Online B2C sales have exploded since the pandemic. It will grow exponentially as shoppers get used to the convenience and trust online shopping more, and retailers improve at tailor-making their online stores. Window shopping happens on mobile screens as shoppers swipe, like and share. If you can convert swipes into sales, you’ll be smiling.
The art of sales
Understanding how, why and when people buy products is like herding cats. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. There are, however, tried and tested methods to convince browsers to click on the buy now button. Let’s take a step back. When you approach a store in the real world, you form an impression of what you can expect to find inside. It’s no different online. Ensure that each landing page on your site is optimised. Customers should know exactly where they are and find what they’re looking for from anywhere.
If you’re in the fashion industry, use large, high-quality images on category pages to entice people into the product page. Provide zoom tools that help buyers see the finest details of every garment. They should feel as if they’re able to smell and touch it. Provide decent size guides in centimetres and inches. Most importantly, provide reviews from people who bought the product. Their words are more powerful than yours. “If you like this, you might like that” suggestions built Amazon into a multi-billion dollar business. Why wouldn’t you follow suit?
It’s all in the cart
When a shopper adds something to their shopping cart, clearly tell them the product has been added. Provide a shortcut to the shopping cart from everywhere. Because online stores are built in a linear way, construct the navigation so that users don’t have to click back numerous times to orient themselves. Provide page numbers in each category and shortcuts to them. When the shopper is finally ready to check out, provide a summary of all the items in the cart. Also, give them an option to remove and add other items to their carts easily.
People often use carts to save items they like. It doesn’t mean they will buy all of them. If you provide an ability to create lists or save items to return to later, you can also justify creating an account. If you have limited stock, keep items in carts for a specific period. Tell people when they add the product so they know it might not be available if they want to buy it in a week.
Google and go
Some shoppers see a product on Google Shopping, click on it and want to buy it now! No fuss. Don’t ask this person to register, choose a unique password with fifty characters, verify an email address, qualify for a discount by buying more than one item, register to receive your newsletter, read all the product reviews, kiss the doorman on the way out… You catch the drift? Do you like the product? Here’s the checkout page. Enter your details. Pay. Go.
Discounts to the fore
Everybody likes a bargain. Indicate your deals clearly. Show the listed price, the new discounted price, and how much the shopper saves. There’s nothing as frustrating as seeing a product advertised on Facebook only to realise it’s out of stock. If you only have a size 8 dress available in a horrific colour, don’t splash it all over a plus-size person’s timeline. Align your marketing with your stock and keep it dynamic. Speaking of prices, tell people how much they’ll pay for shipping as early as possible.
Close, close, close
A sale doesn’t exist until the shopper pays. Make sure your payment page is simple. Talk your customer through each step, and don’t distract them with discounts or added benefits while they’re paying. Never ask for the same information twice, especially if the user already has a registered account. Fill out existing shipping and card details automatically to avoid any friction. The user only has to fill in the CVV number to complete the sale. If it’s a new user, now is the perfect time to ask if they’d like you to save their details and register an account. People are much more likely to accept here than when they just landed on your site.
If you have a reliable payment provider, the sale should go through seamlessly. Speaking of payments. If you want frictionless, fast payments, speak to Truevo. We process xxxxx transactions a day in 150 currencies across the globe. No hassle, no fuss. Fast, safe and secure 365 days a year. Drop us a line. We can’t wait to do ecommerce with you.
