Are there any quick ways to boost traffic to my online retail site?

The short answer is… no. In most cases, it takes time and money. These are usually the two things you are searching for the most – things to happen quickly and the money to do everything.

But with a little patience and a small amount of money, there are things you can do that will achieve results over time.

One quick and effective way is through the Facebook Share button. Adding this to your products allows your visitors to share the product information via their Facebook wall. This opens up a whole new audience. Friends can then comment and provide feedback which assists that person with their purchasing decisions. It’s the new way of taking a friend shopping.

For me, marketing in general still becomes the key to online. The same base principles apply but I see so many start-ups miss the basics. Simple things, such as ensuring that your website address is displayed on all non-digital advertising is essential. QR codes for mobile users is another easy way to drive traffic from traditional mediums of newspaper and print.

If you have some budget then avenues such as Google AdWords can assist, but it’s important to be targeting the right words which can be difficult without experience or data.

SEO has fallen in popularity in recent times due to many of the changes in the way that Google delivers its search results. My advice is to stick to good, honest, quality content that matches both your product and your target audience. This will result in you appearing in the right organic searches over time.

Offers can also be another good avenue but I would encourage start-ups to avoid discounts in preference to value adding. Discounting is the beginning of the end for retail and will only eat at your profits.

Finally, grow a successful database. Use them to refer you and offer them something in return. The quality of your database will be the difference between a good and an average business.