In this guide, you’ll get tips from us who work with this every day – and actually know how to make it work. We’ll talk about SEO, advertising, strategy, and a few honest realities from the world of online stores.
Online store vs. “regular website” – a completely different ballgame
Marketing an online store is not the same as selling services on a regular website. It’s a completely different ballgame: more pages, tougher competition, and far more details to stay on top of.
Here are some of the most important differences:
Volume and complexity
Online stores often have far more pages than regular websites, especially if you have a large product range.
We’re often talking hundreds, maybe even thousands of pages – everything from “black socks” to “summer dress women” and “where is my package?”. You have main categories, subcategories, product pages, FAQ, customer service – and yes, maybe even pages you’ve forgotten you ever created.
A typical website, on the other hand? You have one homepage, a bit about who you are, what you do, what you offer, and where you’re located – that’s it. Maybe 5–12 pages in total (to exaggerate slightly).
This makes online stores far more complex, both technically and in terms of content – and especially when it comes to getting visitors to actually do what you want them to do: buy (in the volume you depend on).
Competition and search volume
In the world of online stores, there are often high search volumes for products and categories – and that’s exciting! It means lots of potential customers are actively looking for what you’re selling. But here’s the flip side: you’re not the only one who has noticed this.
Take the keyword “sneakers”, for example. Over 14,000 people Google it every month. It’s like standing in the middle of Karl Johan on a Saturday – tons of traffic, but also tons of competition. Chances are your competitors are ready, with their SEO muscles flexed and their product pages fine-tuned down to the last detail.
When you work with websites that offer services, things are often a bit quieter. Here we’re talking about lower search volume, which usually also means fewer competitors. “Privat psykolog Oslo” (private psychologist Oslo), for example, has only 10 searches per month, and “IT-leverandør Bergen” (IT provider Bergen) sits at a modest 20. That may sound low – but it also means the competition is more manageable.
Conversion
Online stores need a high conversion rate to be profitable. This means the entire customer journey must be optimized – from product descriptions to the payment process. Poor content or technical issues can kill sales.
On a typical website, conversion is more often about generating leads – for example via contact forms, guides, or webinars. It is of course just as important to acquire customers for the services you offer, but the point is that the volume of conversions needed is higher for online stores, partly because the margin per customer is lower.
Update frequency and seasonal variations
Inventory status, price changes and seasonal variations require frequent updates for online stores. Regular websites are typically more static and updated less often.
Technical setup
Online stores rely on multiple systems that must work seamlessly together, such as payment solutions, inventory management, shipping integrations, and automated emails. This requires a solid technical structure and robust security.
Standard websites usually have a simpler setup, without the same need for complex system integrations.
So, let’s get real – are you ready to take your online store to the next level?
A great online store is one thing – but people need to be able to find it too
It doesn’t matter how good your products are if no one can find them. Marketing is what really accelerates your online store and ensures that customers discover you.
Or to put it another way: without a well-thought-out marketing strategy, you risk ending up like a store on a backstreet – very few will find their way there.
Do you sell to people or to companies? It makes a big difference
It’s not just a minor detail – it’s two completely different worlds. B2C customers head to checkout before their coffee gets cold, while B2B customers need meetings, budgets, and often one or three approvals before anything happens. Scroll down to see the differences in black and white!
Don’t waste your budget – these are the channels you should prioritize
Which channels should you prioritize to get customers to come in and buy, instead of just looking from the outside?
SEO – be visible where your customers are searching
SEO gives you visibility exactly when people are searching for what you offer. It is a long-term investment that builds authority, attracts free traffic, and ensures your online store is visible when customers are ready to buy.
Here are the five most effective actions we take for the online stores we work with, to help them rank higher (and sell more):
- Create a site structure that matches what people actually search for Many online stores have a site structure that may feel intuitive to them, but doesn’t necessarily align with what people are searching for. We conduct research on what people actually search for and then adapt the names of main categories and subcategories accordingly. This makes it easier for both Google and your customers to understand what you offer – and to find it.
- Create new and more targeted subcategories where there is demand If we see that people are searching a lot for “beige sneakers dame” – but you only have a generic “shoes” category, we set up a dedicated subcategory that responds directly to that need. This makes it possible to rank for more specific searches (often with high purchase intent), while also improving the user experience for your customers.
- Optimizing existing subcategories based on search interest Having a category isn’t enough – it also needs to be optimized. We update copy, meta tags, and headings to make the pages more relevant, useful, and visible. Often this is about using the right keywords, but also about creating content that actually helps the customer choose the right product. Bonus: Google loves this!
- Produce articles that answer the questions your target audience has “How to choose the right winter jacket?” “What’s the difference between sneakers and running shoes?” We produce articles that both build trust and capture search demand early in the customer journey. Good for the user, good for traffic – and it gives you authority in your industry.
- Working with technical elements such as internal linking, metadata and indexing This is the nerdy part of SEO – but also one of the most important. We make sure your pages are logically connected, that metadata is in place, and that no key products are left gathering dust in Google’s blind spots. Technical SEO may not be glamorous, but it is absolutely critical for growth.
How Norlett’s online store increased organic sales by 72%
When Norlett Service came to us, their website was not SEO-optimized for what people actually search for. The goal was to increase organic visibility on key search terms, leading to higher sales in the online store.
Result:
- 72% increase in organic sales in Q1 2024 compared to Q1 2023
- 68% increase in top 10 keywords over 12 months in 2023
- 71% increase in top 3 keywords over 12 months in 2023
Advertising – accelerate your sales now
SEO is a long-term goldmine, but advertising gives you an immediate boost. Here are the types of ads you should use – and why:
Different ad types and how to use them:
- Search ads: Search ads are one of the most effective ways to attract customers who already have an intention to buy. When someone searches for a specific product (such as “blue jeans women”), your ad appears at the top of Google. Here, relevance and the right choice of keywords are key. Search ads are perfect for capturing people who are actively looking for exactly what you offer.
- Shopping ads: This is a more visual type of ad where your products are displayed with image, price, and store name directly in the search results. Shopping ads are ideal when you have a broad product range and want to capture potential customers at the stage where they are considering different options.
- Display ads: Display ads are banner ads that appear on websites that are part of the Google Display Network. These ads are excellent for building brand awareness. They can also be used for remarketing to show products to people who have previously visited your online store but did not complete their purchase.
- Remarketing: With remarketing, you can reach people who have already visited your website and shown interest in products, but have not made a purchase. This is an effective strategy for reminding customers about the products they have viewed and bringing them back to complete their purchase.
Feed optimization
To get maximum impact from your shopping ads, feed optimization is a must. This is about ensuring that your product information is accurate, detailed, and optimized for the ad platforms (such as Google Merchant Center or Facebook Shop).Your products need to be listed with relevant attributes such as color, size, price, and product description – the more precise and detailed the information, the higher visibility you will achieve.
Budget and measurement
When it comes to advertising, it’s easy to get caught up in the temptation to spend a lot of money across different channels. That’s where measurement comes in. To know whether you’re actually getting more for your money, you need to track your results carefully. Here are some key concepts you should be familiar with:
- ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): This measures how much revenue you get back for every krone you spend on advertising. If you have a ROAS of 4, it means that for every 1 krone you spend on ads, you get 4 kroner back.
- CPA (Cost per Acquisition): This is the cost you pay to acquire a single customer. Keeping a low CPA is crucial to ensure your ads remain profitable over the long term.
How Sports Måløy doubled online store visits with advertising
When we started working with Sports Måløy, they wanted to attract more customers to their online store and increase sales. They also had some challenges with the visibility of their Shopping ads.
Results:
- +137% revenue in one year
- 2x number of visits from the ads
- +110% increase in number of transactions
Typical online store pitfalls – and how to avoid them
Getting people into your online store is one thing. Getting them to actually buy is something else entirely.
- People add products to the cart… and then disappear again You’ve probably been there yourself: You scroll, click, find something you like – and then you get interrupted. The cart ends up empty or abandoned. Here are some actions that can help:
- Retargeting: Remind them about the products they showed interest in, either via email or ads. A simple “You left these in your cart” can work wonders.
- Simple checkout: Remove unnecessary steps. No one wants to create an account, fill out five forms, and wait for a confirmation email before they can pay.
- Show shipping and price early: Hidden costs at the final step are a classic dealbreaker. Be transparent from the start – that’s how you build trust.
- Too many choices and too little guidance The more products you have, the more important it is to help people find what they actually need. If your store feels like a labyrinth, you risk customers giving up.
- Use filtering and search effectively: Make it easy to sort by size, color, brand, or other relevant filters.
- Create guides and inspirational content: Articles like “How to choose the right yoga mat” or “The best rain jackets for kids” provide value and drive sales indirectly.
- Lack of measurement and learning You have no idea what works – because you never check.
- Use Google Analytics and your ad tools actively. Identify what drives sales, what drives traffic, and what only drains your budget.
- Test one thing at a time: Change one button, one text, or one image – and see what happens. That’s how you learn and improve.
