How to Scale Your eCommerce Business: 13 Proven Strategies (+ A Case Study)

'How to scale an eCommerce business' is more than a growth target—it's a critical shift that can make or break your future.

Think about this: Every decision you make could either propel you into new markets or sink your capital into dead-end products.

In a landscape where standing still equates to falling behind, the real question is not whether you’ll grow, but how intelligently you’ll do it.

How will you navigate the precarious balance between innovation and risk, efficiency and expansion?

The answers could redefine your trajectory in ways you’ve never imagined.

Let’s talk about it in this article -

13 Strategies on How to Scale eCommerce Business

1. Diversify your product range with minimized risk

2. Convert more of your paid traffic

3. Segment your email list before shooting emails

4. Get influencers to promote your brand

5. Build repeatability in your business

6. Increase efficiency through automated reordering

7. Sell experiences through your product bundles

8. Implement return management automation

9. Make your loyalty programs aspirational

10. Open social commerce as a sales channel

11. Optimize your expenses

12. Scale and train your support staff

13. Outsource non-core functions

1. Diversify your product range with minimized risk

It is not as simple as: Increase products-increase business.

The real challenge is diversifying without sinking capital into products that may never sell.

The key lies in using methods that let you test the waters without the financial burden of excess inventory.

What we would suggest is:

Implement a phased approach: Introduce new products in phases–starting with a limited range in a new category and gradually expanding based on performance and customer reception.

Test new products with pre-orders: Gauge customer interest by offering new items on a pre-order basis–allowing you to fund production with customer payments.

Start with limited-edition launches: Offer a small batch of new products as limited editions and assess demand before scaling production.

2. Convert more of your paid traffic

Lucrative ads sure bring traffic to your landing pages.

But the real action happens after that–when your shoppers are mulling over–whether or not to buy the product.

Ease this decision-making process for them.

Align your ads with your landing pages: The audience should land on the product page of the product that you have displayed in the ad. Don’t have them hunt for the item they clicked for.

Make sure to offer more on the landing page than on the ad: Enrich your landing page with savings, quizzes and urgency nudges–will help with faster conversions.

Check how Tyme has added a trial offer, free shipping, return policy and social proof on the landing page.

Implement retargeting campaigns: Not everyone interested will buy on their first website visit. Switch to backup–retarget and follow them around. Eventually, they will come back and convert.

Recommend similar products on the landing page: In case the shopper is not happy with the details of the product, make it easy for them to explore other similar options.

Read more: Convert More Paid Traffic—9 Strategies That Always Work (eCommerce)

3. Segment your email list before shooting emails

Sending the same email to your entire list is like casting a wide net in murky waters—inefficient and unlikely to yield the best results.

Your emails must speak directly to the distinct needs and behaviors of different customer segments.

Divide your list by purchase history to tailor offers to first-time buyers, repeat customers, and high spenders–add your product offerings in their emails accordingly.

Segment by engagement level so you can re-engage inactive subscribers with targeted win-back campaigns.

Use demographic data like age, location, or gender to create personalized content that resonates with each group.

Here’s how Lucchese created different emails containing their boots for men and women to send to the respective genders.

Create segments based on browsing behavior to send targeted emails featuring products or categories they've shown interest in.

Read more: How to Use Targeted Email Marketing to Drive More Sales (eCommerce)

4. Get influencers to promote your brand

Influencers have the power to transform your brand's narrative by turning trusted voices into passionate advocates.

While choosing your influencers, follower count should not be the deciding metric.

Make sure you are checking the views, engagement rate and quality of comments.

You don’t want an influencer to promote your tech products whose audience is probably there to look at their aesthetics.

To get a clear idea of the views and engagement, check:

(Average views on their last 5 posts or videos/ 5) *100 = The number of eyeballs you might reach with your influencer campaign

Make sure to go through the comments to find if there is genuine interest in the niche the influencer is targeting.

And finally, check if the influencer sticks to the niche in at least 80% of the posts and stories.

Read more: Influencer Marketing 101: Step-by-Step Strategy For eCommerce Store Owners

5. Build repeatability in your business

As they say, “Growth happens when your customers keep coming back”.

For this:

Test subscriptions: Give your customers a chance to try your products through trial packs before committing to a full subscription.

Offer frequent buyer discounts: Implement a system where customers receive discounts or rewards after a certain number of purchases or spending thresholds.

Send reorder notifications: Your data will tell you typically when your shoppers reorder–use this to send notifications to them asking them to refill their stock.

Read more: eCommerce Subscriptions: 15 Amazing Examples (+ Ways to Increase Subscription Sales)

6. Increase efficiency through automated reordering

Growth means demand changes and this should never lead to stock-outs.

The best solution is to implement automated reordering.

Set a certain threshold and let your inventory management system automatically reorder when stock levels hit the threshold.

The biggest challenge in forecasting demand arises when we talk about new categories and the effect of seasonality.

To tackle this, start by clubbing similar categories and use predictive analytics to figure out your approximate demand for the season.

Now, let’s say that you are a fashion retailer and you introduced scarves to your collection. Use the historical data of let’s say gloves to find the probable demand for scarves during winter months.

Fix your reordering systems according to these numbers.

You can go a step further and implement a tiered inventory system as well. This adjusts reorder points based on product performance and supplier lead times–making your business even more efficient.

7. Sell experiences through your product bundles

Imagine if your customers left your store feeling they got more than they bargained for—every single time.

This is possible through really well-made product bundles.

Rethink how you present your products, making each bundle not just a sale, but a story that your customers can't wait to share.

Reinvent your flagship products: Bundle your best-selling items with exclusive add-ons or limited-edition products to create a premium version that customers can’t resist.

Curate experience-driven bundles: Combine products that create a complete experience, like a self-care kit that includes skincare, candles, and a journal, making the bundle more than just a collection of items.

Leverage seasonal themes: Create bundles that align with seasonal trends or holidays, like a summer essentials pack or a holiday gift set, making them timely and relevant.

Introduce ‘build your own bundle’ options: Let customers personalize their bundles from a selection of items, increasing engagement and perceived value while allowing you to move less popular inventory.

8. Implement return management automation

Consider the impact of a clunky returns process: it can erode customer trust and increase operational costs.

By automating returns, you’re not just improving efficiency–you’re transforming how customers perceive your brand’s commitment to service and reliability.

Of course, deploying a returns management system is a no-brainer but there’s more you can do to take your eCommerce business to the next level.

Create rules-based workflows to handle common return scenarios, such as automatic refunds for defective items or exchanges for damaged products.

Integrate with inventory systems to automatically update stock levels and manage restocking, reducing manual entries and errors.

Implement customer notifications for each stage of the return process, from request to refund, to keep customers informed and improve their experience.

9. Make your loyalty programs aspirational

Loyalty programs are good but what’s better is when your program turns into a coveted status symbol.

Loyalty programs become status symbols when shoppers feel they have earned something that others don’t have immediate access to.

What would be great is if you design tiered reward levels: Create multiple tiers with increasing benefits, such as exclusive products or events, to encourage customers to strive for higher status.

Introduce limited-edition rewards: Provide rare, limited-edition items or experiences that can only be earned through loyalty points, creating a sense of exclusivity and urgency.

Collaborate with luxury brands: Partner with high-end brands to offer exclusive rewards or experiences that enhance the aspirational appeal of your program.

Incorporate experiential rewards: Include unique experiences like private shopping sessions, behind-the-scenes tours, or special events that turn loyalty into memorable moments.

Incorporate gamification elements: Add elements like badges, leaderboards, or achievement milestones to make participation exciting and rewarding.

Read more: 14 eCommerce Loyalty Programs Backed By Science (Examples)

10. Open social commerce as a sales channel

Social commerce isn’t about adding another sales channel; it’s about embedding your brand directly into the social experiences your customers love.

Utilize shoppable posts on Instagram: Tag products in your posts and stories, allowing users to purchase directly without leaving the app.

Leverage Facebook Shops: Set up a Facebook Shop to offer a full eCommerce experience within Facebook, including product catalogs and a streamlined checkout process.

Engage with live shopping events: Host live streaming sessions on platforms like TikTok or Instagram, showcasing products in real-time and allowing viewers to purchase instantly.

Implement social proof with user-generated content: Encourage customers to share their purchases and experiences on social media, and feature this content on your own channels to build trust and drive sales.

Use targeted social ads with direct links: Create ads on platforms like Pinterest or Snapchat that link directly to product pages, driving traffic and conversions from highly engaged audiences.

Read more: 10 eCommerce brands winning at Social Commerce (+ Lessons we can learn from them)

11. Optimize your expenses

Optimizing expenses isn't just about cutting costs—it's about rethinking how you allocate resources to drive maximum value and support strategic growth.

Conduct a comprehensive expense audit to pinpoint areas where spending exceeds industry benchmarks or where inefficiencies exist.

Adopt zero-based budgeting by starting each budgeting cycle from scratch, justifying every expense, and reallocating resources to high-impact areas, ensuring that all expenditures support your strategic goals.

Negotiate better terms with suppliers and service providers by leveraging data on market rates and competitor pricing, which can lead to significant savings on recurring costs like inventory or marketing services.

12. Scale and train your support staff

In the journey to scaling your eCommerce business, your support staff are your frontline heroes—how you train and expand this team can make or break your customer experience.

As your business grows, scaling and training your support team effectively ensures that you maintain high service standards and customer satisfaction.

Develop comprehensive training modules.

Create detailed training programs that cover product knowledge, customer service protocols, and troubleshooting to ensure consistency in support quality.

You can also consider integrating chatbots and AI-driven support solutions to handle routine inquiries, allowing your team to focus on complex issues.

13. Outsource non-core functions

Outsourcing non-core functions can be a game-changer, but its impact goes beyond cost savings.

It’s about strategically redirecting your resources to where they drive the most value.

When you are scaling your eCommerce business, you can’t be scaling all of your team.

This is where outsourcing comes into the picture.

Outsource functions like human resources, payroll, IT, graphic design, and any other department that doesn’t directly impact your business.

Allbirds–How they scaled their eCommerce business

Key strategies for scaling:

1. Niche Focus & Brand Differentiation

• Sustainability: Allbirds positioned itself as a brand that prioritizes sustainability, using eco-friendly materials like merino wool and eucalyptus

• Unique Value Proposition: They marketed their shoes as "the world’s most comfortable" with a minimalist design, appealing to eco-conscious consumers

2. Direct-to-Consumer Model

• DTC Strategy: By starting as a direct-to-consumer brand, Allbirds controlled the customer experience, from website navigation to post-purchase service. This approach allowed them to collect customer data directly, enabling them to refine their products and marketing efforts

3. Performance Marketing & Social Proof

• Performance Marketing: Allbirds invested heavily in digital advertising, particularly on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, targeting eco-conscious and fashion-forward consumers

• Social Proof: They leveraged customer reviews, influencer partnerships, affiliate programs and press coverage to build credibility and drive word-of-mouth marketing, which played a significant role in scaling

4. Expanding Product Line

• Diversification: Initially, Allbirds started with just one product—the Wool Runner. As they scaled, they introduced new products like the Tree Runner, clothing, and accessories, appealing to a broader customer base while staying true to their brand values

• Limited editions: They also introduced limited edition colors and collaborations, creating urgency and exclusivity, which drove repeat purchases

5. International Expansion

• Global reach: As their brand gained popularity, Allbirds expanded internationally, launching localized eCommerce sites in key markets such as the UK, Canada, and Australia, adapting their marketing to resonate with local audiences

6. Emphasis on Customer Experience

• Easy Returns & Exchanges: Allbirds implemented a hassle-free returns policy, which helped reduce the friction of buying footwear online. They also offered a 30-day wear test, where customers could return the shoes even if they had worn them outside

• Loyalty & referral programs: They incentivized repeat purchases and customer referrals through loyalty programs, which helped in scaling their customer base organically

Outcome:

• Rapid growth: Allbirds achieved a $1.4 billion valuation within just a few years of its founding, growing from a niche DTC startup to a global brand

• Sustainable scaling: The company maintained its commitment to sustainability while scaling, which resonated strongly with modern consumers and contributed to its enduring success

The next step

98% of visitors who visit an eCommerce site—drop off without buying anything.

Why: user experience issues that cause friction for visitors.

And this is the problem Convertcart solves.

We've helped 500+ eCommerce stores (in the US) improve user experience—and 2X their conversions.

How we can help you:

Our conversion experts can audit your site—identify UX issues, and suggest changes to improve conversions.