In a football match, the team with the highest wages doesn’t always win, but the one with the best tactics.
If we apply this same concept to the world of e-commerce, we understand that it’s not necessarily necessary to invest more than others, but to define a good strategy.
A web presence alone isn’t enough to compete with the big internet giants; here are some tips for building an e-commerce business that will help you achieve your goals.
#1 – Increase sales by increasing traffic
It may seem obvious, but if you want to sell, you need to bring people to your store, whether online or offline. This “little detail” is often overlooked, but it’s obviously the first thing to consider. And that’s the best thing to do! Before investing your marketing budget, it’s important to consider a few key aspects.
- Choose exactly where to direct users; don’t always bring them to the home page. If a user finds your ad through search engines or social media, it’s because they’re looking for something specific. It goes without saying that it’s better to direct the user immediately to the “therefore,” avoiding having them wander through your site from the home page in search of the desired product.
This is because e-commerce home pages are notoriously high in abandonment. Therefore, it’s better to target ads to a specific product or category. - Product descriptions matter! They really do. Always remember that users should be drawn to your product through search engines or social media; therefore, the image isn’t always the first thing they see. Using an original and comprehensive product title and description will not only capture the user’s attention, but also that of search engines for better optimization. The secret is to design your title and description by thinking about how you would search for the product yourself on Google. And if this simple trick isn’t enough, you can use professional yet very simple tools like Google Trends to help.
- Make your e-commerce site mobile-friendly. Today, most users purchase from a mobile device (smartphones and tablets). And according to many studies, those who purchase from a PC begin their purchasing journey on the go. Therefore, make sure your site is perfectly navigable from mobile devices, especially because (don’t forget), Google pays close attention to the user’s browsing experience and rewards it handsomely.
- Invest wisely . Be wary of those who encourage you to invest your budget exclusively on Google AdWords ads. Social media is increasingly important for the e-commerce world, thanks to targeting and retargeting features. These features allow you to precisely define the type of users to whom you want to advertise (based on their interests or personality) and simultaneously “stalk” those who have shown interest in a product similar to yours.
2# – Create a unique experience
Online shoppers love to feel pampered. Your e-commerce experience and services should always be geared toward this goal. After all, just as in the offline world—or, more precisely, in physical stores—customers expect a welcoming, helpful environment, the average user expects to have certain standards online as well.
What to do to get the best possible result?
- Usability and design are your calling card. If someone tells you that e-commerce doesn’t require any special design and you can easily use pre-packaged online templates, run away! You risk wasting your money.
Let’s always start with the example of a physical store, because e-commerce is ultimately a digital store of disproportionate size. Would you ever want your store to look like a thousand others, or worse, be messy and dusty? I certainly hope not!
So why would you invest time and money in an e-commerce site built from a template used by thousands of other businesses that doesn’t reflect your image, or worse, is incomplete according to web standards? You might as well not even start.
It’s best to always rely on customized solutions, created by experts in the field, who can also guide you through the various activities related to e-commerce branding, so that your image can truly be enhanced and your business can grow. - Speed is everything. Time is money, and to earn more, you’ll need to save users time. Online shoppers want to do it quickly, not waste time clicking. If slowed down, they’ll likely abandon your site. Therefore, in addition to having an optimized site (as described in the previous point) to ensure maximum usability, it’s important to ensure the purchasing process is always streamlined and the site is responsive. To measure the technical quality of your e-commerce site, you can use tools like GtMetrix. A double A in the GtMetrix test is ideal for a site, and it MUST be ideal for your e-commerce site as well.
- Use social media daily . Show your users and potential customers that yours is a dynamic, up-to-date business that places communication at the center of its efforts. A consistent system of sharing on social media will not only generate traffic to your e-commerce site at no cost (thus increasing the likelihood of sales), but it will also allow you to be seen. Every day. Imagine having a pool of millions of people who can pass by your storefront every day to see what’s new and fall in love with your products. This is what you can achieve if you leverage social media effectively with precise communication techniques and optimal response times.
Again, if you can rely on someone with the relevant expertise to best organize your communication (remember, it’s still advertising, even if it’s free).
#3 – Your customers today are your next customers
Loyalty. Transform your current customers into the customers of the future. They must always have you as their point of reference for their purchases, and to achieve this, you must build an efficient system that puts the customer at the center of attention. Only in this way can you best build customer loyalty and make them your living testimony of quality. The loyalty process is very delicate. For e-commerce, the advice is to focus on well-defined points.
- Proactive engagement . Make sure you capture the interest of all users who visit your e-commerce site, even those who don’t purchase.
You can do this by using two specific techniques:
– real-time chat that activates automatically after a few minutes and is available to the user (a bit like a sales assistant in a store, but without becoming too intrusive XD)
– exit lightbox, i.e., insert a system that recognizes when the user is leaving your portal and prompts them to like your social media profiles or, better yet, enter an email address for any communications and offers. - Create personalized newsletters . The concept of a single email address for all registered users is no longer a viable option. It’s unprofitable. You need to leverage user segmentation tools based on geographic location or interest in specific products, so you can create tailored communications, maximizing the number of people who will actually pay attention to your message. In addition to the newsletter system, it’s a good idea to set up automated, intelligent emails that offer sales or tailored offers based on previous purchases or products viewed (a cross-selling technique). If you’ve never managed a newsletter, perhaps it’s worth checking out this simple guide.
For example, if I bought a Juventus kit (a random team), I might be interested in some Juventus accessories, even better if they’re on sale. It would be great if an email notified me that my local store is offering these very items on sale 😉 - Offer ongoing support . If you want to retain a customer, you need to always be there for them with whatever they need. Resolve any issues, be always available, and turn even the most skeptical into your best online customers.
Over the past few years, we at Brainin have gained incredible experience in the world of e-commerce and have created many successful solutions. If you’d like guidance in online sales and building a high-quality e-commerce site, we’re available to help you anytime. Contact us now, even just for a no-obligation discussion.
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