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Even if your business already has a brick-and-mortar store set up, it’s always a good idea to offer your products online. Setting up an eCommerce store is a great way to expand your potential audience globally while also building a more substantial online presence. Still, setting up a live eCommerce platform and getting customers to make purchases are two separate challenges. Fortunately, there are some practical tips you can follow to increase your online sales.
Assuming your eCommerce platform is already set up, where should you begin? Consider these essential tips and tricks for optimizing your company’s eCommerce store.
Start by making sure you’ve taken all the steps necessary to complete your eCommerce site safe and secure. Unfortunately, many consumers are skeptical about making purchases online—especially on new websites that they aren’t very familiar with. These consumers may be worried about the security of their credit cards and other payment information.
You can put your customers’ minds at ease by “showing off” your site’s security credentials. This should include prominently displaying any security badges your site uses, as well as highlighting your site’s “https” status. The more you can demonstrate to your potential customers that you’ve taken steps to protect their information, the more likely they will be to buy from you.
You might think that the key to increasing sales on your eCommerce site is to bring in new customers. While it’s true that new customers are always a plus, the reality is that you’ll get more bang for your marketing dollar by actually targeting your existing customers instead.
These are customers you’ve already paid to acquire; plus, since they’ve made purchases from you before, you probably have a general idea of what they’re looking for. This can make them easier to target with personalized ads and special promotions. Meanwhile, you’ll be saving your marketing money by focusing on your existing customer base.
Although targeting existing customers is a great way to optimize your marketing budget while increasing eCommerce sales, you might want to earmark some money for paid ads. There are several options when it comes to using paid ads to bring in new customers to your eCommerce page; from search ads to social media ads, it’s all about figuring out what works best for your needs and budget. Regardless of the route, you end up taking, these ads can be a great way to bring in new customers instantly.
Shopping holidays, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, should not be overlooked if you want to increase sales on your eCommerce site. The last quarter of the year offers several shopping holidays, creating incredible opportunities for your eCommerce site.
Make sure you’re taking the time to craft some special promotions and deals for these shopping seasons. From there, ramp up your email marketing and social media posts to make sure you get the word out to as many potential customers as possible!
Offering short-lived discounts is a tried-and-true secret for encouraging sales on an eCommerce platform. By providing customers with a special promotion that is only valid for a certain number of days (or hours, or minutes!), you can create a sense of urgency that can help make the sale.
One way to do this is to offer discounts only on items already top-sellers for you; because these items are already bringing in the most revenue, you can probably afford to provide a one-time discount of 5% or maybe even more.
More shoppers are making purchases using their smartphones and other mobile devices today than ever before. This is why it’s so important to make sure that your site is optimized for use on mobile devices. If it’s not, you could literally be missing out on about 50% of your potential market.
Meanwhile, sites that do not have responsive designs can take a hit from an SEO standpoint, as search engines like Google take responsive design into account when determining page rankings and the like.
Not sure if your site is optimized or not? There are many tools that can help you figure this out. However, perhaps the easiest to use is Google’s “Mobile-Friendly Test” tool. All you have to do is enter the URL of your eCommerce site, and you’ll receive an instant analysis of how easy the site is to use on a mobile device.
If your site lacks a responsive design, it’s probably time to consult with a web design professional for help in getting things coded and set up correctly.
A great review or testimonial posted directly along with a product you sell can make all the difference when it comes to encouraging a sale. If you don’t have any reviews yet, consider reaching out to some of your past customers and asking them to write one for you. If you have access to some existing reviews, you can simply post these on your product pages. By showcasing positive reviews and testimonials, you’ll have a better chance of making a sale.
There are so many ways to increase your online sales without necessarily spending a lot of your marketing budget in the process. It all starts with making sure you have a secure and responsive eCommerce site set up. From there, you can take measures such as targeting existing customers, showcasing testimonials, and offering special discounts to encourage sales.
Are you looking for a little expert help with your eCommerce page? Strategic Growth Advisors has you covered. Contact us today to find out more about how we can take your online sales to the next level.
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