Shopping for goods has certainly changed over the years. While brick and mortar shops still do quite well, almost 70% of all people in the US shop regularly online. This has created a situation in which all shop owners and anyone with goods to sell must have an online presence. But with the saturation that has taken place, everyone is scrambling to get hits to their E-commerce sites. That’s great, but you have to make sure those visitors actually buy something. Here are a few tips to help your E-Commerce site to convert your visitors to regular customers.
Safety is Everything
While we freely offer up our credit card information on websites, we all want to make sure that our identity is secure. And hackers are getting more sophisticated by the second to try and access that information. So the first thing to consider is how safe is your online cart? That cart leads to your consumer’s identity and you really want to protect that. If your consumer suspects they were hacked on your site, they won’t be back. Review your checkout options carefully and find out how often those carts have been hacked. Opt for those cart options who show a low success rate in hacking. This could mean that you will need to pay a higher fee. But in the long run, that is a far better investment. Be sure you advertise to your customers, which program is protecting their identity.
Make Sure It’s Mobile Friendly
Since most cell phones are actually smartphones, and those smartphones are now growing in screen size, more and more people are now shopping on their phones and tablets. Hence, it’s crucial you use email templates which are mobile optimized. Amazon saw an 80% growth in 2015 in mobile sales and almost all major e-commerce site (ie: Etsy, K-Mart, Walmart) are making sure to edge their way into mobile sales. You simply must join the competition and make sure that your site is mobile friendly and still offers the same experience.
Make It Easy
Consumers attention spans are incredibly short. If they find anything difficult about your e-commerce site, they will leave within seconds. Be sure that the navigation bar is clean and simple. All links in the navigation bar should be functional and up to date. Additionally, there should be a search bar so that consumers can type in a keyword to find a specific item. Which thus brings us to making sure each listing has as many appropriate and applicable keywords associated as possible. It will make it easier for your consumer to find things and can even assist in google searching hitting your items quickly.
Contact Should Be Simple
Lots of time people have questions and want an easy way to get their answers. Be sure you have a shopper’s FAQ to answer those simple questions about shipping rates, shipping times, turn around time, and refund policies. On occasion, consumers may still have a question and need to contact you. Your contact information should be at the top of your shop, at the bottom of the website, and adding a contact page to your navigation bar isn’t a bad idea. Make it super easy to find. Additionally, your options for contact should be easy and understandable. If you encourage people to send a message, include a turn around time for response. Just be mindful that if it takes too long, you could lose a shopper. A telephone number is incredibly helpful for someone who wants an answer now. But, be sure you post a time frame in which you can take phone calls to answer those questions. Lastly, consider online chat support. It’s in real-time but requires a few employees to take on the time to cover those needs.
Have an Online Presence
Businesses should be utilizing social media as much as possible. Encourage all visitors to sign up for a newsletter so they can be kept up to date on all your sales and special events. Your site should also link to your Facebook Page, Twitter, Instagram, and even LinkedIn. Allow those consumers to connect with you as much as possible online. Be sure your social media sites are being updated as well. It doesn’t do any good for you to have those sites and then not use them. It’s work but it’s work that creates a closer bond with your consumers. The stronger the bond, the more likely your consumers will refer others to your e-commerce site.
Are You Making These Mistakes?
Everyone wants to think they are handling their business well, but sometimes we make big mistakes. It happens and it’s not the end of the world. You can easily turn things around and correct them. Just remember to be sure you are mobile friendly, you are connecting personally with your consumers on social media, there is a sense of ease when shopping your site, and that it’s an overall pleasant experience. Just listen to your consumers. They aren’t always right, but some of them will give you fantastic feedback on what it is they are looking for or need out of your e-commerce site.