Ecommerce is a byproduct of technology which has led to significant growth of businesses. Businesses have now turned to the internet which provides them the perfect platform to introduce and market themselves to the public. Ecommerce not only helps businesses but its also convenient for customers who wish for speedy transactions. However, to increase ecommerce sales, it is necessary for businesses to improve their marketing skills and maintain the quality of services and products. Marketing methods such as SMS marketing, email marketing, and social media marketing are basic yet fruitful ways of promoting a business. A competent marketing team can help a growing business target these areas to improve and increase their sales.
SMS Marketing
In a world where approximately 67% of the people carry cell phones, it is easier to advertise business using the method of SMS marketing. Not only is this way of marketing budget friendly, but it is also effective in nature. Establishing a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) team should be a priority because it focuses on the relations between customers and the business. Getting to know the clients and forming a connection with them through customized text messages is one way of SMS marketing. Another way to increase ecommerce sales through text message marketing is shortlisting a target audience and spreading brand awareness of the business. Furthermore, text messages are a perfect method to focus on regular customers and sending them messages about upcoming offers and discounts on products available online. A clothing business can send a text message to its top 50 customers about a flat sale on its website ending within a few hours.
Email Marketing
Email marketing while being the old school method is yet another successful and effective technique to increase ecommerce sales of a business. In 2015 email marketing contributed to 24% of the revenue generated by a business. Keeping regular customers up to date with new launches and offers through emails adds a more personal touch rather than posting them on the official website or on social media websites. A signup option on the official website of the business allows customers to subscribe for emails, vouchers and loyalty programs which in return benefit the business by improving sales. While text messages can be short and to the point, emails should be professional with a personal touch for each customer. For a customer who has purchased the product from a shoe company’s website, an email thanking the customer using their full name will make them feel special and promote loyalty.
Social Media
With social media taking over the world, platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube are perfect for a business to increase ecommerce sales. Facebook advertisements alone provide an average return on investment of 152% in ecommerce. The ad stacking method is one way to target the audience by looking at their online actions and deciding the right time to display a strategic ad for them. A Facebook page is necessary for any growing business to display its products and linking it to the official website. A Facebook store is now an option for businesses and allows users to purchase products from their Facebook page. Instagram is another growing platform within the realm of social media that connects brands, customers and influencers. Moreover, with customers seeking the quality of products and services, a business should record customer testimonials and display them on their YouTube and Facebook pages. A customer reviewing a website for personalized cakes will scroll through customer reviews and testimonials before placing an order. Not only does this increase customer loyalty, but it also wins the trust of potential buyers. A video of testing a specific product with complete transparency will help in gaining the trust of the customer over time.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Making it to the top of search engines is the best way for businesses to attract customers. Using keywords related to the business and using them in blogs posted on the official website is the way to make sure that a business shows up at the top in search engines. Whenever a potential customer is searching for a specific product and a company’s name displays in the first few options, there are here higher chances of that customer accessing the official website. If a business producing organic vegetables uses the keywords healthy, organic and so on in blogs and articles, then it has more chances of getting attention from clients searching for healthy and organic products online
Conclusion
Apart from marketing techniques, there are other ways a business can increase sales as well. Customers prefer to shop online rather than going through the hassle of transportation and buying products from actual shops. Setting up a website for your ecommerce business on ecommerce platforms like Shopify and big commerce is much easier and affordable than building your own. One important thing to remember when creating your website is user-friendliness. This helps both old and new customers in accessing the site and purchasing easily. With technology advancing at a fast pace, mobile applications are another way of increasing ecommerce sales for a business. Frequent usage of mobile phones and applications makes it easier for users to download the application and purchase products with simply a click.
Ease of purchasing products is the main reason behind the success of ecommerce in today’s world. Making the checkout process easier for customers using the website is one way of attaining customer loyalty and increasing sales. Most websites do not allow guest users to purchase products without signing up resulting in loss of sales. Small business of customized scents can allow guest users to buy products while providing them incentives such as discounts and vouchers, to become a subscribed client of the company. Customer service is an important part of ecommerce that most businesses leave unnoticed. A live chat support provided to the customers allows them to review, complain and query the customer representative easily. This also helps in getting feedback instantly while making the customer feel special. Increasing sales becomes easier if a business can gain loyalty and trust of customers.
With so much competition online, ecommerce retailers need to diversify their marketing strategy to reach as many customers as possible: SMS marketing, email marketing, social media and SEO are all great tools to reach customers.
There is no one way to increase ecommerce sales, but by adding different tools to your marketing toolbox, you can make sure to reach as many customers as possible. Try different methods like SMS text blasts to reach people directly on their mobile devices.
Text message marketing is one of the best ways to increase ecommerce sales, since SMS messages are opened within 3 minutes over 98% of the time, and 45% or more of people respond to them. You can also include links and discount codes right in the text messages to drive traffic to your ecommerce site.
The best way to increase ecommerce sales fast is to add new tools to your marketing toolkit, such as bulk SMS messaging. Bulk texts are one of the most cost-effective ways to reach customers, and feature very high open, read and response rates compared to other marketing channels.