We can expect online shopping to continue growing this year and beyond, especially as consumers are increasingly looking for more convenience and better options during the COVID-19 crisis.
Even Statista predicts that the e-commerce industry is set to become a $4.2 trillion industry by the end of 2020.
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It’s not enough to simply have an online store; you need an online store that’s optimized for more conversions, so that people are less likely to abandon their carts and more likely to complete the checkout process.
Want to improve your online store so that you get more leads and sales? Look no further than these 10 simple, yet incredibly important, tips.
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Run a blazing-fast e-commerce store
Speed is the name of the game. Users are more likely to abandon a page if they find it takes more than 3 seconds to load, especially on mobile.
Consider investing in robust hosting providers that will give you the best performance for your online store, promising quicker loading times and more seamless experiences on the web. So, whether shoppers are browsing your store from their computer, phone or tablet, keep your page loading speeds smooth and fast.
Conduct regular speed tests to check your website performance and diagnose any issues that may be causing delays in loading time.
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Add trust badges
Trust badges indicate to users that you are a legitimate online seller. These badges include things like safe checkout options with various providers like PayPal or Apple Pay, as well as any special policies you might have.
If your site is protected by certain security software, consider adding those across key locations, including checkout pages. Your store may also have perks like free delivery, money-back guarantees, and hassle-free exchanges. Create badges for these features that you can display in your footer and in other important areas on your website.
Related: 6 Ways to Boost Your Exposure Online and Start Building a Web Presence Fast
Allow guest checkout and multiple payment options
While it isn’t a huge segment, 6 percent of online shoppers have reported that they’re likely to abandon a cart if they don’t find enough payment options. And depending on your customers, a significant number of them may expect multiple payment options when making a purchase.
Accept payments from as many major payment providers as possible, including major credit cards, Paypal credit or even Afterpay.
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Display irresistible lead offers
Don’t lose any users who aren’t quite ready to check out. You can offer them an irresistible lead magnet to make sure they don’t leave your store without at least signing up to your email list.
Often, exclusive perks like free shipping or discounts on a customer’s first purchase can make great free offers. Depending on what you’re selling, you can also play around with different lead magnet offers, like subscriber-only sales and deals, or access to exclusive content.
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Use urgency tactics
Urgency tactics can be used to let customers know that they’re not the only ones checking out this product or that this item is selling out fast.
Here are a few ways you can inject urgency across your website:
- Show users how many people are currently viewing the same product in real-time
- Show how many items are left in stock
- Enable pop-ups to signal how many people have recently purchased the item from your store
- Create limited-time offers or deals that expire soon
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Include multiple product photos
One disadvantage of online shopping is that customers aren’t able to interact with your products in a real physical space. That makes having as many product photos as possible crucial to the success of your store.
These photos should display different angles of your products, as well as various use cases so customers see exactly how these items can be used. Make sure the photos inspire users and help them to envision having this product in their own lives.
Personalize content and recommendations
Personalized content is the future of the way brands interact with customers. A study by Salesforce showed that about 57 percent of people are willing to provide personal information if they’re able to receive personalized offers, discounts and content.
Consider your content strategy an integral part of your e-commerce strategy because without content, you can’t sell to new customers. And without content, you can’t keep your current customers. Create highly-relevant content pieces to level up your online store and show customers that you know what it is they need.
For example, a skincare retailer might have several Korean skincare products in its store. One content piece they can share with users? A piece like this to show how to build a Korean skincare routine, or even tips to make the most of a Korean skincare regimen.
Retarget abandoned carts
Cart abandonment remains to be one of the biggest challenges for online business owners, with some studies reporting a shocking 80 percent of users abandoning their shopping carts in certain industries. A simple solution is to send cart abandonment emails that retarget users and prompt them with what they might have left behind.
Sometimes this simple tweak in your marketing strategy is all it takes turn a site visitor into a customer, or a one-time customer into a repeat buyer.
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Ensure privacy and security
Privacy is a big issue in the digital space, so you need to assure users that your store is safe to transact with. Besides the aforementioned trust badges, go the extra mile to secure your customer data. Always use SSL certificates on your website and check for any vulnerabilities on your site that may make you prone to attacks or spam.
Another tip is to make sure that the e-commerce platform you’re using is known to have secure checkout pages, as well as robust security features. This might mean investing a little more than what a cheap platform may offer, but added privacy and security features are always worth it.
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Add a chatbot to level up your customer service
Great customer service can be the reason someone browsing your site decides to make a purchase. To boost your chances of getting more leads and sales, consider adding a chatbot function that provides truly personalized support and experiences.
Keep in mind that it may be worth it to outsource tasks like these to independent contractors, especially since this is a cheaper option than hiring full-time personnel to operate your chatbots and customer service platforms.
Key takeaways
To get more leads and sales on your online store, you’ll need to make a few tweaks. Simply follow these 10 tips to optimize your e-commerce store, generate more leads, and convert more users into paying customers. You’lly see your conversion rates improve in no time.
The post 10 Tips to Optimize Your Online Store for More Leads and Sales appeared first on StartupNation.
via https://www.AiUpNow.com/ by Kevin Payne, Khareem Sudlow
