Are you missing out on any key tips for increasing your online sales? Chances are, if you are not seeing the results you are hoping for, then you might want to read up on some of these effective sales tips.
10 effective online marketing tips to increase your sales
You’ve got the product(s), and your website is up and running, but your sales just aren’t quite where you expect them to be. Here is what you can do to improve your online marketing strategies and bring an increase in conversions and growth to your business.
1. Optimize your site for multiple platforms
Have you tested your website on multiple devices? Your customers are viewing your site from a variety of different sources, and you need to be sure that each of them are having the same (positive) experience. Check that your website is functioning properly on a variety of possible devices that your target audience may be using, such as:
- Mac
- PC
- iPhone
- Android
- Tablets
2. Create a simple path to the checkout
In other words, make sure that your visitors aren’t having a hard time finding their way to the finish line. You don’t want too many distractions keeping your customers from clicking “buy” before they’ve wandered away from your products. Here are a few ways to do this:
- Take a minimalist approach: Limit your site design to 2-3 colors. Avoid background patterns and heavy graphics.
- Provide a simple and easy-to-spot “check-out”: Such as the classic shopping cart.
- Don’t link away from your website: If you must include links, ensure that they are set to open the link in a new tab and NEVER redirect the customer completely away from your website. They may not come back.
3. Offer free shipping
According to BizReport, 77% of online shoppers insist on having the option to choose free shipping. Surprising customers with unexpected shipping costs at checkout may result in lower conversions.
4. Improve your SEO
Read up on Search Engine Optimization, or “SEO”, if you haven’t already. This is how you are going to get Google to notice you, and help people to find you in their searches.
Where should you start?
- Metadata: help Google and other search engines understand what your website is about
- Content: high-quality, relevant content across your website
- Backlinks: how many links are pointing back to your website?
5. Social media
These days, your company’s social media presence is just as important for driving business as your web page. Doing this not only improves your visibility, but increases trust in your business and products. Be sure to set up and maintain at least the following social media platforms to help keep your client base engaged:
6. Get listed in free directories
There are more free directories that have already listed your business automatically than you may realize. The key is making sure your business information is consistent across each of these.
One great way to get a list of all of the directories that your business is listed in is to do a search on Yext. This is a subscription resource that allows you to easily maintain your business information consistently across all directories. Google will rank you higher when all of your listings are matching.
Of course, you can also bypass the cost of a subscription by doing this manually, and claiming/updating all of your listings one site at a time.
7. Incorporate video marketing
If you haven’t already, consider folding engaging video content into the mix. Especially on social media, short, engaging pieces of video can be a major attention getter. An extremely effective technique is to create quick, fast moving clips (usually set to music) that demonstrate an interesting or popular product.
8. Gather reviews
Customer feedback is important. When potential new customers see that you’ve managed to impress your existing client base, they are more likely to trust you with their money. Work hard to resolve any issues that pop up with your shoppers to avoid negative reviews and a hit to your reputation.
We recommend this review tool »
9. Study the data
Knowing what your audience is doing when they reach your website can help you make important decisions to improve your online sales. Using Google Analytics is useful for this purpose by providing you with a map of what exactly your web traffic is doing, and where your overall map could potentially be improved.
10. Increase visibility by running ads
Facebook has made major improvements lately on their ad management system. Tools like these are invaluable online marketing options. While Facebook ads may not lead directly to conversions, they are highly effective at increasing awareness of your content, and improving traffic to your website, both of which need to occur before sales take place. Here are some quick sales tips to hopefully lead to conversions while using Facebook ads:
- Limit your audience to only your most valuable targets: Selling handmade wedding dresses? You can decrease the chances of your ads being delivered to less likely shoppers by limiting your audience to (for example) women only, between the ages of 18-40, who have their relationship status set to “engaged.”
- Run seasonal offers: 50%-off regular priced items is the kind of thing that will help bring in new customers, who may not have clicked on your ad if it weren’t for the chance to score a deal. The more people you can get to click on and engage with your ad, the more of their friends will be able to see your content. Discounts and sales are great at attracting new customers, because they allow you to include lower-budget individuals in your customer base, without lowering the value of your product or service.
You can improve your online sales
There are plenty of effective ways to improve your marketing techniques, and boost your sales. You just need to know the right sales tips and tricks of the trade to get the conversions you need. Increase your visibility and drive traffic to your business through digital ads and online marketing, utilizing SEO, and knowing your audience!
Need help handling the fine tunings of effective online marketing for your business? Contact Thrive! We know how to get your business to the top through SEO optimization of your website, as well as create beautiful websites and develop effective social media campaigns.
