HOW TO INCREASE SALES ON YOUR WEBSITE
Whether you’ve recently launched an e-commerce business or you’ve been trading for a while, there are lots of things you can do to get more sales. Promote yourself on social media, send out marketing emails, leaflet drop in your local area – the list goes on. But once you’ve got people visiting your website, how do you convert them into buyers?
In this guide, we’ll talk you through the key ways you can optimise your website to maximise your online sales.
1. Make sure your website is easy to use
As a browser, there’s nothing more annoying than a clunky website that’s full of glitches or takes forever to load. It’s really important that you regularly browse your own website in the same way in which potential customers would, to identify any issues that might frustrate them (and have them closing the tab and searching up one of your competitors). Try on different devices and browsers, too. And remember – most people browse the web on their phones now, so don’t be tempted to just check your site when you’re working on your laptop.
Having an easy-to-use website isn’t just about minimising glitches, though. You also want to make sure your browsers can find what they’re looking for and buy it with ease. Adding helpful features like filtering options and the ability to sort results by price are just a couple of examples of simple additions that can have a big impact – especially if you sell a large range of products.
2. Make sure your words are working hard
When it comes to converting browsers into buyers, words matter. We should know – we’re experts in this field! Your website copy – from your homepage to your product descriptions – needs to be persuasive if you want to reduce the number of people who click away without checking out.
The first thing you can do is have someone check over your copy for spelling and grammar. A few spelling mistakes and typos here and there might not seem like a big deal to you, but when you combine these little things with others, it can very quickly make you appear less polished and professional. And that means fewer sales. Tools like Grammarly can also help minimise these kinds of mistakes, if you’re writing the copy yourself.
Once the basics are out of the way, look at how well the words on your website are selling your products or services. To do this, ask yourself a few questions. The number-one rule in marketing is to sell the benefits, not the features – do you have that covered? Next, you (hopefully) talk about all the reasons why people should buy from you, but do you make it clear how they would lose out by not buying from you? And how are you reassuring them that they’re making a good decision? If you’re not confident in your persuasive writing skills, hiring a copywriter could be a sound investment.
3. Include testimonials and case studies
No matter what you’re selling, one of the most important things you can do when it comes to increasing your sales is to showcase positive feedback from previous customers. This could be in the form of reviews, testimonials, user-generated content, or even in-depth case studies. These things build trust, which is a really important part of persuading people to buy from you.
If you haven’t already, add a few of your best testimonials to your site and let your browsers know where they can read more. If possible, allow the option for people to leave reviews for specific products, too – reading positive reviews can be really reassuring to potential customers and encourage them to click that ‘add to basket’ button.
4. Set up a mailing list
How many emails from mailing lists do you receive each day? Probably quite a lot, right? And while you might think some of them are annoying or repetitive, something keeps you from pressing that ‘unsubscribe’ button. The truth is, many consumers want to be included on mailing lists so they can get notified about sales, discounts, or new products, and they can be a super effective way to get repeat custom. Not only that, but when your customers see your brand name in their inbox every few days, you’ll be in the front of their mind when they’re next in the market to make a purchase in your category.
To encourage your customers to sign up to your mailing list, it’s a good idea to offer a small incentive. A discount of as little as 5% on their first order can be enough to twist most peoples’ arms.
5. Target different segments with different content
If you try to appeal to everyone, you’ll appeal to no one – we’re sure you’ve heard this phrase before. And it applies to your website, too. If you sell a range of different products targeted at people with different problems, interests or the likes, one of the best things you can do to increase your sales is to create unique content for each of them.
Targeted content can come in many forms, including landing pages and blog posts. Start by splitting your overall target market into a few clear segments. For example, if you sell brownies, you might split your customers into people who treat themselves occasionally, people buying gifts, and businesses who buy in bulk for events. Then, make sure they each have a place on your site where you can really showcase why they should buy from you.
Key takeaways
If you want to maximise your sales, getting people to your website is not enough. You also need an easy-to-use website and a clear strategy for converting those browsers into buyers, through things like clever copy, mailing lists, testimonials and targeted content.
At Sell it with Science, we’re experts in persuasive copywriting and passionate about helping small businesses to grow their online sales. If you’re interested in working together, drop us a line – we’ll be more than happy to chat!