Do you want to make money while you’re asleep? Welcome to the world of affiliate marketing.

If you’re an online publisher, content creator, or digital marketer, you can earn a commission by promoting other people’s products or services.

Does affiliate marketing really pay? It absolutely does. Affiliate marketing spending has grown steadily each year since 2010, reaching $8.2 million in 2022.

Smart eCommerce businesses use affiliate marketers to spread the word about their products to new audiences. Those marketers then receive a payout in exchange for that promotion.

In this guide to affiliate marketing, we’ll explain everything you need to know, including affiliate marketing’s meaning, how it works, and how you can start earning money with affiliate links.

• What Is Affiliate Marketing?
• How Does Affiliate Marketing Work
• How Do Affiliate Marketers Make Money
• Types of Affiliate Marketers
• How to Start Affiliate Marketing
  • Create a Website or Blog for Your Niche
  • Choose Affiliate Products To Promote
• How to Make Money With Affiliate Marketing
  • Step 1: Create Content That Generates Affiliate Revenue
  • Step 2: Promote Your Affiliate Products in the Content
  • Step 3: Turn Your Visitors Into Affiliate Customers
  • Step 4: Optimize Your Existing Traffic for More Revenue
  • Step 5: Grow Affiliate Revenue from Your Email List

But before we dive into our guide on how to make money with affiliate marketing, let’s clarify why you should take our advice in the first place.

We’re (Humbly) One of the World’s Best Affiliate Marketers

Unlike other wannabe experts and marketing gurus, we practice what we preach and have done so for decades.

Our CEO, Syed Balkhi, is one of the top affiliate marketers in the world. We’ve built and managed several high-profile publications that attract millions of monthly visitors. These are sites you’re familiar with, like WPBeginner and IsItWP.

But let me tell you a secret about those sites:

They don’t actually sell anything.

So how do they earn money?

2 words: affiliate marketing.

That’s why we’re excited to teach you the affiliate marketing strategies we use. Not only that, but we’ll share how you can use the same strategies to increase your affiliate marketing revenue drastically.

Before we get in too deep, let’s make sure we’re clear on the definition of affiliate marketing and how it works. The beginning of this post will cover the basics of affiliate marketing for beginners.

If you’re already a seasoned pro, feel free to jump straight to our section on how to make money with affiliate marketing.

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a digital marketing strategy where an affiliate partner earns a commission for promoting someone else’s products or services. Affiliate marketers provide an advertising service by including referral links in their content. If a sale is made through their unique referral link, the affiliate earns a commission.

It’s classic advertising in a less intrusive way. Rather than promoting a product on your website with visual advertisements like this:

You embed the product link in your content like this:

In the image above, the affiliate partner is Bluehost, which offers website self-hosting services. In fact, the link in the previous sentence is actually an affiliate link. If you were to click that link and make a purchase from Bluehost, our company would receive a commission.

Does that mean you can create a website, toss in a bunch of affiliate links, and watch the affiliate commissions roll in? Not quite, but we’ll get to that.

For now, you need to know the basics of how affiliate marketing works:

1. You recommend a product or service to your followers through your website, blog, or email list.
2. Your followers purchase the product or service using your affiliate link.
3. You get paid a commission for the sales made using your affiliate link.

Let’s break down this process into more detail to make sure you know exactly how to make a successful affiliate marketing strategy.

How Does Affiliate Marketing Work

To understand how affiliate marketing works, it’s important first to understand the several essential components of the affiliate marketing system.

Merchants create the product or service that needs promotion. They can be an individual, a large corporation, or anything in between. A merchant might also be called a brand, seller, creator, retailer, or vendor. For merchants, affiliate marketing is both low-cost and low risk.  They usually only pay when the affiliate when a sale is made.

Affiliate marketers, or affiliates, promote the merchant’s products and attempt to persuade potential customers to buy them. They’re often publishers or content creators. Through these partnerships, marketers receive payment for successfully promoting the merchant’s products.

Consumers are the people who click the affiliate links and ultimately purchase the product. The affiliate receives a commission based on the sale.

Affiliate networks, or affiliate marketing programs, are intermediaries between the affiliate and the merchant. They offer a database of products for affiliates to promote. The affiliate network connects a merchant with affiliate marketers. They also generate unique, trackable links for each product or service. For instance, Amazon is the largest affiliate network for promoting consumer products. You can use the Amazon Associates program to create a custom affiliate link for any item sold on their platform. You likely see Amazon affiliate links regularly on various blogs and social media pages.

In short, affiliate marketers use affiliate networks to find products they can promote and to get unique affiliate links for those products. The marketer then includes that link in their website’s content. Consumers read this content and click the affiliate links. The network keeps track of all those clicks, plus any sales made through the link. Then, the merchant pays a commission to the marketer based on the number of clicks and sales.

How Do Affiliate Marketers Make Money

The income potential in affiliate marketing varies widely. Some marketers earn a few hundred dollars each month, while others hit 6 figures annually. The size of your audience plays a significant role in how much you can earn as an affiliate.

Different affiliate programs use various payment models, which may be called price models, payout models, or conversion types. The payment model specifies the goals for which you’ll get paid.

For example, if you promote a Software as a Service (SaaS) product, you may get paid based on the number of downloads or app installations. If you promote physical products, you may get paid for each purchase.

Most programs use last-click attribution, rewarding 100% credit to the affiliate that received the last click before the purchase. However, this practice may change as programs adopt better attribution models and reporting. For instance, you may share equal credit for a sale with other affiliates in a buyer’s customer journey or conversion funnel.

Affiliates can get paid in various ways, depending on the program. Some common payment structures include:

• Pay per sale (PPS): In this model, the affiliate receives a commission for every sale they generate for the merchant. This is the most common payment method used in affiliate marketing.
• Pay per click (PPC): The affiliate earns a commission each time a user clicks on their affiliate link, regardless of whether they purchase.
• Pay per lead (PPL): The affiliate gets paid when a referred user fills out a form, signs up for a trial, or takes any other action the merchant considers a lead.
• Revenue sharing: The affiliate receives a percentage of the revenue generated by the sale rather than a flat fee per sale.
• Cost per action (CPA): The affiliate is paid when a specific action is taken by the consumer, such as filling out a form, subscribing to a service, or downloading software.
• Tiered commission: Affiliates receive a higher commission rate once they reach a certain level of sales or referrals.

Check out this article for more affiliate marketing tips to earn more income through affiliate marketing.

Types of Affiliate Marketers

The types of affiliates are defined by the marketer’s level of knowledge about the product they’re promoting, i.e., have they personally used the product or service they’re advertising?

In specific industries, such as tech services or diet products, customers may require proof that the affiliate has tested and approved the product to establish trust. However, you don’t necessarily have to use every product you promote.

In 2009, prominent affiliate marketer Pat Flynn categorized affiliate marketing into 3 types, unattached, related, and involved, to distinguish between affiliate marketers who have a close association with the product and those who do not.

Unattached: Unattached affiliate marketing is where the marketer has no affiliation or knowledge of the product or service. Such affiliates do not possess expertise or authority in the product’s niche and cannot endorse its use.

These marketers typically run PPC (pay-per-click) campaigns, relying on affiliate links to encourage customers to make purchases.

This type of affiliate marketing is attractive to those who seek to generate income without committing to the product or establishing customer relationships.

Involved: Involved affiliate marketers connect directly with the product or service they promote. These affiliates try the product and gain first-hand experience, believe in its quality, and can make claims about its use. Involved affiliates talk about their experience with the product when marketing it, resulting in a reliable and trustworthy source of information.

For example, review sites often used involved affiliate marketing.

Related: Related affiliate marketing, on the other hand, is a fusion of unattached and involved. These affiliates may not personally use the company’s products or services, but they connect to their target audience. They have established followings or influence within the product’s niche and can provide some level of authority.

For instance, there are many lifestyle bloggers and YouTube influencers who have large audiences interested in fashion. In related affiliate marketing, these content creators might promote clothing brands that they haven’t actually purchased from.

While related affiliate marketing allows affiliates to leverage their expertise to drive traffic, they risk losing the trust of their audience if they recommend a bad product or service they have not used.

Of these 3 types, involved affiliate marketing requires the most effort and time. However, the returns on investment are likely to be higher because you have built credibility and trust with your audience.

How to Start Affiliate Marketing

If you want to learn how to become an affiliate marketer, there are 2 things you need to do first:

• Create a website or blog in your niche
• Choose affiliate products to promote

Let’s look at each of these in a bit more detail.

Create a Website or Blog for Your Niche

To make money with affiliate marketing, you first need a website.

When it comes to building your website, you have tons of options. But we highly recommend using WordPress.

With WordPress, anyone can quickly build a professional-looking website in minutes, even if you don’t know how to code:

WordPress has more tools to help their sites perform at a higher level than other website builders. That means more functionality across your site and a better user experience (UX) for your visitors.

WordPress is your way to go if you’re interested in making money with affiliate marketing. You can check out these tutorials if you need help building your site:

• How to start a WordPress blog
• How to make a website with WordPress (step-by-step-guide)

Once your website is built, you must determine which products you want to promote. That takes us to the second prerequisite for starting out with affiliate marketing.

Alternative: Influencers can use affiliate links on their Instagram pages, YouTube channels, or other social media platforms.

Choose Affiliate Products To Promote

If you’ve done the work to choose a niche, choosing affiliate products to promote should be easy. Choose products that fit your niche and relate to your content.

One of the best ways to select your affiliate products is by joining an affiliate network.

As discussed earlier, affiliate networks are businesses that connect merchants and affiliate marketers so both can earn more money. Affiliate marketers use these networks to choose the best products to promote on their sites.

There are many affiliate networks out there, but here are a few of the most popular:

• ShareASale
• CJ Affiliate
• ClickBank
• Amazon Associates

One of the benefits of these affiliate marketing services is they typically provide more sales data on the different promotional products. You can then use that data to increase your affiliate marketing profits.

For more information, check out our helpful post: Earnings-Per-Click: How to Win Big at Affiliate Marketing.

You can optimize your affiliate strategy by making data-driven decisions, rather than simply choosing products that appeal to you.

Get Started With OptinMonster Today!

Now that you have a website and have joined an affiliate network, it’s time to start monetizing your site with affiliate marketing.

Let’s get started!

How to Make Money With Affiliate Marketing

By following the 5 steps below, you can learn how to do affiliate marketing and start making money quickly.

Step 1: Create Content That Generates Affiliate Revenue

The basic meaning of affiliate marketing is simple, and it’s relatively easy to get started. However, building enough traffic to generate a significant income takes time and effort.

Many beginners publish random content and insert affiliate links within the article. That strategy may or may not work, but if you genuinely want to boost your affiliate revenue, you must ensure your published content reaches your target audience.

Your target audience is someone who wants to buy a product but is wondering whether or not the product is worth it. They’re searching for product reviews, lists, and ratings to help them make their choice.

Sometimes, the user may need help knowing which product will fulfill their needs.

As an affiliate marketer, it’s your job to help users discover the right product for their needs. By producing high-quality content, you can help them make a purchasing decision, and then you can navigate them to the product website to complete the purchase.

Pro-Tip: Your articles should target investigational intent keywords. These are the Google search terms that your target audience uses to research the product they’re interested in.

You can check out our guide on choosing the right keywords for more details.

Step 2: Promote Your Affiliate Products in the Content

Just like the keywords you target, you should take an investigational approach to your content. Focus on topics that provide the information you’re target audience is searching for.

Once you’ve done your keyword research and have your content ideas, it’s time to start inserting affiliate links in your content.

How you insert your affiliate links will depend on the specific article you’re writing.

For instance, you shouldn’t add 5 different affiliate links to a review post for a single product. Instead, your entire post should focus on driving traffic to that 1 product’s affiliate link.

On the other hand, if you’re showcasing the “Top 10 Tools for Solving X,” you’ll include affiliate links for each list item. Doing so will increase your chances of making more sales.

The goal is to insert your links as strategically as possible.

Here are a few tips to get the most out of your affiliate links’ placement:

• Only link where appropriate: Don’t add an affiliate link if it doesn’t fit your content. Irrelevant links will negatively impact the user experience (UX) and cost you more lost sales in the long run.
• Add links as early as possible: If you’re showcasing many products in 1 article, add your affiliate products at the top of the list. Most people won’t take the time to read an entire article. You want to make sure they see your affiliate links early on.
• Get more out of your site’s space: You can use floating bars, inline banners, and sidebar widgets to promote your affiliate products. These enhance the impact of your content and lead to more sales over time.

Here’s an example of affiliate links from a post by IsItWP. It lists the best recipe plugins for WordPress:

The first several items in this list are affiliate links. This strategy ensures that readers will see the affiliate links, while still allowing them to research all options.

Again, you want to promote your links often, appropriately, and as powerfully as you can.

Pro-Tip: Invest in an affiliate link plugin before adding hundreds of affiliate links across your site.

Imagine having to sort through and update hundreds of expired affiliate links. This task becomes even more difficult when you have no idea where you’ve placed them on your website.

You’re looking at hours of headaches. Plus, when you let your links expire, you lose out on tons of profit.

Fortunately, this is one nightmare that can be avoided with an affiliate management plugin. One of the best options on the market is Pretty Links:

Pretty Links is an affiliate marketing management plugin that lets you keep track of your affiliate links. It’s easy to set up and super user-friendly, even for beginners. Best of all, it lets you put your affiliate marketing on auto-pilot.

It also lets you cloak affiliate links to make them look short and neat. This makes them easy to share through emails and social media.

Whenever you need to update your old affiliate links from your partners, you’ll be able to accomplish it in minutes, not days.

Plus, if you do run into trouble, Pretty Links has an amazing support team to help you at each step.

At this point, you’ve created the right content and strategically placed your links, using an affiliate management plugin. Next, it’s time to kick things up a notch with targeted conversion campaigns.

Step 3: Turn Your Visitors Into Affiliate Customers

One of the biggest mistakes new affiliate marketers make is assuming they need 10x the traffic to get 10x the profit.

It doesn’t work that way, which is excellent news for you.

For example, let’s say you’re promoting a product that pays a $50 affiliate commission for every sale. Out of every 100 visitors who click your affiliate link, 2 of them buy the product. This gives you an affiliate conversion rate of 2%.

That means the CPC (cost per click) you earn is $1 per click.

(CPC = Total affiliate revenue / total traffic you sent)

If you send 2X more visitors to the affiliate product site, you could also double your affiliate revenue. Thankfully, you don’t have to drastically increase traffic to double your affiliate clicks.

Instead, you can boost your revenue with a conversion optimization campaign.

With conversion software like OptinMonster, you can increase your revenue by converting more of your existing traffic into affiliate customers. Without a doubt, this strategy is much easier than doubling your traffic.

Here’s how OptinMonster can boost your affiliate income:

a) Create a Popup Campaign That Promotes an Affiliate Product (And Increase Revenue by 30%!)

Lightbox popups are 1 of the best ways to catch your user’s attention.

Creating a popup campaign is the easiest method to convert more of your visitors into affiliate customers.

OptinMonster provides over 50 pre-built templates to help you make the right campaign for your affiliate product. We also offer many targeting rules and campaign triggers to ensure you’re showing the right message to the right people at the right time.

This is the exact strategy Top 6 Digital used to increase their affiliate revenue by 30%.

The company had a webpage to help parents choose the right car seats for their children. When the reader tries to leave this page, the following campaign would appear on their screen:

This simple popup campaign was hugely successful. It grabbed the audience’s attention, and over 17% of users clicked the affiliate link.

b) Display Campaigns When Users are More Likely to Buy

When it comes to popup campaigns, targeting is important. Targeting lets you control who sees your popups, as well as when they see them. For example, studies show that the best time to show a popup is when a user is about to leave your site.

With OptinMonster’s Exit Intent technology, you can show a popup that promotes an affiliate offer when your users are about to leave.

Our customers use Exit Intent along with Page-Level Targeting and see massive results. Page-level targeting allows you to create affiliate offers for specific pages on your site. So when a visitor is reading an article about the best hiking boots for winter, you can show them a campaign that highlights the EXACT affiliate product you’re promoting in that article.

Since the offer you promote in that campaign is highly targeted, it’s more likely to convert than a generic campaign.

The WordPress hosting company FlyWheel used page-level targeting to increase engagement by 660%. For instance, the popup above offers a guide to increasing freelance revenue. FlyWheel showed this popup only on blog posts related to running a business.

Or take the fitness company Crossrope, for example. They grew their email list by over 900% by catching abandoning traffic with exit-intent popups.

You can combine these strategies to skyrocket your affiliate clicks.

Step 4: Optimize Your Existing Traffic for More Revenue

This next step comes from a strategy that’s driven by something called “the 80/20 rule.”

The 80/20 rule, in this case, suggests that 80% of your profits will come from 20% of your content. While it’s not an exact metric, the basic principle stands firm:

Identify your highest converting content. Make those posts the priority for your affiliate campaigns. 

Once you know that a particular post or video is resonating with your audience, you can create a targeted campaign with OptinMonster to increase affiliate sales.

This is a much better plan of action than blindly making campaigns for every page on your site.

How do you get started?

Jump into your Google Analytics dashboard, identify the articles that bring in the most content, and then create targeted campaigns for those URLs.

And if you really want to level up your game, you should consider getting MonsterInsights:

MonsterInsights is the world’s #1 Google Analytics (GA) plugin. Many marketers love the idea of gathering data from Google Analytics, but they get confused, annoyed, or intimidated by GA’s user interface.

Rather than letting all that valuable information go to waste each month, you can get the same data delivered straight to your WordPress dashboard. This data includes a review of your site’s top posts:

Once you’ve identified which posts bring the most traffic, you can optimize your content and conversion campaigns to generate more affiliate revenue.

This strategy will ensure that you’re always prioritizing your most profitable content. That means you can save time and increase revenue as efficiently as possible.

Step 5: Grow Affiliate Revenue from Your Email List

No matter how you look at it, email marketing is still the best way to earn passive income. All of the other methods fall short in some way.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is great until Google changes its algorithm and your rankings tank. Paid ads can bring quick results, but only if you have the budget for a lot of trial and error. Paid ads require also constant care and attention to keep conversion rates high.

But your email list gives you a direct route to your target audience.

It’s full of people who are interested in your niche and have already engaged with your content. That means they’ll make an ideal audience for your affiliate marketing campaigns.

Unfortunately, many businesses struggle to grow their contact list to the point where monetization is possible.

That’s where OptinMonster comes in:

OptinMonster is hands down the best way to generate leads for your affiliate email campaigns.

Similar to how you use conversion campaigns to send traffic to your affiliate links, you can also use them to grow your email list.

You can create targeted popups, floating bars, fullscreen welcome mats, and more to entice your website visitors to join your list. Offer a lead magnet to convert even more visitors into subscribers. Lead magnets can be special offers, free ebooks or PDF guides, or coupon codes that users only receive by giving you their email address.

Here’s an example of an optin campaign you can use to grow your list:

Want more examples of lead magnets? Check out our list of 60+ lead magnet ideas you can start using today.

Once you’ve built an email list, you can send email campaigns with your affiliate links embedded in them.

Make sure that you read this post on how to create an affiliate email marketing campaign before getting started.

Email marketing is a great way to improve your revenue. You can use your email list to drive more traffic to your high-converting posts, or you can include your affiliate link in your emails. Either way, more people will see your affiliate links.

And, again, to grow your list, the best tool for the job is OptinMonster.

OptinMonster can help you capture more leads.  More leads mean a bigger subscriber and customer base, which means a higher revenue potential.

In fact, check out these success stories from some of the businesses that use OptinMonster with great success:

• How Adam Enfroy Got Over 11k Subscribers
• American Bird Conservancy Grew Their Lead Collection by 1000%
• AutoAnything Increased Daley Email Optins 2.5x

Get Started With OptinMonster Today!

These are just a few examples of people who grew their list with OptinMonster. You can have similar results and make even more money with online marketing.

We hope you found this article helpful. If so, you may be interested in reading the following posts:

• Affiliate Marketing Statistics All Marketers Must Know
• Best Tools for Affiliate Marketers
• How to Increase Affiliate Sales by 30% With 1 Simple Strategy
• Content Marketing Examples
• Sales Promotion Examples

Are you ready to start making more money with affiliate marketing? Sign up for your risk-free OptinMonster account today!

Upselling is a simple method to increase your average order value and boost your bottom line.

If you’re not upselling to your customers, you’re missing out on a lot of revenue.

In Marketing Metrics, the authors say:

“The probability of selling to a new prospect is 5-20%. The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70%.”

Source: Groove

And since product recommendations can drive 10-30% of revenue, putting the right upsell offers in front of people at the right time is an important sales growth tactic.

In fact, it can significantly increase the average amount spent in dollars per order, known as average order value (AOV), as well as overall revenue.

This article will teach you how to upsell by sharing our favorite upselling tips. We’ll delve into some proven upselling strategies and will provide examples to inspire you in your business. By the end, you’ll be able to implement your own revenue-boosting upsell strategy.

We’ve included a table of contents to help you navigate.

1. What is Upselling?
2. Difference Between Upselling and Cross Selling
3. How To Upsell: Effective Upselling Tips and Examples

• Choose the RIGHT Upsell
• Always Offer the Upsell …
• … But Don’t Be Pushy
• Make Your Upsell Relevant
• Personalize Your Upsell Recommendations
• Get the Language Right
• Use Urgency
• Offer Free Shipping
• Provide Social Proof
• Limit the Price Increase
• Use the Rule of Three
• Offer Substitutes
• Upsell After the Purchase
• Follow Up via Email
• Consider Downselling

What is Upselling?

Upselling is suggesting a better or more expensive version of a product or service to a customer who is already interested in buying. The goal of upselling is to increase the overall value of the sale and generate more revenue for the business while also providing additional benefits or features to the customer.

For example, a fast food restaurant might offer to upgrade a customer’s meal to a larger size or add on additional menu items.

Effective upselling involves identifying relevant and valuable opportunities for the customer and positioning the offer as a solution to their needs or preferences.

Difference Between Upselling and Cross Selling

Before we get started with our upselling tips and examples, it’s important to understand the difference between upselling vs. cross-selling. Both are tactics used to boost sales revenue, but they work slightly differently.

Cross-selling is suggesting other relevant products people can try. What is an example of cross-selling? When you buy a cell phone online, and the online store suggests screen protectors for that model, that’s cross-selling.

Upselling is persuading the customer to upgrade their product or buy a more expensive version of it. How do you upsell? Let’s stick with the cellphone example. If you’re about to buy the model with 32GB of storage space, the online store can suggest you get the one with 64GB or 128GB.

Here’s the great thing about upselling. It doesn’t just increase AOV; it also increases customer lifetime value. In other words, customers spend more while they remain customers. And that’s why it’s so important for your business.

How To Upsell: Effective Upselling Tips

More of a visual learner? No problem! Check out our top 5 upsell tips.

Otherwise, keep reading this in-depth guide!

1. Choose the RIGHT Upsell

When you look at eCommerce upsell examples, you’ll see there are several types you can offer.

The Version Upgrade

As we mentioned earlier, you can ask shoppers to get a different version of a product you’re offering. It can be bigger, stronger, faster, better – you get the idea.

Product Protection

Another favorite upsell, both online and offline, is the “protect your product” upsell, which asks you to extend your warranty so you effectively guard your product against something going wrong. For example, if you buy a phone, you can often get a screen replacement warranty.

Customization

You know those “customize your product” features you get on some sites? Well, that’s a series of upsells, because every customization you add increases the price.

Extended Service Period

Sometimes, instead of a physical product, you can upsell by offering better value for a longer contract. And you can also offer better deals for early renewals. This works well for SaaS products.

The Bundle

Bundling is a bit of a grey area because it’s both cross-selling and upselling, but if you package related items together and show that it’s better value, you can definitely increase your sales of all the items in the bundle.

2. Always Offer the Upsell …

The more upsell opportunities you show customers, the more chances they have to take one. So offer your upsell everywhere it makes sense. Some typical locations for upsells include:

• On product pages, where you have multiple chances to show off product versions
• When people add items to the cart, as it’s a great time to show supplementary products or services that help them get more value from what they’re already planning to buy
• When the customer reaches a success milestone. For example, in Asana, when you’ve added a few tasks, you’ll get an email showing you how to manage tasks even better with their premium product.

3. … But Don’t Be Pushy

Even though you want customers to see your upsells, you don’t want to annoy them. Show your upsell popup at the wrong time, and they may not buy anything at all. Show it at the right time, and you’ve got a much better chance of making a better sale.

Some online retailers handle this by placing the upsell information well below the product information, so only people who are really interested ever see it.

Another option is to show your upsell when people have made the decision to buy. For example, if you show it once they’ve added an item to the cart (but before they checkout) that can be a great time to get an additional sale.

There’s no point in showing your upsell when people have just landed on the page because that could annoy them enough to leave. Instead, use OptinMonster’s scroll trigger to wait till they’ve scrolled a certain distance so you know they’re interested.

Follow our instructions for creating your first campaign, then go to Display Rules » Who should see the campaign? Choose Visitors to a particular page and add the URL of the product or add to cart page.

Then, go to Display Rules – When should the campaign appear? and select After scrolling down ‘X’ amount. Set the percentage to around 70% so you’ll know it shows when people have seen most of the page.

4. Make Your Upsell Relevant

Relevance is key when deciding on your upsell. If someone’s buying a book on marketing, there’s no point in recommending a book on childcare (which is cross-selling anyway). Instead, you’ll recommend something else related to what they’re looking at, like an audio version of the book or another book by the same author.

When you’re upselling, you’ll have to sell the benefits of the upsell, and show why it’s important. This kind of customer education can help make the sale. For example, here’s how Amazon highlights the benefits of getting audiobook versions of purchased books:

5. Personalize Your Upsell Recommendations

Recommendations work better if they’re personal. Accenture’s latest research shows that 75% of consumers are more likely to buy if the retailer either:

• Knows their purchase history
• Recommends purchases based on that history
• Addresses them by name

You can do this in OptinMonster with our Smart Tags feature. That lets you take the information you already have from your email marketing, like the visitor’s name, and use it as part of a personalized campaign that appears when they visit your site.

And, of course, you’re not limited to the name. You can also vary onsite campaigns based on the products people have already viewed, as the example below shows:

Here’s how you implement Smart Tags with OptinMonster.

6. Get the Language Right

Language is an important part of all successful marketing, as we’ve seen before in our article on conversion-boosting power words. But it’s even more important to persuade your customers when you’re aiming for the upsell.

Some of the best upselling examples get this right by making visitors imagine how they could make use of the upgrade, or by triggering the fear of missing out (FOMO). This is psychologically proven to help make more sales.

For example, this page comparing Spotify plans shows everything you’d be missing if you took the free plan.

7. Use Urgency

As we’ve seen before using urgency can help increase the value of the upsell.

If your upsell is available for a limited time only, or there are limited quantities, you’ll want to highlight this in your marketing.

One way to do that is by using OptinMonster to create a sale timer for your website. Here’s how you do this:

Login to the OptinMonster dashboard and create a new campaign.

Choose a campaign type. We’ll use the Floating Bar, which sits neatly at the top or bottom of the screen.

Choose a theme. We’ll use the Countdown Timer.

Name your campaign and press Start Building.

In the Optin tab, go to Countdown Type, and select Static. This will show the same countdown for all visitors.

In the Countdown End Date/Time, put the date and time when you want your upsell offer to end.

Click Restart Countdown Preview to see what the countdown will look like.

Click on the floating bar text to edit it. Type in the details of your offer.

Set your Display Rules. We’ll use Based on visitor’s date and time. Select Is on or before, and put the end date for your offer. We’ll also use Is on or before to add a start date.

You can also change display rules to show the upsell offer to those on specific pages, such as the page with the product you’re offering the upsell for.

When you’re done, Save and Publish the campaign.

Here’s how you can create a countdown popup using a different template and theme.

8. Offer Free Shipping

Offering free shipping is proven to boost sales. Around 90% of customers say free shipping is their main incentive to shop more online.

So, how does this work with upsells? You can remind people how much more they have to spend to qualify for free shipping. That’s a big incentive to continue adding items to the cart, especially if they’re not too costly. We’ll discuss pricing your upsell later in this guide.

9. Provide Social Proof

Social proof lets people know that others like them found the product or service valuable. It’s something you see on the top online retail sites. For example, Amazon shows you:

• What people bought with the product you are buying
• What people also looked at
• The products they recommend to go with what you’re buying

All of these create valuable upsell opportunities.

Add in customer reviews for each item, and you’re priming customers to buy more.

10. Limit the Price Increase

Bitcatcha recommends that you don’t price your upsells too high. After all, it’s supposed to represent a quick win for your customers. They suggest that the price of the upsell shouldn’t be more than 40% more than the item they’re already looking at or buying.

Retail Doctor puts that figure even lower, suggesting that the upsell be no more than an additional 25%. The best advice? Test different options with your own customers till you find what works.

11. Use the Rule of Three

You’ll often hear marketers talk about the “rule of three”. It’s to do with the fact that people respond to patterns, and three seems to be a magic number.

In this case, we’re talking about using the rule of three in pricing. There are multiple studies to show that when there are three price levels, people often go for the middle one. You’ll also hear this called “price anchoring”.

Either way, an upsell can look more attractive if it’s one of at least three options available. See this in action on the MailChimp site.

Combine the rule of three with educating your customer about the value of the upsell (as mentioned earlier) and you’re primed to get an increase in AOV.

12. Offer Substitutes

What if your usual upsell item is out of stock? Don’t let that stop you from offering the upsell. The best upselling examples show that you always have an alternative.

For example, if your upsell for a particular phone is upgrading the memory from 64GB to 128GB, and you’re out of the upgrade, suggest 128GB phones in different models from the same manufacturer.

Or, you could simply suggest a phone with similar features where your upsell IS available.

13. Upsell After the Purchase

While many upsells are offered on product or pricing pages, these aren’t the only places to show off your upsell offer. In fact, you can offer an upsell even after customers have completed their purchase.

For example, when placing an order with Mixbook, you get a limited time to edit or upgrade your order before it ships.

And on sales pages, you’ll often see a deal for a limited time product that complements what you’re already buying.

14. Follow Up via Email

While we’re on the topic of post-purchase upsells, don’t forget about email. Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach your customers, and there are a few upselling email examples that can help you make more sales.

For example, even if people don’t take the upsell when they purchase, you can still offer it again by email. And you can sweeten the deal by offering an additional discount on the upgraded product or service.

In the example below from Digital Marketer, the company offers two free gifts when you take the upsell.

You can also use email to offer upsells as part of your shopping cart abandonment emails. The average shopping cart abandonment rate, according to the Baymard Institute, is 69%. That’s a lot of money to leave on the table.

To target abandonment on the site, use OptinMonster’s Exit-Intent® Technology, and follow up with targeted abandonment emails.

15. Consider Downselling

Finally, if upselling isn’t doing the trick, consider downselling – offering a product that’s slightly reduced in price and features as a way to get your customer to become a customer.

Consider downselling if your customer:

• Only looks at items in a particular price range, using the sorting features on your site
• Has added an item to the cart, but returns to your site to look for cheaper versions
• Has abandoned an upsell in the cart and does not respond to abandonment emails

Downselling can help to build trust by offering options that suit your customers’ pocket and showing that you’re responsive to their needs. Examples include:

• Offering a more cost-effective version of a computer, like one with a less expensive power chip
• Creating a self-study version of a course that’s less expensive than the one with your personal input
• Popping up a coupon to give a discount when it looks like visitors are about to leave the page

This last one is easy to do with OptinMonster. Follow the steps create a popup coupon, and use page level targeting to display it on certain product pages. Then go to Display Rules » When should the campaign appear? and enable On Exit Intent® to make sure it displays before they leave the page.

The great thing about downsells is that once visitors become customers, you’ll have other opportunities for upsells later.

Upselling Examples for Inspiration

Want a few more examples of upselling in action? Check these out.

Grammarly has a neat button inviting logged in users to upgrade to premium, along with a page showing the benefits of upgrading. Note that it also has three package options, as we mentioned in tip #11.

Williams-Sonoma offers a discount for new customers, which encourages them to buy more.

AppSumo’s email shows existing customers the benefit of getting multiple deals in one by moving from a pay per deal to a monthly all in one model.

Dropbox uses an in-app banner to encourage the upgrade to the Business version.

Clicking on the button gives you the USP of the upgrade.

Amazon’s messaging includes letting you know when there’s a newer model or version of the item you’re looking at.

That’s it! With these upselling tips and examples, you’re primed to get the most from your upsell strategy.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also want to check out our tutorial on how to create a product recommendation popup the easy way.

Next, check out our tips on eCommerce email marketing and best practices for marketing automation. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more in-depth guides.

The process of starting a new website often goes like this:

You have a great idea for an eCommerce business. Perhaps you download WordPress because of its powerful, easy-to-use design. Now, it’s time to decide which web hosting company you want to use.

And you have no idea where to even begin.

Many site owners go with Bluehost for their WordPress hosting. After all, it’s reliable and has been serving the online community for a couple of decades without any major problems, and they have a great referral program. Plus, it’s really easy to set up and comes with a free Bluehost domain, making it an excellent choice for anyone launching their first website.

Make no mistake, we highly recommend Bluehost, especially for WordPress users. But sometimes you want more options than Bluehost offers. For instance, you might need monthly billing options, which Bluehost doesn’t offer.

Or if you’re not a WordPress user, you might want a hosting plan that offers a website builder. Bluehost only offers a builder for WordPress sites.

There are options for people looking for more variety than Bluehost offers, and you don’t have to spend a fortune for them. Here are our favorite Bluehost alternatives for your eCommerce site:

1. SiteGround
2. HostGator
3. DreamHost
4. A2 Hosting
5. GoDaddy

1. SiteGround

SiteGround is one of the most popular Bluehost alternatives, and for good reasons. It offers flexible subscription packages, great security features, and it works especially well with WordPress and WooCommerce.

But what really makes SiteGround special isn’t its pricing tiers: it’s the loading times. Thanks to an advanced caching feature known as SuperCacher, SiteGround is one of the fastest WordPress hosting platforms available.

But if it’s SiteGround vs Bluehost, who wins?

Good question! When doing a WordPress hosting comparison, you’ll see that both provide excellent managed WordPress hosting services, but SiteGround takes it a step further by giving around-the-clock multichannel support. What’s more, they even guarantee that your website will have 99.9% uptime. Talk about unmatched dependability.

Since SiteGround will migrate your website for free, making the switch from Bluehost has never been easier. For these reasons, we recommend SiteGround to anyone who’s not happy with loading speeds and downtime associated with their current host, regardless of which host that is.

SiteGround Pricing: Starts at $2.99/month

2. HostGator

Comparing Bluehost vs HostGator? HostGator is one of the best Bluehost alternatives because it offers similar services and pricing options as Bluehost, but with a bit more flexibility. They have several different membership packages, SEO tools for eCommerce companies, and a drag-and-drop builder that lets you create mobile-responsive websites in minutes.

But that’s not all. HostGator’s migrations team makes it easy to transfer content from your existing site onto their server, taking special care to ensure that all the files, scripts, and databases integrate smoothly after the migration. This is especially useful if you already have a Bluehost site and are considering changing hosts.

Overall, we’re more than pleased with HostGator’s services.

Between its compatibility with WordPress and its around-the-clock support, HostGator is one of the best companies for WordPress hosting for eCommerce and personal usage.

HostGator Pricing: Starts at $3.75/month

3. DreamHost

DreamHost is one of the few independently owned hosting providers left on the web. That means when you support DreamHost, you’re empowering entrepreneurs rather than big business. What’s more, DreamHost’s privately owned and operated nature ensures that you get a more personable experience when corresponding with support staff.

When deciding between Bluehost vs DreamHost, what else does DreamHost have to offer?

For starters, they have competitive services and are upfront with their pricing structures, so you know what you’re getting at all times. Their services support shared or dedicated hosting, WordPress hosting, free setup, and even a free domain. Other benefits include:

• Around-the-clock customer support through email and live chat, 365 days a year.
• One-click WordPress install and site builder, similar to the one offered by Bluehost.
• Unlimited disk space.
• An intuitive web-based control panel designed specifically for DreamHost clients.

DreamHost even offers new subscribers a 97-day, money-back guarantee, which speaks for itself about how confident they are in their services.

DreamHost Pricing: Starts at $2.95/month

4. A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting makes it onto our list of Bluehost alternatives as one of the few companies that are truly developer-friendly. Clients using A2 are able to use a number of different tools and developer-friendly services, in addition to giving clients the option of Linux or Windows hosting.

A2 also provides top-quality support that users can access every second of the day, lightning-fast servers, and a 30-day, money-back guarantee. Moreover, if you’re unhappy with A2’s services between 30 and 90 days, they’ll give you a prorated refund for the time you didn’t use.

As for the final answer, A2 is more than capable of hosting a small company or a growing eCommerce giant. Its services can be scaled to meet the unique needs of the individual, but its real appeal is empowering developers wanting to build a site tailored specifically for their personal or business needs.

A2 Hosting Pricing: Starts at $1.95/month

5. GoDaddy

There’s a good chance you’ve already heard of GoDaddy thanks to all the Danica Patrick commercials and the fact that the platform makes web hosting easy for everyone, even those who aren’t tech-savvy.

Truthfully, GoDaddy’s services are pretty basic. Don’t expect to have access to comprehensive customizability options. But if you’re running a basic website, like a blog, portfolio, or small-to-medium online business, GoDaddy has everything you need to get started.

Its biggest selling point is simplicity. It doesn’t matter how good you are at building websites, GoDaddy makes it easy to build a fully functioning site within minutes. While not as comprehensive as platforms like A2 Hosting, GoDaddy’s website builder tools are designed to be easy to use, even if you’ve never built a website before.

Are you looking for a reliable company that offers WordPress hosting? GoDaddy is a competitive option to Bluehost, as long as you’re building a relatively simple site. For this reason, GoDaddy is great for beginners interested in claiming their first piece of virtual real estate. But if you’re creating a large-scale online business, try one of the other services, including Bluehost, instead.

GoDaddy Pricing: Starts at $5.99/month

Taking the Next Step

Once you’ve secured a host and launched your site, it’s time to build those email lists, so you can use email marketing to encourage subscribers to shop on your site.

Don’t worry, getting your website off the ground was the hardest part of the journey! Innovative tools like OptinMonster make it easy to engage visitors in real-time, which increases your chances of turning visitors into paying customers. And isn’t that what running an eCommerce site is all about?

Related Resources

• 8 Best Website Builders for Small Business
• How to Make a Small Business Website
• 11 Best Free Website Builders

These plugins convert your website into a membership platform and unlock huge potential for increasing revenue and subscribers.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with a variety of membership plugins. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, and I’ve learned to match the right plugin to my client’s specific needs.

In this article, I share 5 of the best WordPress membership plugins based on my experiences with some of the most popular options.

If you are looking for the best WordPress membership plugin, read on and pick the one that best suits your goals. 

Best WordPress Membership Plugins

• MemberPress
• Paid Memberships Pro
• WooCommerce Memberships
• LearnDash
• Restrict Content Pro

Summary of WordPress Membership Plugins

	Plugin	Best For	Key Features	Pros	Cons
	MemberPress	Complex membership sites, online courses, digital product stores	Multiple membership tiers, drip content, digital downloads, strong integrations	Comprehensive feature set, easy to use, excellent support	Can be overkill for simple sites, pricing can escalate
2	Paid Memberships Pro	Customizable membership sites, budget-conscious users	Flexibility, open-source, strong community	Highly customizable, cost-effective	Steeper learning curve, core features might be limited
3	WooCommerce Memberships	Online stores with product-based memberships	Integration with WooCommerce, product-based memberships	Seamless integration, leverages WooCommerce infrastructure	Limited to product-based memberships
4	LearnDash	Online courses, educational content	Drip content, quizzes, certificates, strong LMS features	Excellent for online courses, robust features	Can be overkill for simple membership sites, pricing can be steep
5	Restrict Content Pro	Small to medium-sized membership sites, content protection	Easy to use, affordable, focuses on core features	Simple setup, cost-effective	Limited features, not suitable for complex membership structures

How to Choose the Best WordPress Membership Plugin

With all the WordPress membership plugins out there, how do you choose the right one?

There are 3 key areas to consider:

• Features: Determine how much you need from a login-based plugin. Do you only need the basics, or do you want to offer a full-fledged interactive experience? Of course, cost is a factor, as well!
• Compatibility: Your plugin must work with your WordPress theme and other plugins. You can check if your plugin is compatible with a staging site.
• Ease of Use: Be sure it’s easy for your team and customers to use. User-friendly plugins are especially important for beginners.

Best WordPress Membership Plugins for Your Subscription Website

We’ve tested the features, compatibility, and ease of use of all the top subscription plugins. Here are our favorite WordPress plugins to manage memberships on your website.

1. MemberPress

I first encountered MemberPress on a client project that required a robust membership solution with a focus on digital product delivery. The client was launching an online course platform and needed a plugin that could handle multiple membership tiers, drip content, and digital downloads seamlessly.

MemberPress impressed me right away with its intuitive interface and comprehensive feature set. Setting up membership levels, creating drip schedules, and integrating payment gateways was a breeze. The plugin’s ability to restrict content based on membership level is excellent, and the digital downloads feature is a real standout.

However, while MemberPress is undoubtedly powerful, its extensive feature set can sometimes feel overwhelming for simpler membership sites. For smaller projects or those with very specific needs, it might be overkill.

Features

• Integrations with Mailchimp, Constant Contact, GetResponse, Easy Affiliate, and more
• Unlimited members and memberships
• Content dripping functionality
• Content restriction rules, including access end dates
• Powerful learning management system (LMS) features for online courses
• Customizable checkout

Pros

• Comprehensive feature set
• Easy to use interface
• Strong support
• Excellent for digital product delivery
• Flexible membership tiers

Cons

• Can be overkill for simpler membership sites
• Pricing can escalate with add-ons

MemberPress Pricing

• Basic: $179.50 per year
• Plus: $299.50 per year
• Pro: $399.50 per year (includes 3 free months of OptinMonster and TrustPulse)

Best for: Online course platforms, digital product stores, and complex membership sites with multiple tiers and features.

Get started with MemberPress today!

2. Paid Memberships Pro

I’ve used Paid Memberships Pro (PMPro) on several personal projects and for clients who needed a highly customizable membership solution. It’s open-source nature and extensive add-on ecosystem make it a versatile choice.

I appreciate PMPro’s flexibility. It allows you to tailor the membership experience to your exact needs. Whether you’re building a simple members-only area or a complex subscription-based platform, PMPro can adapt.

That said, the initial setup can be more involved than with some other plugins, and the core functionality is less extensive out-of-the-box. You might need to invest time in configuring settings or purchasing add-ons to achieve your desired results.

Features

• Can show “sneak peeks” of content
• Pay per post or view
• Personalized member homepages
• Thorough admin dashboard
• Many payment methods and gateways

Pros

• Highly customizable
• Open-source
• Strong community and support
• Cost-effective
• Suitable for a wide range of membership sites

Cons

• Steeper learning curve
• Core features might be limited compared to some competitors

Pricing

• Free: $0
• Standard: $174 per year
• Plus: $299 per year
• Enterprise: $5,000+ per year

Best for: Developers, those with advanced customization needs, and budget-conscious users who don’t require a full-featured membership plugin.

Click here to get started with Paid Memberships Pro.

3. WooCommerce Memberships

As a WooCommerce expert, I naturally gravitated towards WooCommerce Memberships for clients who already had an online store. It’s a logical extension of the popular ecommerce platform.

The plugin works seamlessly with WooCommerce, allowing you to offer product-based memberships. This is ideal for businesses that sell physical or digital products and want to create additional revenue streams through exclusive member content.

However, if you don’t already use WooCommerce, the learning curve might be steeper, and the plugin’s focus on product-based memberships could limit its usefulness for other types of membership sites.

Features

• Integration with Constant Contact
• Member areas requiring invitations
• Content dripping
• Membership levels
• Easy communication with members

Pros

• Seamless integration with WooCommerce
• Ideal for product-based memberships
• Leveraging existing WooCommerce infrastructure
• Familiar interface for WooCommerce users

Cons

• Limited to product-based memberships
• Might not be suitable for non-ecommerce membership sites

Pricing

• $199 per year

Best for: Online stores looking to create membership tiers based on product purchases.

Click here to get started with WooCommerce Memberships.

4. LearnDash

I first came across LearnDash when a client approached me about building an online course platform with membership functionality. Initially, I was skeptical about using an LMS for membership, but I decided to give it a shot.

LearnDash blew me away with its focus on creating structured learning experiences. While it’s primarily an LMS, its membership features are solid. The ability to drip-feed content, create quizzes, and offer certificates within a membership framework is a unique selling point.

For complex membership sites with a strong educational component, LearnDash is a fantastic choice. However, if you’re primarily focused on content restriction and don’t need the full LMS functionality, there might be more streamlined options.

Pros

• Excellent for online courses and educational content
• Robust drip content and quiz features
• Strong community and support
• Versatile platform

Cons

• Can be overkill for simple membership sites
• Pricing can be steep for basic membership features

Features

• One-time payment or subscription courses
• Integration with popular payment gateways and marketing apps
• Course and group management
• Detailed reporting on enrollment, performance, and progress
• Robust LMS capacity

Pricing

• 1 Site: $199 per year
• 10 Sites: $399 per year
• Unlimited: $799 per year

Best for: Online course platforms, membership sites with a strong educational focus, and those who need advanced learning management tools.

Click here to get started with LearnDash.

5. Restrict Content Pro

Restrict Content Pro (RCP) is a plugin I’ve used on several small to medium-sized membership sites. Its simplicity is its greatest strength. If you need a straightforward way to protect content and manage subscriptions, RCP is a solid choice.

The plugin is easy to set up, and the interface is clean and intuitive. While it lacks some of the advanced features of other plugins, it excels at the core functionality of content restriction.

However, for complex membership sites with multiple tiers, drip content, or advanced features, RCP might fall short. It’s best suited for simpler membership models.

Features

• Unlimited number of membership levels
• Customer dashboard
• Stripe integration for free level, more payment options at paid levels
• Membership emails
• Autogenerated member pages

Pros

• Easy to use and set up
• Focuses on core membership features
• Affordable
• Good for smaller membership sites

Cons

• Limited features compared to other plugins
• Might not be suitable for complex membership structures

Pricing

• Basic: Free
• 1 Site: $99 per year
• 5 Sites: $149 per year
• Unlimited: $249 per year

Best for: Small to medium-sized membership sites with basic requirements, bloggers, and those on a tight budget.

Get started with Restrict Content Pro right here.

What Is the Best Membership Plugin for WordPress?

Through our testing and research, we determined that MemberPress is the best membership plugin for WordPress .

MemberPress is the most comprehensive option, and it’s the easiest to use. It has tons of features and excellent documentation and support.

That said, our favorite may not be the right one for you. That’s okay! The best membership plugin for you depends on your specific needs. Consider factors like the type of content you’ll be offering, the complexity of your membership structure, your budget, and your technical expertise when making your decision.

Do you want to learn more ways to increase revenue on your member website?

Take a look at our list of 30 Ways to Make Money With OptinMonster! In that article, you’ll learn how our powerful popup software can help you make the right offers to the right visitors.

If you want to start with OptinMonster today, check out our affordable pricing plans.

This eCommerce holiday calendar covers the rest of 2024 and the first half of 2025, so you can plan your next 12 months of promotions. For each holiday, I’m sharing marketing tips to help your eCommerce store make more sales throughout the year.

• August 2024
• September 2024
• October 2024
• November 2024
• December 2024
• January 2025
• February 2025
• March 2025
• April 2025
• May 2025
• June 2025
• July 2025

eCommerce Holiday Calendar 2024/2025

August 2024 Holiday Sales Calendar

Month of August: Back to School

In the United States, many schools start their fall semesters in August. This earlier start time is especially common in Southern states. If you have a local or regional business in these states, remember to time your back-to-school marketing appropriately. If you have a national or international customer base, use geotargeting and lead segmentation to target your back-to-school promotions to the right people at the right time.

• Products to Promote: School supplies, backpacks, clothing, electronics, and dorm essentials.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send segmented emails with school essentials and special offers for students and parents.
  • Social Media: Share back-to-school tips, product highlights, and user-generated content of school preparations.
  • Website: Offer discount codes for back-to-school items and bundle deals.

August 2: International Beer Day

International Beer Day is celebrated worldwide to enjoy and celebrate beer. It’s a day for beer lovers to try new brews, visit local pubs, and share a drink with friends.

• Products to Promote: Beers, brewing kits, barware, coolers, and other beer accessories
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote special beer selections and have some fun with brewing trivia.
  • Social Media: Host a virtual beer-tasting event or share fun facts about beer.
  • Website popups: Offer a limited-time discount on beer-related products.

August 2: Ice Cream Sandwich Day

Ice Cream Sandwich Day is dedicated to celebrating one of the most beloved summer treats, the ice cream sandwich. This day is perfect for indulging in and promoting these nostalgic frozen treats.

• Products to Promote: Ice cream, ice cream makers, cookies, and picnic/outdoor accessories
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight a variety of ice cream sandwiches and recipes.
  • Social Media: Run a contest for the best homemade ice cream sandwich.
  • Website popups: Feature a popup with a special offer on ice cream or picnic products.

August 4: Friendship Day

Friendship Day is a day to celebrate friendships and show appreciation to friends. It’s a time for people to connect, share memories, and exchange gifts.

• Products to Promote: Gifts, personalized items, and greeting cards. If you have a referral program, you can offer an extra incentive for referring a friend.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send gift ideas and special offers for friends, and focus on the special role that friendship plays in our lives. Keep a casual tone, and thank your subscribers for being a friend and supporter of your company.
  • Social Media: Encourage followers to share stories and pictures of their friends.
  • Website Popups: Offer a discount on gift items, promote your refer-a-friend program, or give a Friends & Family coupon code.

August 9: National Book Lovers Day

National Book Lovers Day is dedicated to those who love reading and books. This holiday is obviously great for publishers, authors, and booksellers. But a wide variety of eCommerce stores can also use it by focusing on the cozy factor of curling up with a good book.

• Products to Promote: Books, ebooks, e-readers, ebook subscriptions, coffee, tea, mugs, blankets, and loungewear
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight a product bundle a relaxing night of reading.
  • Social Media: Share book recommendations from your staff, reading challenges, and polls about favorite books and authors.
  • Website Popups: Promote a limited-time discount on any of the products above. Also, consider offering a free ebook or short story PDF as a lead magnet.

With OptinMonster, you can have an ebook popup running on your site in minutes. Just start with our eBook Download template, and use our easy drag-and-drop builder to customize it for your ebook. A high-value, relevant lead magnet is one of the best ways to grow your email list.

August 19: World Photography Day

World Photography Day celebrates the art and science of photography. It’s a day for photographers to showcase their work and for enthusiasts to appreciate the beauty of captured moments.

• Products to Promote: Cameras, photography accessories, frames, photo printing services, and photography classes.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Showcase popular cameras and accessories with special offers. Include beautiful photographs throughout your email.
  • Social Media: Run a photography contest and showcase user-generated content. Even if you don’t sell camera equipment, you can ask for creative photos of your products in use.
  • Website Popups: Provide a discount code for photography equipment. Offer a lead magnet of a free photography guide or discount on a photography course.

August 26: National Dog Day

National Dog Day celebrates all dogs and encourages adoption. It’s a day to recognize the joy and companionship that dogs bring into our lives.

• Products to Promote: Pet supplies, dog food, and pet toys. Don’t sell these? You can donate a percentage of the day’s proceeds to an animal rescue organization.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote special deals on dog products or highlight your company’s commitment to animal welfare.
  • Social Media: Share heartwarming stories of dog adoptions, post photos of staff members’ dogs, or ask followers to share photos of their dogs.
  • Website Popups: Offer a discount on pet supplies or promote your animal rescue donations.

August 26: Women’s Equality Day

Women’s Equality Day commemorates the certification of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. It’s a day to celebrate women’s achievements and promote gender equality.

• Products to Promote: Products by women-owned companies, women’s gifts, and books related to women’s issues.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight products that promote women’s empowerment.
  • Social Media: Share stories and quotes from inspiring women.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on women’s products to celebrate equality.

September 2024 eCommerce Calendar

Month of September: Back to School (continued)

The back-to-school season continues into September as students and parents finalize their preparations for the new school year. This time is crucial for last-minute purchases and deals.

• Products to Promote: School supplies, clothing, electronics, and dorm essentials.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight back-to-school sales and special offers for students and parents.
  • Social Media: Share back-to-school tips and showcase product highlights.
  • Website Popups: Offer discount codes for back-to-school items and bundle deals.

September 2: Labor Day

Labor Day is a national holiday in the United States that honors the contributions of workers. It’s traditionally celebrated with barbecues, parades, and sales events and marks the end of summer.

• Products to Promote: Outdoor equipment, grills, picnic supplies, and apparel. Customers look for good deals for Labor Day, so consider sitewide discounts.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote Labor Day sales and special discounts.
  • Social Media: Share posts celebrating workers and highlight sale items.
  • Website Popups: Feature a limited-time Labor Day sale with exclusive offers.

September 8: Grandparents Day

Grandparents Day is a time to honor grandparents and the role they play in families. It’s a day for giving gifts and spending quality time with them.

• Products to Promote: Gifts, personalized items, photo albums, and books.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send gift ideas and special offers for grandparents. Include photos of grandparents with their families. You can even add photos of employees’ grandparents.
  • Social Media: Encourage followers to share stories and photos of their grandparents.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on personalized gifts for grandparents.

September 12: National Video Game Day

National Video Game Day celebrates the enjoyment and culture of video gaming. It’s a great opportunity to offer special deals to gamers and discuss games.

• Products to Promote: Video games, consoles, gaming accessories, and merchandise related to popular games.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight popular video games and special deals on gaming gear.
  • Social Media: Host a gaming challenge, post polls about favorite games and consoles, share gaming tips and tricks, or live stream a gaming session on Twitch.
  • Website Popups: Provide a discount code for gaming products. Use Page-Level Targeting to create “You might also like” popups related to the games visitors are browsing.

September 21-October 6: Oktoberfest Begins

Oktoberfest is a famous Bavarian festival known for its beer, food, and festivities. It typically runs from late September to the first weekend in October.

• Products to Promote: German-themed merchandise, and German-made products, beer, and brewing kits.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote Oktoberfest-themed products and beer selections. Since the festival lasts over 2 weeks, you can plan “Beeer of the Day” campaigns for email, social media, and your website.
  • Social Media: Share fun facts about Oktoberfest and German culture. Post photos from Oktoberfest events.
  • Website Popups: Offer a limited-time discount on Oktoberfest products.

September 22: First Day of Fall/Fall Equinox

The Fall Equinox marks the beginning of autumn. After the heat of the summer, customers are excited to prepare for cool, crisp weather and fall festivities.

• Products to Promote: Fall clothing, home decor, seasonal foods, and candles.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight fall collections and seasonal promotions.
  • Social Media: Share fall-themed content and engage with followers about their favorite fall activities.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on fall products to celebrate the new season.

September 29: National Coffee Day

National Coffee Day celebrates the beloved beverage and is a great opportunity for promotions related to coffee.

• Products to Promote: Coffee, coffee makers, mugs, and coffee accessories.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote special deals on coffee and related products.
  • Social Media: Share coffee recipes and fun facts, and host a coffee giveaway.
  • Website Popups: Feature a limited-time offer on coffee products.

October 2024 Holiday Marketing Calendar

October 4: National Taco Day

National Taco Day is a celebration of the beloved taco, a staple in Mexican cuisine. Tacos are an increasingly popular comfort food, so National Taco Day offers a fun way to connect with customers.

• Products to Promote: Taco kits, cooking utensils, Mexican cuisine ingredients, margarita ingredients, and themed apparel.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send out taco recipes and special offers on taco-related products. Highlight the different types of tacos that originated from varying regions of Mexico.
  • Social Media: Host a taco photo contest and share recipes.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on taco kits and related cooking items.

October 5: World Teachers’ Day

World Teachers’ Day recognizes the crucial role teachers play in education and development. It’s a day to honor and appreciate educators worldwide.

• Products to Promote: Educational materials, gift cards, stationery, books, and self-care gifts.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight special deals on teacher appreciation gifts. Promote any discounts that you offer for teachers.
  • Social Media: Share stories about impactful teachers and promote giveaways.
  • Website Popups: Offer a discount code for teacher-related products.

October 10: World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day aims to raise awareness about mental health issues and promote mental well-being.

• Products to Promote: Self-care items, books on mental health, and spa services.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share tips on mental well-being and promote relevant products. Give an insider look at how your company prioritizes the mental health of your team members.
  • Social Media: Post about mental health awareness and invite followers to share their mental health journeys.
  • Website Popups: Feature special offers on self-care and wellness products.

October 14: Indigenous People’s Day

Indigenous People’s Day celebrates and honors the culture, history, and contributions of indigenous communities.

• Products to Promote: Indigenous art, cultural books, handmade crafts, and products by Indigenous-owned companies.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote products made by indigenous artists and highlight their stories.
  • Social Media: Share educational content about indigenous cultures.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on indigenous-made products, art, and books..

October 19: Sweetest Day

On Sweetest Day, businesses encourage customers to give candy and desserts, either as a romantic gesture or an act of kindness.

• Products to Promote: Sweets, chocolates, flowers, and greeting cards.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight gift bundles and special offers on sweets and treats. Include recipes for special desserts.
  • Social Media: Promote a giveaway for a gift basket of special treats.
  • Website Popups: Feature limited-time discounts on Sweetest Day gifts.

October 31: Halloween

Halloween’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years. In fact, the National Retail Federation estimates that Halloween spending reached $12.2 billion in 2023. With so many dollars at stake, don’t wait until the last minute to start your Halloween promotions. Many eCommerce retailers begin promoting their spooky products as early as July and August.

• Products to Promote: Costumes, decorations, candy, and themed party supplies.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote Halloween sales and costume ideas. If you don’t offer these products, you can still create Halloween-themed emails with subject lines like “Scary-Good Savings”
  • Social Media: Host a costume contest and share decorating tips.
  • Website Popups: Offer special deals on Halloween products or a sitewide discount.

OptinMonster offers multiple premade templates for Halloween, including this one:

You can add a Countdown Timer to any OptinMonster campaign. In this popup, the timer can count down to Halloween, creating a sense of urgency to order in time.

November 2024 Marketing Holidays

November 1-2: Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead

Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday that honors deceased loved ones with vibrant altars, marigolds, and festive gatherings. It’s a time of celebration and remembrance.

• Products to Promote: Decorative items, sugar skulls, traditional Mexican crafts, and candles.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share the history and significance of Dia de los Muertos with special offers on related products.
  • Social Media: Post educational content and host a giveaway featuring festive items.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on decorations and traditional crafts.

November 1: Diwali

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains worldwide. It symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.

• Products to Promote: Candles, lanterns, festive decorations, sweets, jewelry, and other Diwali gifts.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight Diwali gift ideas and offer special discounts. Showcase photos of Diwali light displays and share details about the origins and significance of the holiday.
  • Social Media: Share Diwali stories and recipes, and host a photo contest.
  • Website Popups: Offer a site-wide coupon code in celebration.

November 11: Veterans Day

Veterans Day honors military veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. It’s a day of remembrance and appreciation for their service.

• Products to Promote: Patriotic items, flags, military-themed gifts, and apparel. Highlight any military discounts that you offer.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send out a thank-you message to veterans with exclusive offers.
  • Social Media: Share stories of veterans and promote discounts for military personnel.
  • Website Popups: Offer special deals for veterans and their families.

November 13: World Kindness Day

World Kindness Day encourages acts of kindness and the spirit of giving. It’s a day to promote good deeds and positive actions.

• Products to Promote: Inspirational books, wellness products, charity items, simple “thinking of you” gifts, and products that support charitable causes.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Encourage customers to perform acts of kindness and offer discounts on related products. Use this holiday to highlight your company’s charitable giving, and include a link to donate to a cause of your choice.
  • Social Media: Share stories of kindness and create a hashtag campaign.
  • Website Popups: Promote charitable products and offer discounts for those who donate.

November 15: America Recycles Day

America Recycles Day promotes recycling and encourages people to buy recycled products. It’s a day dedicated to environmental awareness.

• Products to Promote: Recycled goods, eco-friendly products, and reusable items.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight your eco-friendly product range and offer discounts.
  • Social Media: Share recycling tips and host a giveaway of sustainable products.
  • Website Popups: Offer special deals on eco-friendly products, or simply use your popup to link to your sustainable collection.

November 19: National Entrepreneur’s Day

National Entrepreneur’s Day celebrates entrepreneurs and their contributions to innovation and economic growth. It’s a day to support and inspire business owners, and it’s an especially good marketing opportunity for B2B (business-to-business) companies.

• Products to Promote: Business books, B2B software and products, productivity tools, and tech gadgets.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote products that help entrepreneurs with special discounts. Tell the story of your own company’s founding.
  • Social Media: Share success stories of entrepreneurs and host a live Q&A.
  • Website Popups: Offer exclusive deals and downloadable business guides as lead magnets.

November 28: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a traditional American holiday where families gather to give thanks and enjoy a feast. It’s celebrated with meals, parades, and football games. It also kicks off the winter holiday season.

• Products to Promote: Cooking supplies, home décor, and fall apparel.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send out Thanksgiving recipes and special offers on cooking supplies.
  • Social Media: Share customer photos of Thanksgiving celebrations and host a contest.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on Thanksgiving essentials.

November 29: Black Friday

Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, known for massive sales and discounts. Be sure to start planning your Black Friday deals and marketing well in advance, so this important weekend doesn’t sneak up on you.

• Products to Promote: Popular electronics, fashion, home goods, and virtually anything.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send out early bird specials and exclusive discounts. Offer previews of Black Friday deals to subscribers.
  • Social Media: Create countdowns to your biggest deals and share sneak peeks.
  • Website Popups: Promote time-sensitive deals and flash sales. Use countdown timers to build anticipation.

OptinMonster has a ton of Black Friday campaign templates to save you time:

November 30: Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday encourages consumers to shop at local and small businesses. If you’re a small business, this day is your time to shine! Even if you’re a bit larger, you can promote any products made by small businesses.

• Products to Promote: Locally-made products, unique gifts, and specialty items.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight small business products and offer special promotions.
  • Social Media: Share stories of local businesses and create a support-local hashtag campaign.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts for purchases from small business partners.

December 2024 Holiday Sales Calendar

December 2: Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday is the eCommerce equivalent of Black Friday, with major online retailers offering significant discounts. It’s one of the biggest online shopping days of the year.

• Products to Promote: Electronics, fashion, home goods, toys, and any other products.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send early access deals and exclusive online discounts.
  • Social Media: Run countdowns and live updates on deals.
  • Website Popups: Offer time-limited flash sales and exclusive online-only offers.

In addition to traditional popups, OptinMonster offers templates for floating bars, slide-in boxes, and full-screen mats. For example, we have this floating bar template for Cyber Monday, which can float at the top or bottom of your webpage:

December 3: Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement that encourages people to give back to their communities through donations, volunteering, and acts of kindness.

• Products to Promote: Charity-related items, matching donations, and percentage-of-purchase donations.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote charitable partnerships and donation-matching campaigns.
  • Social Media: Share stories of giving and encourage followers to participate.
  • Website Popups: Highlight donation options and promote matching gift programs.

December 4: National Cookie Day

National Cookie Day celebrates the joy of baking and eating cookies, and it’s perfectly timed for the holiday baking season.

• Products to Promote: Baking supplies, cookie gift boxes, and kitchen gadgets.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share cookie recipes and offer discounts on baking products.
  • Social Media: Host a cookie recipe contest and share user-generated content.
  • Website Popups: In addition to special deals, you can offer a downloadable PDF of cookie recipes as a lead magnet.

December 20: National Ugly Sweater Day

National Ugly Sweater Day is a tongue-in-cheek holiday where people wear their most outrageous holiday sweaters. Many families, friends groups, and workplaces host ugly Christmas sweater parties during the holiday season.

• Products to Promote: Ugly sweaters, not-ugly sweaters, holiday apparel, novelty gifts.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote sweater collections and special offers. Include a photo of your team wearing crazy sweaters.
  • Social Media: Host an ugly sweater photo contest and share entries.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on sweaters and holiday attire.

December 21: Winter Solstice/First Day of Winter

The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. Because it has the shortest amount of daylight, it also means each following day will be a little longer. That’s good news for people who struggle with Seasonal affective disorder. The Winter Solstice is also the official beginning of winter.

• Products to Promote: Winter clothing, home décor, wellness products, and last-minute holiday gifts.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight winter-themed products and special solstice sales. Share any express-shipping options that will allow arrival before Christmas Day.
  • Social Media: Share winter tips and product features.
  • Website Popups: Promote winter sales and limited-time offers.

December 24: Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is celebrated with family gatherings, festive meals, and last-minute holiday preparations. It’s a night full of anticipation and joy.

• Products to Promote: If you have physical stores that are open, promote last-minute, in-person shopping. If not, take a break for the day!
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send last-minute gift guides.
  • Social Media: Share holiday stories and festive countdowns.
  • Website Popups: Promote last-minute in-store deals.

December 25-January 2: Hanukkah

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

• Products to Promote: Menorahs, candles, traditional foods, and gifts.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share Hanukkah stories and offer special discounts on holiday items.
  • Social Media: Post Hanukkah-themed content and engage with followers.
  • Website Popups: Highlight Hanukkah promotions and limited-time offers.

December 25: Christmas Day

Christmas Day is about family and celebration, not shopping. Any marketing that you send out should be focused on wishing your customers a wonderful holiday.

• Products to Promote: It’s best not to promote products on Christmas Day.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send a holiday greeting and thank customers for supporting your business. You can include links to post-Christmas sales, but they shouldn’t be the main focus of your email.
  • Social Media: Share season’s greetings and customer photos.
  • Website Popups: Transition to post-Christmas sales.

December 26-Januay 1: Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration honoring African heritage in African-American culture. It involves activities such as lighting the kinara, feasts, and gift-giving.

• Products to Promote: Kinara sets, African-made gifts, and educational books.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Educate customers about Kwanzaa and offer themed products.
  • Social Media: Share Kwanzaa traditions and product highlights.
  • Website Popups: Promote Kwanzaa deals and educational content.

December 26: Boxing Day

Boxing Day is celebrated the day after Christmas, traditionally with shopping, sporting events, and family gatherings. It’s a major shopping holiday in many countries.

• Products to Promote: Post-Christmas sales, electronics, and fashion.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Announce Boxing Day sales and exclusive discounts.
  • Social Media: Share sale highlights and engage with customers.
  • Website Popups: Promote Boxing Day deals and clearance events.

December 31: New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve is celebrated with parties, fireworks, and countdowns to the new year. It’s a time for reflection and new beginnings.

• Products to Promote: Party supplies, festive décor, and resolution-related items.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send New Year’s Eve party ideas and special offers. You can also send a year-in-review email about company milestones.
  • Social Media: Host a New Year’s countdown and share festive content.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on party supplies and New Year essentials.

January 2025 Marketing Holidays

January 1: New Year’s Day

New Year’s Day marks the beginning of the calendar year and the end of the holiday shopping season. On the eCommerce calendar, it’s the time to promote resolution-related products.

• Products to Promote: Fitness gear, planners, healthy cooking items, and self-improvement books.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote New Year’s resolution-themed products.
  • Social Media: Ask followers to share their resolutions, especially those related to your company’s niche.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on products that help achieve new goals.

OptinMonster has several New Year-themed templates. The one below is a full-screen spin-to-win campaign:

You can add a Coupon Wheel like this one to any OptinMonster campaign.

January 4: National Spaghetti Day

National Spaghetti Day celebrates the beloved pasta dish enjoyed by many around the world. Like so many food-themed holidays, it’s a great opportunity to have some fun with your eCommerce marketing.

• Products to Promote: Pasta, kitchen gadgets, and cookbooks.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share spaghetti recipes and promote related products.
  • Social Media: Ask followers to share their favorite spaghetti recipes or their favorite Italian restaurants.
  • Website Popups: Highlight discounts on pasta and kitchen tools. Offer a family spaghetti recipe or guide to homemade pasta as a lead magnet.

January 10: National Cut Your Energy Day

This day encourages people to reduce their energy consumption and be more environmentally conscious.

• Products to Promote: Energy-efficient appliances and eco-friendly products.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Offer tips on cutting energy usage and promote sustainable products.
  • Social Media: Share infographics on energy-saving tips.
  • Website Popups: Promote sales on energy-efficient items.

January 12: National Hot Tea Day

National Hot Tea Day celebrates the warmth and comfort of drinking hot tea.

• Products to Promote: Teas, kettles, teapots, tea sets, serving platters, and tasty treats that go well with tea.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share tea party recipes and special tea blends.
  • Social Media: Host a tea-themed giveaway or a virtual tea party.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on tea sets and accessories.

January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

This federal holiday honors the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and his contributions to equality and justice.

• Products to Promote: Books, educational materials, products from Black-owned businesses, and charity-related items.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share content about MLK’s legacy and your brand’s commitment to diversity and equity.
  • Social Media: Highlight community service events.
  • Website Popups: Promote Black-owned businesses and donations to relevant charities.

January 21: National Pie Day

National Pie Day is dedicated to celebrating the love of pies, from sweet to savory.

• Products to Promote: Baking supplies, pie ingredients, kitchenware, and cookbooks.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share pie recipes and baking tips.
  • Social Media: Do a bracketed poll tournament to determine the best type of pie.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on pie-related products or a pie-baking guide as a lead magnet.

January 26: Australia Day

Australia Day marks the arrival of the First Fleet at Port Jackson in New South Wales in 1788 and is celebrated with parades and barbecues.

• Products to Promote: Australian-made items, outdoor gear, and BBQ supplies.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share Australia Day-themed products.
  • Social Media: Highlight Australian culture and products.
  • Website Popups: Offer sales on BBQ supplies and outdoor gear.

January 29: Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, marks the beginning of the lunar new year and is celebrated with family gatherings, feasts, and fireworks.

• Products to Promote: Festive decorations, traditional foods, and gifts.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share Chinese New Year traditions and special promotions.
  • Social Media: Post content about the zodiac animal of the year.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on festive items and gifts.

February 2025 Holiday eCommerce Calendar

Month of February: Black History Month

Black History Month celebrates the achievements and contributions of African Americans throughout history.

• Products to Promote: Books by Black authors, products by Black-owned businesses, and educational materials.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight Black-owned businesses and promote related products.
  • Social Media: Share stories and achievements of notable Black figures.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on products related to Black history and culture.

February 2: Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is a quirky tradition where a groundhog predicts the weather for the upcoming weeks based on whether it sees its shadow. Have to sets of marketing campaigns ready: one for an early spring and one for 6 more weeks of winter.

• Products to Promote: Winter or spring clothing, seasonal decorations, and novelty items.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote winter sales or spring previews based on the groundhog’s prediction.
  • Social Media: Share fun facts and history about Groundhog Day.
  • Website Popups: Offer flash sales tied to the groundhog’s forecast.

February 7: National Wear Red Day

National Wear Red Day raises awareness about heart disease in women by encouraging people to wear red.

• Products to Promote: Red clothing, heart health-related products, and fitness gear.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote red apparel and highlight heart health tips. Offer matching donations to the American Heart Association.
  • Social Media: Share stories and tips on heart health awareness.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on red items and health products, and encourage donations.

February 9: National Pizza Day

National Pizza Day celebrates everyone’s favorite cheesy dish with various deals and promotions.

• Products to Promote: Pizza-making kits, kitchen gadgets, and pizza-themed merchandise.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share pizza recipes and promote related products.
  • Social Media: Post polls on favorite pizza toppings or on New York-style vs Chicago deep dish.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on pizza-related items or a pizza recipe ebook as a lead magnet.

February 14: Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love and romance, often marked by giving gifts like chocolates, flowers, and jewelry.

• Products to Promote: Chocolates, flowers, jewelry, and romantic gifts.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote special Valentine’s Day gifts and offers.
  • Social Media: Share romantic stories and gift ideas.
  • Website Popups: Offer exclusive Valentine’s Day deals and bundles.

February 17: President’s Day

President’s Day honors past and present U.S. presidents and is often celebrated with sales and discounts.

• Products to Promote: Patriotic merchandise, home goods, electronics.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote President’s Day sales and highlight patriotic products.
  • Social Media: Share historical facts about U.S. presidents.
  • Website Popups: Offer sitewide discounts for President’s Day.

February 17: Random Acts of Kindness Day

Random Acts of Kindness Day encourages people to spread kindness through small, thoughtful gestures.

• Products to Promote: Greeting cards, small gifts, and charitable donations.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Encourage customers to perform acts of kindness and share related products.
  • Social Media: Promote a kindness challenge or giveaway.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on products that can be given as gifts.

February 25: Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is celebrated with parades, parties, and festive masks.

• Products to Promote: Costumes, masks, party supplies, decorations.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote Mardi Gras-themed products and party supplies.
  • Social Media: Share Mardi Gras history and celebration ideas.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on festive items and decorations.

March 2025 eCommerce Marketing Calendar

Month of March: Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month honors the contributions and achievements of women throughout history.

• Products to Promote: Books by female authors and products by women artists and women-owned businesses.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight products from women-owned businesses.
  • Social Media: Share stories of inspirational women.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on women-focused products.

March 8: International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day celebrates women’s achievements and promotes gender equality.

• Products to Promote: Empowerment-themed products, beauty and wellness items, and women’s accessories.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Feature special promotions on women’s products.
  • Social Media: Share user-generated content celebrating women.
  • Website Popups: Offer exclusive deals for International Women’s Day.

March 14: Holi

Holi is a Hindu festival marking the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil. Known as the Festival of Colors, it involves joyous celebrations where people throw vibrant colored powders, dance, and feast together.

• Products to Promote: Color powders, white clothing, festive snacks, and sweets.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send out festive offers that celebrate the arrival of Spring.
  • Social Media: Share vibrant images and videos of Holi celebrations, or run a photo contest for the best Holi moments.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on Holi essentials and promote limited-time festive bundles.

You can get started with your Holi marketing with this OptinMonster template:

March 17: St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day honors the patron saint of Ireland with festivities, parades, and wearing green.

• Products to Promote: Green clothing, Irish-themed products, beer, beer accessories, and party supplies.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send out themed discount codes.
  • Social Media: Post green apparel items and photos of festivities.
  • Website Popups: Promote limited-time offers on themed products.

March 20: First Day of Spring/Spring Equinox

After the long winter, people are ready to celebrate the arrival of spring. This is the time in your eCommerce calendar to shift to your warm-weather items.

• Products to Promote: Gardening supplies, spring fashion, warm-weather clothing, and outdoor decor.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Announce new spring collections.
  • Social Media: Share tips for spring cleaning and gardening.
  • Website Popups: Offer spring sales and promotions.

March 20: International Day of Happiness

The International Day of Happiness promotes the importance of happiness and well-being.

• Products to Promote: Wellness products, inspirational books, cozy apparel, games, or other fun or relaxing items.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share happiness tips and promote wellness products.
  • Social Media: Encourage followers to share what makes them happy.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on products that promote happiness.

March 29: Earth Hour

Earth Hour encourages turning off non-essential lights for one hour to raise awareness about climate change.

• Products to Promote: Eco-friendly products, energy-saving devices, and reusable items.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote eco-friendly product lines.
  • Social Media: Share energy-saving tips and Earth Hour facts.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on sustainable products.

April 2025 eCommerce Calendar

Month of April: National Poetry Month

National Poetry Month celebrates poetry and its impact on culture and society.

• Products to Promote: Poetry books, writing journals, and literary-themed merchandise.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Feature a daily poem and related products.
  • Social Media: Host a poetry contest and share user submissions.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on literary products.

April 1: April Fool’s Day

April Fool’s Day is a day for practical jokes and playful pranks. Online businesses can even post and send their own prank messages, but make sure your joke is light-hearted and not deceptive.

• Products to Promote: Gag gifts, prank kits, and novelty items.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send a playful email with prank product suggestions.
  • Social Media: Share funny prank ideas and user-generated content.
  • Website Popups: Offer special deals on novelty items.

April 10: National Sibling’s Day

National Sibling’s Day honors the bond shared by sisters and brothers. It’s also a chance to have fun with the teasing nature of many sibling relationships.

• Products to Promote: Personalized gifts, matching apparel, photo frames, and games.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Feature gift ideas and photos of team members with their siblings.
  • Social Media: Encourage followers to tag siblings and share funny stories.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on personalized sibling gifts.

April 11: National Pet Day

National Pet Day celebrates pets and promotes pet adoption.

• Products to Promote: Pet supplies, pet toys, personalized pet products.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight special offers on pet products.
  • Social Media: Share pet adoption stories and user-generated pet photos.
  • Website Popups: Offer exclusive deals for pet owners.

April 20: Easter

Easter is a Christian holiday that represents renewal and resurrection. Families often gather for meals, and children enjoy gifts from the Easter Bunny.

• Products to Promote: Easter decorations, chocolates, children’s toys, and pastel spring clothing.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send an Easter-themed newsletter with a gift guide. Don’t be afraid to use plenty of egg and bunny puns.
  • Social Media: Highlight gifts that are perfect for an Easter basket, as well as spring dresses and accessories.
  • Website Popups: Promote Easter sales and limited-time offers.

April 22: Earth Day

Earth Day focuses on environmental protection and sustainability. It’s often marked with outdoor events and educational programs.

• Products to Promote: Eco-friendly products, reusable items, and gardening tools.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight eco-friendly products and sustainable practices.
  • Social Media: Share tips on reducing environmental impact.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on sustainable products.

April 23: Administrative Professionals Day

Administrative Professionals Day recognizes the contributions of administrative staff. Bosses and coworkers often give gifts to show their thanks.

• Products to Promote: Personalized gifts, flowers, gift cards, and other common gift items.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote gift ideas for administrative professionals.
  • Social Media: Share stories about your company’s outstanding administrative staff.
  • Website Popups: Offer special deals on popular gifts.

April 25: Arbor Day

Arbor Day encourages planting and caring for trees.

• Products to Promote: Gardening tools, tree saplings, eco-friendly products. Run a promotion that your company will plant a tree for every purchase over a certain amount.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send a newsletter promoting tree planting and related products. Share your company’s tree-planting efforts
  • Social Media: Share tree-planting tips and environmental benefits. Post photos of your staff planting trees.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on gardening supplies.

May 2025 Marketing Holidays

Month of May: AANHPI Heritage Month

Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month celebrates the contributions and culture of AANHPI communities.

• Products to Promote: Books, art, cuisine-related items, and products by AANHPI-owned businesses.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight products from AANHPI creators and discuss the importance of the month’s observance.
  • Social Media: Share stories and contributions of AANHPI individuals.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on.

May 4: Star Wars Day

Star Wars Day, celebrated with the phrase “May the 4th be with you,” is a day for Star Wars fans to celebrate the franchise.

• Products to Promote: Star Wars merchandise, costumes, and collectibles.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Feature a Star Wars-themed product line.
  • Social Media: Host a Star Wars trivia contest or giveaway.
  • Website Popups: Offer special discounts on Star Wars products.

May 5: Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla. In Mexico, it’s a regional holiday rather than one celebrated nationally. In the US and some other countries, the holiday celebrates Mexican culture and cuisine.

• Products to Promote: Mexican cuisine, cultural decorations, and festive attire.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share recipes and promote Mexican food products.
  • Social Media: Highlight Cinco de Mayo events and traditions.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on cooking supplies, festive decorations, and attire.

May 6: National Teacher Day

Like World Teachers Day in October, National Teacher Day also recognizes the dedication and contributions of teachers.

• Products to Promote: Teacher appreciation gifts, books, and educational supplies.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote special discounts for teachers.
  • Social Media: Share stories and shoutouts to teachers.
  • Website Popups: Offer deals on teacher-related gifts and supplies.

May 11: Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood.

• Products to Promote: Flowers, jewelry, personalized gifts, spa products.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send gift guides for Mother’s Day.
  • Social Media: Host a Mother’s Day photo contest.
  • Website Popups: Offer special Mother’s Day discounts.

You can easily promote your Mother’s Day promotions with OptinMonster:

May 12: International Nurses Day

International Nurses Day celebrates the contributions of nurses around the world.

• Products to Promote: Healthcare-themed gifts, wellness products, and appreciation items.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight special deals for nurses, and encourage people to give gifts to nurses in their lives.
  • Social Media: Share stories of inspiring nurses.
  • Website Popups: Offer exclusive discounts for healthcare professionals.

May 15: Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Global Accessibility Awareness Day focuses on digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities.

• Products to Promote: Accessibility tools, inclusive tech products, and adaptive devices.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote accessibility features of your products.
  • Social Media: Share tips on creating inclusive content.
  • Website Popups: Highlight accessible product discounts.

May 25: National Wine Day

National Wine Day is a celebration of wine and winemaking.

• Products to Promote: Wines, wine accessories, and gourmet food pairings.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send a newsletter featuring popular wines and pairings.
  • Social Media: Host a virtual wine-tasting event.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on wine and related products.

May 26: Memorial Day

Memorial Day honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

• Products to Promote: Patriotic merchandise, outdoor gear, and barbecue supplies.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight Memorial Day sales and special offers.
  • Social Media: Share tributes to fallen soldiers.
  • Website Popups: Promote holiday weekend deals with themed popups

June 2025 eCommerce Holiday Calendar

Month of June: Pride Month

Pride Month celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, honoring the 1969 Stonewall Riots and promoting equality and acceptance.

• Products to Promote: Rainbow-themed merchandise, LGBTQ+ books, Pride flags, and products by LGBTQ+-owned companies.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share stories and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Social Media: Highlight pride events and special promotions.
  • Website Popups: Offer exclusive discounts on Pride merchandise.

June 6: National Donut Day

National Donut Day honors the Salvation Army volunteers who served donuts to soldiers during WWI. It’s also a great excuse to eat some donuts!

• Products to Promote: Donuts, baking supplies, and kitchen gadgets.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send a special offer for National Donut Day, and share the story of the holiday’s origin.
  • Social Media: Ask followers to share their favorite donut flavor.
  • Website Popups: Offer a discount on baking supplies and donuts, or use a donut-making guide as a lead magnet.

June 15: Father’s Day

Father’s Day celebrates fatherhood and the influence of fathers in society.

• Products to Promote: Tools, gadgets, sports equipment, and personalized gifts.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send gift guides for Father’s Day.
  • Social Media: Share stories and photos of dads.
  • Website Popups: Offer special Father’s Day discounts.

OptinMonster includes an attractive Father’s Day template. Here, you see that template in our drag-and-drop builder which lets you easily edit the template with just a few clicks.

June 19: Juneteenth

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865. Long celebration by many African Americans, it became a federal holiday in 2021.

• Products to Promote: Educational books and products by Black artists and Black-owned businesses.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight Juneteenth sales and educational resources.
  • Social Media: Share the history and significance of Juneteenth.
  • Website Popups: Offer site-wide discounts and highlight products by Black-owned businesses.

June 21: Summer Solstice/First Day of Summer

The Summer Solstice marks the longest day of the year and the beginning of summer.

• Products to Promote: Summer clothing, outdoor gear, and travel accessories.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote summer sales and new arrivals.
  • Social Media: Share summer tips and activities.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on summer essentials.

June 21: International Yoga Day

International Yoga Day celebrates the physical and spiritual benefits of yoga.

• Products to Promote: Yoga mats, apparel, and accessories.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight yoga products and discuss the benefits of yoga.
  • Social Media: Share yoga tutorials and challenges.
  • Website Popups: Offer special discounts on yoga gear.

June 27: National Sunglasses Day

National Sunglasses Day promotes the importance of wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.

• Products to Promote: Sunglasses, eyewear accessories, summer apparel.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Feature a sale on sunglasses and share information on eye health.
  • Social Media: Run a sunglasses selfie contest.
  • Website Popups: Offer a limited-time discount on all eyewear.

July 2025 Holiday Sales Calendar

Month of July: Disability Pride Month

Disability Pride Month celebrates the diversity, achievements, and contributions of individuals with disabilities.

• Products to Promote: Accessibility aids, inclusive fashion, and educational resources.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Share stories and highlight inclusive products.
  • Social Media: Promote awareness and inclusivity campaigns.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on accessibility products.

July 4: Independence Day (US)

Independence Day commemorates the Declaration of Independence in 1776, marking the birth of the United States.

• Products to Promote: Patriotic decor, BBQ supplies, and summer apparel.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send out holiday promotions and cookout guides.
  • Social Media: Run a patriotic-themed photo contest.
  • Website Popups: Offer exclusive Independence Day sales.

July 7: World Chocolate Day

World Chocolate Day celebrates the deliciousness of chocolate in all its forms. If you need an excuse to enjoy some chocolate, here’s your chance!

• Products to Promote: Chocolates, baking supplies, chocolate-themed gifts.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Feature special offers on chocolate products.
  • Social Media: Share chocolate recipes and fun facts.
  • Website Popups: Offer limited-time discounts on chocolate-related items.

July 20: National Ice Cream Day

National Ice Cream Day is a day to indulge in and celebrate ice cream.

• Products to Promote: Ice cream makers, gourmet ice creams, toppings.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Highlight ice cream products and exclusive deals.
  • Social Media: Host an ice cream flavor contest.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on ice cream-related products.

July 27: Parent’s Day

Parent’s Day honors the role of parents in bringing up their children and supporting their families.

• Products to Promote: Family photo frames, personalized gifts, and home decor.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Send out a gift guide for Parent’s Day.
  • Social Media: Share stories and photos of parents.
  • Website Popups: Offer special Parent’s Day discounts.

July 30: International Day of Friendship

International Day of Friendship, like Friendship Day in August, celebrates the bonds of friendship between individuals and communities.

• Products to Promote: Personalized products, books about friendship, and thoughtful gift items.
• Marketing Ideas:
  • Email: Promote friendship-themed gifts and offers.
  • Social Media: Share stories and photos celebrating friendship.
  • Website Popups: Offer discounts on popular gift items.

Show Your Best Holiday Offers to the Right Website Visitors

I hope this 2024/2025 eCommerce calendar helps you plan your marketing strategy for the next year! Want more tips for eCommerce marketing? Check out these resources:

• eCommerce Email Marketing: Email Types, Examples, & Tips
• The Ultimate eCommerce Optimization Guide: 13 Steps to Instantly Boost Revenue
• How to Create a Fail-Proof Digital Marketing Plan in 5 Steps

Do you want to make website popups like you’ve seen throughout this list? With OptinMonster, you can create a popup, floating bar, or other onsite campaign in minutes. Then, in just a few clicks, you can precisely target those campaigns to the right people at just the right time.

Get Started With OptinMonster Today!

It’s important to collect feedback from your customers and leads. That feedback can be related to the user experience (UX) on your site, market research, customer interests, the quality of your product, or the performance of your customer support.

With the right online survey tool, you can easily create, distribute, and analyze feedback surveys to improve your business strategy.

That’s why, in today’s post, I’m excited to share some of the best online survey software on the market.

• What to Look for in Online Survey Software
• 6+ Best Online Survey Tools & Software
  • 1. WPForms
  • 2. UserFeedback
  • 3. SurveyMonkey
  • 4. TypeForm
  • 5. Google Forms
  • 6. Jotform
  • BONUS: OptinMonster
• What is the Best Online Survey Tool for Businesses?

What to Look for in Online Survey Software

What you need in an online survey tool will depend on your business’s type, size, audience, and goals. However, there are a few universal characteristics you should expect in your survey software:

1. Ease of Use: The software should have an intuitive interface that lets you create and distribute surveys quickly. Look for drag-and-drop builders, customizable templates, and straightforward navigation to save time and effort.
2. Advanced Features: As your survey needs grow, advanced features become crucial. These features include conditional logic, diverse question types, and integrations with other platforms, such as CRMs (customer relationship management) and email marketing software.
3. Powerful Analytics: Creating a survey is just the first step. You also need to carefully monitor and interpret the results. Choose software that offers real-time reporting, visual data presentations like graphs and charts, and easy export options.
4. Scalability: Your survey tool should grow with your business. Whether you’re starting small or expanding rapidly, the software should support increasing response volumes and offer scalable pricing plans.

Fortunately, the online survey tools in this list check all these boxes.

Best Online Survey Software & Tools

Online Survey Tool	What This Tool is Best for	Free Plan?	Premium Pricing
WPForms	WordPress sites with a wide variety of survey and form needs		Starts at $49.50/year
UserFeedback	WordPress sites that need a dedicated survey plugin		Starts at $49.50/year
SurveyMonkey	Businesses that only need occasional basic surveys		Starts at $25/month
TypeForm	Businesses that need advanced surveys and extensive integrations		Starts at $25/month
Google Forms	Users who want surveys that seamlessly integrate with other Google tools		Starts at $6/month (Google Workspace)
Jotform	Feature-rich surveys with a top-notch visual builder		Starts at $34/month
BONUS OptinMonster	Precisely targeting your surveys to the right website users		Starts at $9.97/month

1. WPForms

WPForms is hands down the best WordPress form-building plugin available. The Pro plan includes a powerful and easy-to-use Survey and Polls addon that makes it the #1 online survey tool on our list today.

You can combine the Survey and Polls tools with other features like multi-page forms, email integration, and conditional logic to create highly engaging and detailed questionnaires.

We use WPForms regularly here at OptinMonster. I also installed WPForms on my own WordPress site and was able to create a form in minutes. You can build your survey from scratch or get a head start by using a premade template. The easy builder lets you drag and drop survey fields into place, including:

• Drop-down menus
• Multiple choice questions
• Single-line and paragraph text answers
• Name and email fields
• Advanced fields like file uploads, Likert scale, and more

Once you’ve placed the field, simply click on it to customize the Field Options in the left menu settings:

One of the things I love most about WPForms is its robust survey reporting features. Once you’ve published your survey, it’s easy to track the results. Here’s an example of the results from a survey that OptinMonster used for some of our customers:

I chose a horizontal bar graph to display the results, but you can also view the results as a pie, line, or vertical bar chart.

With WPForms, you get useful, real-time reports and graphs based on survey responses. This helps you collect and analyze your survey data to make smarter, data-driven decisions about your business.

You can also download these reports in an Excel spreadsheet or CSV file to import to 3rd-party marketing tools, such as a CRM platform like Salesforce or Hubspot.

And with their addons for offline surveys and form abandonment, WPForms ensures that you collect user data no matter what. It’s this type of functionality that makes WPForms the best survey tool for WordPress.

You can also use a shortcode to display the survey results on any page of your site. You can even embed your WPForms survey inside an OptinMonster popup. Check out our instruction video:

Best for: WordPress sites with a wide variety of survey and form needs.

Is WForms Free? There is a free plugin that you can use for basic surveys and forms.

Premium Pricing: Starts at $49.50/year. For full survey functionality, choose the Pro plan at $199.50/year or higher.

2. UserFeedback

UserFeedback is a WordPress plugin dedicated to helping you collect feedback from your website visitors.

This software lets you easily build surveys, display them anywhere on your website, and monitor the results.

In my testing, I decided to create a website feedback survey. It was incredibly easy to get started with the Website Feedback template. It’s 1 of the 20+ templates available in the Additional Templates Add-on, which is included with the Pro plan or higher.

I added a question to the template, and I could choose between checkboxes, radio buttons, email capture, single text field, long answer, star rating, and Net Promoter Score.

Conditional logic is available for each question in your survey. I just turned on the Enable Conditional Logic toggle and chose my Display Logic settings:

UserFeedback provides 2 easy ways to display the survey form on your website: You can either embed it using a shortcode, or you can use the Targeting rules to determine when and where your survey will pop up for your website visitors.

The Targeting rules include:

• Which page or pages you want your survey to display on
• When the survey displays, such as immediately, after a certain number of second, after the user scrolls halfway down the page, or when a visitor leaves your site
• How many times each user will see your survey
• How long you want to run your survey
• Whether you want to start your survey minimized on the page

Best of all, UserFeedback even integrates with Google Analytics, providing you with further insights into your survey’s completion rate and audience.

Best for: WordPress sites that need a dedicated survey plugin.

Is UserFeedback Free? Yes, there is a free version with limited features.

Premium Pricing: Starts at $49.50/year

3. SurveyMonkey

No list of survey makers would be complete without mentioning SurveyMonkey. This free online survey tool lets you create and distribute unlimited surveys. I’ve used SurveyMonkey multiple times over the years, and it has continued to be an easy way to gather feedback.

It’s an easy-to-use, comprehensive, and all-around excellent survey tool. SurveyMonkey’s dashboard is attractive and intuitive. You simply select the type of question you want to add and then edit it in the builder:

I logged in and was given 3 options to create a survey:

1. Start from scratch: Start with a blank slate and add the questions you want.
2. Use a quick template: Get a head start by customizing a premade survey.
3. Build with AI: Enter a prompt, and SurveyMonkey will use AI to build your survey for you.

These features are all free, but you’ll need to upgrade to a premium plan to use advanced options like conditional logic and accepting payments. You also must have a paid plan if you want to embed SurveyMonkey surveys as popups on your website. If you use their free tool, you’ll have to share the survey link with your audience.

Best for: Businesses that only need occasional basic surveys.

Is SurveyMonkey Free? Yes, it’s free to create basic surveys without conditional logic or website embedding.

Premium Pricing: Start at $25/month

4. TypeForm

TypeForm is a robust online survey tool that lets you create in-depth surveys. You can create interactive surveys to get more responses, turning boring surveys into friendly conversations.

In my testing, I was impressed by just how powerful TypeForm’s survey features are. For example, I was able to add videos, images, and GIFs to a survey in just a few clicks. I also created a survey using their Qualify Leads option. TrueForm’s AI technology used information from OptinMonster’s website to create an Ideal Customer Profile, which I could add to and edit. Then, it built a lead-qualifying survey for me:

The survey was far from perfect, as the AI didn’t fully understand OptinMonster’s features. However, it gave a great starting point and included some useful questions I hadn’t thought of. For instance, TrueForm suggested asking new leads whether they prefer webinars, tutorials, or case studies when learning about software. With this survey data, our email marketing and sales teams can send more targeted and helpful information to each potential customer.

What else sets TypeForm apart from tools like SurveyMonkey? Its extensive integrations. You can connect Typeform to:

• CRMs like Hubspot, Salesforce, and Zoho
• Email marketing platforms, such as Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), Drip, Mailchimp, and ActiveCampaign.
• Payment platforms Stripe and Square
• Tracking software, such as Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and Facebook Pixel
• And many more

Keep in mind that this advanced functionality comes at a higher price. At first glance, the pricing looks in line with SurveyMonkey’s paid plans. However, TypeForm severely limits the number of monthly responses allowed on its lower-tiered plans. For instance, the $25/month Basic plan only includes 100 responses per month, and you have you pay extra to increase that number.

Best for: Businesses that need advanced surveys and extensive integrations.

Is TypeForm Free? There’s a free plan, but you only get 10 responses per month.

Premium Pricing: Starts at $25/month

5. Google Forms

Google Forms is an excellent online survey tool like SurveyMonkey, and it’s completely free.

I’ve used Google Forms to create surveys, registration forms, applications, and more. It even includes basic conditional logic.

It’s an especially great choice for Google Workspace users, as it connects to Google Drive and Sheets. For instance, I’ve created forms that included a file upload field and was able to access those files in Drive.

I can view the results under Responses, or I can click Link to Sheets to sync the survey with a spreadsheet that will automatically update as new results come in:

You can build simple surveys, require users to enter an email address (to grow your email list), and gather the results quickly.

You can also use the embed code to add your form anywhere on your website or within an OptinMonster popup campaign:

Best for: Google Workspace users who want surveys that seamlessly integrate with other Google tools

Is Google Forms Free? Yes.

Premium Pricing: Starts at $6/month per user for full Google Workspace

6. Jotform

Jotform is a comprehensive form builder that you can use to create online surveys. It has an extremely easy drag-and-drop builder and high-quality templates to help you get started.

I was impressed by Jotform’s exceptionally clean and attractive user interface (UI). In fact, it may be the smoothest, least clunky experience of all the online survey tools on this list. That’s because you can edit your questions and options right in its visual builder:

Similar to TypeForm, Jotform offers a wide variety of integrations and advanced conditional logic. Jotform has the additional feature of letting you build fillable PDFs or convert your survey into one.

Best for: Feature-rich surveys with a top-notch visual builder

Is Jotform Free? The free version includes all features, but limites you to 5 forms and 100 montly submissions.

Premium Pricing: Starts at $34/month

Bonus Tool: OptinMonster

OptinMonster is the best lead generation software on the market. Our popups, floating bars, and other onsite campaigns make it SUPER EASY for you to encourage your visitors to fill in surveys. This means OptinMonster is a great online survey tool that can be used in many different contexts.

Let’s take a look at 4 ways OptinMonster can help you create, collect, and promote surveys on your site:

• Embed forms within a campaign: Easily embed survey forms in your popups, floating bars, slide-in scroll boxes, and more. Then distribute and promote the survey across your site to a targeted audience.
• Create short surveys directly in OptinMonster: If you only need to ask a few basic questions, you don’t even need a dedicated survey tool. You can add fields like dropdowns, radio buttons, checkboxes, and text fields right in our drag-and-drop builder.
• Redirect traffic for longer surveys: Create exit popups, fullscreen welcome mats, or other optin campaigns with a button that redirects users to your long-form survey. This lets you get more responses from your organic traffic.
• Target your audience: Create a unique user experience by personalizing your messages and targeting them to the right people. This gets more people engaged with your survey form.

OptinMonster’s Page-Level Targeting and Exit-Intent® Technology can detect when a visitor has completed their purchase and is leaving your site. You can then trigger a popup to ask them to take a short feedback survey to tell you about their experience before they leave.

Check out how Kennedy Blue increases sales by 50% using OptinMonster’s Exit-Intent® popups to promote their customer surveys and get valuable feedback.

At the end of the day, OptinMonster is a great survey tool because it encourages the right people to take your survey.

And since you can integrate OptinMonster with your email marketing service, you can use your survey data to segment your email list and send more targeted email campaigns.

Want to try it out? Click below to start using the best online survey tool to get more survey responses.

What Is the Best Online Survey Software for Businesses?

WPForms is the best online survey tool for WordPress websites.

WPForms is flexible, easy to use, and loaded with features. It makes survey design a breeze. You can embed it with OptinMonster to create powerful survey popups on your website.

Plus, it does more than just create surveys. That means you can use WPForms to make any form on your website, such as:

• Newsletter signups
• Event registrations
• Payment collection
• And much more.

If you don’t use WordPress, then your specific needs will determine which tool is best for you. If you need to create robust online surveys with lots of integrations, then I suggest TypeForm.

I hope this list helps you choose the best online survey tool for your business, so you can start collecting important data right away.

Want to learn more about online surveys? Check out these resources:

• Survey Best Practices: Everything You Need to Know
• 9 Ways to Collect Customer Feedback on Your Website
• How to Create a WordPress Survey Popup

These posts will have everything you need to increase survey response rates, learn about your audience, and increase profits.

Want to target your surveys to the right people at just the right time?

Get started with OptinMonster today!

For over a decade, abandoned cart recovery has been a huge part of how we have helped our customers improve their conversion rates and turn their website traffic into revenue.

I have summarised all that experience in this article, where you will learn what cart abandonment is, why shoppers abandon carts, how to avoid cart abandonment, and ultimately, how to recover those lost sales via abandoned cart recovery.

• What Is Cart Abandonment?
• Reasons Behind Cart Abandonment
• How to Reduce Cart Abandonment
• Abandoned Cart Recovery

What Is Cart Abandonment?

Cart abandonment occurs when a customer adds items to their online shopping cart but leaves the website without completing the purchase. Essentially, they “abandon” their cart.

This is a common issue in eCommerce, with high abandonment rates often reported. It can significantly impact a business’s bottom line.

What Is Cart Abandonment Rate?

The cart abandonment rate is the percentage of online shoppers who add items to their virtual shopping cart but then leave the website without completing the purchase.

Essentially, it measures how many potential customers show interest in a product (by adding it to their cart) but ultimately don’t buy it.

What Is the Average Cart Abandonment Rate?

The average cart abandonment rate is around 69.99% according to the Baymard Institute. This means that nearly 7 out of 10 customers who add items to their cart don’t complete the purchase.

It’s important to note that this is an average and the actual rate can vary significantly depending on the industry, specific products, and other factors.

How to Calculate Cart Abandonment Rate

Here are the steps:

1. Choose a period of time, such as a 1 calendar year. Divide your number of completed purchases during that time by the number of carts created on your site.
2. Subtract that number from 1.
3. Multiply by 100 to get your cart abandonment percentage.

For instance, let’s say your online store has had 3,488 completed purchases, but you’ve had a total of 12,132 carts created. You would take these steps to calculate your abandonment rate:

• 3,488/12,132 = 0.288
• 1 – 0.288 = 0.712
• .0.712 x 100 = 71.2%

In this case, the shopping cart abandonment rate would be 71.2%.

Reasons Behind Cart Abandonment

1. Unexpected Costs: Additional costs, such as shipping fees, taxes, or hidden charges, can come as a surprise to customers during the checkout process. High or unclear shipping costs are often cited as one of the primary reasons for cart abandonment.

2. Complicated Checkout Process: Lengthy and complex checkout processes can frustrate customers and lead to abandonment. Requiring too much information, multiple checkout form fields or complicated navigation can create unnecessary friction.

3. Distractions and Interruptions: Customers may get distracted by external factors while shopping online. They might receive a phone call, get interrupted by a family member, or be lured away by another task or website, causing them to leave the cart behind.

4. Comparison Shopping: Customers often engage in comparison shopping, especially for higher-priced items. They might add items to their cart on one website but then abandon it to check prices, read reviews, or compare options on other websites.

5. Unexpected Checkout Requirements: Requiring customers to create an account before completing a purchase can be a barrier. First-time buyers may not want to invest time in creating an account or may have concerns about data privacy and security.

6. Lack of Trust: If a website appears unprofessional, has a poor design, or lacks social proof such as customer reviews or testimonials, first-time visitors may hesitate to proceed with the purchase, leading to cart abandonment.

7. Technical Issues: Technical glitches, slow-loading pages, or website errors can frustrate customers and prompt them to abandon their carts out of sheer inconvenience.

Abandoned cart recovery should be a top priority for any eCommerce business. By implementing effective abandoned cart recovery strategies, you can unlock significant benefits.

Let’s dive into the key advantages of a robust abandoned cart recovery plan.

How to Reduce Cart Abandonment

In order to lower your cart abandonment rates, you’ll need to find ways to convince more online shoppers to complete their purchases before leaving your site.

Thankfully, I’ve got some great tips for doing just that:

1. Offer Incentives With Exit-Intent® Popups
2. Make Your Checkout Process Easy
3. Be Upfront With Your Cost Total
4. Offer Free Shipping
5. Provide Fast Shipping Options
6. Highlight Easy Returns & Money-Back Guarantees
7. Re-Engage With InactivitySensor Popups
8. Convince Shoppers With Social Proof
9. Make Saving Carts Easy
10. Show Security Seals
11. Answer Questions
12. Optimize with A/B Testing

1. Offer Incentives With Exit-Intent Popups

One of the best ways you can reduce shopping cart abandonment is to create a popup that uses OptinMonster’s Exit-Intent® Technology.

An exit-intent popup will display your message when a user is actively leaving your checkout page. This means you can capture your user’s attention at the exact moment they plan to abandon their carts.

You can use your popup to offer an incentive for customers to complete their purchase, such as a coupon or discount codes, free shipping, or a free gift with purchase.

Here’s an example of an exit popup we use here at OptinMonster:

With our exit popup, we offer an exclusive discount and remind visitors of some of the benefits of our lead generation software.

By interacting with your online shoppers at this critical moment in their customer journey, you can motivate hesitant customers to go through with their purchase.

In fact, Shockbyte attributes 52% of its revenue to OptinMonster’s exit-intent campaigns, which reduce their site’s cart abandonment. Here’s an example of one of their popups:

With OptinMonster’s robust targeting and triggering features, you can show your cart abandonment offers to the right people at the right time. Here’s a popular combination of our display rules that works great for abandoned cart popups:

• Exit-Intent Technology: Target visitors who are about to leave your site. It even works on mobile!
• Page-Level Targeting: Show your best offers to shoppers who exit from your checkout or cart pages.

This is a particularly good strategy for eCommerce stores with a lot of window shoppers. An exit-intent popup can take casual browsers and convert them into lifelong customers. When you include a coupon in your exit popup, you can also convert potential customers who wanted to wait on a sale or were discouraged by high shipping costs.

2. Make Your Checkout Process Easy

Since checkout complications are a top reason for cart abandonment, you should strive to make the process as easy as possible. Baymard Institute used 10 years of data to conclude that “the average large-sized e-commerce site can gain a 35.26% increase in conversion rate through better checkout design.”

Here are a few steps you can take to improve your website’s UX and your checkout process:

• Optimize the load times and overall performance of your site.
• Allow a guest checkout option, so shoppers don’t have to create an account before they buy.
• Offer multiple payment options, such as Apple Pay, Paypal, or Amazon Pay. If a customer already uses one of these payment methods, then they can check out without having to enter their credit card details.

In order to improve your checkout process, you first need to understand your customers’ pain points. To learn how to do that, check out our post, Best Ways to Collect Customer Feedback on Your Website. It will show you how to gather information related to customer experience.

3. Be Upfront With Your Cost Total

Shipping and service fees are expected costs in shopping online. However, it’s important to make sure your customers know the total price as soon as possible.

Have you ever been blindsided with extra fees just as you were about to complete an online purchase? Did the frustration cause you to abandon that purchase? Not only that, but did you lose trust in the integrity of the company?

If possible, you should always make your shipping costs and fees visible on your product pages.

Sometimes, however, that’s just not possible. For instance, you may have to collect some customer information, such as a shipping address, before the total price can be calculated. If that’s the case, collect that information early in the checkout process. That way, you can provide the actual total before the customer has completed too many steps.

This strategy will help you avoid losing sales due to last-minute sticker shock.

4. Offer Free Shipping

Another way to overcome price objections is to offer free shipping promotions. With free shipping, you avoid the risk of losing customers due to additional costs during checkout. And if a customer is expecting to pay for shipping, then a free shipping offer can be just as exciting as a discount.

If you’re offering free shipping, make sure your website visitors know about it! Here are a few ways to promote your offer:

• Add “Free Shipping” beside or below the price on any product that qualifies.
• Announce your free shipping offer in a floating bar at the top of your website
• Include an exclusive free shipping code in your exit-intent popup on your checkout pages.

Bonus Tip: You can require a minimum order total for free shipping as a way to upsell. According to Shippo’s 2023 The State of Shipping report, 47% of consumers say they’re willing to spend a minimum amount in order to get free shipping.

Here’s an example from Cosmetic Capital. They used this OptinMonster floating bar to inform shoppers that they were offering free shipping on orders over $55.  They also included a Countdown Timer to create a sense of urgency.

Not only did this floating bar encourage people to buy, but Cosmetic Capital used this campaign to add over 18,000 new leads to their email marketing subscriber list.

5. Provide Fast Shipping Options

Another common reason for cart abandonment is delivery time. According to Shippo, 52% of customers want to get their items in 2-3 days.

While free shipping is a huge incentive, you should also offer fast shipping, even if you have to charge for it. Here’s an example of a shipping table on a checkout page from Land’s End:

If a customer really needs their order by a certain date, they may be willing to pay the premium instead of abandoning their cart.

6. Highlight Easy Returns & Money-Back Guarantees

Even when you have a great product and a compelling value proposition, shoppers still may second-guess whether they should complete their purchase. That’s why you should ease fears by prominently featuring your return policy.

For physical products, make your return policy simple and clear. Also, let customers know if they can drop off their returns at a physical location.

For software and services, a money-back guarantee can make shoppers feel more confident about clicking “Buy Now.”

At OptinMonster, our pricing page features a letter from our co-founder Thomas Griffin. It explains the details of our unconditional 14-day money-back guarantee.

7. Re-Engage With InactivitySensor Popups

The world of eCommerce can be difficult to navigate. With millions of websites fighting for your attention every day, it’s easy for consumers to get distracted.

Let’s say your customer just loaded their shopping cart with a few of your products. Then, they get a push notification from Google Calendar, reminding them about a meeting later that afternoon.

While checking the details of the meeting, they see a Facebook message notification. A friend has sent them a link to an article they want to read.

Before they know it, they’ve completely forgotten about the purchase they were about to make.

It’s easy for consumers to lose focus while they’re shopping online. Your goal as the business owner is to refocus their attention and make sure your customers get the products they want.

The best way to do this is with OptinMonster’s InactivitySensor. This trigger will display your popup or campaign after a user has stopped engaging with their browser page for a certain amount of time.

And just like with exit-intent popups, you can sweeten the deal with a coupon code or discount.

Just check out this straightforward OptinMonster campaign that Skate.co.uk used to re-engage inactive mobile visitors.

They combined 2 display rules for this campaign:

• Page-Level Targeting to target users who were viewing cart or checkout pages
• InactivitySensor to show the popup when a user had been inactive for at least 25 seconds

This popup saw a 6.29% conversion rate. With a single on-site campaign, Skate.co.uk was able to win back shoppers who otherwise may have never visited their site again.

In a matter of minutes, you can build a similar popup to re-engage your users and reduce shopping cart abandonment.

8. Convince Shoppers With Social Proof

Want to convince uncertain shoppers to complete their checkout? Show them that other people have chosen your product and are thrilled that they did.

This tactic is called social proof, and it’s an excellent way to prevent shoppers from abandoning their online carts.

Here are a few ways to use social proof to build trust and reduce abandonment:

• Include customer testimonials throughout your website, including in your exit-intent and re-engagement popups.
• Feature customer reviews and star ratings on your product pages.
• Display real-time updates on purchases being made.

For that last tip, TrustPulse is the best tool available.

TrustPulse lets you build social proof notifications in a matter of minutes with zero coding skills required. Here’s a live sales notification that was created in under 5 minutes:

These notifications pop up in the corner of the browser, so website visitors can see your products’ popularity without having their shopping interrupted.

Everything about these messages can be modified to fit your brand’s style, voice, and message.

Want to give it a try? Get started with TrustPulse today!

9. Make Saving Carts Easy

Allowing your shopper to save their cart makes it easy for them to come back later to finish their purchase.

There are several ways to make that possible:

• Cart Saver: this Shopify app lets your customers easily save carts before checkout
• Free Persistent Cart App: with this Shopify tool your customers can save their carts and access it across devices
• WooCommerce Abandoned Cart Recovery: automatically saves carts

For more, check out this article: 12 Cart Saver Tools You Can Use for a Big Boost to Your Bottom Line

10. Show Security Seals

Are you sure your customers trust you?

According to research on cart abandonment, 29% of people mention security as the key reason they leave a site before submitting a form.

It’s up to you to show people their data is safe and protected.

Add well-known security seals like Norton and McAfee to your checkout cart page to signal your customer that your site is secure.

Blue Fountain Media increased conversions by 42%, just by adding a Verisign trust seal.

11. Answer Questions

Shoppers who can’t find the answers they’re looking for will abandon their cart.

Adding live chat to your site means your customers can quickly get the answers they need.

LiveChat is a popular live chat software that connects with shopping cart platforms like WooCommerce and Shopify.

Check out this article for the best live chat plugins.

12. Optimize With A/B Testing

So you’re ready to start adding popups, special offers, and social proof to reduce your shopping cart abandonment rate. But what are the best words to use? The best design choices?

That’s where A/B testing, also known as split testing, comes in.

Split tests let you show multiple variations of a campaign or webpage to different website visitors. Then you can adopt the variation that performed best during your test.

When it comes to your OptinMonster popups, split testing is simple. In fact, it’s built directly into our Campaign Dashboard.

You can use split tests to determine which offers, headlines, colors, and calls-to-action (CTAs) get the best conversion rates.

Want to see just how easy split tests are in OptinMonster? Just watch this video:

Abandoned Cart Recovery

Of course, even with all these strategies to reduce cart abandonment, many shoppers will still inevitably leave your site without completing the checkout process.

Instead of seeing those abandoned carts as lost sales, treat them as promising leads.

Next, I’ll show you a few of the best ways to convert those abandoned carts into completed sales.

1. Send Abandoned Cart Emails
2. Send “Sale in Your Cart” Emails
3. Keep Nurturing Leads Through Retargeting

1. Send Abandoned Cart Emails

Anytime a registered user leaves items in their cart, they should receive a reminder email.

According to Klaviyo’s email marketing data for 2023, abandoned cart email campaigns have a phenomenal open rate of 53.57%.

It’s not too surprising if you think about it. If those “just browsing” shoppers added items to their cart so they wouldn’t forget about them, then they’ll be happy to get reminders about those products.

Klaviyo’s study also shows that businesses get an average revenue of $3.45 per recipient of their cart abandonment emails.

Want to learn more? Here are a few resources to help:

• How to Create an Abandoned Cart Email Strategy That Skyrockets Sales
• 14 Abandoned Cart Email Examples Proven to Boost Revenue
• 27 Abandoned Cart Email Subject Lines PROVEN to Convert

2. Send “Sale in Your Cart” Emails

What if that original reminder email doesn’t work? The next step is to send a follow-up email when there’s a price or stock change.

“Sale in cart” emails are a great way to convert online shoppers who liked your product but were hoping for a lower price.

Additionally, you can send “Last Chance” emails whenever cart items are low in stock.

3. Keep Nurturing Leads Through Retargeting

A website visitor has added some items to their cart. They saw your exit-intent popup with a special offer, but they closed your website anyway. You sent them email reminders about their cart items, but they didn’t open them.

Is this the end? It doesn’t have to be!

Instead, you can employ retargeting strategies. In marketing, retargeting lets you continue reaching out to previous website visitors. And you can craft those marketing messages based on the user’s previous behavior.

In fact, the email strategies I discussed in the last 2 tips show a simple example of retargeting:

You send a reminder email to users who have abandoned their cart. If that email doesn’t convert into a sale, you retarget that user by following up with a better offer, such as a sale or coupon code.

But there’s another easy way to use retargeting to recover abandoned carts:

Onsite Retargeting® With OptinMonster

Let’s say you have an exit-intent popup on your checkout page that offers a 15% discount. That popup will convince some of your visitors to follow through on their purchase.

For those visitors who don’t convert, you can retarget them with a different campaign the next time they visit your site.

Since the 15% discount didn’t work, you can sweeten the deal by upping the offer to 25% or by adding free shipping.

OptinMonster’s Onsite Retargeting® rules let you target your campaigns based on how a returning visitor interacted with a previous popup.

For instance, you could show a floating bar just to visitors who closed a previous campaign without converting. That floating bar can feature a free shipping code or another special offer.

Just like you can create automated workflows for your email marketing, you can do the same for your onsite popups, floating bars, and other OptinMonster campaigns.

Turned Abandoned Carts Into Sales

And that’s it! I hope you enjoyed this guide to shopping cart abandonment. If you did, you might want to check out these other helpful articles:

• How to Recover Abandoned Carts and Skyrocket Sales
• 9+ Cart Abandonment Stats to Help You Improve Your Cart Abandonment Rate
• Win-Back Emails: The Ultimate Guide to Re-Engaging Lapsed Customers
• How to Prevent Shopify Cart Abandonment
• Shopify Abandoned Cart Recovery: How To Boost Sales 40% Or More
• 8 Best Cart Abandonment Software and Solutions

And don’t forget that OptinMonster can help you stop abandoning visitors in their tracks! Our onsite marketing campaigns let you show the right offers to the right people at the right time.

Unlike many tech blogs, OptinMonster has a unique advantage: experience. As seasoned WordPress users, we’ve personally implemented and tested many plugins on our websites. This hands-on approach allows me to provide insights and recommendations based on actual performance, not just theoretical knowledge.

I aim to share our expertise and help you select the best WordPress eCommerce plugins to power your online store.

Get ready as I unveil our top picks for the best eCommerce plugins for WordPress.

Overview of the Best WordPress eCommerce Plugins

Before diving into my detailed review, here’s a quick overview of the top 5 choices for the best WordPress eCommerce plugins:

	Plugin	Best For	Free Version?	Pricing
	WooCommerce	Wide range of products (physical, digital, services), high customization, and scalability.		Free core plugin, paid extensions
	Easy Digital Downloads (EDD)	Selling digital products exclusively, with a focus on simplicity and efficiency.		Starts at $99.50/year
	Ecwid	Small businesses or those looking to embed a store on multiple platforms due to its flexibility.		Starts at $21/month
4	BigCommerce	Businesses seeking a robust, all-in-one platform with advanced features and scalability.		Starts at $29/month
5	WP EasyCart	Small businesses with a limited product range seeking a simple, user-friendly solution.		Starts at $69.00/year

Key Factors to Consider

When selecting an eCommerce plugin, keep these factors in mind:

• Product Type: Physical, digital, or both?
• Product Quantity: How many products will you sell?
• Scalability: Do you anticipate significant growth?
• Design Customization: How much control do you need over your store’s appearance?
• Technical Expertise: Are you comfortable with coding or do you prefer a drag-and-drop interface?
• Budget: Consider the initial setup costs and ongoing fees.
• Payment Gateways: Ensure your preferred payment methods are supported.
• Shipping Options: Evaluate the plugin’s ability to handle your shipping requirements.
• Marketing and SEO Features: Consider built-in tools or the need for additional integrations.
• Customer Support: Assess the available support options and response times.

Best WordPress eCommerce Plugins

1. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is, without a doubt, the behemoth in the WordPress eCommerce plugin realm. It’s the go-to choice for countless online store owners, and for good reason. Having spent countless hours playing with it, I can confidently say it’s a robust, flexible, and scalable platform.

WooCommerce’s strength lies in its versatility. It’s like a blank canvas for your online store. The core plugin provides a solid foundation, but its true power is unleashed through its extensive ecosystem of extensions.

When testing, I was setting up an online store for organic skincare products. Product variations were a nightmare – different sizes, scents, and packaging combinations. WooCommerce’s product variations feature was a lifesaver. It handled everything flawlessly, from displaying options on the product page to managing inventory levels for each variation.

Another feature that impressed me was its shipping options. Calculating shipping costs based on weight, dimensions, and destination can be a complex affair. WooCommerce’s shipping zones and classes made it incredibly easy to set up accurate shipping rates for different regions.

While WooCommerce is undoubtedly a powerful tool, it’s not without its quirks. For instance, managing complex product attributes can be a bit cumbersome compared to some other plugins. However, there’s usually a plugin or custom code solution to address such issues.

The free version of WooCommerce offers a solid foundation for most online stores. However, to unlock its full potential, you’ll likely need to invest in premium extensions. These extensions cover everything from advanced shipping and payment options to marketing and customer support tools.

Pros:

1. Highly Customizable: Extensive range of themes and plugins for design and functionality.
2. Open Source: Free to use with a large community of developers.
3. Integration with WordPress: Seamlessly integrates with WordPress, making it a great choice for existing WordPress sites.
4. Scalable: Can handle small to large stores with proper hosting.
5. Large Support Community: Extensive documentation and support forums.

Cons:

1. Complex Setup: Can be overwhelming for beginners due to the number of customization options.
2. Performance: Requires good hosting and optimization to handle high traffic and large catalogs.
3. Hidden Costs: Many essential features require paid extensions.
4. Maintenance: Regular updates and maintenance are required to keep the store running smoothly.

Verdict: I wholeheartedly recommend WooCommerce for anyone looking to build an online store on WordPress. Its vast community, extensive documentation, and countless available resources make it a reliable and supportive platform.

WooCommerce Pricing: The core WooCommerce plugin is free and open-source. Some extensions are free, while others are paid.

If you’re interested in WooCommerce, check out the following article: How to Create a WooCommerce Popup (+7 Ways to Boost Sales).

2. Easy Digital Downloads

While WooCommerce is a versatile platform for both physical and digital products, Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is crafted with digital goods in mind. If you’re selling ebooks, software, music, or any other digital content, EDD is a compelling choice.

EDD’s focus on digital products is evident in its user-friendly interface and efficient workflow. From setting up product pricing to managing customer downloads, everything feels intuitive.

I recall while testing I was building an online course platform. EDD’s ability to handle multiple payment gateways, including recurring subscriptions, was a game-changer. Setting up different pricing tiers and creating a seamless checkout experience was effortless.

Another impressive feature was EDD’s file access control. It securely stores and delivers digital products, preventing unauthorized access and ensuring customers receive their purchases promptly.

While EDD excels at handling digital products, it might lack some of the advanced features for physical goods that WooCommerce offers, such as inventory management and shipping options. However, for those exclusively selling digital content, these limitations are unlikely to be a significant concern.

The core EDD plugin is free, providing a solid foundation for selling digital products. To expand your store’s capabilities, you can explore a range of premium extensions. These extensions offer features like subscriptions, affiliate marketing, and advanced reporting.

Pros:

1. Specialized for Digital Products: Perfect for selling digital goods with features tailored for digital downloads.
2. Simple and User-Friendly: Easy to set up and manage.
3. Extensible: Numerous add-ons available for additional features.
4. Strong Community Support: Active community and extensive documentation.

Cons:

1. Limited to Digital Products: Not suitable for physical product sales.
2. Add-on Costs: Many advanced features require purchasing add-ons.
3. Scalability Issues: May not be ideal for very large stores.

Verdict: If you’re looking for a dedicated solution to sell digital products on your WordPress website, EDD is undoubtedly worth considering. Its focus on simplicity and efficiency makes it a strong contender in the eCommerce plugin market.

Easy Digital Downloads Pricing: Starts at $99.50/year with a limited free version available

3. Ecwid

Ecwid positions itself as a flexible eCommerce solution that can be embedded into any website, including WordPress. While not as deeply integrated as WooCommerce or EDD, it offers a unique approach to online selling.

What sets Ecwid apart is its cloud-based nature. This means your store data is stored on Ecwid’s servers, offering potential benefits like automatic backups and easier scalability.

I used Ecwid for a few small projects, and I was impressed by its simplicity. Setting up basic products and payment options was a breeze. However, when dealing with more complex product configurations or inventory management, I found it a bit less intuitive than dedicated eCommerce plugins.

Ecwid’s strength lies in its ability to be embedded anywhere. I’ve used it to create small online stores within existing websites without disrupting the overall design. This flexibility can be a huge advantage for businesses with limited technical resources.

While Ecwid offers a decent range of features, power users might find it lacking in some areas compared to dedicated eCommerce platforms. For instance, advanced shipping options and inventory management tools can be more limited.

Ecwid offers a free plan with basic features, but to unlock its full potential, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan. These plans provide additional features like more product variations, advanced shipping options, and customer support.

Pros:

1. User-Friendly: Simple and straightforward setup process.
2. Cost-Effective: Often cheaper than many competitors.
3. Integration Options: Works well with various payment gateways and shipping options.

Cons:

1. Limited Customization: Fewer themes and plugins compared to WooCommerce.
2. Smaller Community: Less community support and documentation.
3. Scalability: May not handle very large catalogs or high traffic well.

Verdict: Ecwid is a solid choice for small businesses or those looking for a quick and easy way to add eCommerce functionality to their existing website. While it might not be the best option for large-scale or complex online stores, it certainly deserves consideration for its simplicity and flexibility.

Ecwid Pricing: Starts at $21/month with a limited free version available

4. BigCommerce

BigCommerce stands out as a fully hosted eCommerce platform that offers a comprehensive suite of features for online businesses of all sizes. Unlike WordPress plugins, BigCommerce is a standalone platform, providing a complete eCommerce solution out of the box.

I worked with several clients using BigCommerce, and I’ve been impressed by its focus on scalability and performance. The platform handles product catalogs with thousands of items efficiently, and the checkout process is optimized for conversions.

One of the standout features for me is BigCommerce’s built-in SEO tools. It provides valuable insights into on-page optimization and helps you improve your store’s search engine visibility. I’ve seen firsthand how these tools can boost organic traffic and sales.

Another area where BigCommerce shines is its integration with popular marketing platforms. Connecting your store to email marketing services, social media channels, and other tools is relatively straightforward. This makes it easier to run targeted campaigns and track customer behavior.

While BigCommerce is a powerful platform, it does come with a learning curve compared to some of the other options. The interface can be overwhelming for beginners, and customizing the store’s design might require some technical expertise.

Pros:

1. All-in-One Solution: Comprehensive platform with hosting, security, and updates handled by BigCommerce.
2. Scalability: Handles high traffic and large product catalogs effortlessly.
3. Built-In Features: Many essential eCommerce features built-in without needing additional apps.
4. Multi-Channel Selling: Easily integrates with marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.

Cons:

1. Cost: More expensive compared to open-source solutions.
2. Customization Limitations: Less flexibility compared to self-hosted platforms.
3. Learning Curve: Can be complex for beginners due to the extensive feature set.

Verdict: BigCommerce offers several pricing plans to accommodate different business needs. The platform includes essential features in its base plan, but you’ll need to upgrade for advanced functionalities like advanced shipping options and abandoned cart recovery.

BigCommerce Pricing: Starts from $29 per month with zero transaction fees, unlimited products and storage, and unlimited staff accounts. 15-day free trial available.

5. WP EasyCart

WP EasyCart presents itself as a straightforward eCommerce plugin designed to simplify the process of selling products on WordPress. While it may not boast the same level of complexity as some other options, it certainly has its appeal for those seeking a no-frills approach.

WP EasyCart’s biggest strength lies in its simplicity. Setting up basic products and processing orders is relatively hassle-free. For small businesses with a limited product catalog, it can be an efficient solution.

I’ve used WP EasyCart for a couple of small client projects, and while it fulfilled the basic requirements, I found its feature set to be somewhat limited compared to more robust options. For instance, managing product variations or implementing complex shipping rules proved to be more challenging than expected.

The plugin’s focus on ease of use comes at a cost. You won’t find advanced marketing tools or in-depth analytics within WP EasyCart. If you need these features, you’ll likely need to rely on external integrations or plugins.

WP EasyCart offers a free version with limited functionality. To access additional features like digital product delivery, advanced shipping options, and customer support, you’ll need to upgrade to a premium plan.

Pros:

1. Ease of Use: Simple setup and user-friendly interface.
2. Affordable: Competitive pricing with a range of features included.
3. Integration with WordPress: Seamlessly integrates with WordPress, easy to manage within the WordPress dashboard.
4. Good Support: Reliable customer support and documentation.

Cons:

1. Limited Customization: Fewer themes and plugins available compared to WooCommerce.
2. Scalability: May struggle with very large stores or high traffic.
3. Feature Limitations: Some advanced eCommerce features may be lacking or require additional purchases.

Verdict: While WP EasyCart might not be the best choice for large-scale or complex eCommerce ventures, it can be a viable option for small businesses with simple product offerings. Its user-friendly interface and straightforward approach make it a potential contender for those looking for a quick and easy way to start selling online.

WP EasyCart Pricing: Starts at $69.00/year with a limited free version available.

WordPress eCommerce Plugins: Honorary Mentions

WP Simple Pay: If you’re looking for a straightforward solution to accept payments without a full-fledged shopping cart, WP Simple Pay integrates seamlessly with Stripe to process one-time and recurring payments.

TrustPulse: While not directly related to eCommerce, TrustPulse is a valuable tool for building social proof and increasing conversions. By displaying real-time customer activity, it can boost trust and encourage purchases.

OptinMonster: Another conversion optimization tool, OptinMonster helps capture leads and grow your email list through various opt-in forms, popups, and exit-intent technology.

Shopify: Although not a WordPress plugin, Shopify is a popular hosted eCommerce platform that offers integration with WordPress.

MemberPress: Primarily for membership sites, but can be used to sell digital products and access to content.

What Is the Best eCommerce Plugin for WordPress?

After thoroughly using these plugins, I can confidently say that WooCommerce is by far the best WordPress eCommerce plugin.

For small businesses with limited product offerings, WP EasyCart or Ecwid are excellent starting points due to their simplicity and ease of use. WooCommerce is also a viable option, but might be overkill for a very small inventory.

For digital product-focused businesses, Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is the clear winner for its specialized features and efficiency.

Businesses selling both physical and digital products, WooCommerce is the most versatile option, offering flexibility to handle both product types.

For high-growth businesses or enterprises, BigCommerce or WooCommerce with premium extensions are suitable for handling large product catalogs, high traffic, and complex business needs.

I hope this article helped you determine the best WordPress eCommerce plugin for your needs.

More on WordPress Plugins

• 29 Best Shopify Apps To Boost Your eCommerce Store: Free + Paid Apps
• 18 Best WordPress Plugins & Tools
• 32 Best WooCommerce Plugins to Grow Your eCommerce Business
• WordPress Affiliate Plugin – Best 10
• 12 Best WordPress Plugins For Coming Soon Pages
• Here Are the 6 Best WordPress Form Plugins
• Conquering Course Creation: Top WordPress LMS Plugins Compared

• Why Use Competitor Analysis Tools
• SEO & Web Traffic Tools
• Social Media Tools
• Content-Based Tools

Why Use Competitor Analysis Tools

If you want your business to succeed, you have to compete in the crowded online marketplace. You need to keep up with evolving marketing trends, and that means constantly monitoring your competitors. What strategies are working for them? How can you beat them at their own game?

Thankfully, there’s a wide range of software available to help you conduct competitive research. These tools provide you with a wide range of data, such as:

• Which sites in your niche get the most search traffic
• What keywords drive their traffic
• How your competitors rank in search
• How your competitors use pay-per-click (PPC) search ads
• Competitors’ social media metrics and benchmarks
• Email marketing campaigns from rival brands
• Insights into your competitors’ best online content

Below, you’ll find my top picks for competitive analysis for SEO, social media, and content marketing. I’ve tested and reviewed each tool, so you can decide which ones best fit your business’s needs.

SEO & Web Traffic Competitor Analysis Tools

1. Semrush

Semrush is arguably the best SEO competitor analysis tool on the market, and for good reason. You can use it to find potential competitors, spy on marketing strategies, and improve your own search performance.

In my job as an SEO content writer, I use Semrush every week to:

• Monitor the traffic of competitor pages
• Discover which keywords are driving traffic to competitors
• Find which competitors rank in search and have featured snippets for top keywords

To conduct this competitive research, I simply enter the competitor page’s URL or my keyword. It’s that easy to get started. And those are just the features I use as a writer. Other members of our marketing team take advantage of even more of Semrush’s advanced functionality.

Semrush Features

Here are Semrush’s top features for competitive research:

• Competitor traffic analysis
• Competitor keyword analysis
• Keyword gap tool (discover which keywords you’re missing out on)
• Organic research tool that shows your organic competitors
• Advertiser research to monitor competitors pay-per-click (PPC) campains

Additionally, Semrush lets you monitor and optimize your own site with features like Site Audit, Backlink Analytics, and the On Page SEO Checker.

Best for: In-depth SEO research on competitor keywords, traffic, content gaps, and more.

Is Semrush Free? Semrush does offer a free plan. It includes several several useful features but with fairly low daily limits

Premium Pricing: Starts at $117.33/month

2. LowFruits

Need a less expensive alternative to Semrush? Aptly named, LowFruits helps you find the low-hanging fruits your competitors aren’t taking advantage of. It does this by analyzing SERPs (search engine result pages).

In other words, you can discover keyword variations that your competition is performing poorly for. Then, you can create optimized content to outrank them for those keywords and drive more traffic to your site.

LowFruits is another tool that I use regularly. I’ll enter a single keyword to find keyword variations to target, as well as a list of top competitors for that keyword. I’ve also imported lists of keywords to get the information on entire batches of keywords at once.

LowFruits Features

• Rank Tracker: Track keyword search rankings for competitor sites
• Keyword Finder: Discover low-competition keyword variations
• Domain Explorer: See which competitors have weak Domain Authority
• SERP Extractions: Enter competitor domains to extract the keywords they have SERP rankings for.

Best for: Competitor keyword research on a budget

Is LowFruits Free? No, there is no free version.

Pricing: Starts at $25 for 2,000 credits or $249/year

Note: LowFruits has 2 pricing structures:

1. Pay as you go (starting at $25): Purchase credits to run Keyword Finder and SERP Extraction reports. Pricing starts at $25 for 2,000 credits
2. Subscription (starting at $249/year): Access all of LowFruits’ features. The Standard plan is $249 per year and gives you 3,000 credits per month. The Premium plan is $749 per year with 10,000 credits per month.

3. Ahrefs

Ahrefs is an all-in-one SEO toolset that focuses heavily on competitor research. It offers very similar functionality to Semrush at a comparable price point.

I personally prefer Semrush due to the amount of data it provides and its breadth of tools. However, Ahref and Semrush are both leaders in their field, with each having its strengths and weaknesses. For instance, Ahrefs has the world’s largest index of live backlinks, and it’s refreshed every 15-30 minutes. That’s a powerful feature for marketers focused on link-building.

Ahrefs Features

• Site Explorer: Analyze traffic, keywords, and backlinks for any competitor URL
• Keyword Explorer: Discover new keywords and see which sites rank for them
• Content Explorer: Find content ideas by analyzing the top-performing content in your niche
• Rank Tracker: Track search rankings for your competitors, your own site, or specific keywords
• Site Audit: Monitor and optimize your own site

Best for: Comprehensive competitor analysis with a heavy focus on backlinks.

Is Ahrefs Free? No, there is no free plan. However, verified website owners can access some data using Ahrefs’ free Webmaster Tools.

Premium Pricing: Start at $129/month. Limited Starter plan available for $29/month.

4. Similarweb

SimilarWeb is a versatile tool that lets you research where your competitors’ traffic comes from.

Important note: Similarweb analyzes traffic primarily at the domain level, so it’s not the best tool for in-depth content marketing or blog post research. You can see the top landing pages for a competitor site, but you can’t get full data on specific page URLs like you can with Semrush or Ahrefs.

Even so, I was impressed by the amount of information at my fingertips during my testing.

I simply entered a domain URL and had access to that site’s organic and paid traffic, their top referring websites, and important audience information such as geography, demographics, and other sites the audience has visited.

Similarweb Features

• Traffic analysis: Explore any website’s traffic data
• Organic search analysis: Find your competitors’ top SEO keywords and landing pages
• Paid search analysis: See the performance of any site’s paid search ads
• Referral information: Research a site’s incoming and outgoing referral traffic

Best for: Getting insights into the strategies of high-profile competitors

Is Similarweb Free? No, there’s no free plan, but there is a 7-day free trial.

Premium Pricing: Starts at $125/month

5. iSpionage

iSpionage is a popular competitive analysis tool that focuses on PPC research and also provides SEO data. Their software gives you an inside look at your competitors’ marketing strategies.

In my testing, I entered a domain URL and was immediately able to view trending PPC keywords, monthly advertising budgets, and more. iSpionage also helps you find the best keywords for your own SEO and PPC campaigns.

iSpionage Features

• PPC Summary: See an overview of a competitor’s PPC performance, including average ad position, budget, and monthly clicks
• PPC Keywords: Explore top PPC keywords for both Google and Bing/Yahoo
• Organic Keywords: See competitors’ top keywords, their SERP ranking, and the pages that rank for them
• Ads analysis: Review a site’s individual ads and their performance
• Landing Page analysis: Discover competitors’ top landing pages and see screenshots of those pages

Best for: PPC campaign research

Is iSpionage Free? iSpionage offers a free plan with limited functionality.

Premium Pricing: Starts at $59/month

Social Media Competitor Research Software

6. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a social media management solution that lets you schedule and monitor your social media posts. It connects to all major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Additionally, you can view competitive analysis reports to monitor the social media activity of your competitors.

I signed up for Sprout Social and connected it to a Facebook Page that I manage. In addition to in-depth data on my own Page, I was able to see competitor comparison charts and an overview of recent posts by competitors.

Sprout Social Features

• Competitor performance for Facebook, Instagram, and X
• In-depth competitor data, including audience size, audience growth, engagement metrics, and post count
• Competitor post feed that lets you see the recent posts from your competition
• Complete social media management to schedule posts and monitor your own social media performance

Best for: Comprehensive social media management with competitor insights.

Is Sprout Social Free? No, there isn’t a free version, but they do offer a 30-day free trial.

Premium Pricing: Starts at $199/ month

7. Rival IQ

Rival IQ is a dedicated social media competitive research tool, and it’s extremely easy to get started. I signed up for an account and was immediately prompted to enter my URL and the URLs of 3 competitors. For my testing, I entered websites for popular outdoor brands, and Rival IQ automatically accessed the public data from their social channels.

Within seconds, I navigated to the Competitive Audit section and accessed in-depth comparative data.

Depending on which plan you choose, you can track between 10 and 40 companies. Plus, you can connect Rival IQ directly to your social channels to track all your private social insights in a single dashboard.

Rival IQ Features

• Competitive benchmarking through social media data
• Custom Landscapes that let you create different groupings of companies to compare
• Custom Dashboards to track cross-channel or channel-specific data
• Social content analysis for hashtags, topics, and more

Best for: Experienced social media managers who want a dedicated competitor research tool

Is Rival IQ Free? No, there isn’t a free version, but they offer a 14-day free trial. You can also access limited reports and benchmarking data under Free Tools on their website.

Premium Pricing: Starts at $239/month

8. Phlanx

Phlanx is an influencer marketing platform that helps you discover and connect with social media influencers. It also includes competitor tracking for Instagram, YouTube, X, and Twitch.

As an influencer platform, Phlanx focuses mostly on engagement. I tried out their competitor tracking and found charts comparing engagement levels for various brands:

Additionally, their Engagement Calculators allow you to vet potential collaborators or keep an eye on rival brands.

Phlanx Features

• Competitor engagement tracking for several social platforms (Facebook not included)
• Engagement calculators for all major social platforms
• Influencer Directory to find the right social accounts to partner with
• Collaborations board to post collaboration requests and browse requests from other brands

Best for: Marketers seeking out influencer opportunities

Is Phlanx Free? No, there isn’t a free plan. Phlanx does offer a 30-day free trial, but you have to enter your credit card to access it.

Premium Pricing: Starts at $39/month

9. Social Blade

Are the above social competitor analysis tools out of your budget? Social Blade may be the right choice for you, as its free tool offers tons of competitor data.

The site’s search box suggests simply entering a username, but I had the best results by entering the full URL for a social media profile.

For instance, I entered a URL for a YouTube channel and got an in-depth chart full of useful metrics:

The free version does include a lot of ads. If you find them frustrating, you can opt for one of Social Blade’s very reasonable paid plans.

Social Blade Features

• Competitor tracking for YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, and X
• Detailed statistics to track daily performance
• Future projections that predict growth over the next 5 years
• Premium data charts & favorite slots for premium members

Best for: Social marketers on a tight budget

Is Social Blade Free? Yes, you can access Social Blade’s basic charts for free.

Premium Pricing: Starts at $3.99/month

Content-Based Competitor Research Software

10. Owletter (for Email Marketing)

Email marketing has the highest ROI (return on investment) of any digital marketing strategy. With Owletter, you can easily monitor your competitors’ email campaigns, so you can optimize your own.

I signed up for Owletter and found it very easy to set up email campaign tracking. I simply entered the name and website URL for each brand I wanted to track. Owletter then gave me a unique email address to use to sign up for that brand’s email newsletter.

Note: Some websites’ signup forms may block Owletter email addresses. One website gave me an error message that the address could not be verified.

Once I signed up for those newsletters, Owletter created a single inbox where I could view all of my competitor’s email campaigns:

I could sort the emails by website or topic tag, or I could search for specific subject line keywords.

Most importantly, Owletter stores and analyzes these emails to create summaries for each brand you monitor. Over time, these summaries will show your competitor’s email frequency, the days and times they send emails, common subject line words, spam score, and more.

Owletter Features

• Email inbox to monitor competitor email campaigns
• Email analysis that provides an overview of your competitors’ email marketing strategy
• Scheduled email reports with a summary of email activity from monitored sites
• Email alerts for specific websites or subject line keywords

Best for: Email marketers

Is Owletter Free? There’s no free plan, but you can sign up for a 14-day free trial

Premium Pricing: Starts at $19/month

11. Buzzsumo (for Content Marketing)

Buzzsumo is a comprehensive content marketing research tool. It lets you discover content that is trending in your industry, so you can optimize your own content strategy.

For example, I tried out Buzzsumo’s Content Analyzer tool. I entered a URL and got a list of the site’s most engaging content.

I could see the number of shares and engagement on social media for each post, a list of backlinks, and more. The Evergreen score shows which content continued to get engagement after 30 days. This helps you learn how to create content with lasting impact.

Keep in mind that this example is just one use for this extremely robust software. Buzzsumo’s functionality is broad, and you can get in-depth content data on any topic, brand, or URL.

Buzzsumo Features

• Content analyzer: See the most engaging content from competitors or on specific topics
• Competitor alerts: Get a notification whenever a competitor is mentioned online
• Content idea generator: Enter a topic keyword to get suggestions for engaging posts
• Trending feeds: Set up content feeds for different topics

Best for: Marketers wanting to optimize their brands’ content

Is Buzzsumo Free? There’s no free version, but you can sign up for a 7-day free trial.

Premium Pricing: Starts at $199/month

More Competitive Research Tools

There are countless software options for competitive analysis. I’ve reviewed my top 11, but here are a few more to consider:

12. Majestic: Discover your competitors’ backlinks

13. Serpstat: Analyze your competitor websites SEO and PPC data

14. SpyFu: Download competitors’ SEO and PPC keywords

15. MozBar: See instant metrics on any page or SERP with this Chrome browser extension

16. Talkwalker by Hootsuite: Track social media and consumer data to keep an eye on the competition

17. Brandwatch: Conduct social media market research to benchmark your brand against competitors

Understanding Your Competitors = Better Marketing for Your Brand

There you have it! This list of competitor research tools has everything you need to perfect your marketing campaigns.

Use your competitors’ success to increase your web traffic, and then use OptinMonster to turn those visitors into quality leads. OptinMonster can help you nurture website visitors through your sales funnel by:

• Encouraging visitors to sign up for your email list with a lead magnet
• Offering enticing discounts to exiting visitors
• Showing product and content recommendations based on visitor behavior
• Precisely targeting your popups to just the right people at just the right time

Sign up for OptinMonster today and launch a comprehensive lead-generation campaign in minutes. That way, you’ll be ready to convert all the visitors you’ll gain through your competitive research.

If your WooCommerce store isn’t ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs), you are missing out on a lot of free traffic and revenue potential.

That is why WooCommerce SEO is important, but WooCommerce and SEO aren’t everyone’s cup of tea.

But fret not, as in this article, we will teach you the ten most effective and easy WooCommerce SEO tips to help you on your way to ranking #1.

What Is WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is an open-source plugin that transforms a WordPress website into a fully functional online store. It’s essentially an eCommerce toolkit for WordPress, allowing users to easily add product listings, shopping carts, and secure checkout options to their existing website.

Is WooCommerce SEO friendly?

Yes, WooCommerce is considered SEO friendly out of the box. Here’s why:

• Built on WordPress: WooCommerce leverages WordPress’s SEO-friendly foundation, which follows web standards and best practices.
• Focus on Content: WooCommerce allows you to create product descriptions, category pages, and other content that can be optimized for search engines.
• Basic SEO Features: WooCommerce offers features like product titles, meta descriptions, and category structures that are crucial for SEO.

10 Pro Tips for WooCommerce SEO

Here are 10 WooCommerce SEO tips to get you climbing in those search results.

1. Create Unique Product Descriptions
2. Optimize Product Titles
3. Enable Breadcrumbs
4. Make Site Navigation Simple
5. Keep Permalink URLs Short and Descriptive
6. Write Meta Descriptions
7. Add Alt Text to Product Images
8. Avoid and Consolidate Duplicate Content
9. Use the Best WooCommerce SEO Plugins
10. Use WooCommerce Optimized Themes
11. Optimize For Mobile
12. Optimize for Web Speed
13. Add Structured Data and Schema Markup

Let’s look at each one of them in detail.

1. Create Unique Product Descriptions

Product descriptions should be treated as bite-sized bits of content. They should include vital information about products written for your target audience.

Let’s look at two online stores selling dresses: ModCloth and New York & Company.

ModCloth’s target audience comprises younger women who enjoy wearing casual dresses. They use a lot of colorful adjectives in product descriptions. The company also points out when dresses have pockets because “thanks, it has pockets!” is a common joke among Millennials and Gen Z-ers.

New York & Company speaks to an audience needing more “professional” clothing. Their dresses can be as fun as ModCloth’s, but their copy focuses more on functionality and is straightforward.

Search engines treat product descriptions like any other content on your site. These descriptions provide what keywords to rank products for in SERPs.

If you sell products by other manufacturers, you can use those descriptions. But, writing descriptions is often better for SEO. Identical content fights for SERP positions. Plus, these descriptions often aren’t optimized for your audience.

2. Optimize Page Titles

Page titles tell shoppers and search engines what your page is about. Most eCommerce stores have several kinds of pages, like category and product pages.

Product category pages help shoppers find types of products. Product pages are, of course, for individual products within those product categories.

You can optimize category pages for broad terms and product pages for specific terms. For example, Storiarts has a category called “gloves.” Its product pages are for “subcategories” for individual products like “Dracula Writing Gloves.”

Category Page

Product Page

Page titles and SEO titles are often the same. The exception is when the page title is longer than 60 characters.

You can tweak SEO titles with a tool like All in One SEO.

Use keywords in page and SEO titles, but remember: Content is for people first. This means keywords should be natural.

Let’s pretend those Dracula gloves above had a keyword-stuffed title, as we’ve all so often seen. It could say:

“Gloves black fingerless Dracula literature handmade scary Bram Stoker costume”

Luckily, they opted for “Dracula Writing Gloves.” What more do you need?

3. Enable Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs are at the tops of pages and help visitors return to previous pages. They show visitors where they are and where they’ve been.

Breadcrumbs are helpful for visitors and used by Google to determine site structure. It also affects how you appear in search results.

You can create breadcrumbs in WooCommerce. But, it’s typically easier with SEO products like AIOSEO.

We’ll talk more about AIOSEO when discussing WooCommerce SEO plugin options below.

4. Make Site Navigation Simple

Clean and straightforward site navigation can impact bounce rates and time spent on site. The more time visitors spend on your site, the higher your site can rank.

Keep your main navigation easy to follow. Google will crawl every page, but visitors definitely won’t.

Main navigation, which is often on the homepage and may be others, includes links to crucial pages. Here’s what the restaurant chain Hawaiian Bros considers essential:

Google uses search spiders to review and index search results. So, if a page isn’t linked somewhere, Google can’t find it. Google also deems links on the homepage more critical than others.

But, what if you have a ton of important pages and don’t want to force users to dig to find what they want?

A perfect solution to this problem is adding links to footers.

Here’s Hawaiian Bros’ footer:

5. Keep Permalink URLs Short and Descriptive

WordPress permalinks should make URLs accessible to visitors and search engines.

To do this, open WordPress and go to Settings » Permalinks to choose a URL structure.

If you’re not using WooCommerce permalinks, URLs default to product IDs like example.com/?product=111

Permalinks default to whatever you set them to, like “yourdomain.com/product/product-name.” Storiarts clearly has permalinks:

6. Write Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions can go a long way in improving click through rates (CTRs).

They show up under a search results entry title and describe the content. Meta descriptions are another way to entice searchers to click.

Google generally pulls opening text from your page if you don’t write meta descriptions.

In meta descriptions, use motivational words, useful adjectives, deals, and calls to action. But, meta descriptions shouldn’t be longer than 160, so focus on what’s most important.

All in One SEO can set up meta descriptions. It has a smart meta tag generator for dynamic values in SEO titles and meta descriptions.

You can add values like current year, month, day, custom fields, and more. You don’t need to update a post to change the meta description.

7. Add Alt Text to Product Images

Alt text is vital for SEO and even more essential for readers. It helps visitors with limited vision or blindness know what’s in images.

Use clear and concise alt text providing accurate descriptions of images. If you can fit in a keyword, do so. But, since all pieces should be audience-centric, image content outweighs keywords.

Alt text also shows up if images don’t load or if a user blocks images from appearing. Search engines do see it no matter what.

WebAIM, one of the best resources for accessibility, provides these best practices:

Alt text should be as specific as possible. For instance, a cat picture shouldn’t just say “cat.” It should describe the cat’s color, actions, and anything else necessary.

If you search “how long should alt text be?” you’ll see everything from 100 to 140 characters. Grand Valley State University states most screen readers stop after 140 characters. Most sources recommend being as brief as possible.

8. Avoid and Consolidate Duplicate Content

Duplicate content is tricky. If two pages are very similar, they cannibalize content and harm each other’s rankings.

This is true for pages on the same site, all sites you own, and competing sites.

Say you run an eCommerce business for cat toys and a different one for dog toys. You may end up with a page about why cats and dogs need different toys on each. Those could harm one another.

More established sites publishing similar content could outrank you, too. Pet stores probably can’t compete with the ASPCA if they have such an article, for instance!

The easiest way to make sure content could rank high is to write and publish original content. But what about existing content?

First, find duplicate content. You can look for content manually or use an SEO product like SEMrush.

Next, consolidate.

Let’s first look at duplicate content on the same website. If you have 2 or more URLs with more or less identical content, keep the better performing page.

If you missed anything essential but can find it on the similar pages, add it to the one you plan to keep.

Then, redirect the other pages to the page you keep. WordPress has several plugins to create redirects.

Redirects become crucial if you move from one eCommerce platform to another.

Going from Shopify to WooCommerce, for instance, will likely change URL structures. If you want to keep page rankings from Shopify, redirect to the new WooCommerce URLs.

Sometimes you may find pages with similar but not identical content and want to keep BOTH. Canonical links tell search engines where to go using this tag in the header of your similar content:

<link rel=”canonical” href=”https://myoriginalcontent.com”>

Both redirects and canonical links work for duplicates across all domains you own.

If your work like another website’s but it’s essential to have on yours, don’t delete it. Instead, find a unique spin on it.

9. Use the Best WooCommerce SEO Plugins

WooCommerce comes with thousands of extensions and plugins to help grow your business. It can be overwhelming to find the best ones for WooCommerce optimization.

At OptinMonster, a premier WordPress plugin, we love finding plugins for business growth. Here are our picks for the best WooCommerce SEO plugins:

1. All in One SEO (AIOSEO)

All in One SEO (AIOSEO) is one of the best SEO plugin. Its setup wizard helps choose ideal SEO settings for your business.

You can choose focus and secondary keyphrases for every page.

Once you select the focus keyphrase, AIOSEO suggests how to use it best.

Using the pet toys example, here’s what AIOSEO may look like before optimization:

Here’s what it might look like after making adjustments using their suggestions:

AIOSEO also has WooCommerce optimization features for pages, images, and more.

Recommended Reading: How to Setup All in One SEO for WordPress Correctly (Ultimate Guide)

2. Broken Link Checker

Broken Link Checker can find broken links, so you don’t have a high bounce rate from 404 error pages.

This SEO product is resource-intensive. So, we recommend installing and activating it when you use it, then uninstalling it. Going through your site twice a year should be enough.

If that sounds like too much, AIOSEO can help you here, too. They offer a broken link checker that can automatically send visitors to the correct URL, even if that’s not the one they click on in a search engine. It can also run reports for you and you can check on things manually.

3. MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights gives you the power of Google Analytics from your WordPress admin area. You can track successes and potential problems in real-time to maximize potential revenue.

You can run awesome reports for store metrics, too. Check out this eCommerce report from MonsterInsights:

4. TrustPulse

If you really want to send your WooCommerce sales soaring, check out TrustPulse.

While TrustPulse isn’t specifically for SEO, it can work wonders for social proof. It lets you leverage real-time page activity to increase trust, conversions, and sales by up to 15%

TrustPulse gives visitors reasons to buy your products. You can say, “my product is the best!” until you’re blue in the face. But TrustPulse taps into what they want: Evidence from other consumers.

So, they tap into “peer pressure” by providing popups saying “[Name] just bought this product!” and targeted ads.

10. Use WooCommerce Optimized Themes

WordPress is SEO-friendly. But, not all themes are ideal for WooCommerce optimization. Make sure your theme is the right SEO product for your WooCommerce store.

Here are a few of the best themes for WooCommerce optimization.

1. Astra

Astra has an extensive library of sites, including designs specifically for WooCommerce optimization. These can include dropdown carts, grid settings, and infinite scroll.

It’s a lightweight theme built for speed, so customers shouldn’t have to wait long.

Plus, it integrates with SEO plugins like AIOSEO to further optimization efforts.

2. Divi

Divi comes with a built-in page builder with drag-and-drop capabilities. You can add, move, or delete elements on your site.

They offer “WooBuilder” to create online stores made for WooCommerce optimization. This feature is available at no extra cost!

Related Content22 Best Responsive eCommerce Themes and Templates (Free and Paid)

3. WooCommerce Storefront

WooCommerce Storefront is the official WordPress WooCommerce theme set. It has a simple, responsive homepage displaying any category you want.

This product was built for WooCommerce optimization. It offers over 40 theme options so you can customize your WooCommerce store.

11. Optimize For Mobile

Ensure that your WooCommerce site is fully optimized for mobile devices. This includes responsive design, fast loading times on mobile, and easy navigation on smaller screens.

Here are key aspects to focus on for effective mobile optimization:

1. Responsive Design: Ensure your website automatically adjusts to fit the screen size of any device, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or desktop. This means your site’s layout, images, and content should fluidly change to provide an optimal experience on any device.
2. Fast Loading Times: Mobile users often have less patience for slow-loading websites. Optimize your site’s loading speed by compressing images, using a content delivery network (CDN), minimizing HTTP requests, and optimizing your code (CSS, JavaScript, HTML).
3. Simplified Navigation: Mobile screens are smaller, so it’s important to have a simple, intuitive navigation menu. Consider using a hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) which expands when tapped. Ensure that the menu items are large enough to be easily tapped with a finger.

12. Optimize for Web Speed

Site speed is a crucial factor for SEO. Optimize images, leverage browser caching, and use a content delivery network (CDN) to improve loading times.

Here are some detailed strategies to enhance the speed of your WooCommerce site:

1. Optimize Images: Large images can significantly slow down your website. Use image compression tools to reduce file sizes without compromising quality. Formats like JPEG are generally smaller and faster to load than PNGs. Also, consider using new image formats like WebP, which provides high-quality results with smaller file sizes.
2. Leverage Browser Caching: Browser caching stores webpage resource files on a local computer when a user visits a webpage. This means that the next time the user visits the site, the browser can load the page without having to send another HTTP request to the server. Use tools or plugins to set expiration dates for your cache.
3. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN stores copies of your site on multiple, geographically diverse servers. This means that users are served the version of your site that’s closest to them, reducing load times. Popular CDNs include Cloudflare, Amazon CloudFront, and Akamai.

13. Add Structured Data and Schema Markup

Implement structured data using schema markup to help search engines better understand your pages’ content. This can also lead to rich snippets in search results, improving click-through rates.

Here’s how to effectively use structured data and schema markup:

1. Understand Schema Markup: Schema markup is a code (semantic vocabulary) that you put on your website to help search engines return more informative results for users. It tells search engines what your data means, not just what it says.
2. Identify Relevant Schemas: For an eCommerce site, relevant schemas include Product, Offer, AggregateRating, Review, BreadcrumbList, and Organization. Each of these schemas helps to detail different aspects of your products and business.
3. Use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper: This tool can guide you through generating schema markup. You select the type of data (e.g., a product), paste in the page URL you want to markup, and use the tool to tag different elements.
4. Add Markup to Your Site: Once you’ve generated the markup, add it to your site’s HTML. If you’re uncomfortable editing your site’s HTML directly, you may use a plugin to help you integrate schema markup.

WooCommerce SEO: A Constant Task

We hope this guide to WooCommerce optimization has helped get you on the road to ranking #1!

But, SEO is not a one-time thing.

Here are a few other resources to help you out:

• How to Create a WooCommerce Popup (+7 Ways to Boost Sales)
• How to Integrate OptinMonster with WooCommerce
• 13 Best Keyword Research Tools to Boost Your Organic Traffic

Of course, WooCommerce SEO alone won’t get you all the customers you could possibly find. This is where we at OptinMonster come in!

Sign up for OptinMonster today, risk-free with our 14-day money-back guarantee.