Ready to boost sales on your website? Here are 10 ideas – all backed by research and data – to help you get more online sales.
Read through the list – chances are, you’ll find one or two things you could do to make more sales online.
#1 – Make Your Pages Load Faster
People want fast and they want now. If you don’t give it to them, they’ll leave.
It’s really that simple; reducing the amount of time your webpage takes to load can have an enormous impact on sales.
Timeframe to see results: Short- and Long-Term
Stats that Prove It
73% of mobile Internet users say that they’ve encountered a website that was too slow to load.
51% of mobile Internet users say that they’ve encountered a website that crashed, froze, or received an error.
38% of mobile Internet users say that they’ve encountered a website that wasn’t available.
47% of consumers expect a web page to load in 2 seconds or less.
40% of people abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load.
A 1 second delay in page response can result in a 7% reduction in conversions.
If an e-commerce site is making $100,000 per day, a 1 second page delay could potentially cost you $2.5 million in lost sales every year.
#2 – Bring Your Products to Life
Add professional photos and videos to your products to “bring your products to life” for shoppers. The number one complaint of online shoppers is the lack of experience – they cannot touch, feel, or hold the product as they would in a brick-and-mortar store.
Solve this problem for users by providing them with enough media and information that they can really experience the process of selecting and purchasing an item.
Extra Credit: Reviews & Product Comparisons make your products more “real” for shoppers. Many e-commerce websites can easily integrate product reviews and comparisons. (View info on e-commerce websites.)
Timeframe to see results: Long-Term
Stats that Prove It
49% of cite not being able to touch, feel or try a product as one of their least favorite aspects of online shopping.
78% of online shoppers want more images from e-commerce sites.
30% of online shoppers want more video from e-commerce sites.
69% of online shoppers want more reviews from e-commerce sites.
46% of online shoppers want more product comparisons from e-commerce sites.
#3 – Make Your Website Responsive
A responsive website is one that responds to different screen sizes. If you view the website on your phone, the website will change so that it’s easier to see.
The main reason you want a responsive website is because people use their phones to access the Internet all the time, and that includes searching for services and shopping for products.
This is a simple decision; you need a responsive website if you don’t have one currently. You’ll get better rankings in Google which will send you more traffic. More traffic means more opportunity to sell. Plus, the longer a shopper is on your website, the more likely she is to purchase something. So, we want your website visitors to love your website – it needs to be easy to use, even on a phone.
Timeframe to see results: Short- and Long-Term
Stats that Prove It
60% of Internet access occurs on mobile devices.
“In early 2014, the number of mobile users accessing the Internet surpassed the number of desktop users.”
34% of smartphone users go online mostly using their phones, rather than a desktop or laptop computer.
40% of people will choose another result if the first one they land on is not mobile friendly.
4 in 5 smartphone users access retail content on their device monthly.
“as of April 21st, 2015… Google began rewarding sites that were built responsively for multi-device support”
Out of 100 sites analyzed, 11.8% on average use responsive design.
The percentage of small businesses who don’t have their website optimized for mobile is 91%.
#4 – Embrace E-commerce
If you have a business and can sell your products online, you should. Immediately.
Shoppers love to buy things online. Capitalize on this with an e-commerce website that’s easy to use and beautifully designed.
Stats that Prove It
2 in 5 (40%) online shoppers say they couldn’t live without online shopping.
Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers are more than twice as likely as seniors to say they couldn’t live without online shopping (43% to 20%).
51% of Americans prefer to shop online.
96% of Americans have made an online purchase in their life, 80% in the past month alone.
E-commerce is growing 23% year-over-year, yet 46% of American small businesses do not have a website.
Timeframe to see results: Short- and Long-Term
#5 – Get Connected
Connection means social media and, social media can bring in more sales.
Social media platforms are popular, and that means your audience – the people who buy things from you – can be found on social media. If your audience is there, you need to be there, too.
Social media is an effective way to get your brand message to the people who matter. Plus, social media can be fun. Express your company’s brand in colorful, creative ways with authentic photos and videos. Your audience will eat it up.
If you aren’t already, you need to use social media to find potential buyers, end of story. Social media is not a waste of time. At Artonic, we are ferocious about guarding our time. We don’t waste it on ineffective measures – and we’re telling you, do social media right, and it’ll pay off for years.
Stats that Prove It
29% of online shoppers would be likely to follow a brand on Facebook.
21% of online shoppers would be likely to follow a brand on Pinterest.
21% of online shoppers would be likely to follow a brand on Instagram.
18% of online shoppers would be likely to follow a brand on Twitter.
13% of online shoppers would be likely to follow a brand on Snapchat.
20% of online shoppers would purchase an item a friend has included on their Pinterest board.
18% of shoppers would purchase an item a friend liked on Facebook.
21% of online shoppers would purchase an item featured in a brand’s Facebook post.
18% of online shoppers would purchase an item from a brand’s Pinterest board.
Also – don’t give up on social media. If your goal is to increase brand recognition, it takes time.
It takes an average of 5-7 brand impressions before someone will remember your brand.
Timeframe to see results: Long-Term
#6 – Invest in Target Audience Research
How well do you know your buyers?
Do you know your audience well enough to capitalize on their buying habits?
After working with many different clients in a variety of industry, I know that most small to medium businesses do not know their target audience.
You’re missing a huge opportunity.
If you understand why your buyer acts the way she does, why she buys from your store and not your competitors, you can use that knowledge to influence her decisions. That means you can potentially persuade her to buy more… if you understand her.
Timeframe to see results: Long-Term
Stats that Prove It
Men reported spending 28% more online than women during the past year.
Parents spend 61% more online than non-parents ($1,071 vs. $664).
Americans in metropolitan areas are spending the most online.
63% of suburban shoppers share that shipping costs are their least favorite part of online shopping.
38% of rural shoppers cite strong concerns about online privacy.
The stats above highlight opportunities to help users find and buy your products.
In example, if your target audience lives mostly in rural areas, you’ll need to address online privacy.
Another example, if you target parents, give them the items they want, fast. Don’t make them wait; it’ll cost you. But parents can be a lucrative audience, if you understand it.
#7 – Start an AdWords Campaign
AdWords is a proven way to boost sales on your website. You can get more traffic to your website the same day you start your ads. (Once you stop running your ads, the traffic will end. That’s why we recommend using organic marketing to supplement your sales campaign. Organic marketing builds value over time, unlike AdWords.)
Timeframe to see results: Short-Term
Stats that Prove It
Businesses make an average of $2 in revenue for every $1 they spend on AdWords.
Google display campaigns reach 80% of global Internet users.
72% of AdWords marketers plan to increase their PPC budgets.
64.6% of people click on Google ads when they are looking to buy an item online.
The first position on Google search results on desktop has a 34.36% click-through rate.
#8 – Offer Free Shipping
Want more sales? Give them free shipping.
Seriously. Sometimes it is that easy.
In fact, your shipping costs are nearly as important to your shoppers as the cost of your product is. As a frequent online shopper, I can attest to the truth of this.
Online shoppers want to save time and money. If they can get a better deal by hopping in their Jeep and heading to the nearest discount store, they will.
Give them a reason to buy online – offer them a deal on shipping.
This isn’t as simple as I’ve made it out to be. Offering free shipping means a review and possible restructure of your company’s pricing system. It’s no small feat, but the result is worth it.
Imagine if 70% more of your orders were completed. Would free shipping be worth it then?
Timeframe to see results: Long-Term
Stats that Prove It
The top three factors that are very or extremely influential in determining where Americans shop are price (87%), shipping cost and speed (80%) and discount offers (71%).
66% of online shoppers have decided not to buy an item because of shipping costs.
72% of females and 59% of males have decided to abandon their purchase because of shipping costs.
#9 – Add a Live Chat Feature
Never underestimate the power of human interaction. That’s another thing they can only get by visiting a brick-and-mortar store.
Or can they? Now, with Live Chat, you can be that helpful presence your shoppers want.
Think about it – online shoppers want the same experience that they have in a “real” store. That includes offering sales help when they’re shopping. In a brick-and-mortar store, your shoppers can approach your employees to ask questions and get advice. Expert advice is a great perk of shopping – and it shouldn’t be ignored in online sales.
Live Chat allows you to be there for your customers when they’re on the cusp of making a purchase. That’s priceless to online retailers.
Timeframe to see results: Long-Term
Stats that Prove It
92% customers feel satisfied when they use the live chat feature, compared to other communication options like voice (88%), email (85%), web form (85%), and social media (Facebook 84%, Twitter 77%).
50% of consumers say that having a live person answer their questions while in the middle of their purchase decision is one of the most important features a brand can offer.
live chat will grow 400% as a preferred customer digital engagement channel from 2015 to 2018.
#10 – Make the Shopping Experience Consistent & Enjoyable
Your customers want an easy, enjoyable experience when they shop and buy online, and they want that experience each and every time they shop.
That means you’ll have to create a process to provide a consistently enjoyable customer experience, both online and in-store.
Timeframe to see results: Long-Term
Stats that Prove It
21% of Americans state that unattractive or hard-to-navigate websites is frustrating when buying online.
87% of customers think brands need to put more effort into providing a consistent experience -https://www.superoffice.com/blog/customer-experience-statistics/
80% of potential customers look at a company’s website before contacting them
First impressions are 94% design-related.
60% of US millennials expect consistent experiences when dealing with brands online, in-store, or by phone.
By 2020 customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator.
Now Is the Time
There are huge opportunities for small and medium businesses in Michigan and Ohio. The market is not yet saturated, which means you still have time to establish your company online.
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Best practices boost sales.
How do you create a website that entices your customers to buy the things you sell? And what kind of marketing strategy is best? These questions are something we answer for clients all the time!
Discover what it takes to build a success e-commerce website online with our whitepaper: E-commerce Web Design Best Practices.
Resources
A huge thank you to all who publish research and case studies for the rest of us to reference.
Caballero, Ana. “Google AdWords Facts And Stats Every Advertiser Should Know.” White Shark Media Blog. White Shark Media, 20 July 2016. Web. 30 June 2017. <http://blog.whitesharkmedia.com/google-adwords-facts/>.
Frost, Phil. “15 Stats That Prove Google Adwords Is A Great Investment For Your Business.” Main Street ROI. Main Street ROI, 21 May 2017. Web. 30 June 2017. <https://www.mainstreetroi.com/15-stats-that-prove-google-adwords-is-a-great-investment-for-your-business/>.
Google. “Google Economic Impact.” Google. Google, 2017. Web. 30 June 2017. <https://economicimpact.google.com/>.
HubSpot. “2017 Marketing Statistics, Trends & Data – The Ultimate List of Marketing Stats.” HubSpot. HubSpot, 2017. Web. 30 June 2017.
Olenski, Steve. “It’s Alive: Why Live Chat Is So Important For Brands.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 10 Aug. 2016. Web. 30 June 2017. <https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2016/08/10/its-alive-why-live-chat-is-so-important-for-brands/#5a1aed2453d1>.
Patel, Neil. “Kissmetrics Blog.” 100 Conversion Optimization Case Studies. Kissmetrics Blog, 25 June 2013. Web. 30 June 2017. <https://blog.kissmetrics.com/100-conversion-optimization-case-studies/>.
Ryce, Vicky. “SDL Study Reveals Channels Are Irrelevant to Consumers.” SDL. SDL, 14 July 2014. Web. 30 June 2017. <http://www.sdl.com/about/news-media/press/2014/sdl-study-reveals-channels-are-irrelevant-to-consumers.html>.
Sweor. “8 Staggering Statistics about Responsive Web Design.” Surprising Statistics about Responsive Web Design. Sweor, 13 June 2017. Web. 30 June 2017. <https://www.sweor.com/post/8-staggering-statistics-about-responsive-web-design>
Wallace, Tracey. “Ecommerce Trends in 2017: 135 Statistics About Online Selling.” The BigCommerce Blog. IgCommerce, 24 June 2017. Web. 30 June 2017. <https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/ecommerce-trends/>.
Work, Sean. “Kissmetrics Blog.” How Loading Time Affects Your Bottom Line. Kissmetrics, 28 Apr. 2011. Web. 30 June 2017. <https://blog.kissmetrics.com/loading-time/>.