Last Updated on April 17, 2016 by Tim
More people than ever before are shopping online but that doesn’t mean you can set up an ecommerce store and expect people to automatically flock to it. Thousands of new ecommerce stores are popping up every day. There’s more competition than there ever has been, which means you need to work harder to attract customers and maximize the money you can make off each one.
Use these tips to keep customers happily making purchases on your site:
- Mobilize!
It is absolutely shocking how many businesses haven’t even bothered to make their websites mobile-friendly, especially with the rise of tablets. Mobile internet use is growing at incredible speeds and many people now only access the internet using mobile devices. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly you are losing thousands of dollars every year it stays that way.
- Make it easy pt.1: site wide search
Customers should be able to navigate your menus easily when they want to browse through your products, but that shouldn’t be the only option. A search bar that allows them to find products on your site right away without clicking any menu buttons will help customers speed through your website and get straight to the purchase.
- Make it easy pt.2: shorten checkout
The checkout process should be fast and straight forward. You should include an option for returning customers to create a profile with their shipping information, but you shouldn’t be making every first time customer register. If they’re never going to be back at your site, they don’t want to take the time to register.
- Cross-sell your products
You know how there are shelves of chocolate bars lined up right beside the checkout counter at the grocery store? The “Customers who bought this item also bought _____” section of Amazon? Those are examples of cross selling. Link your products to other, similar products or small impulse buys and you’re much more likely to sell multiple items at once. Platforms like Shopify have this sort of functionality available.
- Be upfront about shipping costs
We all know that shipping is a factor when we shop online, but nobody likes the feeling of shipping sticker shock. ALWAYS be up front about your shipping costs. You should also do your best to keep shipping costs low.
Here’s a nice example from Rocky Mountain Essentials of upfront shipping info so that there are no surprises for customers:
- Actively build your reputation
Reputation is everything. People are far more likely to buy from you if someone they know actively recommends you. They want to know how your company works and that they can rely on you for pleasant shopping and great products. Be transparent about your business processes when possible and make sure you’re active on social media so people can get to know you.
Building a successful ecommerce business isn’t easy but it can be done—and there is always room for improvement on the business you already have. Stick with this advice and you’re far more likely to succeed.
