10 Awesome Tips You Need To Increase Your Online Sales Today!
Increasing online sales is a top priority for many organisations, large and small. Increasing sales through online channels is a lot like bowling a strike – it appears a lot easier than it is, whether you manage a mom-and-pop retail store or work for a massive ecommerce giant like Amazon.
Fortunately, there are many techniques to increase online sales, many of which can be used immediately. Some of these suggestions are particular to methods you can use, while others are more generic. We'll look at the top 10 of these ideas in this piece, so whether you sell real things or provide services, here are our tips you can apply to boost your online sales performance.
1. SEO
When potential customers search for your products or services, landing at the top of Google is the holy grail of online marketing. This traffic is not only excellent, but it also does not cost you anything each time someone hits your website, making it technically "free." Now, getting to the first page will take some effort, and you may need to engage an SEO service, so you'll incur some expenditures, but you won't be paying each click like you would with Google Ads or other Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns.
The main advantage of SEO is the ability to generate a lot of traffic and online sales with a small marketing budget.
Many websites receive the equivalent of $100,000 in monthly visitors. To achieve such traffic, they'd have to spend $100,000+ per month on paid advertising if they didn't rank on Google. As you can see, SEO may help you save a lot of money on marketing while also increasing your overall profitability and margins.
You may determine the most significant and relevant phrases that rank in Google and cater directly to your target demographic and the customers you want to convert using eCommerce search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. The better you target these terms, the higher you can rank in the SERPs, giving you more visibility and increasing your brand's trustworthiness in the eyes of buyers. Concentrate on improving category landing pages and considering new categories that will allow you to include more keywords.
Keep in mind that each category page can only be optimised for 3-5 keywords. Also, as a hint, make sure your landing pages have clear calls to action. Make it simple for visitors to reach where they want to go and to understand your value fast.
Another aspect of SEO is creating new material regularly. This material is not only beneficial to users, but it also allows you to target keywords for which you may not have pages. How do you come up with ideas for topics? Consider the most common inquiries buyers have regarding your items. Start there and respond to the most frequently asked questions.
2. Awesome Copies
It is critical to provide value to your target audience because they are fast to judge. After all, the typical reader will spend only 15 seconds on your website. The unique value proposition provided to clients that motivates them to purchase your goods is known as brand messaging.
Your branding will be more consistent if your messaging is consistent, whether through language, design, offerings, or perspective. Customers should be aware of your brand, and trust and loyalty should emerge.
Here are some best practices you can implement to increase online sales:
✧ Focus on your sales copies — This is critical since it persuades customers to purchase your goods or services. You can write sales copy in paragraph form, lists, or place it over an image. The most effective sales writing emphasises how the end-user will benefit from whatever you're selling.
✧ Try videos on your conversion pages — Including videos on your top landing pages might result in an 86 percent boost in conversions. Visual information has a greater impact than text, and site visitors are more likely to absorb information from videos than from text.
✧ Clearly state your value proposition — A strong value proposition emphasises the true worth of your goods or services. It should describe how your product solves the challenges of your customers, what specific benefits it will provide, and why they should buy from you.
Coincidentally, we also have an article covering the topic of copywriting which you can learn more about here.
3. Money Back Guarantee & Trial Periods
Customers are generally hesitant to buy products online because they do not trust the companies. They are hesitant to shop online because of the numerous hazards associated with providing personal information or making promises.
Offering a free trial, a free demo, or a free product for 10-15 days is a great way to boost online sales. Free trials account for 10% or more of business for 62 percent of businesses.
How does this help your sales figures?
✧ Increase conversions — Offering free trials alleviates the customer's worry of committing to anything before making a purchase. They can upgrade to the paid version after the trial period is finished, which increases online sales.
✧ Communicate brand value — When customers sign up for free demo sessions, the true worth of your products and services is communicated to them.
✧ Build customer trust by offering free products to hesitant buyers. It eventually eliminates the fear of making an online purchase and establishes trust.
On the flip side of that, have you ever had a product that didn't work after you bought it? Even a minor purchase can lead to 'buyer's remorse.' So, why should people purchase your goods?
A money-back guarantee can help to mitigate the risk. The more work you put into lowering the prospect's risk, the more likely they are to buy from you. Anything that could deter customers from buying from you should be removed.
Simply put, less suffering for them equals more sales for you.
Famous firms such as Zappos, FedEx, and Domino's Pizza have all adopted the PERFECT guarantee for their customers. They also developed multibillion-dollar companies.
4. Pictures
It's critical to have high-quality, compelling product images and to show them in a way that appeals to your target audience. People form their first impression in half a millisecond and 90% of information conveyed to the brain is visual.
In general, it means that your product images aid in persuading a potential buyer that your product is worthwhile purchasing. With high-quality product photographs and videos tailored to help you maximise online sales, you can put your best foot forward.
The following are some of our best practices when using images or product videos to boost conversion rates:
✧ To promote your products, use the best quality photographs. The photographs will glow and attract the attention of your visitors if they are of high quality.
✧ Embed product videos on your website — Adding videos to your website can help you attract more visitors. According to Insivia, websites with video are 53 times more likely to reach Google's main page. Include videos to greatly increase online sales.
✧ Give context — Context is important. Show the product in context rather than just displaying it. Assume you're sitting on a couch in a completely furnished room.
✧ Show how the product is used in real life — Including a human in your image gives your potential buyers a frame of reference and allows them to evaluate the size of your product.
5. Social Media & Social Proof
Shopping decisions are heavily influenced by social proof. When considering a purchase or deciding between two brands, customers often seek advice from others who have used the products before.
Customers check reviews 9 out of 10 times before making a buy. Obtaining insightful product reviews is essential for persuading customers to make quicker and more informed purchasing decisions.
Why is it important?
✧ Product reviews not only can influence consumer decisions, but they may also help a company's credibility. Positive evaluations are more likely to be engaged with by 68% of internet customers.
✧ Positive customer evaluations can help to build consumer trust and inspire them to interact with the organisation. Businesses benefit from greater customer interaction in the long run.
✧ Better customer engagement — The utilisation of product reviews allows businesses and customers to develop a positive relationship. Establishing an emotional bond with customers has been found to generate 23% more revenue than a non-engaged customer.
While on the social aspect of things, social media is a great tool that outperforms traditional media in terms of attracting traffic to your website. They provide numerous options to enhance business traffic and internet purchases.
According to Forbes, 25% of social media users follow company pages, which has an impact on their final buy selections at retail and online retailers. Social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have the potential to improve sales.
Some things to take into consideration when planning out your social media lead generation strategy:
✧ Use user-generated content (UGC) — You can get user-generated content by posting your customers' original posts on social media networks. Consider an image of a customer who photographed her coffee at your cafe.
✧ Work with influencers — People trust influencers, therefore marketing your brand and products through social media influencers is quite likely to result in sales, with ROI as high as 600% in some circumstances.
✧ Create valuable content to hook in customers — Brands may use social media to give their audiences valuable content. Your material should be interesting to your audience and persuasive enough to persuade them to buy anything.
✧ Giveaway promotions might help you acquire new leads for your business. Make sure the promotion requires a registration page. As an added incentive, provide the user the option of receiving a newsletter.
As a side note, if you are interested in learning more about social media marketing, we have an article about that which you can read more about here.
6. Honesty
This may sound self-evident, but you’ll be amazed by how many businesses out there write checks that their products can't cash.
Not only is honesty in your text important for your company's reputation, but it also builds and encourages brand trust. Don’t make statements you can't back up, and don't use hyperbole carelessly — today's consumers are hypersensitive to marketing gimmicks, so be honest, upfront, and approachable in all your sales writing, from your homepage to your email campaigns.
One psychological secret trick you can use to increase your sales is, therefore, to build trust. According to Acquisio, a stunning 61% of online customers decided not to buy because a site lacked a trust seal.
It's that critical!
They reassure potential clients that their information is secure, even providing a link to a full description of the security methods they employ on their website.
You can go one step further by including a certified trust seal. This necessitates obtaining third-party verification. You'll be able to show their badge after that.
While having a protected site seal from these companies will increase your sales, it might be costly.
7. Urgency
While it's critical, to be honest, and clear about who you are and what you do, no rule says you can't use a sense of urgency to encourage prospects to buy right now.
If your sales page were a plane, urgency would be the jet fuel that takes it to new heights.
You can drive sales from those who might ordinarily wait to buy later by setting an end date for a campaign, launch, or sale of your product.
People who delay are more likely to not buy at all. Instead of hoping they'll change their minds later, give them a compelling incentive to invest now.
Many consumers respond favourably to incentives that generate a sense of urgency, such as limited-edition products and time-sensitive special offers. While there are as many methods to do this as there are items to buy online, certain strategies may be more productive than others. If you don't (or can't) produce a limited-edition product to entice prospects, consider offering a financial incentive, such as free shipping or a discount, to buyers who commit to a purchase right away.
8. Easy & Smooth Checkout Process
Despite the rapid development of online retail sales, many companies still struggle with checkout conversions. It is one of the reasons why companies lose sales. As a result, it is critical to eliminate items that cause friction and anger the customer.
Cart abandonment costs ecommerce companies $18 billion in revenue each year. If the checkout process is excessively difficult, 26% of customers will leave, end of story.
What can you do then to reduce cart abandonment and drive sales?
✧ Make the payment procedure as simple and frictionless as possible so that your clients may easily complete the checkout process.
✧ Increase online sales conversion rates by providing real-time sales support to customers via live chat or chatbot.
✧ To make things easier for your customers, you should offer as many payment options as possible.
9. FREEBIES!
People love freebies, and the more you give out for free, the more favourable you and your company will be perceived by potential clients, leading to more online sales.
Examine your present services. Is it possible to give something away for free? It's simple to give free, no-obligation software trials if you're in the software business, as we are.
Even if you aren't, samplers, trial memberships, two-for-one deals, and other reward-based incentives are simple to give away.
Giving things out for free is a terrific approach to not only improve people's perceptions of your company but also to introduce them to your must-have items and persuade them to buy more.
10. Target The Right People!
We'll assume you're already developing buyer personas (because if you aren't, you're in serious trouble, however, you can save yourself by reading our article on customer profiles and personas here).
If you've ever looked at the targeting options available to Facebook advertisers, you've probably noticed the incredible specificity with which you can target users on Facebook – advertisers can target users based on the square footage of their home, the university where they earned their degree, and even where they plan to go on vacation next.
This level of depth for your buyer personas may be a little excessive, but the better you "know" your target customers, the more likely they are to respond to well-designed content that you tailored precisely for their needs.
Closing Words
There are various ways to raise business revenue, but in the case of a pandemic, a digital marketing plan can be an ideal approach to drive online sales and boost overall business growth.
Businesses employ a variety of avenues to improve online sales, including social networking, organic traffic, paid marketing, and so on. To keep up with a constantly shifting paradigm, firms must constantly innovate sales methods by listening to their customers. Sign up to expand your business by enhancing it with the most advanced client engagement tools.
In the correct hands, each of the above tactics can considerably improve online sales and generate high revenue, but the best options for your organisation will ultimately be determined by your understanding of the clients you serve.
