Increasing online sales is the primary goal of countless businesses, large and small alike. Whether you run a mom-and-pop retail business or work for a vast ecommerce giant like Amazon, increasing sales through online channels is a little like bowling a strike – it looks a lot easier than it actually is.
Fortunately, there are dozens of ways you can make more sales online, many of which you can implement right away. Some of these tips focus on specific strategies you can implement, whereas others are more generalized. In this post, we’ll be looking at 25 such strategies, so whether you sell physical goods or run a service-based business, here are 25 actionable techniques you can use to increase online sales performance.
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1. Be Honest in Your Sales Copy
This might seem painfully obvious, but it’s amazing to me how many sites write checks their products can’t cash. Not only is honesty in your copy crucial to your business’ reputation, it also fosters and encourages trust in your brand. Don’t make claims you can’t substantiate, and don’t use hyperbole lightly – today’s consumers are hypersensitive to marketing BS, so be honest, straightforward, and approachable in all your sales copy, from your homepage to your email campaigns.
This PETA ad was pulled from billboards in the U.K. by the Advertising Standards Authority in 2013 for making unsubstantiated claims.
This principle also applies to how you position yourself as a business. Ever come across a site that’s obviously run by one or two people, but features copy that would be better suited to a multinational enterprise company? This approach not only makes you look foolish, it also damages your brand’s credibility. If you’re a small company, take pride in that and be upfront about it – many consumers are turning to smaller businesses precisely because of the more individualized, personal service they can offer. Don’t try to be something you’re not.
2. Get More Ad Clicks with Ad Extensions
If you’re selling stuff online, ad extensions are a no-brainer – this feature (available in both AdWords and Bing) allows you to make your ad bigger with more places to click. And it doesn’t cost any extra! AND it increases your ad’s click-through rate! Amazing, right?
In the above example, the links to “Men’s Sunglasses” and “Women’s Sunglasses” give people who are looking to buy a new pair of Ray-Ban’s two additional places to click. This saves the potential customer a step and makes it easier and faster to find exactly what they want (so they go to your site instead of a competitor’s).
3. Show Off Customer Testimonials and Trust Signals
In today’s social media environment, customer feedback has never been more important. Fortunately, this means that your satisfied customers can provide you with one of the most valuable weapons in your arsenal – testimonials.
Legions of satisfied customers are considerably more influential than even the best-written sales copy, so make sure you include gushing testimonials and reviews from your hardcore brand evangelists gushing about how wonderful you are. These might appear on your product pages, landing pages, pricing page, even your home page. For more info, check out my post on the power of customer testimonials.
Similarly, the inclusion of trust signals can be an excellent way to increase online sales and/or average order value, as it creates a more favorable perception of your brand in the mind of the prospect and can potentially overcome hesitations preemptively. If your business has any professional accreditations (even something as routine as a Better Business Bureau certification or membership to your local chamber of commerce), put these trust signals front and center on your site. If you have an impressive list of satisfied clients, make sure your prospects know about it.
4. Create a Sense of Urgency
It’s important to be honest and transparent about who you are and what you do, but there’s no rule against creating a sense of urgency to persuade prospects to buy from you right now.
Many consumers respond positively to incentives that create a sense of urgency, from time-sensitive special offers to limited-edition products. Although the ways you can accomplish this are as diverse as the products you can buy online, some strategies may be more effective than others. For example, if you don’t (or can’t) make a limited-edition product to entice prospects, maybe you can offer a financial incentive to customers who commit to a purchase right away, such as free shipping or a discount.
In AdWords, you can use ad customizers to display a countdown on a seasonal offer or limited-time sale:
However you choose to do it, creating a sense of urgency is a great way to increase online sales.
5. Offer a Bulletproof Money-Back Guarantee
Oftentimes, one of the most powerful factors in a consumer’s decision not to buy something is risk aversion – the desire to avoid a potential loss. Most times, this perceived risk is a financial one. Why should someone buy your products? What if they don’t work, or the customer doesn’t like them? Even small purchases can carry the risk of “buyer’s remorse,” so overcome this objection from the outset by offering a bulletproof money-back guarantee.
The more risk you remove from the prospect’s decision, the more likely they are to buy from you, so take away anything that could dissuade prospects from buying from you.
6. Offer Fewer Choices
To many businesses, this concept is simply unthinkable. Surely offering more products is a great way to increase sales! Well, not necessarily. In fact, in many instances, a greater variety of choice can lead to indecision on the part of the prospect, which in turn results in lost sales.
If you have a wide range of products, consider structuring your site or product pages in a way that offers visitors as few choices as possible. This reduces the possibility that the visitor will be overwhelmed by dozens of different products.
Increase Customer Reviews and Testimonials
One of the best ways to build trust and credibility with potential customers is to showcase positive reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers. According to BrightLocal, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, so it’s important to make sure you have a strong presence of positive feedback on your site.
Encourage customers to leave reviews after their purchase, and consider offering incentives for doing so. Display these reviews prominently on your site, and highlight any particularly glowing testimonials. This social proof can go a long way in convincing hesitant visitors to make a purchase.
Ensure Consistent Messaging Across Campaigns and Your Website
Have you ever experienced clicking on a PPC ad that caught your eye, only to be directed to an irrelevant landing page or the homepage of the site? Did you end up making a purchase from that site? Chances are, probably not.
An example of a display ad for Air Canada and its corresponding landing page.
When a user clicks on an ad for a specific product or service, the page they land on should be focused on that exact product or service – not a related category or a different offer for another product. It’s crucial to ensure that your messaging remains consistent across your PPC and paid social campaigns and the associated pages to increase the chances of turning ad clicks into actual sales.
Address Every Question and Objection in Your Content
One common mistake businesses make when selling online is assuming that their potential customers have a deep understanding of their product or service. This can lead to unanswered questions or objections that may hinder sales.
Take the time to anticipate and address every possible question and objection about your product in your content. By proactively providing answers and solutions, you can help customers make informed decisions and increase the likelihood of making a purchase. Remember, focus on how your product benefits the customer rather than solely highlighting your company’s features.
Offer Valuable Freebies to Attract Customers
Everyone appreciates receiving free items, and offering freebies can positively impact how potential customers perceive your brand, potentially leading to more sales.
Exciting!
Review your current offerings and consider what you can give away for free. For software businesses, offering no-obligation trials or free tools can be a great strategy. Even for other industries, providing samplers, trial memberships, or special offers can introduce customers to your products and entice them to make a purchase.
Develop Detailed Buyer Personas for Targeted Marketing
Creating detailed buyer personas is essential for effective marketing. The better you understand your ideal customers, the more personalized and compelling your messaging can be.
Challenge yourself to create more comprehensive buyer personas than before to tailor your marketing efforts effectively. While you may not need the same level of specificity as Facebook ad targeting options, detailed buyer personas can enhance the relevance of your messaging and improve customer responses. Invest time in creating detailed buyer personas to refine your marketing strategies.
Utilize Tiered Pricing Strategies
Implementing tiered pricing structures can influence customer choices and drive sales. By strategically offering a mid-range option as the preferred choice, you can guide customers towards the desired purchase.
Take advantage of the decoy pricing technique to steer customers towards specific products or services. By understanding consumer behavior and leveraging pricing psychology, you can optimize your pricing strategy to increase sales. Explore the concept of decoy pricing to enhance your sales approach.
Use Opt-In Pop-Up Offers to Encourage Sales
Increase online sales by incorporating opt-in offers that prompt customers to join your newsletter or loyalty programs. These offers can not only expand your database for future marketing campaigns but also boost immediate sales.
Strategically place opt-in offers, such as free shipping or discount incentives, to sway indecisive customers towards making a purchase. Even if customers don’t buy immediately, capturing their contact information can lead to future sales opportunities. Test different opt-in offers to optimize conversions and enhance your sales strategy.
To increase the number of sign-ups for your newsletter or loyalty program, consider implementing a pop-up that appears just before visitors exit your site. The more people who sign up, the higher the potential for future sales.
Mobile optimization is crucial for growing online sales, as mobile search has surpassed desktop search in volume. Ensure your site is optimized for mobile, focusing on user experience and navigation. Make it easy for mobile visitors to make purchases, with fast-loading pages and logical navigation. Simplify the checkout process and allow visitors to save their carts for later. Remember that mobile visitors may not convert in one session, so make it effortless for them to buy from you while on the go.
After a customer makes a purchase, don’t neglect them. Implement a thoughtful follow-up procedure to show appreciation and encourage loyalty. Provide detailed order summaries, tracking information, and customer service resources. Offer incentives for future purchases and engage with customers through social media. By paying attention to customers post-purchase, you can turn them into loyal brand advocates.
Focus on your value proposition in all marketing communications. Highlight how your product or service solves customers’ problems, the specific benefits it offers, and why customers should choose you over competitors. Ensure your value proposition is clear and prominent in all marketing materials to create perceived value and drive sales.
Utilize the voice of the customer in your advertising campaigns to resonate with your target audience. Use PPC and paid social media to reach new audiences and incorporate customer feedback to create more compelling ad campaigns. The language used in your campaigns can significantly impact your conversion rates and sales. Therefore, my fourth tip is to incorporate “the voice of the customer” in your campaigns. This involves aligning your copy with the needs, wants, pain points, expectations, and aversions of your target consumers, using language and phrasing that they themselves use during market research and focus group testing.
For example, FreshBooks, an accounting software company, effectively used the voice of the customer in its messaging by incorporating the language of small-business owners who found bookkeeping to be painful and challenging.
By using the exact phrasing of your ideal customers to reach them, you can create powerful messaging that resonates with your target audience. To learn more about incorporating the voice of the customer into your campaigns, check out this post on the subject.
Considering the often fragmented customer journey, which now typically spans over at least a day or two and involves multiple devices, remarketing also aligns closely with the modern consumer’s preference to shop wherever and whenever they desire.
Remarketing is a multifaceted, nuanced subject with specific considerations depending on whether you are remarketing through paid search or paid social. For more insights, take a look at The Complete Guide to AdWords Remarketing Best Practices and The Ridiculously Awesome Guide to Facebook Remarketing.
Strategies to Boost Online Sales [Summary]
Experiment with these 25 tactics to enhance your online sales performance:
- Utilize Remarketing to Secure More Sales
- Engage with Your Prospects on Social Media
- Identify Your Most Effective Attribution and Conversion Paths
- Leverage the Voice of the Customer for Compelling Ad Campaigns
- Craft a Clear and Compelling Value Proposition
- Delight New Customers with a Stellar Follow-Up Email
- Enhance Online Sales through Mobile Optimization
- Utilize an Opt-In Pop-Up Offer to Encourage Purchase
- Implement Tiered Pricing Strategies
- Develop and Target Detailed Buyer Personas
- Provide Valuable Freebies to Customers
- Address All Inquiries and Objections in Your Content
- Maintain Consistent Messaging Across Campaigns and Your Website
- Experiment with Gmail Ads
- Streamline Your Landing Pages
- Invest in High-Quality Product Imagery
- Offer a Wide Range of Payment Options
- Minimize Friction in the Checkout Process
- Target Lookalike Audiences on Facebook
- Simplify Choices for Customers
- Back Your Products with a Strong Money-Back Guarantee
- Create a Sense of Urgency in Your Marketing
- Showcase Customer Testimonials and Trust Signals
- Boost Ad Clicks with Ad Extensions
- Maintain Transparency in Your Sales Copy
