By Carmine Mastropierro
The goal of any business is to increase revenue. The big question is, how? There are so many things to optimize that it can become a headache choosing what to improve. Here are several strategies to try this year that are proven to increase online sales.
1. Take Advantage of Omnichannel
You have an online store, don’t you? In 2018 and beyond, that may not be enough to reach big revenue goals. There are numerous marketplaces you can begin selling in to expose your products to be much larger audience. Amazon and eBay are the first two that come to mind. Getting started is easy and most consumers trust these websites.
Amazon alone has more than 300 million users. The amount of people you could have viewing your listings is astounding and you don’t have to do anything. Users searching for products in your niche will naturally find yours. It’s a passive approach to selling and as you gain good reviews, the more sales you will make.
Sign up for free accounts on these platforms and others. List your products and assure all of your payment information is correct. From there, it’s a matter of keeping tabs on orders and customer questions.
2. Optimize the Sales Funnel
Think about how your potential customers convert to a sale. Typically they land on a product page, go to their cart and end up at the checkout page. It only makes sense to break down these parts of your online store and optimize them.
Your product pages are a very critical area of your business. If they don’t speak to your audience or give the right information, users can be quick to exit. Here are some ways you can be optimizing your product pages:
- Use high-quality product photos that show the product from multiple angles. A zoom option is also a nice touch.
- Make the product description easy to digest with bullet points or short sentences.
- Test out various colors or text on the add to cart button.
Next, is the cart page. This is where users will see what they are buying, how much it will cost and similar information. You want to avoid being vague or not displaying everything a customer would want to know before checking out. This includes:
- How much shipping will be. No one likes surprising shipping costs.
- Order quantity and buttons to adjust it.
- An area to enter discount codes.
Finally, the checkout page. This is the last step before a user converts to a sale and is the most important during the sales funnel. You want to make it as simple and easy as possible. To do so, consider:
- Removing unnecessary form options that increase how long the process takes.
- Offering multiple different payment methods.
- Offering multiple different shipping methods along with an ETA.
- Clearly displaying the customers order and quantity.
- Make account creation optional.
3. Change Up Your Copywriting
Changing a few words can make a huge difference in business. This is why mastering some basic copywriting principles is a surefire way to increase sales. The first of which is using calls to action (CTAs). This is simply using text that tells user to take a specific action. Examples are:
- “Purchase now”
- “Call us today”
- “Get your free quote”
All of these entice your audience to do something that brings them further along through the sales funnel. Include them where you find applicable, such as product pages, service pages and home pages.
Next on the list of copywriting strategies is features versus benefits. It’s very common to use dry and boring descriptions for products. Unfortunately, you’re going to be missing out on sales if you do this.You might say that a T-shirt is made out of X material and is Y color, which are only the features. Of course we have to state this information, but it’s crucial to include how it will benefit the customer. In the case of a T-shirt, we could say that it will bring them confidence and feel comfortable all day. Purchasing is an emotional process so tying in copywriting like this is key.
Lastly, don’t make the mistake of talking about yourself too much. Most customers aren’t too concerned about your history and little details. Sure, you need to include your address and basic information, but there’s no need to get too deep.
Instead, your about page should focus on what you will do for your customers and what they should expect to experience. Will you help them attain more clients? Will they be in better shape or happier after buying from you? Information like that should be the focus.