10 Tips To Improve Online Sales
Written by: Steph Kendall, Published July 2007
With the launch of Avatar's latest version of Rocket Cart shopping cart last month, we received a number of enquiries about setting up shop online. Here are some quick tips to help you improve your online sales:
- Tell the customer as much as you can about each product. Remember your customer is buying online so they will want to know as much as possible about the product as they can only view the 'virtual' item. Include a clear product picture and details of its colour ways, size, weight, washability, price etc.
- Write with passion about your product. Think of the words on your Web site as the 'voice' of your best sales person.
- Up sell to your customer. If your customer orders a moisturising cream, present them with the opportunity to buy the matching body lotion or shower cream.
- Feature selected products. In popular categories, boost sales of a particular item by highlighting it as a featured product.
- Offer gift vouchers. Encourage repeat visits from existing customers or visits from new ones by making gift vouchers available — perfect as gifts or buying 'credits'.
- Use viral marketing techniques. Encourage your customers to recommend your site to their friends. For example, you could offer a discount or reward to customers referring 3 paying customers to your online shop.
- Email your customers with details of special products. Create special offers around key calendar dates (Christmas, Easter, Diwali, Mother's Day and Father's Day). Some of these dates differ from country to country; so don't forget to check first.
- Keep your customer happy. Provide a good level of customer care and service even though your customer is 'remote'. Keep them up to date by email with any delays to deliveries for example.
- Send your customer a thank you. Keep in touch with your customer and develop a relationship with them. With their permission, send them follow up emails about products.
- Use your postage and packaging wisely. When you're sending your product, include a brochure or flyer featuring other products or special offers.
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