Every online store has room for improvement and growth. Conversions and traffic can always be better if the right tactics are employed. Here is a list of some basic ideas to boost your E-commerce sales. These ideas cover most aspects of an online store, from acquisitions to reducing the number of customers abandoning shopping carts.
Plan for Mobile
E-commerce takes place entirely online, but that doesn’t mean it is all done on a standard computer. An ever-increasing amount of shopping is done through mobile devices.
Some sites can get by without mobile optimization, but from a user experience and SEO perspective, it is always a good idea. You do not want to take the chance that something doesn’t translate correctly to mobile and lose a sale because of it. Make it easy for people to shop from their phones and tablets.
Security
Whether for desktop, tablet, or mobile, your site needs to be secure. Before a customer gives you their information, they want to know that it will be kept safe. Adding security programs and “Secure” to your HTTP bar will help customers feel more at ease when using your site.
Leverage APIs
APIs, or Application programming interface(s), are a group of processes that enable the creation of applications that can access data of operating systems, other applications, and more. An API can plug into another program and pull data out of it that can be used in marketing. This allows for granular marketing campaigns with increased accuracy. APIs are also used to catalog products, manage logins, run site searches, customize customer experience at checkout, and more. APIs are found in almost every aspect of running an online business.
Offer Discounts
Sales make people want to shop. Seeing something you want on sale entices you to buy it while it is at a better price. If you are worried about margins, raise the base price and then put it on sale. It looks like a sale, but you earn roughly the same amount of money. It is a strategy as old as time.
Discounts mean even more during the holidays. Gift giving season means everyone is looking for the perfect present and everyone is looking to save. Having seasonal promotions brings in more sales than normal, making up for any discounts. The holidays are also when the malls are packed, making online shopping more appealing to a vast number of customers. You will have increased traffic because of the time of year, any discounts, and the conveniences of shopping online.
Reward Loyal Customers
Investing in customer retention is important. Sure, new customers are nice, but you must fight to keep the customers you have as well. Programs like customer loyalty rewards are a good way of making sure old shoppers stick around.
Some sites have mechanics that allow repeat customers to earn rewards. Others, like REI, have a membership program where customers pay to join but then receive exclusive sales. Tools like Shopify allow you to easily implement rewards programs of your choosing.
Cart Abandonment Retargeting
The brutal reality is that every time a customer leaves a shopping cart without buying something, you are losing money. Those are missed sales that failed to convert. There are numerous reasons a customer abandons a cart. Maybe they would have bought if shipping was less expensive or if there was a discount.
A simple tactic to try and bring those customers back is an email recovery campaign. Send out an email to customers with abandoned shopping carts and see if they want to buy now. It is entirely possible that they simply forgot about their cart and this email will remind them. Be sure to point out why the customer added the item to their cart in the first place by highlighting the good things about the product to entice customers back.
Ask for Feedback
Once you have customers who have made purchases, ask for their feedback. This will let you know how you are doing and what can be improved. Was the product what they expected? Did the ordering process take too long? These are questions only your customers can answer.
Send an email to your customers after a purchase, after they reorder an item, or a few weeks after they receive an order.
Boosting E-commerce sales may seem daunting, but with these simple ideas, you can make a big difference. By preparing your website ahead of time, reaching out to your customers and earning their trust, your sales are bound to improve.
