Among major categories in cross-border B2C exports, 3C products, apparel and footwear, and home goods are the top three. Apparel and footwear alone account for 25.2% of the market share, making them the largest category. According to data from Frost & Sullivan, this share is expected to grow to 29.5% by 2025. Given the fierce competition in the footwear sector, how can sellers increase sales in this popular category? The success of Baretraps, a footwear brand, may provide some valuable insights.

User Group Analysis

By examining Baretraps’ homepage, we can see that the brand offers a wider variety of women’s shoes than men’s shoes, and the imagery is predominantly focused on women. Based on this, we can infer that the primary target audience for Baretraps is female consumers.

According to data from SimilarWeb, 70.42% of Baretraps’ website traffic comes from female visitors, while male visitors account for just 29.56%. Additionally, Baretraps attracts a broad age range, with more than 40% of visitors being over 55 years old. This aligns with the brand’s design and product offerings, especially in the context of the global aging population. The silver economy is a rapidly growing market, and for cross-border sellers, targeting the middle-aged and senior demographics with differentiated positioning might present a valuable opportunity.

Traffic Source Analysis

Baretraps’ website traffic primarily comes from direct visits (43.70%) and organic search (44.13%), with email marketing contributing a smaller portion of 6.87%.

• Organic Search: Baretraps generates substantial traffic through keywords related to footwear, such as different types and functionalities. When choosing keywords, sellers should avoid overly competitive ones and instead focus on long-tail or low-competition keywords to ensure higher rankings and better conversion rates.
• Email Marketing: Despite its smaller share, email marketing brings in around 6,000 monthly visitors, most of whom are repeat customers. This group tends to have a higher purchase likelihood. For sellers, email marketing is a cost-effective way to drive traffic and engage loyal customers, particularly when targeting older demographics, as email is a preferred communication channel for this group.

Conversion Rate Optimization

With rising advertising costs, improving conversion rates has become a crucial goal for independent sellers. Baretraps has implemented several successful strategies in this area, particularly in product optimization and promotional tactics.

• Product Optimization: Consumer preferences vary by age group. Younger customers are often more focused on style and design, while older customers prioritize comfort. Customer reviews reveal that many positive feedbacks highlight the comfort of Baretraps shoes, and many of these reviews come from repeat customers. This indicates that the brand has successfully catered to its target market’s needs, ensuring higher customer satisfaction and repeat purchases.
• Limited-Time Promotions: Baretraps frequently runs limited-time promotions that create a sense of urgency, encouraging consumers to purchase quickly. Their 50% off sales during 24-hour events, combined with price comparisons, effectively boost sales. Additionally, Baretraps typically features off-season products in these promotions, helping clear out inventory. For cross-border sellers, timely inventory clearance is essential, particularly for off-season goods, as long-term storage increases costs and decreases sales potential.
• Extended Return Policy: Baretraps offers an impressive 60-day return policy, which not only builds consumer trust but also supports higher conversion rates. A strong after-sales guarantee helps reduce purchase hesitation, giving consumers confidence in the product and the brand. This approach to returns can significantly enhance customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Customer Retention Strategy

With nearly half of Baretraps’ website traffic coming from direct visits, it is clear that the brand has a loyal customer base. So, what strategies does Baretraps use to maintain and grow its customer relationships?

• Loyalty Points Program: Baretraps has combined its loyalty points system with a tiered program, where customers earn more points as they progress to higher membership levels. This approach not only encourages repeat purchases but also makes it harder for consumers to switch to competitors, as they accumulate points and unlock more rewards. The tiered system also provides an incentive for customers to choose Baretraps over other brands, increasing customer retention.

Baretraps has successfully differentiated itself in the competitive footwear market by targeting a specific consumer group and optimizing its marketing strategies. The brand’s focus on product quality, customer feedback, limited-time promotions, and customer retention initiatives has allowed it to thrive. For cross-border sellers, applying these lessons in areas such as differentiated positioning, customer engagement, and conversion rate optimization may provide an edge in this competitive market.