13 Ways To Increase Online Sales

Every e-commerce store wants to increase its sales, that is pretty much the point of commerce after all. But increasing online sales is always easier said than done. 

If you ever find yourself searching for ways to increase online sales, you will soon realize that there are hundreds of different ideas you can try out. As such, it can get very hard to choose what to do. 

To make this process easier we have made a list of 13 strategies to increase your online sales. So keep reading if you are interested!

1) Build An Email List

The return on investment (ROI) for email marketing is 4200%, meaning that for every dollar spent, $42 will be made. That is a potential revenue stream you definitely shouldn’t ignore. But before you start email marketing, you need a way to build an email list. Here are some ideas on how:

• Create opt-in pop-ups to remind your customers to sign in to your newsletter.
• Entice more customers to join your email list by offering special discounts and coupon codes. 
• Use non-intrusive embedded signup forms. Add them to strategic places on your website (like the footer) to give reminders to your shoppers.
• If you have a content marketing strategy going, you can partially gate some of the content. For example, you can ask for emails to download articles in PDF format. These extra leads will help you increase online sales.
• Create loyalty programs. Shoppers who want to take advantage of these programs will need to register via email.
• Stay away from intrusive methods such as repeating pop up windows. This will only frustrate your potential customers.

Make sure you keep your email list organized and secure. Email marketing is a great way to generate leads and increase online sales but you need to be responsible! Your email list falling into the hands of spammers is a surefire way to get backlash. And when you have thousands of email addresses, you will be happy to have a very well-organized list.

2) Collect And Display Customer Testimonials

Most shoppers look for social proof to make sure the online store they visit is safe and responsible. With so many scam websites and shady online stores, honest merchants need a way to establish trust with newcomers. And the best way to build this trust is to show how others enjoyed your service!

Building a dedicated page, or a spot on your landing page for customer testimonials is a great way to increase trust in your brand and increase online sales. You can also create a comments section under your products to both give your previous customers a way to give feedback and new shoppers a way to show you are a serious business.

There are several ways to collect customer testimonials. After an order has been fulfilled, you can send automated emails to the customers and ask for feedback. If the feedback is good, you can ask them for consent to add their feedback to your customer testimonials page. You can also create social media campaigns to gather feedback. But as always, never forget to ask for consent before displaying testimonials!

3) Offer Money-Back Guarantee

A solid money-back guarantee can be a great way to increase online sales. This strategy has been used by many successful brands for a reason. Because it works!

Offering a money-back guarantee policy increases the trust in your brand by making your customers aware that even if they don’t like your product or services, they can always get their money back. It also makes your brand look confident in its catalog. 

But don’t forget to make your money-back guarantee scam-proof! There might be people out there who would like to take advantage of it. You can make sure this guarantee is only used for important reasons by asking for product returns, putting a time limit, and expecting the returned product to be undamaged. 

4) Give Discount Coupon Codes

Discounts are one of the proven ways to increase online sales. Cutting prices as a business owner is always hard, but cutting certain prices strategically can give your customers the push they need to make the purchase! 

To make sure your coupon codes help you increase your sales, you need to use them strategically. For example, you can give a coupon for a single purchase above a certain threshold. This way, your customers might spend more money to reach that threshold. 

Or you can add a cart threshold to use coupons. This will have the same effect, but the coupon will be used during the threshold purchase.

Of course, be careful to not rely on discounts to increase online sales too much. They can get you more sales, but using too many of them can result in customers only shopping from you when there is a discount.

5) Add More Payment Options

There is something called “not enough payment options.” If you don’t offer shoppers a payment option they are comfortable with, they will probably take their business somewhere else.

Each customer has a preferred payment option. Some love to use Paypal, some like to handle everything with a credit card and the list goes on… Making sure everyone has access to a payment option they are comfortable with will ensure their chances of actually purchasing from your store and increase online sales. So don’t skim on payment options! 

6) Offer Free Shipping

73% of consumers are more likely to purchase online items with free shipping.  And that is a percentage you shouldn’t miss! Offering a free shipping service, or at least some way to receive free shipping for certain locations and items will do your business good.

The best way to offer free shipping is to add a price limit to it. For example, you can offer free shipping for goods over X dollars, or you can offer free shipping for certain products. 24% of consumers would spend more money to qualify for free shipping!

7) Polish Your Checkout Process

Checkout is the last step of a shopper’s journey in your online store, but it is also the most likely one to be abandoned. So you need to make sure your checkout is bullet-proof.

Some tips to improve your checkout:

• Put multiple checkout buttons on your cart view page. 
• Make sure your checkout process is secure. Try to get security badges from sources such as Norton or Mcafee. Credit card fraud is not rare, so it is important for your customers to feel secure.
• Offer a guest checkout option so your customers would be able to proceed to checkout without dealing with a lengthy registration process.
• Reduce the number of form fields on the checkout page. When you add form fields on the checkout page, it might distract your customers from finalizing the purchase. As such it is important to keep your checkout page clean.

A polished checkout page enables your customers to shop seamlessly, which in turn increase online sales of your e-commerce store.

8) Add Live Chat

In online shopping, speed is the name of the game, and it is especially important when your customer has a question or concern. 

You can put all the information a customer might need to your website and make it easily accessible. Still, your customers can have very specific questions your website copy is unable to answer. If you don’t give your customers a quick way to ask their questions and receive an answer, they might start browsing your competition.

That’s where live chat comes in! With a good live chat feature added to your website, you can make your customers wait for less before they receive an answer!

Related Article: What Is Livestream Shopping?

9) Improve Your SEO

Not everyone will come to your website, perfectly knowing your brand and your products. They will search for the categories of your products on search engines, though. By focusing on search engine optimization (SEO), you can improve the usability of your website, and acquire a higher ranking on search engines. Moreover, fast landing pages that are constantly updated inevitably lead to more conversions, boosting sales in total. 

The quality of your website also depends on good-quality content, impressive and search-engine-friendly product photos, and mobile-friendliness. 

10) Offer a Subscription Model

With subscription models, you can guarantee monthly sales to customers who regularly need your products. You can offer subscription options during the checkout and make it an appealing choice for your customers with special discounts, free shipping options, and free gifts.

Offering the freedom of flexibility to your customers with weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly deliveries, as well as skipping or postponing deliveries, the option of swapping the products and editing their deliveries online not only leads to more sales but also builds the loyalty of your customers towards your brand.

11) Convert Abandoned Carts

Shopping cart abandonment, also known as basket abandonment, occurs when an online shopper adds items to their cart but exits the site without completing the purchase. Alarmingly, the average cart abandonment rate across all industries stands at 75%, indicating that 3 out of 4 visitors to your e-commerce site leave without converting into customers. This phenomenon represents a significant loss in potential sales and highlights the urgency of engaging these shoppers to encourage them to finalize their purchases.

To mitigate this challenge and enhance your sales, revenue, and conversion rates, adopting proactive marketing strategies is essential. Initiatives such as sending cart reminders and offering enticing coupon codes can effectively lure these potential customers back to your website. Given that the majority of visitors exhibit this behavior, focusing on converting abandoned carts into completed purchases can dramatically improve your business’s performance. Implementing targeted interventions addresses the underlying reasons for abandonment, ranging from price concerns to simple distractions, and paves the way for a more personalized and persuasive shopping experience.

12) Prepare for Holiday Periods

E-commerce holidays are not just dates on a calendar; they are unique opportunities to engage with customers through special deals, promotions, and the introduction of new products. These occasions can range from traditional holidays to more quirky and humorous ones, providing a perfect excuse to reach out and connect with your audience.

When it comes to maximizing holiday sales, starting early is crucial. A November newsletter teasing your upcoming sale can spark interest and anticipation among your customers. Deciding which items will be on sale and ensuring your inventory matches customer interest and seasonal trends is also vital. Moreover, anticipating increased website traffic by scaling up hosting will keep your site running smoothly, ensuring a positive shopping experience during these peak times.

Optimizing your website for both desktop and mobile users is essential. A seamless, intuitive shopping experience can significantly decrease cart abandonment rates and increase sales. Offering multiple communication channels, such as email, live chat, and phone support, allows customers to choose their preferred method of contact, enhancing their overall satisfaction and ability to get help when needed.

Transparency is key to building trust with your customers. Ensuring that your website clearly displays important information like shipping policies, return policies, and contact details can prevent confusion and foster a sense of reliability. Automation tools, such as chatbots and automated emails, can efficiently manage customer inquiries and requests. A self-service FAQ section can further lighten the load on your customer service team, allowing them to focus on resolving more complex issues.

Before the holiday rush, it’s critical to audit your customer service team and processes. Your team should be well-informed about the latest products, promotions, and policies to provide accurate and helpful support. Highlighting popular and seasonal products can attract more interest while engaging with holiday-themed content can create a festive atmosphere that encourages more sales.

By thoroughly preparing for e-commerce holidays, from early planning to strategic implementation, you can enhance your brand’s reputation, boost customer loyalty, and achieve significant sales growth. The key lies in early preparation, strategic planning, and ensuring your operations are equipped to handle the increased demand efficiently and effectively.

13) Create a Sense of Urgency

Creating a sense of urgency is a powerful tactic to encourage customers to make a purchase decision more swiftly. This approach can be particularly effective when you want to increase online sales quickly. Offering coupons and discounts with a specific end date is a straightforward way to do this. It signals to customers that they have a limited time to take advantage of a deal, prompting quicker action.

Another innovative method is the use of exit-intent technology. This technology can detect when a user is about to leave your site and can trigger a last-minute offer or reminder of the impending end of a deal, possibly persuading them to reconsider.

Incorporating a countdown timer into your emails is also an effective strategy. It visually reminds recipients of the limited time remaining to access certain deals, adding a tangible sense of urgency to your communications. Being transparent about your inventory levels can further this effort, as customers are likely to act faster if they see that a product is running low.

Scheduling follow-up communications sooner than customers might expect keeps your offer top of mind and can nudge them towards deciding before they miss out. Removing any obstacles to closing a sale, such as simplifying the checkout process or offering more payment options, also helps in capitalizing on the urgency you’ve created.

It’s important to emphasize the consequences of not acting promptly, such as missing out on a great deal or not having the product available later. However, it’s crucial to maintain a balance and never show panic or desperation in your messaging. This can turn customers off and damage your brand’s reputation. Instead, focus on creating a compelling, positive reason for customers to act now, ensuring they feel they’re making a smart, timely decision.

Takeaways

In the fast-paced world of e-commerce, the ultimate goal is to drive sales. Mastering the art of increasing online sales is paramount for businesses seeking to excel in this digital age. The strategies outlined in this blog are designed to guide and enhance your efforts toward achieving greater success in the online marketplace.

The essence of e-commerce is not just to exist online but to flourish by converting visits into sales. By focusing on optimizing your website’s design and user experience, you can create a welcoming and efficient online environment for your customers. Leveraging social media platforms extends your reach and connects you with potential customers in their natural digital habitats. Targeted advertising campaigns and personalized customer journeys are vital in capturing the attention of your audience and guiding them toward making a purchase.

Furthermore, the power of data analytics cannot be overstated. By understanding customer behavior and preferences, businesses can tailor their offerings and marketing strategies to meet the specific needs and desires of their target audience. This level of customization and attention to detail can significantly boost online sales and customer satisfaction.

As the digital landscape evolves, staying ahead of the curve and adapting to new trends is essential for sustained growth. Innovation in your online sales strategies will set you apart from the competition and ensure your business remains relevant and appealing to online shoppers.

In conclusion, by embracing these effective techniques and continuously seeking ways to innovate and improve, businesses can unlock their full potential and achieve lasting success in the digital marketplace. Whether you’re a small business owner or part of a larger enterprise, the journey toward enhancing your online sales is ongoing and requires dedication, adaptability, and a keen understanding of the digital domain.

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