Competition between eCommerce companies has elevated consumer
expectations significantly, pushing them to an all-time high as sites
continue trying to outdo one another. More than 70 percent of Canadians
will do at least some form of online shipping this year. For an
eCommerce site to thrive in the market,
they need to be able to measure up. Fortunately, through some small
adjustments, any site should be able to successfully position itself for
long-term success in the upcoming summer sales season. Here are some
eCommerce strategies to try.
Evaluate competitors’ strategies
Sign
up for the competition’s sales newsletter. Pay attention to both larger,
multi-national corporate brands and smaller businesses. Any company
that poses a threat in the local market
should be something to keep an eye on. This way, you can decide on
whether to offer similar deals, better deals, or it may give some ideas
on what you wish to offer the customer.
Create sales and clearance sections
Any
product that you need to move fast should be appropriately featured in
their own section. By diverting attention directly to these pages, there
is a greater likelihood of them being in the mood to spend money and buy.
Consider categorizing products according to men, women, and children;
and grouping by price. Be sure to include relevant keywords, high volume
phrases, and don’t get to target long-tail keywords which you may be
more likely to place for.
Consider deals for returning customers
Though
it may make sense to set up deals and promotions for new customers
only, having some exclusive, limited time-only returning customer
promotions is not such a bad idea either. These customers have already
bought from you and if the experience was a positive one, it makes it
even more possible they will return. Build an eCommerce site that
is constantly giving customers a reason to return, whether that’s
through daily sales and promotions, blog content, social media contests,
and/or something else.
Maintain a strong, detailed ‘About Us’ Page
Some consumers may harbour apprehensions about buying from a site they’ve never bought before. Via an About Us page, be sure to explain a little bit about your business and philosophy.
Hit email marketing hard
Email marketing is where a lot of eCommerce brands are seeing return visits from past customers. Strategize carefully,
send out timed emails to existing clients detailing reasons to return,
and encourage new customers to sign up for the newsletter.
Better return policy
Considering a more extensive return policy is a smart move for eCommerce sites.
There are some sites offering as long as a 1-year product guarantee and
free returns. This might be something to consider, though a year is
admittedly long. No matter what the return policy is, ensuring that it
is indicated and advertised appropriately across the site.
Be sure the site is loading at fast speeds
eCommerce
sites are not your typical site. They use many components that the
non-eCommerce site won’t use. This can make loading times increase
significantly if your web design is being overseen by an inexperienced
designer. Nearly half of all users will abandon a site entirely if the
page they want takes longer than three seconds to load. For an eCommerce
site, this could mean losing out on potentially thousands of sales. So
be sure to test loading speed regularly on desktop, tablet, and mobile platforms to identify irregularities and slow-downs.
By following these tips and tricks for how to set up an eCommerce site to sell huge during a busy summer season, Unlimited Exposure is confident your brand can continue to attract loyal customers and increase its revenues.
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