How do I increase my online sales? «

How do I increase my online sales?

We are often asked by clients how to increase their online shop’s sales.

Often it is the simple things that can have a positive effect.

In this article we outline some simple methods for increasing your online sales.

We will concentrate on the checkout process.

Are your visitors abandoning their shopping baskets?

When looking through your Google Analytics have you noticed that shoppers on your site will, browse your store, add items to their baskets and then ‘abandon’ them at the point of checking out.

Often as much as 50% of shoppers will abandon their baskets.

If you stop and think about it, there is potential to increase sales on your site by simply understanding why this is happening and taking some corrective action.

How to reduce your abandon rate.

So how can you reduce your checkout abandon rate?

There are lots of things you can do and we recommend the following as a good start.

1. Upfront Registration – Is it really necessary?

How many times have you visited an online shop and had to register BEFORE, you could do anything.

The idea of filling in a form, often with personal information, before knowing if you want to buy something is very off putting.  Let visitors to your site, browse, add items to their basket, and then at the point of purchase you should ask for their information. They are more likely to give it.

2. Be upfront with delivery charges – no surprises

Shoppers like to know the total cost before buying a product.

Don’t surprise them at the end off the checkout process, with extra charges.  The shopper may well complete their purchase, but it is at this point that many will abandon the process. Be upfront with all charges and costs.

3. Reassure at all times

Reassure your shoppers that they are buying the correct product and they will be less likely to abandon.

Ensure all product descriptions are clear, always use photographs and create links to more in-depth descriptions if necessary.  Make sure there is an email option, to ask a question, and that your phone number is to hand.

Make sure your customer has all the information they need to reassure them they are buying the correct product.

4. Don’t ask for Unnecessary Information

We all hate form-filling, whether on line or on paper.

Keep your forms simple and don’t ask unnecessary questions.  Make as many of the form fields optional (and if you are doing this with a lot of them, then why do you need them).

If there is information that you must collect then let the customer know why and they are more likely to provide it.

Do you really need their fax number? date of birth?

5. Less is More

Count the steps in your checkout process.  The less the number of steps the more likely a shopper will complete them.  Use images or text as a ‘progress bar’ to let the shopper know where they are in the checkout process.

6. Use a Secure checkout

Make  sure that your checkout process uses SSL/TLS (https) so that the customer’s details are encrypted when they’re sent to the server.  This reassures customers that you take their privacy and security seriously. You should always encrypt payment information such as credit card numbers. Many customers like to see the little padlock in their browser.

7. Payment Options – More is More

Most shoppers will have a payment method that is peculiar to them, (e.g.  credit card, debit card,  PayPal).  Some prefer cheques.

Make it easy for your customers and provide a wide range of payment methods and they will find their own personal choice:

  • Visa
  • Mastecard
  • Debit Cards
  • Phone
  • Fax
  • Cheque

But again, reassure:

  • Your physical address.
    Shoppers want to know exactly where your business is.
  • A contact phone number.
    Not a mobile.  A land-line number reassures your customer that they can contact you if there are any issues.
  • A money-back guarantee. If possible, offer a 100% refund, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee on all purchases. Not only does this reassure the shopper that they can get their money back if there are any problems, but it also shows them that you’re committed to the quality of your products and service.
  • Links to your privacy statement and security information. This reassures the customer that the information they enter in the checkout is safe.

8. Why have you not bought something from your own shop?

Often forgotten, but when was the last time you bought an item from your own shop.

Simply the best way to test, and keep testing, is to place an order yourself.  Do this regularly.

Paypal, WorldPay, Google Checkout, all the payment providers change their processes on a regular basis and your checkout process may have changed without you keeping an eye on it.

9. Simple and Easy

The best way to minimise the number of abandoned baskets, is to simply everything and make the process as easy as possible for the customer to place their order.

10. Keep it Clean

Remove all unnecessary content around your checkout process that concerns other aspects of your website.

Make the checkout process pages free of all clutter.