Increasing your online sales checklist

Your eCommerce website can increase your revenue, be your key online marketing tool and make order processing easier for your admin team. But how do you know if you're getting the most out of your website?

We've put together our top tips from our own Marketing and Web Development team to help you increase sales online. Whether your website is brand new or you've been trading online for years, it's always worth reviewing your website to see if it can be improved.

Online marketing

Online marketing is a good place to start when looking to increase your sales

online. Like any other marketing you deliver (brochures, emails etc) a good way to increase sales is to increase brand exposure. Google ads is a key way to advertise your business online and it can put your adverts in front of a specific defined audience. But they can be very expensive, and if you're not a Google expert, it can be easy to spend a lot of money and not get the ROI you need.

Perhaps a good place to begin is Google Remarketing ads. These are cheaper, as people don't often click the ad, but they're a great tool for increasing brand exposure and staying in front of individuals who have shown interest.

Remarketing ads appear on any website that has Google ad space and they show to individuals who have been on your website. So, if someone visits your website and then visits somewhere else that has Google ad space, for example Amazon or YouTube, your ad will show up, increasing your brand awareness, helping them to remember your brand and increasing the likelihood that they return to your site.

Social media

Social media is another great place to improve brand awareness to help you build sales. Not all social media platforms are suitable for every business, but as a place to start, it's worth looking at creating a LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook page. The channels you choose will depend heavily on your audience and your business type, but these will give you a good starting point.

Social media is the place to build your brand's personality and gives you the opportunity to showcase what makes up your business, who the people behind the scenes are and why someone should buy from you. It's not a place to directly sell your products, although for some industries social media adverts can be very successful, but think of it as a place to show the behind-the-scenes.

The most successful posts on social media tend to be visual such as photographs of the team, your offices, events etc. Other posts that generate high engagement included original content such as blogs, graphics and videos that provide information about your industry that will be of interest to your followers.

Branding

Consistency is key with branding. Whether online or offline, you need to ensure your branding is strong and coherent across all mediums. Everything including your logo, colours and imagery should remain consistent across all marketing materials including: business cards, letters, shop signage, email campaigns, website, social media etc.

Consistent branding will ensure you're easily recognisable by your customers and prospects, so you'll be remembered for future purchases.

Multi-channel marketing

Companies are adopting a sell anywhere to sell more' attitude in order to be in the running for winning and retaining business. Multi-channel selling refers to a company that sells on several online market places including a branded eCommerce site, marketplaces and social media as well as a bricks and mortar store. It's important for companies to be strategic in their selling approach and increase the ways their customers can buy their products to give the customer the best buying experience they can offer. It's also important to consider where your competitors are selling their products in order to keep an advantage. Think about where your customers and prospects will expect to find you.

Easy communication

You wouldn't remove all staff from your trade counter because it would be

impossible for your customers to purchase anything, so it's important that customers on your website can easily communicate with you if they need assistance making a purchase. Having an instant chat messenger app on your site or a visible, monitored email address will help people to find the answers they're looking for and avoid people getting frustrated and looking elsewhere for products.

Customer service is just as important online as it is over the phone or in-store so an easy-to-use website with accessible communication points will make your customers life easier, increasing the chances of a purchase and repeat business.

Attractive website layout

Multiple studies show that a bad website experience or a site with poor design could be the deciding factor between purchasing from your company or going to a competitor. 75% of consumers admit that they judge businesses' credibility based on their website, so having a good website design is key and can increase your sales.

A simple, attractive, easy to use website will also help with consistent branding. Don't put your customer off your site by making it difficult to navigate and confusing to look at. Make sure your web design is clear, on brand and suitable for your target market. It's always worth looking at your competitors for ideas. Perhaps they feature in our WebServices design portfolio - take a look for some inspiration.