These are five strategies to grow your online business.
Any company without an ecommerce website is in grave danger of losing sales in today’s digital world. Ecommerce sales rose 9.3% in Q2 2021, despite customers now flooding into stores and enjoying lessened Covid restrictions.
All sizes and shapes of companies are looking for effective strategies to boost their ecommerce businesses, especially in such a saturated market. It’s easy to lose sight of what is really important when it comes to managing an ecommerce platform.
What can companies do to make sure that their customers have a pleasant experience and maximize their sales?
1. Keep an eye on the bounce rate
Any sale process is not just about the product or service being offered. Effective communication is key to building relationships with customers and resulting in greater sales. How can we measure engagement via ecommerce to ensure our company is connecting with the right people and customers?
You can get a clear idea of how relevant and valuable your content is to your target audience by monitoring your site’s bounce rates. A high bounce rate can be a sign that your site is not user-friendly or that your marketing and onsite messaging are not aligned. A low bounce rate can indicate that the user has interacted on your page or found the information they are looking for.
There are many ways to improve your bounce rate. Personalizing your content is the first step to improve your bounce rate. Your site will have a higher value and increase customer engagement. This can translate into lower bounce rates.
2. Reduce cart abandonment
Imagine yourself shopping in a supermarket, picking up items and adding them to your cart. As you go down the aisles, imagine that you are able to see what is in store for you. You suddenly change your mind and decide not to make the purchase. What was it that caused you to abandon the experience? Perhaps the checkout line was too long or the pricing was incorrect. Or maybe the cashier was busy just before you were due to pay.
Ecommerce cart abandonment rates are similar to real life. They indicate anomalies in the customer’s shopping experience. There are several ways to stop cart abandonment and increase sales.
- Display a progress indicator for check-out on the checkout page to let the visitor know the next steps. This simplifies the entire process.
- You should ensure that it is easy to navigate between the shop and the shopping cart. Customers don’t want to waste time adding items to their cart only to lose their effort when they return to the online shop or click the wrong button.
- To reassure customers, include a thumbnail image of the product during the checkout process.
- Transparency is key — clickbait can cause you to lose sales. Our own experience shows that clients converted at a staggering 5% higher when they changed their pricing structure and removed any surprises at check-out.
3. Add testimonials
Trust is vital, especially when the item isn’t in the hands of the buyer at the time of purchase. Positive reviews and customer feedback will help you and your business move in the right direction. Your customer will feel more at ease if they see them as soon as the checkout process starts.
4. The check-out process is simplified
A website’s checkout process can make or break sales. It is important to consider your customer when trying to influence sales. Make sure that the messaging, payment options, and overall process are in line with their purchasing habits and lifestyle. Clear communication will result in more sales.
To increase your chances of closing a sale, avoid hidden fees and provide clear, transparent information.
5. Protect your privacy and ensure security
When managing an ecommerce platform, businesses often deal with sensitive client information. Users will trust you more if they have their personal information and credit card details.
Add any security logos or trust signs to your website, particularly during checkout, to give your customers confidence. Building trust is the first step in building lasting business relationships for the future.
Your online store is an extension to your brick-and mortar store. Both require a meticulous and analytical approach in order to achieve greater success. Online buyers have been experiencing a surge in trust and confidence in big ecommerce companies like Amazon. They also expect easy payment, great customer service, and ease of return. Ecommerce’s growth wave will be hugely beneficial to an online business that meets these expectations. You can expect a significant increase of sales and a better customer experience. To maximize your sales, let your business be transparent and trustworthy and optimize your online presence.
