How to Optimize Your Sales Online
With eCommerce sales at an all-time high, now’s the time to jump on board and join the movement. Having an online store is a great starting point, but in order to rake in the big bucks, there are certain features your website needs and some things you can do in order to encourage your site visitors to make a purchase.
If you haven’t yet created your online store, you’ll want to refer to our extensive checklist on setting up an online store. You’ll find everything from selecting the perfect template to making sure your SEO game is strong enough to get your website found by the masses – while you’re at it, make sure your URLs look clean.
Once your website is up and running, you’re ready to focus on the important part; encouraging your visitors to buy. But first let’s review some basics:
How to get started–A quick reminder
1. Add your products: Your product pages should include high-quality photos along with a detailed product description (don’t forget to add Alt Text!) and all possible variants of a specific product like the size, style or color. Want your buyers to spread the word? Select which social media icons will appear on your product pages so that your users can share your product on their social channels.
2. Connect your payment: If you want to get paid, you need to set up your payment options inside your Store Manager. Choose from PayPal, credit card, offline payments, and more.
3. Set up shipping and tax rules: Set up your shipping and tax rules depending on where you’ll be shipping to. You can create additional rules within your Store Manager so that when a buyer makes a purchase, you’re ready.
4. Upgrade your plan: In order to sell your products online, you need to upgrade to one of Wix’s Premium Plans. Choose the plan that works best for you, depending on your needs.
Set up your storefront
When you walk past a store on the street, what compels you to walk through the door and eventually make a purchase? While there could be a number of factors that invite you in, the most obvious is a beautifully decorated storefront. Just because your business is online, doesn’t mean you can’t create a stunning storefront of your own. Your homepage is the first thing your visitors will see, so you want to grab their attention! Consider adding a new collection to lure your visitors in or get your customers ready for spring by adding a colorful layout. Customize the look and feel of your storefront and of course, change the language if needed.
When a visitor arrives to your homepage, they’ll need to be guided on where to go next (ahem, we’re talking about your product pages!). Be sure to use high-quality images and include clear call to action buttons like ‘Buy Now’ to encourage your users to browse and ultimately buy.
Strut your stuff
When you walk through a store and there is a blow-out sale going on, you know it from the moment you arrive. Well, the same should go for your eCommerce site. Running an end-of-season sale? Shout it from the rooftops! Add ribbons to the products that are on sale and create enticing coupons that will get your crowd talking. From buy one, get one free coupons to offering an entire collection at one flat price, the possibilities are endless. Another great idea? Run a limited time offer, like 50% off your whole store, for two days. That sense of urgency will give your buyers the nudge they need. The more you give your buyers, the happier they’ll be. And you know what they say about happy customers! They’re more likely to return.
Shout it out
Speaking of giving your buyers enticing offers, the only way for your buyers to know your online store is open and ready for business is to shout it out! Use social media to promote sales and offer discounts just for your followers. Take things a step further by connecting with your visitors via email. By adding the Mailing List app from the Wix App Market, you’ll be able to collect the contact information of your site visitors and send beautiful emails straight from your Store Manager with the help of Wix email marketing. You can inform your subscribers of holiday sales, new collections, or even share your latest blog post. More than that: you can even set up automated emails to thank your customers and more!
When you’re really ready to put the pedal to the floor, try advertising your business online. Paid advertising on Facebook is great if you’re looking to advertise to a specific demographic through the most popular social network. If you fancy more Google search, dive into the world of pay-per-click advertising (or PPC). The more your online store is out there, the more potential buyers you’ll be reaching.
Show them you’re trustworthy
With so many online stores out there, it can be pretty hard to figure out who’s trustworthy and who’s not. In order to make sure your visitors turn into buyers, there are a few best practices you should apply:
Have your shipping and tax policies clearly displayed. On that same note – don’t hide your return policy!
Let your customers sing your praise! Use an app like Customer Reviews to showoff your stellar reputation.
If you’ve got some press coverage, dedicate a page on your site to show your visitors you’re well-known.
Share your business’s history and introduce your team via your About Us page. Personal connectivity always wins.
Answer their questions before they ask with a straightforward FAQ page.
And of course, you should be as easy to reach as possible.
Make yourself accessible
Speaking of being easy to reach, online shoppers are more likely to buy when they know they can contact you, so be sure to highlight how to get in touch with you on your website. Include more than just your phone number and email on your ‘Contact Us’ page. Add a Contact Form and show your buyers you’re standing by to listen to what they have to say. Got a physical storefront? Add a Google Map to your site so you can easily be located. If you’ve got the resources, go for an app like Tidio Live Chat, and offer live-chat support. But if you’re still a one-(wo)man operation, add your social buttons with the help of Smart Social Icons to show your consumers you’re completely accessible.
By Jillian Altit Community Manager
