How to increase sales in an online store? The best ways!

Online stores are extremely popular, as shown in the report E-commerce in Poland 2020, as much as 73% of internet users have made online purchases at some point. This trend is growing, so e-stores are popping up like mushrooms after rain. Competition in the industry is also increasing, making it harder to stand out and reach your target audience. However, there are several elements that can always be implemented or improved to increase e-store sales.

Create the profile of the ideal customer

Before setting up a store or making changes, it is worth considering the user who will make a purchase in the store. This involves creating a persona, or the profile of the ideal customer representing your target group. In general, a persona is a set of common characteristics of a certain group of consumers. When creating the ideal customer, pay attention to demographic characteristics, as well as their personality, interests, shopping preferences, and even the brands they surround themselves with. Once you know your customer, it will be much easier to tailor your marketing message to them.

Care for the aesthetic appearance of your store

The majority of the population are visual people, so the appearance of an online store is extremely important. An attractive and simple e-store design ensures that potential customers do not leave immediately after entering. An important element related to appearance is responsiveness, which means the ability of the store or website to adapt to different screens. As research shows, 69% of consumers make purchases using their smartphones. Therefore, do not lose customers just because of a lack of functionality, which is a standard in today's Internet world. Also, take care of good navigation - introduce categories and subcategories of products, as well as filters, so that users only see the products they are looking for. The purchasing process should be as simple as possible. This will minimize the risk of cart abandonment. Remember to secure your online store with an SSL certificate, which ensures that users' information will not fall into the wrong hands.

Advertising is the key to trade - promote your store in Google Ads and social media

Now that your online store is ready, it's time to promote it. Brands are increasingly choosing presence on social media because it is an excellent place to engage in dialogue with stakeholders and showcase their offerings, educate recipients in their field of activity. Consumers often need to trust your brand first, so they observe you on social media. In addition to standard posts or stories on social media, you can create sponsored content (paid).

To reach new customers, also take advantage of the possibilities offered by Google Ads. With this tool, you can create several types of campaigns and test which one brings the best results. When a user enters a keyword for which an ad is created, they will see it first, and only then organic results. Pay attention to Google Shopping, where you can create product ads (photo, short description, price, link to the store) displayed on every search results page after entering a keyword.

Don't forget about remarketing

Retaining a loyal customer is cheaper than acquiring a new one, so it is worth investing in remarketing (paid ads, email marketing, and web push notifications). Moreover, remarketing also allows you to reach consumers who have simply visited your store. Just because they didn't make a purchase doesn't mean they won't do it in the future. Therefore, it is worth reminding users about your products. To do this, observe the behavior of consumers in the online store to offer them personalized articles. Remember to update the remarketing list.

Content marketing on a blog - offer valuable content

Your marketing strategy must include valuable content. It is these that will help optimize the store for various keywords related to your industry and products. In addition, content that educates customers further demonstrates you as a professional and even an enthusiast, increasing customer trust in your brand and their loyalty. On the company blog, you can publish content related to your product. Do you sell furniture? Show new interior design trends. Tell them what to look for when choosing a specific piece of furniture. You can also write about different styles of decor and showcase furniture from your offer that fits a particular trend. Remember that consumers often search the internet for information on various topics, so they may come across your blog. If the content they find there is interesting enough, they may decide to make a purchase in your store.

Newsletter and loyalty program

Email marketing is a very good idea to support sales in an e-store. With email, you can remind your customers about yourself and offer them various discounts or promotions. You can even offer a discount for first-time purchases just for signing up. Remember that a loyalty program attracts new customers, builds brand loyalty, increases customer engagement, and influences positive recommendations. In communication with club members, it is also worth using SMS messages, in which you can include a special discount and offer only for a selected group of customers.

Improve product descriptions to position the store in search engines

Check the product descriptions. Customers often complain that the purchased item does not match the description in the online store. Here, content marketing is also useful, as it further optimizes products for SEO. Well-prepared long product descriptions have a positive impact on visibility in search results. Write in a benefit-oriented language while dispelling any doubts the consumer may have. Also, take care of high-quality product photos. You can also use videos to best showcase the items you sell.

Collect and showcase reviews

Did you know that 97% of consumers check ratings and reviews about a company whose products or services they intend to use? That's why it is so important to constantly gather customer reviews. A large number of positive reviews can convince potential customers when they hesitate between choosing your store or the competition. Therefore, it is also worth responding to all comments, especially negative ones. A quick and appropriate response shows that you value your customers' opinions and are constantly improving your offer. In addition to collecting reviews on various review platforms, it is worth showcasing them. For this purpose, you can use social media profiles. You can even show a private message from a satisfied customer, but first ask for their permission.

Recover abandoned carts and increase sales

Sometimes, a customer adds a product to the cart and even starts the checkout process but for some reason leaves your store. However, all is not lost! If you have the customer's email, you can remind them about their unfinished purchases or ask why they didn't complete them. This way, you can learn how to improve the sales process to avoid losing customers. Of course, it may also happen that after such an email, the customer returns to the store and makes a purchase. To further motivate the customer to return, offer them a discount or free shipping. Using web push notifications is also a very good idea, as consumers can receive them even while browsing the competition's offers.

Take care of delivery time, return policy, and various payment options

Consumers do not like to pay extra, so free and fast shipping often convinces them to make a purchase in a particular online store. If you cannot afford free shipping on every purchase, set a minimum price limit to qualify for free shipping. Customers prefer to buy more rather than pay for delivery. Consumers often check the return and complaint policy. If you offer free returns, they will be more willing to take advantage of your offer because they will be confident that they can easily return the product. Online shoppers often give up on a purchase because they do not see their preferred payment option, so introduce as many as possible to avoid losing customers.

Use cross-selling, upselling, and a sense of urgency to increase conversion

Cross-selling involves suggesting matching products, such as accessories, during the shopping process. Let's say you run a clothing store and a customer adds pants to their cart. You can show them products they may need, such as a belt. On the other hand, upselling involves offering higher-quality goods. Based on the above example, when a customer views or adds pants to their cart, you can offer them a more expensive model but made of better material. Both types of sales tactics are a good strategy for increasing store profits. Meanwhile, a sense of urgency involves creating a sense of anxiety in the customer that they may miss out on a product, discount, or free shipping. You can use this tactic, for example, by showing a limited number of products in stock or a limited time to take advantage of a more attractive price.

Allow users to contact you through Livechat

Livechat speeds up communication between the store and the customer. It is also the preferred method of contact for customers. If a potential customer has any doubts about choosing the right product for themselves, it is worth giving them the opportunity to use the help of a chat advisor. Livechat reduces the need for customers to write emails or call the store for every little thing. Sending an email or making a phone call is also an additional task for them that they simply do not have time for. Live chat shortens the waiting time for a response. Additionally, answers to the simplest questions can be automated by introducing chatbots, so the advisor may not even have to write a word.

Increase sales in your online store - summary

The growth of sales in your online store depends on the actions you take. Review once again what to pay attention to:

1. The profile of the ideal customer.
2. The aesthetic appearance, responsiveness, and security certificate of the store.
3. Advertising and remarketing activities.
4. Content marketing and SEO.
5. Newsletter and loyalty programs.
6. Customer reviews and recommendations.
7. Recovering abandoned carts.
8. Delivery time, return policy, and various payment options.
9. Cross-selling, upselling, and a sense of urgency.
10. Livechat and chatbots.

Now that you know what to do to make consumers more willing to buy your products, translate this knowledge into specific actions.