For someone who wanted to venture on a new business, starting a physical store would mostly be the first option. It is because not everyone is still confident in using the online platform, even up to this very day.
However, with more and more population being preoccupied and busy with a lot of things and responsibilities, visiting a physical store is sometimes no longer a possibility. Therefore, people are making use of what is beyond the reach of their fingertips.
And that’s where e-commerce comes in.
Unfortunately, few are bold enough to try and discover what they say to be is “the world of the unknown.” Not to mention that the maintenance to keep your startup going and, of course, finding your first customers can be challenging.
Do not get discouraged just yet. Just like any other hobby or business, there are tactics you can try and use to make your startup business a success:
1. Pay Attention to Message Match
A strong message match brings you closer to your prospects. And this is made possible when you work on matching your ad and ensuring that visitors land on your headline page.
Consider the following practices to work on your message match:
- Match your web visitors. You have one product, therefore, one way of advertising it too. However, the visitors who will land on your page would have different personalities and would come from diverse backgrounds. Make use of changeable texts so people will still be able to see the same product but will be showing with a different headline based on the ad group they belong to.
- Be consistent. The idea is to match whatever your ad promises to the landing page your visitors will get to see. It will encourage your readers to be more confident in you and your product because it’s like getting what they were promised.
- Choose your keywords correctly. Remember that keywords are like your front liners. These words may be simple, or maybe in the form of a phrase, the important thing is they pass on the same information you wanted to relay across. Be brief and informative.
2. Engage Customers With Micro-commitments
Keep your customers’ interest through micro-commitments. They are simple tasks that do not cost your visitors and can help boost your conversion rate optimization efforts (CRO).
Free-trials, for example, are very catchy for your potential leads because it gives them an overview of what they would be getting without paying anything upfront.
Make use of the social media platform because it is accessible and free. Encourage your visitors to like your page or share your content in exchange for freebies. And lastly, offer payment options. Your prospective clients would appreciate a variety of how they can pay for your services through cash, card, or bank transfers. According to CRO agency Conversionrate.store, the absence of multiple payment options can decrease conversion rates by up to 18%. And if it is possible to offer to pay in installments, make it available too.
You can maintain a virtual relationship with your clients by being flexible with their changing needs.
3. Utilize CRO Tools
Every digital marketer would say that CRO is a full-time job. And just like any full-time job, once you get used to it, they are boring and tend to be stagnant.
Good thing there are so many CRO tools you can choose from depending on what your business needs the most. Examples of which are listed below:
- Heap Analytics offers a simple interface and does more than just capturing data. It makes tagging automated and then focuses on every action your user does. A tool like this definitely comes handy especially if you are only starting up. It allows you to get to know the type of audience you are attracting.
- Test your speed with Dareboost. It provides an installation-free, single-click service that tests the speed of any given webpage. Again, perfect for first-timers and also those who already know the ropes in the e-commerce world. It is easy to use and gives you an overview of what is happening within your business without costing you a limb.
- Lastly, listen to your users through their feedback with Google Forms. This tool not only lets you easily get responses but also allows you to create a survey for your users too. Consequently adding a more personal touch to the process.
As mentioned before, there are a lot more CRO tools available for you. You may do a little bit of research to know which ones suit you and your business better.
4. Use Videos and High-Quality Product Images
Clients who support online enterprises have so much to lose.
Didn’t mean to sound so negative, but the truth is that they are already trusting you before they even get the item on hand. They have previously entered their card details before they even start downloading an app.
Therefore, the images you show and the video presentations have to be on high-quality all the time. That is the least that you can do as a digital marketer in return for your clients’ immeasurable trust.
5. Use Competitive Pricing
Competitive pricing does not equate to cheap pricing. You also have to protect your business and ensure that you get a return on investment.
Take some time to study your competitors and make yourself aware of the price range in the market. Then adjust your price accordingly based on the quality your business has to offer.
Once you’ve got an idea of a price range, then maybe work somewhere in the middle to cover all the costs and, at the same time, be affordable to your prospective clients.
6. Recover Abandoned Carts
One of the challenges every e-commerce retailer experiences is an abandoned cart. Since you do not have a physical store, you cannot sales-talk to a prospective client too.
At any point between choosing an item, adding to cart, and checking out, terminating the process can always be an option.
Study shows that 69.57% is the cart abandonment rate for an average online store. See? It is more than 50%, so do not lose confidence in your business yet.
Recover these abandoned carts instead. You can do this by sending an email follow-up, perhaps on customers who have already placed an order. Putting customers in a sales funnel is much easier than finding a new one.
You can also retarget your ads accordingly. It is like discreetly reminding your customers about the product they have already planned on ordering but, for some reason, was unable to proceed with the checkout.
7. Incorporate Live Chat
A live chat is only one of the tools that can make virtually transacting with you somehow accessible.
No matter how detailed you have been while preparing for your e-commerce website, customers will always have something to ask or something to clarify.
So, do not create an additional barrier by not incorporating a live chat on your online business.
8. Use SSL/HTTPS Protocol
One of the basic things to do, and yet most neglected, is using SSL/HTTPS protocols.
Online users wanted to know and feel that they are transacting through a legitimate online seller. Remember that these clients will eventually be entering their valuable information such as their full name, card details, and resident address.
That’s why at Sytian Outsource Web Design Philippines, we always advise our clients to be proactive enough and give your clients a feeling of security whenever they visit your profile.
Conclusion
Entrepreneurship is a journey wherein you have no idea what to expect at the end. Hence the reason why only a few wanted to try it out.
But be reminded that ecommerce fulfillment is not difficult to achieve. With proper guidance and knowledge from colleagues, and with the right tactics in place, things will eventually go according to your plan.
