Selling products online has quickly become an absolute must for businesses who want to keep up with the competition. With the chance to reach customers from all over the world there’s nothing that can quite replicate the power of the internet, but e-commerce doesn’t come without its challenges.
Whilst an online shop might open up the doors to millions of new customers, it’s important to remember that there are also many thousands of competitors vying for your business. To succeed in the world of ecommerce, you need to set yourself apart from the crowd and there are plenty of things you can do to improve your online conversion rate.
From making your site accessible to using the most effective payment solutions, here are the top ways to improve your online sales figures.
1. You get out what you put in
Starting with a more obvious one, the more work you put into your online store, the more chance you have of elevating the number of sales it makes. From the outset you should be working to make your online space as good as it can possibly be, from the website design right down to your social media channels.
The options and tasks ahead of you can feel daunting when you’re starting out with eCommerce, but you will find your way and your hard work will pay off in the end.
2. Make your website user friendly
User experience (UX) is an essential part of selling online. If your website takes ages to load or is hard to navigate, consumers might simply move on.
It’s said that you have less than 10 seconds to grab the attention of an online shopper, so make sure that your products are displayed in a clear yet eye catching way. If customers can easily find what they’re looking for on your website, you’ll be halfway to a sale. So ditch the endless scroll of products, get some neat menus in place, and take some pride in your online shop.
3. Make sure that your deliveries match your sales
You could be forgiven for thinking that it doesn’t really matter what happens after a customer places an order, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Any weak link in your sales funnel is likely to have a knock-on effect on your figures, and that includes any issues with delivery and fulfilment.
If you’re shipping goods out to customers, be sure to keep them informed throughout the process. Communicating well helps to manage expectations and will help you to avoid any chargebacks that could otherwise take money out of your accounts.
4. Get a super easy payment solution
It doesn’t matter how good your products are. If your payments screen takes too long or seems a bit off, customers will just close the tab and move onto your competitors. Remember that you’re dealing with people’s money when you make a sale, and people are generally careful about where they spend.
If you want a credible and reliable payments solution, you need an eCommerce payment gateway from UTP Group Merchant Services limited. Getting this in place will help you to finalise transactions quickly and efficiently, whilst giving your customers the confidence they need to shop with you.
5. Look beyond the first sale
Repeat custom can be more powerful than an initial sale. The better your customer relationships are, they more spending they are likely to do and they might even refer your store to their friends.
Whether you choose to provide incentives that encourage customers to return to your site or if you just drop them an email from time to time, keeping your business fresh in the mind of clients is important. Remember that sometimes, a quality client beats a larger quantity of smaller spenders.
6. Create a page for every product
Now this might sound time consuming, but it’s well worth the effort to create a dedicated page for each and every product you sell. This not only gives you a larger online presence but serves to give each visitor to your website a complete picture of what you’re selling.
Nobody wants to roll the dice when they’re buying online, so be sure to include good quality pictures and comprehensive descriptions for all of your wares. It’ll make it easier for customers to decide on what they want, and lead to a lower returns rate in the process.
7. Go cross-platform
You might already be aware of the need to make your website mobile-friendly, but it’s worth repeating anyway. Consumers want a seamless browsing experience, whether they’re on mobile, tablet or desktop computer.
You really can’t afford to have any single class of device let you down, so take the time to check how your website appears across various platforms and computers. It’s similar to making a physical shop accessible, and if you want the widest possible consumer base you need to make it easier for them to actually view your ecommerce site.
8. Never stop making improvements
Among the most important things to remember is that your online business space is a fluid sales environment. Drop the ball and your competitors will overtake you but stay ahead of the game and you stand to make a lot of money.
Provided that you are constantly optimising your site, you’ll be in a good position to outperform your sales figures and then some. It all comes down to hard work and a little knowhow.
