If you are running an e-commerce website, then you are already ahead of a lot of the competition out there. Even though we live in the digital age where everything is available in an instance, it’s amazing that there are still so many companies and businesses out there that don’t even have a proper online presence.
E-commerce is a huge business, worth billions of dollars each year, and that figure is certain to continue increasing as we head into the future. With ever-improving internet speeds and technology, it’s never been more important than now to make sure that your business is part of this new wave of commerce.
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Getting Sales Online
Probably the most difficult aspect of any small business that starts working with e-commerce is generating those first sales. Once the ball starts rolling, then things usually start to fall into place, even if it’s at a pace slower than you want. As with everything in business, the first steps are usually the most difficult.
There are many different ways that you can increase the amount of sales and business that you do online, and in this article we will take a look at some of the most effective strategies for e-commerce that will bring you more sales and revenue.
Brand Awareness
One of the most important factors in marketing is brand awareness. You want your brand to be associated with the product that you are selling. If you are asked to think of a soft drink, Coca Cola will probably spring to mind. If you are asked to think of a mobile phone, either the iPhone or Samsung will likely be your first thoughts. These are brands that have worked tirelessly on promoting the brand name and its awareness.
Even if you are a relatively small company with an unheard of product, it is still very important to create brand awareness. Over time, if your company or product is good enough, it will be recognized by its brand, and this alone, is one of the most powerful forms of marketing. Preeco, which is a Finnish ecommerce company, is one that is recognised throughout the country by their brand name, which resonates trust and quality.
Honest Sales Copy
One thing that lots of marketers do, and fail because of, is poor sales copy. You’ve probably come across a website selling various products, and in their description of the item, you can instantly tell that it’s all just pure garbage.
You want to be honest with your customers about what your product is, what it does and how it can be beneficial. You’ll get called out if you start making outrageous claims. Honesty is the best policy, and is a surefire way to help improve the overall image of your brand.
Run A Secure Website
It’s extremely important that your website is one that is secure and offers secure payment procedure. You’ll have to have your e-store running under the https protocol and have an SSL certificate installed on the server for your website. It might sound technical, but it’s actually a pretty easy thing to do, and any competent web developer should be able to take care of that for you.
Having icons or images on your website that show it is trustworthy is a very powerful thing, and can instantly reassure a lot of potential clients that you are a trustworthy place to buy from.
Paid Advertising
One quick way to generate traffic to your e-store is through paid advertising. Two of the most popular platforms for online advertising are Google and Facebook. Each offers the ability to create engaging ads with a targeted audience in mind. You can set your own daily budgets and won’t have to worry about spending more than you want.
There are a number of advertising agencies who can run your online advertising for you, and this is probably the best option to go with if you aren’t too experienced in online marketing, or if you don’t have enough time to handle it yourself.
Show Off Your Reviews And Testimonials
The power of a positive review or testimonial about your product or company should never be underestimated. They are a great way to increase your online sales, as it allows potential buyers to get an idea of what a specific product or service is like.
You can include reviews on your specific product pages, or place general reviews on the homepage of your site. A good review is another signal of trust, and creates a positive view of your brand and company.
FOMO
The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is a very powerful tool when it comes to e-commerce, as it creates a sense of urgency, and makes customers feel that they need to take action and complete their purchase right away, or risk losing out.
There are different ways you can do this, with one of the most popular being small widgets that display on your pages informing the site visitor that “John in London just bought this product”. This kind of message reinforces to the potential buyer that lots of other people are looking at and buying the exact same product as they have in front of them.
Build An Email List
An email list is a very powerful tool for any business, and is one that you should be utilizing all of the time. Your mailing list is a potential group of quality leads, as the people who have signed up have shown an interest in your business or the products you are offering.
Having your own list of potential clients is very important, especially as most companies are at the mercy of Facebook and Google, and if either of those make any substantial changes to their policies, you could lose your carefully built up audiences and other important data.
You can grow an email list simply from your website using special services. For instance, with 13Chats you can create pop-ups based on targeted actions. They appear only after users’ specific behavior on the site and allow you to request their emails without irritation.
Offer A Guarantee
Nothing helps people feel more comfortable making a purchase than having the ability to request a full money-back guarantee. A lot of the time, most people will be more than happy with the product, and only a small percentage will request a refund.
However, it does help a lot of individuals in a positive way to purchase something from you, especially if they are actually in two minds about it. Having the option of a full guarantee is a great way to give them a small nudge to complete the sale and take a chance with your company.
If you are interested in even more business-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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