What You Need To Know About New Users in Ecommerce

As an ecommerce brand, you already know that attracting new people to your site is crucial. Without any new visitors, you can't get returning visitors, which means you can't nurture people into becoming customers. The website metric 'new users' measures how many people visit your site for the first time.

In this post, we'll explain how the number of new users is calculated and the issues surrounding the reliability of this metric. We'll also talk you through the difference between new and returning visitors, the benefits of analyzing your new users, and give you tips on how to increase the number of people who visit your site.

New users: a definition

New users is a website analytics metric that measures the number of new visitors to your site. It's slightly different from other metrics, such as pageviews, as new users only counts each individual visitor once, no matter how many times they visit the site.

Analytics software uses cookies to figure out new users. When a person visits your website, the cookie is placed on their device. If they come back later and the cookie is still there, then it counts them as a returning user. 

This way of calculating new users means that it's not a perfect metric. If someone visits your site again with a different browser, on a different device, or in incognito mode, they get classed as 'new' even though they might be the same user.

Additionally, if someone deletes or blocks first-party cookies, they'll be counted as a new user every time they visit your site. So you should take new user stats with a grain of salt. A new user might actually be a returning visitor that deletes cookies or uses multiple browsers or multiple devices.

Having said that, new users can still give you a rough idea of how many new people are finding your site, so it is still an important metric when it comes to understanding your website's performance.

New vs. returning users in Google Analytics

Google Analytics define new users separately from returning users. New users are those who have recently visited your site for the first time while returning users consist of people who have already spent some time on your website before.

This distinction is important because it provides more insight into the behavior of your visitors and can help you identify areas of your website where new users are not returning. Google Analytics users can find data about new users by navigating to the acquisition reporting area of their Google Analytics account. Within the "user acquisition" report, you'll find information on new users.

Why new users matters in ecommerce

Analyzing new users can provide valuable insights into how well your ecommerce brand is performing. It helps you identify trends in the number of people visiting your site, as well as how effective your marketing campaigns are. 

You can also use new user stats to get a more holistic view of website performance. Combine new users with other site data metrics such as time on site, pages per visit, and bounce rate. This will help you understand why new visitors may not be returning or what changes need to be made to keep new customers coming back. 

Additionally, understanding new user data can help you determine which channels are driving the most traffic and conversions. That way, you can double down on successful channels for maximum ROI.

How to get more new visitors to your ecommerce site

Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to increase new user numbers over time. Here are a few tips that can help.

Improve your SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) drives organic visitors to your website, making it a great way to increase the number of new users. Make it a priority to optimize your website for search engines with relevant keywords and content. You should also keep track of new SEO trends and incorporate them into your website.

Create content that captures new users' attention

Make sure your company blog is regularly updated with fresh new content. By creating content that is valuable and interesting, you can attract new users, keep them engaged, and potentially convert them into returning customers.

Try creating new blog posts or videos on topics related to your niche that can help drive new people to your site. Don't forget to promote the new content on other channels, like social media. 

Get some backlinks

Backlinks are links from other websites that direct users to a specific page on your website. They are one of the most important factors in search engine optimization (SEO), as they help Google and other search engines understand what your site is about and how it should be categorized. Backlinks can also drive new visitors to your site, as when other websites link to yours, people are more likely to find it.

One way to get more backlinks is by creating content that other websites will think is worth linking to. This could include high-quality blog posts, informative videos, or helpful tutorials.

Up your social media game

Social media is a powerful tool for driving new users to your website. By optimizing your social media presence, you can reach new people and build relationships with potential customers. 

To make the most of this channel, it's important to post regularly and engage with other users by liking, commenting, and sharing posts. When creating new content to share, make sure to include links to your website and use relevant hashtags to increase your reach.

Invest in paid ads

Paid ads are a great way to drive new users to your website, and there are many options available. To get started with paid ads, begin by researching different platforms such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads to decide which one is most appropriate for your ecommerce brand. Make sure you set clear goals and objectives before embarking on a paid ad campaign, as this will help you track and measure the success of your new user campaigns.

Read Emotive's guide to ecommerce paid ads. 

Develop a partnership with other brands

Partnering with other brands is another great way to reach new users. Look for opportunities to cross-promote your content and products with like-minded companies or influencers. This can help you build relationships, get new people interested in your brand, and ultimately drive new users to your website.

For instance, offer to guest post on another brand's blog or collaborate on a content series. You can also partner with influencers to create sponsored posts or videos, which can help you reach new audiences and increase new users to your site. You'll help spread brand awareness and gain backlinks to your site.

Turn new users into loyal customers

Once you've managed to get people onto your site, you want to keep them there. Ensure your new visitors have a good user experience by having a well-designed website, easy navigation, and helpful content. Read more about how to turn new users into repeat visitors in our guide: Returning Users in Ecommerce Analytics.