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How to Increase Online Sales: 8 Ways to Empower Your Ecommerce

October 22, 2020
Monique Danao
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Every ecommerce store wants to increase online sales. 

As a result, businesses create numerous ecommerce marketing campaigns to promote products and attract more leads. But, the steady rise of more online shops makes it difficult for merchants to compete and attract new customers.

To help you reach your ecommerce sales goals, here are 8 strategic and creative ways to boost sales for your business.

1. Enable One-Click Checkout 

The average cart-abandonment rate is about 76%, according to OptinMonster. 

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) company Barilliance reports the average shopping cart abandonment rate on mobile is as high as 85.65%. Meanwhile, online platform Dynamic Yield, citing data from Forrester research, found ecommerce brands lose about $18 billion annual revenue to abandoned shopping carts.

A complicated checkout process seems to be one of the main suspects for shoppers backing out at the last minute. Thus, having a one-click guest checkout experience and could prevent customers from abandoning shopping carts.  

After all, every customer prefers a no-hassle purchase over those that require log-ins and additional complicated steps.  

Lifestyle brand Happiness Abscissa lets customers click an item and view the product description on the same page. 

Lifestyle brand Happiness Abscissa lets customers click an item and view the product description on the same page.

Upon clicking the "Add to Cart" button, consumers can complete checkout through the right panel and pay through Paypal or Shop Pay. 

Upon clicking the "Add to Cart" button, consumers of Happiness Abscissa can complete checkout through the right panel and pay through Paypal or Shop Pay.

2. Integrate Live Chat Software 

A live chat option lets sales teams have one-to-one conversations with consumers — and they come with numerous benefits. 

About 41% of respondents in a report by Kayako prefer live chat instead of the telephone (32%), email (23%), and social media (3%). Meanwhile, live chat has a customer satisfaction rating of 85%, according to Zendesk.

With live chat, teams can answer customer inquiries, conduct product presentations, upsell products, and persuade customers along the sales funnel. It may also uncover reasons why customers were dissuaded from purchasing such as a non-informative product description or a poor user experience.

No live chat in your ecommerce store yet? No problem!

Merchants can install live chat software such as Olark within minutes.

Here is a 3-step process to help you get started:

     1. Fill in the details for the “Create Account” page for their free trial. 
     2. Log-in to your Olark account, visit the Setting section and select the installation option. 

Merchants can install live chat software such as Olark within minutes.

     3. Copy the embed code for the JavaScript snippet, and you're good to go. 

Interested merchants can view more information on their Getting Started page

3. Launch a Referral Program 

Think about the last time you tried a new online service or shopped for the first time in a retail store. A glowing recommendation from your friends or family probably piqued your curiosity and convinced you to try the products yourself. 

This is the power of referral marketing. 

Referrals make it more likely for shoppers to bite the bullet, especially if they’re from trusted friends and family.

While referrals can happen organically, businesses can facilitate the process with a referral program. This works by incentivizing customers with cash, rewards and freebies.

For example, the Uber Eats referral program lets brand advocates and their friends earn $20 off for a successful referral. 

The Uber Eats referral program lets brand advocates and their friends earn $20 off for a successful referral.

Your customers are the perfect brand ambassadors because of their first-hand experience in using your product. To motivate them to make more referrals, reward their referrals, and empower them to promote your brand.

Referral marketing can help you grow your customer base with minimal effort. However, launching a referral program doesn’t entail building it from the ground-up. 

Use referral software such as ReferralCandy and Referral Rock to set up a referral program for your online shop. 

4. Upsell Your Product 

Next, upsell your product. 

Enable customization and let customers choose their preferred product features. 

This ingenious sales technique lets customers opt for a product with premium features or select the options that will fit their current budget. For merchants, they’ll earn more revenue from customers opting for premium features. 

According to Sumo, an upsell can bolster revenue by 10% to 30% on average. They also are 68% more cost-effective than getting a new customer through the sales funnel. 

While this technique won’t increase the number of sales, it can boost average order value and profits. 

For example, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 product page lets consumers pick from various colors, models, connectivity and storage options. 

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 product page lets consumers pick from various colors, models, connectivity and storage options.

Another tip is to cross-sell related products. 

Promote complimentary products or items to increase your revenue from each order. This helps users discover items related to the product they plan to purchase. 

Take a look at the product listing for the videogame Animal Crossing on Amazon.com.

Take a look at the product listing for the videogame Animal Crossing on Amazon.com.

Through the "Customers who viewed this item also viewed" section, users can find related products that they can add to their shopping cart. 

5. Improve Product Photos and Descriptions 

People rely on visual aesthetics when shopping online because they can’t touch, smell, or taste the product. But there are two ways you can sway customers in your favor — product photos and descriptions. 

Ideally, product pages must have high-quality images that showcase your merchandise in the best light. Upload clear product products and models using the product to make a good first impression. 

Beauty brand Glossier has some of the best product pages. Similar to most ecommerce stores, Glossier has a product photo along with a white background which gives shoppers a clear picture of its merchandise. 

Glossier has a product photo along with a white background which gives shoppers a clear picture of its merchandise.

To promote diversity and inclusiveness, some pictures on the Glossier site feature the product being applied to models with different skin colors. 

To promote diversity and inclusiveness, some pictures on the Glossier site feature the product being applied to models with different skin colors.

Choosing colors and shades of beauty items can be challenging, especially if you're choosing it from a screen. Glossier eases this process by placing the names and samples of each shade on a blank sheet of paper. 

Choosing colors and shades of beauty items can be challenging. Glossier eases this process by placing the names and samples of each shade on a blank sheet of paper.

Apart from the photos, highlight product benefits in the description. Write a clear and concise description that answers the question, “What’s in it for me?”.

For example, Glossier's descriptions have a "Why It's Special" section which highlights how it stands out from similar products. Other basic features such as “cruelty-free”, “conditioning” and “smudge resistant” are written in bulleted form. This is extremely convenient for shoppers who want straightforward product specifics. 

Glossier's descriptions have a "Why It's Special" section which highlights how it stands out from similar products.

So, don’t get stuck with generic product photos and descriptions. Revamp the copy based on your target audience and add some attractive images to tempt shoppers to click the “Buy Now” button. 

6. Bulk Up Email List Subscriptions

Many people learn about new products and promos through promotional emails.

According to Campaign Monitor, segmented campaigns drive a 760% increase in revenue. Meanwhile, every dollar spent on email marketing results in a $42 return on investment (ROI)

However, you must bulk up your email subscription list to experience these fringe benefits. 

This can be done by offering compelling content such as ebooks, case studies, or other resources. Ask for their email addresses as a prerequisite for downloading content. 

Search Engine Journal’s book “A Complete Guide To SEO” requires readers to provide their name, email, and job title to download the content.

Search Engine Journal’s book “A Complete Guide To SEO” requires readers to provide their name, email, and job title to download the content.

Alternatively, you can host giveaways and get aspiring participants to enter their email address for a chance to snag cool prizes. Just like ebooks, you can also ask for emails as a requirement for participation. 

You can use tools such as KingSumo to create landing pages for giveaways. All you need to do is to create an account and complete the onboarding process.  

For instance, jewelry retailer Viva Cali hosted a limited-time giveaway for the Gucci Marmont Bag. 

Jewelry retailer Viva Cali hosted a limited-time giveaway for the Gucci Marmont Bag.

Interestingly, participants have more chances of winning when they spread the word on social media, follow the brand on Facebook, or join the “ambassador” program. 

Interestingly, participants have more chances of winning when they spread the word on social media, follow the brand on Facebook, or join the “ambassador” program.

In any case, hosting a giveaway lets you bulk up your email list subscription. This way, you can send deals, new products, and newsletters to your customer base. It also provides you with an opportunity to turn new customers into brand advocates. 

7. Launch a Loyalty Program 

Online publisher Super Office, citing data from Marketing Metrics, reports that the success rate of selling to an existing customer is around 60% to 70%. In contrast, the likelihood of closing a sale with new customers is about 5% to 20%.  

These numbers prove that retaining your current customers is a lot more cost-effective than converting a new customer. 

To boost customer retention, consider launching a loyalty program to reward loyal customers for patronizing your brand. Give discounts, prizes, and promotions to boost recurring purchases from your customer base. 

For example, the Starbucks Rewards Programs lets customers earn stars for every item that they order. They can use accumulated points to get free coffee and birthday treats. 

The Starbucks Rewards Programs lets customers earn stars for every item that they order.

Besides offering rewards, take this opportunity to send promos and offer perks to members. Starbucks spices up its loyalty program by letting members enjoy convenient payment options, in-app games and send promos. 

Starbucks spices up its loyalty program by letting members enjoy convenient payment options, in-app games and send promos.

If you don’t have your referral program in place, consider third-party digital tools such as Candybar, which provides software that lets users create a digital punch card loyalty program.

8. Build a Facebook and Instagram Shop 

Google reports 43% of online consumers in the U.S. are classified as “social media shoppers.”

Not surprisingly, many shoppers discover new products by browsing through their newsfeeds. As a result, Facebook and Instagram are viable platforms to promote and sell your products.

Having an online shop on Facebook or Instagram is a must-have for businesses that want to get more out of social media. Instead of posting eye-catching product picks, make it easier for followers to find and buy what they like through their online shop features. 

Launching a Facebook or Instagram shop is fairly straightforward. 

With an Instagram Business account, entrepreneurs can easily sign up for Instagram Shopping features within their account. Just follow the onboarding instructions to create a shoppable post.

Retail shop Casetify has shoppable posts that boast of eye-catching product photos.

By clicking the shopping icon on the bottom left corner of the image, viewers can get a complete overview of the product variations and its prices. If they click any of these products, they can be redirected to the website’s product page. 

Retail shop Casetify has shoppable posts that boast of eye-catching product photos.

Instead of manually searching for the product on the website or Google, shoppable posts let customers find the price and product page in mere seconds. 

Facebook also has a similar option but there are a few main differences. Merchants can create a page filled with their merchandise, rather than individual shoppable posts.  

Let’s take a look at the shop page of JD Sports Singapore:

This is the shop page of JD Sports Singapore.

Upon clicking a product, customers can view the product description and shipping details as well as click the CTA to check out the retailer’s website. 

Upon clicking a product, customers of JD Sports Singapore can view the product description and shipping details as well as click the CTA to check out the retailer’s website.

You can visit the Facebook shops page to learn how to set up your store and sell from anywhere in the world. 

Time to Revamp Your Online Sales Strategy 

Now that you’ve learned some of the most effective ways to improve sales, put them into action. 

Launch a referral program and loyalty program to reward your brand advocates and attract new customers. Enable one-click checkout, and let buyers shop on social media to speed up the process. Revamp product pages and increase email list subscriptions for continued growth. 

The bottom line is: There are numerous sales strategies and online tools to help scale your business.

Which one will you pick?

About

Monique Danao

Monique Danao is a contributing writer for Kantaloupe. She writes about social media, content marketing, search engine optimization and ecommerce.

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