Ecommerce platforms like Shopify make it very easy for new entrepreneurs to start their own stores. However, increasing online sales is a difficult challenge. It's not easy handling daily marketing, advertising, pricing, operations, and customer service while thinking about your long-term goals.
The good news is that sometimes, you don't even have to exhaust yourself. Often, it's a mix of small tactics working together to help you achieve your sales goals. Before you start feeling overwhelmed, we’re here to help. With over 10 years of experience in ecommerce business, we've put together a guide to provide actionable strategies to boost e-commerce sales.
Key Factors That Influence E-commerce Sales
E-commerce sales are influenced by several factors, including market trends, competitor activities, marketing efforts, and seasonal buying patterns. While these external factors play a significant role, the core drivers of e-commerce sales are straightforward: the number of visitors to your online store, the percentage of those visitors who convert into customers, and the amount each customer spends. Some of these factors include:
Market Trends
Market trends have a huge impact on e-commerce sales. Staying updated with industry trends allows businesses to adapt their strategies to meet changing consumer preferences. For instance, the rise of mobile shopping has led many e-commerce businesses to optimize their websites for mobile devices. Also, the growing trend towards sustainability has encouraged online stores to offer eco-friendly products and promote green practices.
Competitor Activities
Monitoring competitors’ activities can provide valuable insights into successful strategies. By analyzing competitors’ marketing campaigns, product offerings, and customer engagement tactics, businesses can identify what works and what doesn’t. For example, if a competitor launches a new product that attracts many customers, it could indicate a market demand that your business can also tap into.
Marketing Efforts
Marketing efforts are crucial for driving traffic and conversions. Using various channels like social media, email marketing, and paid advertising can enhance your reach and impact. Running seasonal promotions or influencer marketing campaigns is another means of attracting many new visitors to your site.
Seasonal Buying Patterns
Recognizing and preparing for seasonal buying patterns allows businesses to capitalize on high-demand periods. Planning inventory, promotions, and marketing campaigns around these patterns can lead to an increase in online sales. An example is the holiday season which often brings a surge in shopping activity. By preparing early with adequate inventory and targeted promotions, e-commerce stores can maximize their sales during this period.
E-commerce Store Traffic
Site traffic refers to the number of visits to your online store. Generally, increased traffic means more customers and is definitely one of the ways to increase online sales. However, you'll need some strategies to help you if you. The first one is SEO which involves optimizing your website to rank higher on search engine results pages. There's also social media marketing that allows promoting your store on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Another one is content marketing which is all about creating valuable content that attracts potential customers. Let's not forget that paid ads on platforms like Google AdWords or social media can drive immediate traffic to your store.
Conversion Rate
Your e-commerce conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who make a purchase. Improving your conversion rate means increasing sales without necessarily growing traffic. You can start by simplifying the checkout process to reduce cart abandonment. Enhancing product pages is another way of pushing up your conversation rate by using high-quality images, detailed product descriptions, and customer reviews. You can also offer discounts too if you want to increase online sales and provide excellent customer service.
Average Lifetime Value of a Customer (CLV)
Customer lifetime value (CLV) is the total amount of money you earn from a customer over their relationship with your business. It depends on the value of each sale, purchase frequency, and customer retention rate. If you need ways to make this workout, you can start by implementing loyalty programs. Loyalty programs reward repeat customers with points, discounts, or special offers.
There's also personalized marketing to help you create customized offers based on a customer’s preferences, and provide excellent post-purchase support. That's not all. You can promote CLC by encouraging repeat purchases. It's possible to do this through email newsletters or SMS notifications.
How to Increase Sales in Ecommerce Business
If you're looking for ways to increase sales on your ecommerce website, you'll need some steps to up your game. They include:
1. Optimize Your Website for Conversation
Optimizing your website for conversions is really important if you want to make sales. Here's how you can enhance your e-commerce site for maximum conversions:
- User Experience (UX)
The user experience is an aspect of any successful e-commerce website that can increase ecommerce revenue. A clean and intuitive design keeps visitors engaged and guides them toward making a purchase. On the other hand, cluttered layouts will frustrate users, and make them abandon your site.
Another thing that store owners should look out for is mobile optimization. With a large number of users shopping with their smartphones, your website must be fully responsive. Fast loading times are equally important. Customers tend to abandon sites that take more than a few seconds to load. To optimize loading speeds, compress images, minimize code, and use browser caching. - Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs)
A Call to Action (CTA) button is a prompt on a website that encourages visitors to take a specific action. Using a clear CTA button can boost your conversion rate, generate more leads, or both. Usually, emails with a CTA have 37% higher click-through rates and lead to 16% more sales.
However, the placement of CTAs should be strategic, and compelling. For instance, placing a "Buy Now" button next to a product image or a "Sign Up" button at the top of the homepage can increase engagement. Examples of effective CTAs include "Add to Cart," "Get Started," and "Subscribe Now." These phrases are direct and create a sense of urgency, prompting users to act immediately.
2. Enhance Product Descriptions and Images
What do you do if an ecommerce website has blurry photos or videos that don't clearly show the product you're interested in with the right descriptions? You’ll click the back button and return to the search results to find another brand right? To avoid customers leaving your site as a store owner, you'll need the following:
- Compelling Product Descriptions
Compelling product descriptions are important for converting browsers into buyers. Use descriptive and persuasive language that not only highlights the features of your products but also the benefits they offer. For instance, rather than simply listing the material of a jacket, explain how its waterproof feature will keep the wearer dry and comfortable during rainy days. - High-Quality Images and Videos
Let's be honest, we all prefer to see good photos when deciding to buy something. This makes good pictures and videos, a necessity for online shoppers. People rely on visuals since it's impossible to touch or inspect the product when shopping online.
In a recent survey, 89% of consumers admitted that watching a video convinced them to buy a product. And about 96% said they watch explainer videos to learn more about products they're interested in. To make the most of videos, try creating how-to, promotional, or educational videos about your popular items. For example, a clothing store can create videos with models wearing and showcasing their clothes.
3. Leverage Social Proof
Social proof, such as customer reviews and testimonials, is a powerful tool in boosting conversions. Online reviews are very influential, with 93% of users saying they affect their buying decisions. If you’re not using reviews, you’re missing out on a lot of potential income. One simple way to use reviews is by adding ratings to your products. Make sure to ask buyers to leave a review, as they might not do it on their own. Another way to boost your reviews is by asking your loyal customers for testimonials. Unlike reviews, testimonials aren’t tied to a specific product. They help build trust in your brand and recommendations.
You can use your email list to ask for testimonials from your most loyal customers. Once you have them, display these testimonials on your landing page to create a trustworthy image for new visitors. Actually, testimonials are even more effective when you include a real name and photo, making the recommendation feel more genuine.
4. Implement SEO Best Practices
Optimizing your e-commerce store for search engines can boost your organic traffic, especially if you rank on the first page of Google for specific keywords. Who doesn’t love free traffic? Here's how to do it:
- Keyword Research
Start with thorough keyword research to identify relevant keywords for your products. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find terms that potential customers are searching for. - On-page SEO
Optimize your product titles, meta descriptions, and headers to include your chosen keywords. This makes it easier for search engines to understand your content and rank it higher in search results. Also, make use of internal links. It improves the user experience by directing visitors to relevant pages. - Content Marketing Content marketing is another essential digital strategy. You'll have to create valuable content that answers common questions and provides useful information related to your products. This not only draws visitors to your site but positions your brand as an authority in your niche.
5. Utilize Email Marketing
Increasing ecommerce sales can be effectively achieved through email marketing if you do the following:
- Building an Email List
Start by growing your subscriber list, and encouraging visitors to sign up by offering incentives like discounts, free shipping, or exclusive content. The next important step after creating an email list is to make it a key part of your marketing plan. Sending the same weekly newsletter to everyone on your list might seem simple, but it’s not the most effective approach. You can try out personalized email campaigns. - Personalized Email Campaigns
Once you have a solid list, segment it to create targeted campaigns. Segmentation means dividing your email list into smaller groups based on purchase history, browsing behavior, or engagement levels. For example, what types of products have they bought from you? What are their preferences for receiving email promotions? You can set up these customizations with your email service provider so that when visitors sign up, there are checkboxes for them to choose their preferences.
6. Invest in Paid Advertising
Investing in paid advertising is a powerful way to increase ecommerce revenue. How's that possible? Through Google Ads and Social Media Advertising. Let's tell you more about them:
- Google Ads
Google Search and Shopping ads are very beneficial for ecommerce stores. They help your products appear at the top of search results, increasing visibility to potential shoppers actively looking for what you sell. For example, keywords like “how to increase sales online using Facebook advertising” can target users seeking specific strategies. - Social Media Advertising
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are excellent for social media advertising. They provide extensive targeting options, allowing you to reach people based on demographics like location, interests, age, or gender. If you want to know how to increase sales online using Facebook advertising. Then here's the trick: You'll have to be consistent with your content.
People have short-term memories and won’t notice brands that only reach out occasionally. Remember, your ads don't always have to focus on your products. Sharing behind-the-scenes videos of your business operations can also build customer relationships and loyalty.
7. Offer Discount and Promotions
One of the ways to increase website sales is by offering discounts and promotions. Below are several types of promotions you can use:
- Percentage discounts to attract a broad audience.
- Buy-one-get-one-free deals encourage customers to purchase more items.
- Free shipping is another strong incentive, as many shoppers prefer not to pay for delivery.
- Flash sales and limited-time offers prompt customers to make quick buying decisions.
- Loyalty Programs
A loyalty program is a way for a business to appreciate and reward its most loyal customers. These programs give points for every purchase, which customers can redeem for discounts, free products, or exclusive access to sales. A great example is Starbucks' Rewards program and Sephora's Beauty Insider program. They give out exclusive deals that keep customers engaged and coming back.
8. Improve Customer Service
Good customer service is needed to boost sales in an ecommerce website. But, how is this done? You can serve your customers diligently by adding the following features to your website:
- Live Chat and Chatbot
Having a live chat option lets you or your customer service team directly communicate with visitors who have questions. Also, chatbots can help you generate more leads, get feedback from customers, and provide 24/7 assistance. You can quickly create and add chatbots to your website using top chatbot platforms like Bodt. - Efficient Return Policies
A less stressful return process will always leave customers satisfied. Shoppers are more likely to buy when they know they can easily return items if needed. Make sure your return policy is straightforward and clearly communicated on your website.
9. Utilize Analytics and Data
How can you tell what improves your store’s conversion rates and what doesn’t? The truth is, you can't know for sure without tracking. Let's find out more!
- Tracking Key Metrics
There are many e-commerce KPIs and metrics you can track to improve your store’s performance. Your online store, analytics software, social media, and other e-commerce tools collect valuable data that can help increase ecommerce revenue. The metrics you focus on will depend on which stage of the sales funnel you are targeting. For example, during the conversion phase, you should prioritize metrics like cart abandonment and average order value over impressions and reach. Meanwhile, tools like Google Analytics and Shopify reports make it easy to track and analyze these metrics. - A/B Testing
A/B testing is a great way to find out the metrics of your ecommerce website. This method compares two versions of headlines, product descriptions, page layouts, or other elements to see which one performs better. Many A/B testing tools provide key metrics, giving you detailed insights into the performance of each version.
10. Optimize Shipping Strategies
Optimizing shipping strategies is how to increase sales in ecommerce business, if you're facing low patronage. Here’s how:
- Shipping Options
Giving customers multiple shipping options is one way to meet their needs and boost satisfaction. You can provide options like standard, expedited, and same-day shipping. This flexibility allows customers to choose anyone that best fits their budget. - Free Shipping
Studies show that 79% of customers are more likely to buy online if shipping is free. Customers prefer this trend because they don't want to pay for shipping. To attract clients who left competitors over paid delivery, then offer free shipping. This can quickly boost your online sales and help grow your business. Although shipping costs are factored into business expenses, offering free shipping can be a worthwhile investment if your budget allows for it.
- Enhance Search and Filter Functionality Increasing ecommerce sales can be enhanced by improving search and filter functionality on your website. Let's show you how to achieve that:
- Advanced Search Features
Implementing predictive search helps customers find products faster by suggesting relevant items as they type. You can also use Faceted Search to allow customers to narrow down search results using various criteria like price, brand, and category. So, how can you make this happen? It's possible through advanced relevance algorithms that prioritize search results based on relevancy. You can also personalize customer's search results based on their browsing history and preferences. Another means of achieving this is through the use of Natural Language Processing (NLP). Using NLP enables search engines to understand user queries in natural, everyday language. - Effective Filters
Your store should have comprehensive filters to help customers find products quickly. You can choose to filter by price, customer rating, brand, and category.
Conclusion
Standing out in the crowded e-commerce market can be tough. However, using these 11 strategies mentioned above can help you outperform competitors, attract loyal customers, and boost your profits. Don't forget to create an email list on your site, improve your checkout process, implement SEO practices, and run paid marketing campaigns. Meanwhile, if you're unfamiliar with how these strategies work, you can contact our team to help you out.
