Starting an eCommerce business is never an easy task. However, running a profitable one is more difficult. Though big brands like Amazon & Zappos have made things a bit more challenging for small eCommerce brands, this does not mean that brick-and-mortar stores can’t compete with them online.
With the right people, the right marketing techniques and products in place, you can see that competing against big eCommerce stores is completely easy.
In the competitive eCommerce world, every other store struggle to get even the smallest opportunity. However, when it comes to enhancing the online shopping experience, most retailers stop at the offering “Add 2 things and take 20% off on the next item” and “Customers also like this item…”.
Most of the time, the competition comes from the retailers who took advantage of some complex algorithms for predicting and tracking consumer’s requirements and then deliver it to them in a short time. But, how about those small eCommerce brands with small budgets? Are they relegated to playing second fiddle always?
Not quite.
So, here are the top 5 eCommerce marketing techniques to boost your business and allow it to reach a new, higher level of success:
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Offer Free Shipping
Many studies have shown that there are a lot of advantages in offering free shipping. Consumers more preferred to buy the product from a site who offers free shipping as they don’t like to pay for shipping.
It’s time to add the free shipping option if you’re business is not offering it yet. As per the survey by Ask your target market, more than 70% of people said that they would highly prefer a brand offering free delivery and shipping. And, more than 73% are likely to shop on the website if they have a free shipping promotion rather than some discounts & offers.
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Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment
The average cart abandonment rate is nearly 69.23% according to Baymard Institute’s statistics. This simply means that potential customers add products to the cart and drop out before they complete the purchase process.
What is cart abandonment?
Shopping cart abandonment refers to the potential customers who only add items or products in the cart, but does not complete the purchase. There might be various reasons why online visitors are abandoning the cart. Here are some of the brilliant ways to reduce cart abandonment:
- Create a user-friendly interface to make simple navigation & checkout process
- Send emails of shopping cart abandonment
- Show valid SSL certificate or any trust symbols to increase trust in your process
- Give options for similar price products
- Offer guest checkout option
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Be Flexible with Payments
An online store that provides a flexible payment option can attract more customers compared to those who do not provide. According to AJ Saleem – Academic Director at Suprex Private Tutoring, one of the reasons why he is using Best Buy’s credit card over Amazon is they allow him to pay off his balance over 18 months without any interest. Furthermore, he said that being an entrepreneur it is extremely beneficial as the cash flow is limited for a startup.
Now, this doesn’t mean you should start providing credit cards to your customers. However, you should offer flexible payment options to your customers. You can also consider offering partial payment, layaways and split payment options. By giving your online shopper more options for how they can pay for your products, you’re creating a unique image for your brand.
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Start Shifting towards an Ecommerce Application
If you’ve not started building a mobile app for your eCommerce store, then it’s time to get your eCommerce application. As per the online shopping trends, more than 90% of online shoppers use various devices to finish daily tasks, while only 40% said they used their smartphone to research a product before actually buying it.
Reports have also shown that nearly 50% of all eCommerce traffic comes from mobile eCommerce.
This simply shows that if you’re not offering mobile application then you’re losing out a huge amount of potential sales. Of course, Creating a mobile app is costly work, but there are so many other ways you can get your eCommerce app. Today many eCommerce app builders like Builderfly offer free native mobile applications to give your customers an excellent shopping experience. Research shows that eCommerce app conversion rates are 3X more than websites and 1.5X higher than desktop sites. Ecommerce apps are also more suitable for online shoppers while doing shopping, particularly if they’re visiting your store for the first time.
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Use Opt-in Popup Offers to Push them over the Edge
If you’re looking to increase sales and conversion rates, then don’t forget to think about opt-in offers. Pop-ups excite users to sign up for your email list, loyal programs or newsletter. While this can not only increase your contact but also boost your online sales.
A pop-up on your buyer’s screen who is just thinking to buy a product from your site will greatly be influenced by a well-designed opt-in offer. For example, 15% off on first order or free delivery on orders above $399. Even if they don’t buy the product or finish the transaction at that time, they’ll surely sign-up for your opt-in offers to get the best deals in the future. This simply means you’ve got the new contact in your database, you can send them a notification and they may change their mind and complete the purchase.
Make sure you check all the elements of an opt-in offer for maximum optimization. Regularly do A/B testing of offers to see which one works and drive more sign-ups for your online store. Keep pop-ups before visitors leave the page and ensure that they see it. Keep in mind that the more people opt-in and provide email addresses, the higher the chances that they will make a future transaction.
Takeaway
Successfully running an eCommerce business is always a tough task, but by using the above-mentioned marketing strategies you can attract more online shoppers and drive a good sale. If implemented correctly, all of these strategies will work at its best!
All the best!
