Your ecommerce store has been up and running for a while. You’ve got a solid roster of loyal customers and you’re attracting decent traffic. Still though, you’re mired in the nether world of “almost—but not quite”.
In other words, business is steady enough to keep the site going for now, but sales have yet to become strong enough to look promising over the long term. Said simply, you need to find a way to make your ecommerce store sell more.
Here are some ideas.
Increase Your Average Order Value
Too many proprietors think they need to attract additional customers to make more sales. And, while this will work—and should be pursued—you have a significant opportunity for growth right in your face.
Entice your existing customers to buy more.
Proven strategies for this include:
Free Shipping Thresholds: Offering free shipping when purchases exceed a certain level will move shoppers to increase the amount of their orders—in some cases more than the savings they’ll achieve with free shipping. People love the idea of getting something for nothing; leverage it.
Compromise Pricing: Another strategy is to show them the deluxe version of a product alongside the one they’re considering purchasing. If they’re on the fence about whether or not to buy, showing them it could cost a lot more triggers a sense of saving money. Or, it will move them to buy the more expensive item. You’ll win either way.
Sales Anchoring: This technique is especially useful with products shoppers need to replenish form time to time. “Buy two—get one free.” “Get 10 of ‘X’ for only $20—for a limited time only.” “The discounted price is only good for up to seven items.” These offers make shoppers buy more of an item at once—thus increasing your average order value.
Product Recommendations: “Customers who bought ‘X’ bought ‘Y’ and ‘W’ too.” “Customers also viewed…” “Shoppers interested in ‘Z’ looked at ‘A’ as well.” Also known as suggestive selling, this practice introduces your customers to ancillary products the purchase they’re about make could necessitate. When you think about it, they’re usually going to eventually buy these items anyway. Show it to them now so they can include it in their current order.
The key advantage of each of these ideas is the added convenience afforded your customers.
Let’s stop and think like a shopper for a moment.
What is an ecommerce store to an online shopper but an effective way to get things they need in the most convenient manner possible? These practices accomplish that, while simultaneously generating more revenue for your store.
Radiate Trustworthiness
First-time visitors to your ecommerce site are looking for clues to reassure them you’re on the up-and-up. They don’t want to spend money for something they might never see, or worse—get something incapable of serving their purposes because of inferior quality or another malady.
Earning trust badges from organizations such as the Better Business Bureau, Yelp, Angie’s List and other review sites tells shoppers you can be trusted to take care of them. Similarly, earning trust badges from payment processors such as PayPal tells customers they can have faith their financial data will be safe also.
When it comes to the science of making your ecommerce store sell more, these strategies have proven effective. While there are a number of other useful approaches you can employ in this regard, these ideas are a good starting point. Put them into play and see where they lead you.
About Carson Derrow
