Is your website ready to convert online sales?

Photo by CC user MVCOSHOP on wikimedia commons

If your business is relying strictly on in-store , how long do you think that can last?

Yes, while some companies have not gone the Internet route when it comes to selling their products and/or services, countless others have found the web to be the difference-maker in being a great business as opposed to just an average one.

That said having a formidable online plan for selling and increasing your revenue is a must.

Without such a plan, your business can be ill-prepared to grow moving forward.

So, is your website ready to cash-in on sales?

Review your site over and over again – is it optimized for online sales?

When it comes to your website, having a strong site with which to sell from is a necessity, especially in today’s tech-driven world.

With that being the state of today’s business world, be sure your brand is practicing the following steps so you can be increasing your online sales:

  • Working on all cylinders – First and foremost, your website needs to be working on all cylinders, not hitting and missing. If Ecommerce is your forte, you’d better make sure your site is doing it share of the work. Broken links can be one of the biggest downfalls for an Ecommerce site. If consumers have trouble navigating your site, it won’t be long before they opt to go somewhere else, leaving you without a sale. Another important component to making Ecommerce work is making sure the “checkout” option doesn’t let you down. Nothing is more frustrating for a potential buyer than to get all the way to the end of trying to purchase something, only to be unable to complete the sale;
  • Advertising your online sale capabilities – As more and more brands come to realize all the potential revenue that can be generated with online sales, it is important that they advertise their stores. There are numerous ways to do this, but actually staying online is a great means itself. Use your website and others to promote your sales via banner ads and other marketing campaigns (see more below). The possibilities with online marketing are endless, so put them to use;
  • Blogging can do wonders – As part of your marketing efforts, your blog should be one of the focal points. Use the blog to promote your online store through interesting posts, not ones that are too heavy on the sales end of things. Posts on how your Ecommerce store works, trends in the Ecommerce industry, and how consumers can benefit from shopping online in general should all be covered over and over again in postings;
  • Socializing the online buying experience – If your brand has been slow to use social media up to this point, change that moving forward. Venues like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, even YouTube, can all work to your advantage. If using videos to promote your online store have been all but non-existent up to this point, change that as soon as possible. More brands are coming to realize that videos can work wonders for their brands. Shoot videos that are within the 30-60 second range normally, not looking to lose consumer attention spans. The videos should inform the consumer why your Ecommerce store helps set you apart from competitors (see more below), along with how buyers will ultimately save money and be satisfied with their purchases when they buy from you. If you can add a few customer testimonials, even better. Remember, positive public relations can do wonders for your online sale efforts;
  • Setting yourself apart from the competition – Finally, painting a picture as to why your Ecommerce efforts set you apart from competitors is critical. It is easy for consumers to get overwhelmed with all the sales pitches, marketing releases, online ads etc. that get pushed in front of them on a daily basis. It is your job as a business owner to separate your brand from the others, allowing you and your website to stand alone on top. While you should never bad-mouth the competition, demonstrating clearly and factually why your Ecommerce store is the best is perfectly fair.

 

In today’s competitive business world, what are you doing as a small business owner to emerge from the crowded field?

By using your website to cash-in on a winning brand, you’re likely already one step ahead of the others.