There are many common practices and marketing tactics that can increase website traffic and online sales for e-commerce websites. The question that many entrepreneurs and companies ask often is what else they can do to improve e-commerce sales.
Common practices are often used to increase website traffic and online sales such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing (SMM), and other tactics such as Content Marketing campaigns or Paid Advertising. Aside from regular marketing tactics, what else can a business do to improve e-commerce sales?
There are several things a business can do to improve online sales without having to launch new marketing campaigns or hire an expansive agency to advertise them. Often, small or minor adjustments can be made to increase online sales. To help out, here are 10 simple things a business can do to improve e-commerce sales.
10 Simple Things A Business Can Do To Improve E-Commerce Sales
1. Add Live Chat option to the website and store pages.
Live chat allows website visitors to ask questions and get immediate customer service. This adds trust to consumers and drastically improves customer service. Often website visitors are on the edge to make a purchase and being able to chat with someone, produces the sale. To increase sales, e-commerce websites should add live chat features and functions.
2. Add a phone number and clearly display it across all pages.
It is an online business and an e-commerce website, but consumers still want to know they can reach a live person if needed too. By adding a phone number and clearly displaying it (on top) of each page of the website, consumers tend to feel more secure to make a purchase. It adds trust and can increase online sales by simple adding the phone number.
3. Correct spelling mistakes and content errors for each product.
It is amazing how many websites have spelling mistakes in their content and product descriptions. Even with spell check, companies still tend to have lots of spelling mistakes on their websites. This can hurt search rankings and trust with consumers. Spell check each page of a website for grammar and misspelled words.
4. Get creative with shipping charges as incentives.
Shipping is a key tool for e-commerce retailers. Giving consumers free shipping incentives often produces sales for online retailers. Any incentives given to shipping charges motives consumers to purchase. Shipping incentives can be structured multiple ways to stimulate online sales.
5. Mail out personalized Thank You notes and cards.
When customers place an order, mail out a “Thank You” note or card to let them know you appreciate their business. Personalized mail can keep customers loyal and ordering more. Customers that are VIP should be treated and offered additional incentives.
6. Up-Sell and Cross-Sell to improve online sales.
E-commerce websites that want to improve their online sales must up-sell and cross-sell to increase their sales. As customers are shopping and browsing, and going through the checkout, similar products should be featured and bundled sets offered to increase sales.
7. Display product and customer reviews.
Product reviews are a critical conversion tool to generate sales with e-commerce websites. Consumers love reviews! There are entire websites dedicated to product and customer reviews such as Yelp. E-commerce websites should display customer and product reviews for each SKU and on key pages of the website.
8. Regularly mail out Newsletters to customer base.
One of the most important and least expansive tools to increase online sales is the Newsletter. Many submit their email address before they even become a true customer. They look for specials, discounts, and deals, which are often offered with Newsletters. E-commerce websites should email out twice per month a Newsletter to their database to stimulate sales.
9. Reduce shopping cart abandonment.
Shopping cart abandonment is an issue for every e-commerce website, regardless of industry. Experienced e-commerce operators and businesses know that it is a big problem. Shopping cart abandonment is on average around 50%. Reducing the rate can significantly increase sales. Following-up with any visitor who did not complete the purchase can help recover the sale.
10. Improve the quality of the website design.
In most industries, it is important to portrait a certain level of quality with the “look and feel” of the website, which is the website design. E-commerce websites that look cheap are often less trusted by consumers and do not convert as high with sales. To improve sales, improve the website design.
There are many more ways to optimize an e-commerce website to increase sales. One of the best methods is to work with experienced people and professionals. Skilled website designers can improve upon a website, while conversion optimization services make adjustments to increase sales conversion for a website. Many marketing services can be deployed to increase website traffic and sales as well. Brands and e-commerce businesses should get a consultation or can work with consultants to gain a better understanding prior to allocating any budgets.
