The eCommerce industry has grown rapidly over the last decade, but as the number of shoppers increases, so too does competition. While the rise of mobile shopping has had a significant impact on the way consumers shop, many businesses struggle to get their products found online, let alone sell them successfully. If you’re looking to increase your profits, here are some ways to scale your eCommerce strategy!
- Work on increasing the number of items sold per customer, both new and repeat
If you sell physical goods, then you should focus on increasing the average order size, not just single purchases. Custom packaging at https://www.epicpackaging.co/custom-product-boxes is an incredible and cost-efficient way to not only impress your customers, but to leave a long lasting impact for your brand that leads to increased word of mouth, social sharing, brand loyalty and revenue.
The first step is to identify which items tend to be purchased in larger quantities, and who those customers are. This can be done through customer segmentation analysis, which helps you understand who buys your product, how much they spend, and why they do so. Once you know who your best customers are, you can create campaigns for them specifically. Here are some ways to target them!
- Offer discounts for repeat customers. Discounting new customers doesn’t build long-term relationships: how are you pushing your existing customers to invest more in your product? When it’s done right, referral programs work!
- Offer free shipping for all orders above a certain threshold. For example, free shipping kicks in when a certain amount of product is purchased, which can tempt the buyer into meeting that requirement to ‘save’ some money in the long run! Lash Professional offers free shipping on orders over $99 in the United States.
- Offer discounts for bulk purchases. For example, SaharaCase offers a bundle deal where a customer can purchase a series of protective cases for their entire collection of devices at a discounted rate, instead of just a single phone case. AmmoFast is also a great example of this strategy: they’ll ship whatever you order to the 48 states for just $14.95, no matter the amount! That’s a far bigger incentive to order bigger than any deal.
2) Invest in customer service and experience
Ensuring that your company’s eCommerce experience is stellar from start to finish is must for scaling. From the first click to the final purchase, here are some areas to investigate!
- Make sure your website that has a clear call to action for customers. This means that when someone visits your site, they should be able to find out how to purchase something right away.
- Is your website optimized for mobile devices? This might seem like a no-brainer but it’s vital that webpages load quickly and look great on small screens. Also take the time to regularly test your links to ensure there aren’t any broken ones!
- Create a product catalog that contains all the information about each item, and make sure browsing and adding to cart is an easy process. Cinesamples has their massive collection of virtual instruments broken down into eight categories, and their CineSymphony series offers clear product listings, sharp imagery, and clear, add-to-cart options.
- Offer fast delivery times and quick checkout process.
- Consider a live chat feature where customers can ask questions about your products and services. SaharaCase has one built into their home page that includes ‘instant answers’ to frequently-asked questions, along with a direct ‘ask’ feature for more personalized questions.
3) Increase the conversion rate
Conversion rate refers to the percentage of visitors who complete a specific action after visiting your website. When you’re looking to boost those numbers, the first step is to understand how customers behave when they shop online.
Once you know that, you can use different techniques to optimize your site for conversions:
- Use landing pages that are optimized for conversions, with clear call-to-action prompts. If you have this in place already, go a step further and use A/B testing. This means that you split test different variations of your website design and then measure which one performs better.
- Build trust and credibility through customer reviews, testimonials, and case studies.
- Add features like shopping cart abandonment prevention systems.
- Use images instead of text.
- Use keywords that are relevant to your product or service.
- If you’re offering digital content, be sure to highlight trial periods of free access: It’s the best way to build trust and exploration without the pressure of immediate investment. For example, Musio offers 14 days of free, full access to their catalog of virtual instruments, along with monthly or annual plans for convenience, and the ability to cancel at any time.
Scaling your eCommerce business can turn your small store into a major online brand. By using these suggestions to solidify your business, there’s no limit to how big you can grow!