We live in a digital age. It’s tempting to think that growing a new business is as easy as clicking a button. Doing business online can simplify things, but digital marketing and commerce bring plenty of challenges. Increasing sales is all about making the right choices at the right time. Here are five ways to grow your online sales this year.
Keep Customer Experience Simple
Making the purchasing experience as simple as possible for customers is critical to a high-quality customer experience (CX). One way to accomplish this is by selecting an e-commerce platform that contains both simple and straightforward features. The navigation, search, and checkout options are all crucial touchpoints for your customers. Hassles, such as filling out long forms or dealing with clunky search tools, should be kept to a minimum. Make sure to do test runs of the software to see how organic the process is. Ensure that your shipping is reliable and quick. Research the vital figures like current USPS flat rate box sizes so that your company is prepared to do business efficiently.
Learn About Your Target Audience
Keeping a finger on the pulse of the market is essential. Good market research should be quantitative, using data points provided by demographic research and analytics. It should also be qualitative, using personal methods like surveys and focus groups to acquire meaningful feedback regarding customer preferences. Social media can streamline this process, requiring only the courage to read the comments on your social media page. Digital tools like Google Analytics can be especially beneficial. When you know statistics regarding customer visiting habits (like how many visitors stay and shop), your CX can get targeted upgrades.
Have Great Customer Service
Another powerful way to deliver quality CX is to have exemplary customer service. The statistics tell the tale: A Zendesk study recently found that 54% of customers made additional purchases from a company following good customer service. Of those who had lackluster service, 58% later ditched that brand entirely. Similar research by OnePoll hit upon the solution. It’s the human element. Customers listed live phone operators, email service, and live chat as their top three options for help. Automated chatbots can help deal with high customer volume, but nothing beats the value of a helpful human being.
Communicate Your Brand Through Your Website
Having a top-notch web presence starts with your website. Your landing page and social media sites should communicate your brand’s vision and convey a sense of legitimacy. These are represented in large part by text and iconography. The style and layout of your text can either facilitate easy reading or leave customers confused and bored.
The color scheme used on your pages is equally important. Color psychology has been studied intensely by scientists, and it has many branding applications. For instance, using the color blue in brand logos increases the perception of trustworthiness. Black connotes strength. Red links to better sports performance. Consider retooling your web presence with science in mind.
Create Powerful Content
Businessman Sumner Redstone popularized the phrase “Content is king.” Creating memorable content is a great way to stay relevant and engaging. Resist writing about your products. Write about problems that they can solve or creative uses for them. Remember that honesty is always the best policy. Never fabricate the attributes of your offerings or use unsubstantiated data. With consumer confidence ebbing low, authenticity means everything.
Something that can enhance the visibility of both your content (and company) is search engine optimization (SEO). Company blogs are still a popular outreach channel because some keywords rank higher in search engine algorithms than others. Properly utilized SEO strategies can drive web traffic straight to your sites. Customers reward consistency, so remember to post often and regularly for the best results. Having solid sales numbers requires knowing what your customers want from a brand. Put these strategies into action this quarter and watch your revenue grow.
