You founded your new e-commerce store after weeks of tinkering online. Now how do you get prospects to show up and buy? To make life interesting, let’s assume you do not have a large budget to hire a marketing agency to do the heavy lifting for you. We have got you covered!
In one week, you can boost your e-commerce results by using these five techniques.
Install A Chat Window On Your Website
Have you ever wandered around a retail store desperately trying to find help? It is a frustrating experience. Online, you cannot afford to take this chance because the prospect is one click away from leaving your website. By installing a live chat service like LiveHelpNow or Zopim, you make it easier to answer questions.
According to our research, here are some of the most common e-commerce customer service questions. Prepare yourself and your staff to answer these questions quickly to maximize sales:
- Returns. What is your return policy? Do you have restrictions?
- Shipping. How much does shipping cost and how long does it take?
- Where is My Order? This is a critical question to handle well if you want customers to return and place additional orders.
- Promotional Help. If a customer is struggling to use a coupon, discount code, or other promotion, be there to help them through ordering.
Get User Reviews On Your Top Products
Think back to the last time you looked for a product to buy on Amazon. If you see a large number of positive reviews, you immediately feel peace of mind. After all, many other people have already tried the product and liked it. You should harness that same social proof principle to your website.
As an e-commerce store owner, you cannot leave reviews to chance. Take the time to proactively contact at least five customers and ask them to leave a review on your website. If the customer responds with a complaint, go the extra mile to resolve it. Why? Big brands often fail to take care of customer complaints so you can stand out by offering excellent customer service.
Expand To Other E-commerce Platforms
In the long term, it makes sense to drive web traffic directly to your website. What if you need more sales this month or this quarter? In that case, we recommend setting up shop on another platform that already has a large number of users. Options to expand your reach include eBay, Facebook, and Amazon.
Tip: Are you already selling on significant e-commerce platforms like Amazon? If so, include a printed insert in your packages to let customers know about your main website.
Use a Loyalty Program To Get Repeat Orders
Once you obtain a new customer and serve them well, you have a significant asset. With the right approach, that customer may buy over and over again. The best part? You do not have to spend money on advertising to encourage past customers to buy again.
How do you get those repeat orders? Launch a loyalty program that gives rewards for repeat purchases. You can start with a simple approach of offering 10% off a purchase if they buy three times. The alternative: develop a more complex loyalty program with different bonuses.
How do put a loyalty program into action? Start by looking at software that makes the process easy. If you are on the Magento platform, take a look at Mage Rewards.
Start Your Email Marketing!
Only a tiny fraction of website visitors are ready to buy when they land in your e-commerce store. By starting an email list, you can attract those “not ready to buy” leads today and market to them later. What exactly should you write in your email list? Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
- Holiday Promotions and Discount Codes. When Black Friday is closed, send an offer to your list with an exclusive discount coupon and a deadline. This is one of the easiest ways to get more orders.
- Send Helpful Content About Your Products. You do not want every email on your list to contain a pitch. From time to time, share a video or an article about how to use your product better. For example, if you sell high-end leather goods like Saddleback Leather, share a video on how to treat and protect leather, so it lasts.
- Highlight Your Customers. Showing how real people use your company’s products is a great way to stand out. If you have already used the previous step to gather reviews, highlight the best customer reviews of the week or month in your newsletter. For even higher e-commerce conversions, combine customer reviews and discount codes into a single package.
Want 45 More Ideas To Boost Ecommerce Conversions?
For more insight on ways to increase conversions, read 50 Out-Of-The-Box Ecommerce Marketing Tips to Skyrocket Conversions. It is a crash course in techniques to boost your e-commerce profits.