In today’s competitive online climate, businesses that thrive have more than just a good-looking website and established brand. Their success is based on subtle intricacies and fine-tuned strategies.
The path to creating a highly profitable online store, blog or marketing funnel is as much a science as it is an art. It’s only when you look closer and start to compare the leading online brands that the patterns driving their success, start to reveal themselves.
If you’ve been trawling the web looking for ways to fast-track website performance and increase online sales, look no further. We’ve put together 8 different ways to send your online sales skyrocketing to infinity.
If that sounds good, let’s dive in.
1. Create a sense of urgency
With the average website converting at 2% to 4%, getting that all-important online purchase can be a real challenge. The online brands that manage to get people across the line before they lose interest and abandon cart, do so through skilfully executed urgency and scarcity tactics. Booking.com are experts at creating a sense of urgency with their site’s hotel and accommodation bookings.
By revealing how many times a hotel booking has been made within the last hour as well the number of people looking at the same booking creates a real sense of urgency to buy. Online apps like Igniterfy can be used to quickly create custom sales pop-ups revealing recent purchases of the same products. Prompting website visitors urgency to buy before they have a chance to leave.
2. Ensure your website is optimized for mobile
The smartphone revolution has forever changed the way websites are accessed and interacted with. Consumer expectations for quality, convenient mobile experiences are the norm now. Websites that aren’t optimized for mobile will find trying to increase online sales difficult.
Specialist eCommerce brand Zappos has been focused on their mobile experiences for nearly a decade and it shows. When viewed there is virtually no difference between their mobile and desktop websites. They’ve intuitively maximised the opportunities to sell to web visitors regardless of whether they’re on mobile or a full-sized desktop monitor.
3. Retarget & Remarket
As the majority of visitors to a website leave without making a purchasing decision, it might seem like online brands are fighting an uphill battle to make sales. But not all is lost, those visitors can be reengaged through clever remarketing campaigns and strategies.
By reminding visitors of an abandoned cart or a product they previously showed interest in, the gentle nudge can work wonders for recapturing online sales that might have been potentially lost. Retargeted website visitors are 43% more likely to convert. Consumers might not like the idea that their browsing is tracked by intelligent bots and algorithms, but there’s no denying that it works for increasing online sales.
4. Incorporate testimonials and trust factors
Embedded deep within the human psyche is an inherent distrust for people or brands with vested interests. As a result, most consumers value recommendations from peers over branded advertisements. Therefore, what better way to illustrate the popularity of a product or service with real impact than a good old-fashioned testimonial.
The power of a 5-star online review should never be underestimated. eCommerce giant Amazon is filled with millions of real-world reviews and testimonials, turning it into one of the most trustworthy siteson the internet. An easy way to integrate reviews onto your website is with Igniterfy’s review popup that shares quality reviews timely to web visitors.
5. Speed matters
The speed of your website is most certainly a critical factor in its overall success, let alone performance. One of the quickest ways to push website visitors away and damage attempts to increase online sales is with a slow, clunky, difficult to navigate site. Most people lead busy lives and with the average attention span less than 8 seconds, if your website doesn’t load quickly it’s going to have an effect.
Test your website speed regularly and constantly look at design factors that can be altered to fully optimize. Such as streamlining the total amount of steps required to complete an order. Fast.co has introduced a 1-click checkout integration that can help eCommerce businesses create ultra-fast checkout experiences.
6. Cross-Sell and Up-Sell
Maximize every opportunity to sell your product and services with cross-promotion and intelligently connected up-sells. Once a customer has decided to get their credit card out, made a purchase and had a positive experience with your brand. Bingo, because now you’re 60-70% more likely to sell to an existing customer in contrast to a completely new prospect.
If you’ve done all the hard work and got them across the line, bolting on additional products and services is a sure-fire way to increase online sales. Online stores showcasing complimentary suggestions and product bundles increase their average order value and website conversion selling to existing loyal customers.
7. Know thy customer
Often seen as a marketing mantra, knowing your customer inside and out from their habits to motivations and beyond has real advantages to selling anything online. Customers buy when a product or brand relates to their needs, resonating directly to their deepest desires and pain points.
Brands that have used buyer personas and tailored their marketing messaging and targeting specifically to an ideal customer group see better results than before. With better open rates or engagement, sales and website conversion will follow suit.
8. Add an opt-in popup
The majority of website visitors aren’t quite ready to purchase during their first visit to your website. Therefore the clever brands are happy to give their customers the space and time they need to make that all-important buying decision.
Opt-in pop-ups are perfect for this. They quickly interrupt the visitor and get their contact information before they click off the browser. Ensuring a follow-up connection can happen, sharing useful info and content that will keep their interest warm. Igniterfy has a custom email opt-in popup that can collect email addresses quickly and discreetly. Ensuring you can re-engage with potential customers and guide them back to that online sale at a time that’s right for them.
Of the strategies outlined, almost all can be on your website within a matter of a few clicks with the Igniterfy social proof app. Join today and test out different notification strategies to increase your online sales.
