16 Nov How to increase e-commerce sales
When it comes to competitive environments, there aren’t many more cutthroat than online retail aka e-commerce. This sector is all about getting sales and quick. There are thousands of small businesses all vying for a little piece of their respective pies and so if you have a business and are selling a product, there are a number of things you need to make sure you are doing in order to survive.
We’ve put together an e-commerce series of blogs over the next few months which will guide you in how to best set your business up for success. As always if you want to talk to someone about your small business, make sure you get in touch – details on the contact page.
First things first; let’s talk about your…
E-commerce Website
Product Descriptions
For the customer, it’s much easier to get a sense of what you’re buying when shopping in person. Online stores lack that advantage which is why sites like Amazon and Etsy offer as many photos, descriptions, reviews from other customers as possible so shoppers can feel confident about their purchase before they buy. How often have we all been browsing an online store for something specific but still ended up with several items on our cart because there was too little information?
Online stores may not be able to provide us the same experience that brick-and-mortar shops do where we get insight into how products look or work by being physically present at them; however, websites are making strides daily towards providing more detailed product information.
Ecommerce websites often make the mistake of leaving customers with questions about a product, causing them to seek information and even purchase elsewhere! Make sure that you provide enough detail for your potential customer. Include weight, sizes (including measurements), materials used, dimensions- including height or length if applicable, care, and reviews from previous purchasers. Product descriptions also have SEO implications so be as descriptive as possible.
Photography
Product images are critical for online businesses, where the photo is often the only opportunity your customer has to see a product! A high-quality image that includes all alternate views and variations will help ensure no questions go unanswered. To make sure you have an attractive zoom feature on every picture, try taking pictures with decent lighting or use natural light from outside of your home if possible.
FAQs
Websites are often designed with the same information in mind: shipping, return policy, and contact details. These three points can be placed on a FAQ page to make it easy for customers looking for them. Make your website design easier by checking other sites before starting so you know what’s out there!
Navigation
One of the most important ways to make your website stand out is by having a contact page with information like an email address and phone number. Even if you have that, it’s also vital for customers to be able to find small bits of contact info in headers on all pages so they can easily get in touch with any questions or concerns about their order without leaving your site.
Make sure those details are easy to find because no one wants to lose business over something as simple as answering customer emails!
Search
Do you know what your customers are searching for? Well, if they’re using the search bar on your website to find products or information about a topic that interests them, it can be an incredible opportunity!
Make sure their experience isn’t limited by highlighting this important tool. Place it in a prominent spot at the top of every page so people don’t miss out on finding valuable resources and items right away.
Mobile Responsive Website
Mobile commerce is responsible for a huge chunk of all e-commerce transactions. A quick look at your Google Analytics will tell you just how your audience is behaving and where you need to focus your efforts in terms of user experience. Your website needs to be as slick, quick, and easy to navigate on mobile as it is on a desktop machine.
Navigation
If you want your customers to find what they are looking for as easily and quickly as possible, then make sure that the primary navigation on every page of your website includes the most important pages or categories. If it’s not easy enough for people to get around a site, nobody will stay long enough to buy anything!
Cross and Up-Selling
The best way to boost your revenue is by adding cross-sells or up-sells on every product page. Have you ever been shopping and seen ‘You May Also Like…’? These are cross-sold products that will increase both the average order value as well as conversion rates for each individual item!
A cross-sell is when you try to get a customer to purchase more products by recommending related items. For example, if someone’s buying an article of clothing on your website, recommend another top that would complement their new item!
Up-selling is linking a higher-value or higher-spec item than the one they are looking for. For example, if you were looking at 64GB iPhones, you might see on the same page the option to buy the 128GB iPhone.
Product Filters
Filters are an easy way for customers to find what they want in your store. Make sure it’s very clear how and where filters can be added, removed, or edited so a customer gets the best experience possible with no hassle! When adding new categories of clothing such as kids’ clothes, keep all products sorted by size ranges rather than age groups because many people don’t know their child’s exact measurements when shopping online.
Product Videos
Product videos are an increasingly popular and effective way of communicating complex instructions. They not only increase conversion rates, but they can decrease the number of customer support queries or product returns you receive by providing a more in-depth description of what your merchandise is like.
Secure Payments
At the bare minimum, any e-commerce website should display security seals when it’s time to enter payment information. This is a small and easy step for webmasters that will go far in reassuring customers of their safety with you!
Guest Checkout
Don’t be a pest! Customers may feel like they’re being bugged if you make them create an account before purchasing. Instead, offer options for customers to log in as a guest or register with their email address – you’ll retain the customer’s data in your database and have more information about what products are popular among these specific demographics.
Blog
Ecommerce websites are notorious for being thin on original content and fresh/new content. A blog is a great tool to help you provide your visitors with the latest, most relevant information while helping bring in more traffic from search engine rankings or social media shares. For example, if you sell healthcare products then blogging about health tips may be an excellent way to reach potential customers who are looking for these kinds of solutions!
Get in Touch
If you have a business and are interested in our content writing services, please contact us today to see how we can help you. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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