Whether you are new to the world of e-commerce or you’ve been in the game for a while it is a very competitive market to thrive and with so many channels to explore it’s important to have an all-round strategy to boost your sales online. By implementing these 5 proven strategies you can not only curate sustainable growth but you can put yourself on the map in terms of competition for others.
How to Increase Online Sales
Optimising User Experience
When it comes to optimising your user experience there are a few things you need to tick off the list before you are remotely close to becoming a competitor. The more clicks it takes to get to the ‘thanks for your order’ page the more likely you are going to get customer bouncing off the website leaving their cart full and no orders placed. This is called streamlining the checkout process which offers customers not only a quick and simple way to buy but also you must cater to a diverse preference such as ‘guest checkout’ and having more than one payment option. Partnering with services such as Klarna and Clearpay will expand your customer base and accessibility for a range of people.
There are other things you need to consider to optimise your user experience and that includes having your website mobile-friendly. More often than not people buy and search for things on their phones and if they are struggling to use your website the likelihood is they will think it’s a scam or would rather shop somewhere easier.
Lastly would make sure everything is to a high standard from the content to the quality of pictures you want your new and existing customers to enjoy the aesthetic as well as everything else. High-quality everything can encourage people to trust in what you’re selling.
Social Media Marketing
This is what every single business needs no matter how big or small. Engagement on social media is so key and is the reason why some small businesses have skyrocketed overnight. So this is especially important for e-commerce businesses where social media can not only curate brand awareness but also sales.
You want to make sure you are making engaging content. Platforms such as TikTok and Instagram reward pages with high engagement rates whether it be with your show-stopping products, influencers promoting your pieces or informative videos that could encourage a debate in the comments. The key is to give people versatility, range and captivating content that can pique the interest of new people but also keep existing customers loyal.
Strategically investing in paid advertising campaigns can give you that extra boost and the chance of reaching both new and existing customers. Try running a couple of different campaigns and you should expect to see a strong return on your advertising spend.
Effective Email Marketing Campaigns
A strategy that might be pushed to one side by some brands, especially those that are smaller, is the power of an email campaign. There have been many times that I’ll get a promotion email come through with a code and I will spend some hard-earned money based on that ad. Sending discount emails isn’t the only way to boost your e-commerce sales; there are also other automatics you could be sending, such as abandoned cart recovery.
Why not tempt those who were almost through the finishing line and send them an email encouraging them to finalise their order with a message that would likely appeal to a wider audience? Including incentives such as free shipping or a further 10% could encourage them to hop back on the site and finish their order.
Utilise Data-Driven Decision Making
You are only going to have a competitive advantage if you are doing the research alongside the physical changes you can implement. Staying ahead of trends comes with analysing customer behaviour through metrics such as click-through rate, time spent, bounce rate, channel traffic landing and conversion rates. These are just the tip of the iceberg of what data you can see, you can find more specific information, like which mens graphic tee has sold most last month.
Understanding and monitoring this data will allow you to establish customer trends and also show you which pages and advertisements you should start running and pushing on social media. It’s like you are answering your customer’s needs before they even know them.
Customer Service and Support
No matter how much effort you put into a product or service, there will still be questions, issues and support needed from your customers and it’s essentially unavoidable. So you need to ensure you have a quality customer service and support system in place. AI chatbots are a good way to get simple questions answered.
Providing a seamless return and refund process will not only encourage customers to come back and shop again but also instill confidence that if they do take some risks with shopping, they have your support.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to building a strong e-commerce store, you need to check off all 5 of these. It’s also important to note that all of these steps take maintenance and aren’t just a one-time thing, making sure your research and updating the website are done often will keep your site looking fresh and optimised for your new and existing customers.