There is a certain amount of mystery when it comes to that all-mighty conversion while running an eCommerce business. Since one can never fully understand how people will react to your presence on the Internet it can be very difficult to know exactly how to proceed when it comes to boosting your online sales. There’s no shortage of suggestions when it comes to promoting your online business, but there is only one surefire way to know if any of them actually work and that is to test them out for yourself. Still, there are many different strategies that can be applied to your business to yield some very impressive results. Here are 12 ways to start boosting your online sales today.
1. Limit your product offers on your home page
You might believe the old adage that “less is more” and that can certainly apply to your eCommerce business for positive results. Studies have shown that many businesses offering fewer products on their home page along with detailed product descriptions often result in higher sales. I know that the home page is prime real estate for pushing products, but cramming as much as possible into one page can be a little overwhelming. By rotating a few really good call-to-actions with stunning product photos may just boost those sales better than offers that ultimately get lost in the crowd.
2. Make sure that your opt-in offer is in a prominent place
Many people recognize the value of an opt-in offer in boosting their sales but do not give much attention to where it is on their website. If you don’t use a long sales letter try placing your opt-in letter in a prominent place on your home page. If you use a well placed sales letter consider placing your offer on the second page.
3. Use hover Ads
These handy tools work the same way as a pop-up ad but are slightly different. They hover over the content of your site, blocking its view so that the readers see your promotion offer and has to take some type of action.
4. Use your headlines to promote the benefits of your product
Make excellent use of your headline banner to grab the reader’s attention. A well designed headline should reach your target audience and emphasize a major benefit they will experience by using your product or service.
5. Present yourself as a problem solver
Use the copy of your site to solve a problem that the visitor may have. You should use the beginning paragraphs of your home page to detail the issue to be dealt with and then establish a measure of understanding with them. The second section should demonstrate how your product can provide the solution to their problem.
6. Establish your credibility
It’s important that your copy makes it clear that you are a credible business entity. Only through this knowledge will people trust you enough to spend money on your site. One of the most popular ways to do this is with customer testimonials; you can use portions of emails you’ve received from past customers or ask customers to provide a testimonial for you. Make sure that your customer explains how the product benefited them as this helps potential buyers to see how well the product can work for them.
7. Direct your attention to the visitor
It can be tempting to promote your wares and discuss what you have to offer on your site but it is far more appealing to the visitor if you focus your material on the reader. Rather than using words like “I”, “me”, and “we” direct your copy with words you “you” and “your.”
8. Make it urgent
No matter how great an offer you have, the customer needs an incentive. When you present your product with terms like “limited time offer” or offer a “bonus if purchased by a designated date” will motivate them to take action and make a decision.
9. Make good use of images
Images bring products to life and make them more tangible than just copy. Try putting your images on the top fold of your page close to the call to action button. Test the results of imagery by placing them in different areas on your site to see where they can produce the best results.
10. Offer free shipping
One of the biggest drawbacks to online shopping is the additional shipping charges. In many cases it could actually be the number one reason why many people are not buying from your online store. By offering free shipping you can sway buyers that may be on the fence to take the plunge and make a decision in your favor. Research has shown in the past that free shipping is the number one reason visitors choose to buy online.
11. Optimize your site to meet your visitors’ needs
Visitors come to your site from many different platforms. Make sure that your site is optimized to work well on as many of these as possible. Consider those who are using your site on a mobile device, or those who are viewing your information while on the go. Make sure that the site functions well and supports the needs of your visitors so that they can use it with ease. The easier a time a customer has while using your site the better the chances they will come back for more in the future.
12. Check your speed
A slow website can be the death of many online businesses. If a visitor has time to walk away while your site is loading odds are they won’t want to come back again. People are busy and impatient; who wants to wait around all day for a page to load? Check your site regularly to make sure that the speed is adequate enough to not cause your customers discouragement. There are a number of tools to help diagnose any page load issues. One of my favorite is the Page Speed Insights Tool from Google.
Whenever you want to increase your online sales, you have to start thinking like your customers. The eCommerce business is growing by leaps and bounds with each passing year and has become a major multi-billion dollar business. In order to get your piece of this pie you need to do more than put your products online, you need to place your business in the front of the pack. This means utilizing all the tools in your arsenal to ensure that you can meet the needs of customers in ways that they may have never thought of.
