If you own an online store, your main goal is always increasing sales. Whether you’re a small business with just a few clients per week or a giant like Amazon, a bigger number of returning customers is the primary focus. In this article, we’ll share with you some tips and tricks that will help you increase online sales.
We tried to keep them as general as possible, so they’d fit many types of businesses. So, whether you sell physical goods or run a service-based business, we’re sure you’ll find something useful here!
#1: Improve your customer service!
This might not be obvious but customer service plays a huge part in the number of sales. If something goes wrong with their order, the support section of your website is the first place a customer will land and that needs to be top-notch. Make sure you offer as much information as possible, including a phone number, a physical address and even a custom email address (click here to get a busines email address from Wix).
If possible, offer your customers a live chat option as well. The faster they get answers to their questions and inquiries, the faster they will convert. On top of that, good customer service is also a huge reason why clients will be coming back – it tells them that you respect both them and their time and their money and in turn, they will become loyal customers.
#2: Display customer testimonials!
In today’s digital world, third party opinions and testimonials have never been more important. A testimonial from a satisfied customer is worth 1000 paragraphs of well-written copy so make sure you gather and display as many of those as you can. You can showcase them on individual product pages, on the homepage or even on the About page.
Moreover, if your business or store holds any type of accreditation, make sure you also display that on your website. It helps put the clients’ minds at ease and build trust. All of these tools will help put your business in a favorable light that will overcome any initial hesitation.
#3: Improve user experience!
A well-structured website doesn’t only look pretty – it drives sales as well! Just take a look at Apple or Nike’s websites. They look great, right? But these businesses don’t just spend fortunes on great web design for fun. They know it drives sales and helps build a solid brand image. And that’s exactly what you should also be doing for your website.
Focus on improving some small but important things in your web design. For example, make sure you have the CTAs in the right places, that the website itself is easy to navigate and use attractive headings. These are just a few things you can do but we can assure you they’ll make a huge difference in sales.
#4: Offer a guarantee!
Let’s face it – sometimes, products just don’t work. Even the smallest purchase can be subject to buyer’s remorse so make sure your customers never get to experience that. You should always offer them a money-back guarantee to lower the perceived risk on your prospect’s part. The easier and smoother you make their shopping experience, the higher the chances they’ll convert.
This will also go to show that the customer can trust you and your products. If you’re willing to fully reimburse them in case the product doesn’t work as expected, it can only mean that you trust it enough. And that trust will also transfer to the client.
#5: Offer a smooth checkout process!
One of the main reasons people abandon their carts is a faulty checkout system. There are so many other businesses your prospect could be spending their money on so it’s only natural that they’ll leave at the slightest annoyance. Recent surveys show that the four main reasons why people abandon their carts just before placing the order are as follows:
- They face unexpected costs such as extra taxes, fees and shipping;
- They have to create an account to checkout;
- The checkout process itself was too complicated and featured too many steps;
- They couldn’t see the order total upfront.
If your online shop has any (or more) of these issues in its checkout process, you should address them as soon as possible. Keep in mind that at this stage, your client is already determined to give you their money – it’s up to you to take it. So make the payment process as fast and seamless as possible, provide assistance and offer as many payment methods as possible.
#6: Use quality pictures and videos!
We cannot stress this enough – high-quality product images and videos can make or break the number of sales. When shopping online, the clients have no way of actually interacting with the product and a good presentation will help both your customer and your sales.
The fashion and lifestyle giant Asos, for example, offers small videos showcasing the product, along the high-quality images. It’s an extra effort on their part but it pays off big time in the number of conversions.
Final Thoughts
There are many strategies you can employ to drive sales, depending on the niche you’re selling in. Sure, a solid marketing strategy should be at the core so you should have that ready before you even launch the store. There are many different channels you can use to boost both traffic and sales (organic ads, paid ads, social media, etc.) but the best thing you can do to increase sales is listen to your customers. Ask them questions on your social media accounts or survey them to find out what they like and how you can improve the experience they have on your website.
Every trick that we’ve shared with you above can be used to significantly boost both sales and brand awareness but at the end of the day, they’ll all be useless if you don’t take your customers’ opinions into account. So take your time, understand your target audience, address their needs and watch as the sales grow!
