling, you might choose to focus on the more visually orientated social platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest - which work really well for companies selling clothes or food, for example.

Facebook is ubiquitous and you should create a Facebook business page for customers and fans to 'like'.

Make sure that you post regularly to your Facebook page, though as with marketing emails, don't just send out promotional posts - mix the content up with non-promotional news stories, as well as competitions and questions designed to encourage feedback and engagement.

You can make good use of Facebook's tools to run paid advertising campaigns. These marketing tools allow you to show posts and ads to a specific demographic, which is useful for driving very targeted traffic to your website.

These are just three of the online marketing strategies that you can use to promote your e-commerce website. If your business needs help implementing effective e-commerce solutions, contact WTS Technologies today. Based in Leeds, we provide a full range of e-commerce and digital marketing solutions in West Yorkshire, and beyond.