How to increase online sales

Start by finding out what your current conversion rate is. You might be surprised to know that just 2-3% is common for e-commerce sites. That’s just two or more sales for every 100 visitors.

Using a tool like Google Analytics, you can start to understand who your visitors are and how they interact with your site. For example you might want to know:

• Which page do most visitors enter your site from?
• How long do visitors spend on a particular page?
• Which pages do visitors most often leave from?

This helps you understand how visitors engage with your site and what you might need to change to increase that engagement. You can also use that data to set measurable goals as you start to grow.

A clear customer journey is crucial for increasing online conversion. You want to ensure that the steps you’d like the visitor to take are as clear as possible. So that the visitor finds what they are looking for – with as much or as little additional information as they need – and signs up or buys it.

Analytics will show you what the visitor’s site behaviour is. By improving your visitor’s journey around the site, you can alter that behaviour. For example:

• Clearly identifiable buttons or links make the next step easier and more intuitive.
• Ensure you have the right information available at the right time – anticipate the next question.
• Don’t provide too many options – think about the one thing you’d like them to do net.
• Always provide a point of contact or call to action.

A call to action is an image or text that prompts the visitor to do something in response. For example, download an e-book, sign-up to a newsletter, buy something or visit your store.

Everything we’ve highlighted so far will influence how effective your call to action is. It’s only one part of the process. However without a call to action, your visitors will have nothing to respond to.

You can have multiple opportunities for a call to action but each time it should be:

• Short – as brief as possible
• Specific – what will they get in return
• Simple – use language that’s practical rather than technical

Good reviews have a huge influence on purchasing decisions. By the time a visitor starts looking at the reviews they have probably already decided whether they want what you’re selling. A good review reinforces that decision. A bad review (or no review) introduces doubt or destroys credibility. .

Recent research shows that a positive review influences the buying decision of 90% of customers. So for a small business this can make a big difference to your conversion rate.

• Always ask for testimonials or reviews from your customers and include them on your website.
• Always respond to bad reviews on your website or social media. It’s an opportunity to put something right and demonstrate good customer service.

Unfortunately, after all that hard work, most website visitors leave at the point of sale. The average ‘abandonment rate’ is 68%. This is the ratio of abandoned shopping carts to the number of initiated transactions. The reasons for this are varied:

• A complicated check-out system.
• Asking for too much information too soon.
• Having to sign up before completing the purchase.
• Hidden or unclear shipping costs.

Streamlining any of these processes significantly increases the chances of converting your sales. However, even when a visitor leaves at this stage, all is not lost!

If you have contact details for an existing customer who abandons their basket before completing their purchase, use this as an opportunity to get feedback on their visit, as well as offering them a friendly reminder to return at another time.

And, you can make use of ‘exit intent popups’. These kick in once a visitor’s cursor starts to leave your website offering them something before they leave. So even if they’re not a convert this time, give them a reason to keep coming back for more.