Sales is the key factor that defines the success of a business. Therefore, one can draw the assumption that a company struggling to sell will inevitably fail.
With the above in mind, here are five tips every e-commerce company should be doing to help boost sales and company success.
Offer your customers free shipping
Cost of shipping can be a deal breaker when it comes to online shopping, and you will more than likely have some experience personally on this front from a buyer’s perspective. Although, on the surface it may appear removing shipping costs will eat into your profit margins, it is plausible your sales will increase significantly.
A study by Compete showed that 93% of online buyers would be encouraged to buy more products if free shipping was offered on the website.
If you do decide to offer free shipping, make sure it is clearly advertised. It should be one of, if not the first thing that your customer sees when they enter your website.
Furthermore, it’s not a secret that customers are more than aware that some businesses try to make up for free shipping by increasing the prices of their product. It’s imperative you stay away from trying to get around offering free shipping by increasing your prices. Research your profit margins and work out if offering it is viable given the likely increase of business.
Display your offers clearly
Firstly, make sure that you actually have discounts and offers on your website, as a website without any offers at all does not look very attractive from the viewpoint of the buyer.
Once your offers are in place, make sure that they are displayed clearly on your website. Oneupweb published a consumer study which stated that 95.5% of the respondents believe pricing and shipping information is an influential factor in making a purchase decision.
Word your offers well
The wording on your website can give you a unique edge. This is where psychology can directly factor into your sales forecasts.
The content of your sales copy is just as important as the positioning, and can attract a customer’s attention without them even realising.
A study performed by Optimizely showed that offers were taken up more when the words ‘Earn Rewards’ were used rather than ‘Get Rewards’.
In essence, the difference in the wording makes the customer feel more positive about gaining the rewards, as they feel they are being motivated to achieve something rather than being given it.
In any instance, put yourself in your customer’s shoes, what would attract you to an offer?
Include reviews and independent website ratings
Adding reviews to your website can also be a big help to your sales – providing they are positive reviews of course!
Customers trust independent reviews from specialist websites as they cannot be doctored, whereas generic, run-of-the-mill reviews can be drafted by anybody, even the site owner and people are more than aware that this is the case.
By using an independent service your business will also get valuable feedback from your customers.
If you do add a comment section on your own website, you allow the opportunity for constructive criticism. This could be a major help to your sales as you can find out what your customers actually want.
Don’t get lazy… actively advertise
Don’t just sit back and expect that your website is going to attract customers without advertisement.
Make the most of social networks. Facebook offers your business an amazing opportunity to get your products in front of a potential audience of over a billion users at no cost.
They also offer a paid advertising program, which could also be beneficial in reaching your target audience.
Facebook is arguably the most valuable social media website for your business, but make sure you’re also on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and other relevant social media portals that you think will be beneficial.
Can we help you?
Driving sales to any e-commerce website, regardless of the product on offer, is a minefield. If you are struggling to drive sales feel free to get in touch with our team of e-commerce specialists today by calling 0161 452 7146.
