6 reasons that slow down your online sales?
There are plenty of so-called experts on the web extolling the virtues and ease of doing business online using a website.
The reality, however, is quite different: selling online requires a great deal of time and effort. It's no longer just a matter of displaying a product on a website for your customers to buy.
According to the most recent studies, the average percentage of customers who make a purchase on a e-commerce ranges from 1.6% to 3%. With such a simple to double difference, your efforts could make all the difference.
There are many reasons why some sites achieve higher conversion rates. Note: none of these factors are random... it's all about continuous optimization and adjustment to changing market conditions.
Here are 6 reasons why your online sales aren't performing to their full potential.
1. Lack of information
If you fail to provide information your customers consider important or useful, they may decide not to buy. For example, not displaying your terms of sale or return policy could be detrimental to your business.
Your business address
Some customers prefer to buy local, so don't deprive them of knowing you're in their area. If you don't have a physical location for your business, it's possible to use a business postal address service.
Shipping costs
Remove friction from your sales process by simplifying your shipping costs with a fixed fee. Even better, remove this fee if the customer spends more than a certain amount. You'll reduce the percentage of abandoned baskets on your site!
Delivery time
Your customers want to know when they'll get their purchase, so honesty is key here. It's better to receive your purchase sooner than expected, than to miss out on a promise of fast delivery.
Accepted means of payment
Why not display the accepted payment methods on your site. You can even explain why these and not others (fraud, costs, etc.), your genuinely interested customers will understand.
Returns and refunds
It's always reassuring to know what you're up against, should a purchase prove unsatisfactory. Several studies have shown that a simple returns policy tends to increase customer loyalty.
Incomplete data sheets
At a time when consumers can quickly and easily search and compare on the web, your product/service sheets need to contain all the information they need to make the right decision. This includes original and complete text, as well as quality photos where relevant.
If all this information is not clearly indicated on your website, you run the risk of the competition doing better than you and attracting your potential customers.
2. Poor user experience
If your website isn't easy to navigate, or if the purchasing process isn't straightforward, customers will abandon their purchase and go to the competition. So you need to ensure that your website is user-friendly, that your buying processes are straightforward, and that your pages offer clear, well-presented information.
Here are two ways to better understand and influence user experience that we often discuss with our customers:
- Analyze your visitors' behavior
We often advise customers to use the HotJar which records your users' visits, the pages they visit and what they click, to identify opportunities to improve your site's structure and content. - Improve the overall speed of your site
Your visitors don't like to wait, and a slow site will discourage many of them. Make sure your site offers fast performance, through web hosting that offers the resources needed for an online business.
3. Reduced visibility
If your website doesn't show up in online search results, it'll be hard for your customers to find you.
To correct this situation, you'll need to improve your SEO, work on your social media presence and/or consider online advertising campaigns to increase your visibility.
4. Lack of confidence
Some customers may be reluctant to buy from an online retailer whose company they don't yet know, while others may be unsure about the security of their personal and payment information.
To reassure your customers, we recommend that you publish the following documents on your site (when relevant to your situation):
- Your terms and conditions
- Your exchange and refund policy
- Your privacy policy
And to instill confidence in your customers, clearly display the payment methods accepted, as well as the financial institutions that will handle the transactions.
5. Unattractive offer
At the start of an online shopping process, a customer looks for what will meet his needs and determine his options. Then, they analyze what's on offer and what price point is available. To stay in the race, you need to ensure that your prices are competitive and that you highlight any available promotions.
Finally, novelty is often attractive from a marketing point of view, so it's a good idea to revisit and adjust your promotions and special offers regularly.
6. Strong competition
If your company operates in an industry where online sales are established and highly competitive, it can be difficult to get noticed and win market share.
You may need to modify your marketing strategy and seek to offer unique competitive advantages in order to stand out from the competition.
In conclusion, to increase your online sales, it's essential to offer a pleasant user experience that provides all the information you need, to constantly improve your visibility, to establish a bond of trust with your visitors, and finally, to have an interesting and differentiated offer.
If you are having difficulty with any of these aspects, it may be helpful to call on web marketing professionals to help you identify and solve what's holding back your online sales.
