Kyla Nievera, World Executives Digest |
In this day and age, launching a digital store is easy and anyone can do it. However, scaling an ecommerce business can be extremely difficult, even for the most experienced ecommerce experts. The secret to success includes a well-thought-out strategy and commitment. So, here are ten tips that will help you increase conversions, improve users’ experience, and consequently, boost your revenue.
Minimize the shipping charges
Initially, it can seem wise to make the delivery charges high so that you can earn more. However, this can be a big turn-off for potential customers. Increased margins on each sale don’t mean much if the customers leave the shopping carts empty as soon as they realize how high the shipping price is. Whenever you can, you should offer free shipping, if not, keep the costs at a minimum.
Have a unique selling point (USP) and brag about it
If you want to be successful at what you do, you have to offer something different and better than your competitors. Besides your product, your ecommerce should also have a USP. That can be excellent customer support, shopping tips, discounts for purchasing more than one product, etc.
Ease customers’ anxieties by being transparent
Even though 95% of Americans are shopping online at least once a year, there is still a high level of anxiety when it comes to purchasing online. To ease your customers’ concerns, you should display all the important details, such as contact information, and be honest about the product’s characteristics.
Secure the money
In regard to the customers’ anxiety mentioned in the previous paragraph, it is also imperative to offer safe and secure payment options that won’t take advantage of customers’ bank details, credit cards or PayPal accounts. Since different customers prefer different payment methods, it is important to offer more options.
Address the logistic issues
A growing ecommerce business is a good thing, but only if you are prepared for it. Shipping your goods from the US to Europe or Australia can be really expensive, and charging your customers for international shipping can put them off. That is why it is important to enhance your ecommerce logistics by making arrangements with third party warehouses in different locations.
Simplify the shopping process
Although having as many registered users as possible is good for your business, registration can prove to be too much effort for online shoppers who seek a quick and simple experience. To prevent them from going to your competitors, you should enable them to get to the shopping cart with just a few clicks.
Enable your customers to contact a real person
Online shopping can be rather impersonal, and if customers have some questions about the product or the delivery and they don’t have who to ask, they will probably abandon the shopping cart. That’s why it would be beneficial to have a live chat option and a prominent contact section.
Use high-quality images
One of the biggest drawbacks of online shopping is the fact that buyers are unable to hold the product in their hand and get a good look of it. Although you can’t completely solve this problem, you can provide them with the “as close as it gets” view of the product by uploading high-quality images from various angles and sides.
Give all the important delivery details
Your customers will feel much more confident in their purchase if you give them the estimated delivery time immediately after they click “buy”. Also, it is useful to share your return policy with them in case they are not satisfied with the product.
Encourage them to comment
Word-of-mouth is always the best recommendation for buyers, and in the case of online shopping, customer reviews can be decisive when it comes to purchasing a product or giving up on it. Encourage your customers to comment on their experience with you and your product – the more positive reviews you get, the easier it will be for the next customer to decide to shop at your store.
A successful ecommerce strategy isn’t just putting your store out there and hoping for the best. It’s about hard work and building long-lasting trust between you and your customers.
