You have an online sales site and you're wondering how to make it generate more revenue. Rest assured, all online merchants ask themselves the same question :) Here is a list of actions you can implement to increase your sales. These actions can be divided into three main areas: increasing the average basket size of the user; increasing the number of sales; and increasing the purchase frequency per user.
Increase Your Average Basket Size
1 – Cross-Selling
Cross-selling involves suggesting similar products to the one your visitors are currently viewing. This widely used technique is one of the most effective for showcasing your items and encouraging purchases.
2 – Up-Selling
With up-selling, the idea is to offer your buyer a higher-end product than the one they are about to choose. For example, if the user is about to buy a 16GB smartphone, you offer them a 32GB one. This allows you to sell a more expensive product that meets the same need.
3 – Offer Free Shipping
A classic but effective technique. Inherited from mail-order sales, free shipping stimulates purchases. You can choose to limit this offer to orders over a certain amount or open it to all orders. My recommendation: offer free shipping on every first order. This encourages consumers to discover your site and thus increases your base of new customers.
4 – Sell in Bundles
An additional technique to increase the average cart value is to sell products that the user did not initially intend to purchase. To achieve this, offer a bundle deal. For example, "buy 2 products, get the 3rd free." This well-known technique is an excellent way to sell 2 products instead of just one. Of course, this should be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on the profit margins for each product: the goal is to remain profitable :) Finally and most importantly, for the user, it allows them to get a good deal and will likely encourage them to return to your e-commerce site.
5 – Offer a gift with a minimum purchase
To encourage the consumer to fill their cart, you can also offer a freebie with a minimum purchase amount. For example, if you sell glasses, you could offer a case for purchases over €100. From a psychological standpoint, the mechanism is simple: the consumer will think, "I get more value for my money by spending €100 instead of €80 because I get an extra gift."
Increase the number of sales
6 – Launch an AdWords campaign
Implementing an AdWords campaign is a very effective way to boost your sales. Of course, it needs to be well-managed and focused on specific, opportunity-rich keywords. Beyond the keywords, your landing pages must be designed for conversion.
7 – Google Merchant Center
A variation of the AdWords campaign, or more precisely, a subcategory of the AdWords campaign, being present on the Merchant Center is very promising. Firstly, because this channel is relatively underutilized, CPCs are therefore lower than elsewhere. Finally, thanks to its visual approach, this channel promises a high CTR.
8 – Launch a Facebook Ads campaign
Who said you need a Facebook page to set up a Facebook Ads campaign? You can certainly create a campaign that directs users to your site. Given the wealth of interesting information Facebook has about its users, campaigns can be very targeted, particularly by focusing on consumer preferences.
9 – Integrate an affiliate network
Affiliate marketing is certainly not a new idea, but it remains an excellent way to distribute your products more widely at a lower cost, thereby reaching a much larger audience.
10 – List your products on eBay
Considering eBay's significant reach, it's worth being part of it! Especially since e-commerce solutions often offer features that allow you to easily and automatically list your products on eBay.
11 – List your products on Amazon
The same goes for Amazon. This major e-commerce player allows you to expand your audience and thus boost your sales.
12 – Diversify payment methods
E-commerce sites often offer increasingly secure payment methods (such as 3D-Secure), but it is also recommended to offer simpler options. So don't hesitate to offer payment via PayPal. Sure, you'll have to pay a commission, but it's better to pay a commission than not make the sale, right?
Increase the purchase frequency per user
13 – Send a birthday email to your existing customers
When a customer registers on your site, you can ask for their date of birth. Then, use this information to send them a message on their birthday, accompanied by a discount. This will please them, increase their loyalty, and generate a sale.
14 – Send an abandoned cart reminder
Receiving an email reminding you that you've abandoned your cart may annoy some people (according to what I've occasionally read online), but the numbers are clear: it has a positive impact. This impact will be even more significant if you accompany this follow-up email with a small discount. This tends to trigger the purchase action.
15 – Send discounts on special occasions
Christmas, Valentine's Day, the arrival of summer, etc. There are countless opportunities to offer discounts on a selection of products. While discounts aren't a solution to everything, they can help you gain new customers and clear out inventory.
16 – Keep in touch with your customers
If you want your customers to purchase products from your new collection, you'll need to let them know. For this, nothing beats a Facebook page or Google+ to communicate the release of your new products. This helps maintain the connection, keeps your online store memorable, and thus increases loyalty.
Those are the 16 tips; I hope you find them useful to boost your sales and increase the revenue of your e-commerce site.