A lead is someone who has shown interest in your store and given you a way to reach them again, usually an email address. Most visitors to a WooCommerce store leave without buying, so capturing leads gives you a second chance to sell. Here are nine ways to generate leads for a WooCommerce store, starting with what you can set up on your own site today.
1. Offer something in return for an email address
This is the most dependable on-site tactic. Give visitors a clear reason to sign up:
- A discount or free shipping on their first order
- Early access to sales or new products
- A useful download, such as a size guide, care guide or buyer's checklist
Show the offer in a slide-in or exit-intent popup rather than one that covers the page the moment someone arrives. A coupon plugin such as Smart Coupons for WooCommerce can create a unique code for each sign-up, so one code can't be shared all over the internet. Our WooCommerce plugin shortlist covers coupon, popup and email tools.
Free-shipping threshold. A line such as "Free shipping on orders over $50" in your header encourages bigger orders, and gives you a reason to ask for an email ("We'll let you know about free-shipping weekends"). Set it up in WooCommerce → Settings → Shipping: add a Free shipping method to a shipping zone and set a minimum order amount.
2. Add a newsletter sign-up at checkout and on your blog
Customers who have just bought from you are the easiest people to sign up. Add an opt-in tick box at checkout, and a sign-up form on your blog and in the footer. Then send news people would miss: new arrivals, restocks, how-to content, behind-the-scenes stories.
Connect WooCommerce to your email tool (Mailchimp for WooCommerce, or similar) so each contact's purchases are recorded automatically and you can segment by what they bought. Hostinger has a useful overview of WordPress newsletter plugins.
3. Design a banner that says one thing
A store-wide banner for your current offer should be readable in two seconds:
- One message and one call to action ("Free shipping this week: shop now")
- Strong contrast between the text and the background
- A real offer or deadline, not a slogan
- Check it on a phone. If it wraps onto three lines, shorten it.
4. Post on social media with a reason to click
Choose the one or two platforms your customers actually use, instead of trying to be everywhere. Share products in use, short videos and customer photos (with permission). Link each post to a specific product or landing page rather than your home page, and put your sign-up offer in your profile link.
5. Host a webinar or live demo
This works well when your products need explaining, such as equipment, software or skincare routines.
- Pick a topic your customers search for, not a sales pitch.
- Promote it for two to three weeks through email, social media and a registration page on your site. The registration form is your lead capture.
- Teach something useful and show the product where it fits naturally.
- Take questions live, and use polls or the chat to keep people involved.
- Follow up within a day with the recording and an offer for attendees.
6. Answer questions on Quora, LinkedIn and niche forums
Find where your customers ask questions, such as Quora, LinkedIn groups, Reddit or specialist forums, and give genuinely helpful answers. Link to your store only when it answers the question, and put the store link in your profile. Done consistently, this makes your name the one people recognise in your niche.
7. Send handwritten cards
A handwritten thank-you card in an order, or after a first purchase, gets noticed in a way an email doesn't. Add a referral code or a "share with a friend" offer and it becomes a lead source as well. Services like SendOutCards and Handwrytten write and post cards for you from your desk.
8. Put up posters where your customers are
If your store has a local audience, posters and flyers still work: in local shops, community centres, gyms, cafés and transport hubs. Add a QR code that opens a dedicated landing page with a sign-up offer, so you can count how many leads the posters actually bring in.
9. Network with other store owners and go to events
Other online retailers, especially in neighbouring niches, can become partners for joint giveaways, product bundles or newsletter swaps, and you can learn what's working for them. Industry meetups, trade shows and web design and eCommerce conferences are good places to meet them. If you exhibit, bring a tablet with your sign-up form open so you can collect leads on the spot.
Make sure the store converts the leads
Leads only pay off if the store does its job when they come back. Check that your pages load quickly (how to speed up WordPress with server caching) and that checkout asks for as little as possible. If you're still building the store, start with these four WordPress tools for a new eCommerce site.
Written by
Entrepreneur and content marketer, Catalyst For Business
Ryan Khoja is a New York-based entrepreneur and content marketer, and chief executive of Catalyst For Business. He works in writing and editing, with a focus on copywriting, marketing strategy and customer relationship management. He holds a bachelor's degree in business from the City University of New York.
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