Did you know that 90% of U.S. small business startups go under at or before hitting the ten-year mark? According to Investopedia, ineffective marketing sits among the main culprits behind this misfortune. 

What is one solution to such a sobering reality to keep your online business afloat? Top online sales courses suggest that a robust and easily adaptable marketing strategy could do the trick.

In this article, you can find seven practical tips that you need to know to increase online sales. Pick whatever seems handy and blend it into your day-to-day sales practice. 

Know Your Target Audience

Can you customize a product or service for an unknown clientele and give them a price on the fly? It may sound futile, but most small startups walk straight into this snare and pay the price.

You don't have to repeat this pitfall. How? By getting to know your target audience. Dig into their profiles. What are their habits and goals? This can help you understand their needs, frustrations, and biases. 

Join your target audience’s social media groups and tactfully introduce conversations oriented to your brand. Conduct surveys and polls to find out what opinion they have of your brand and competitors. Only then can you tailor your product as a solution to their challenges.

Don’t stop there. Think of other ways of collecting more information, such as:

  • researching the target audience’s interests and trends
  • gathering insight from current customers and prospects
  • leveraging referrals to connect with new prospects
  • placing signup forms on your landing pages
  • analyzing your sales team’s feedback

Optimize Your Web Content

First impressions are everything. So, make sure your website is appealing and simple to navigate. An elegant theme based on a simple but customizable template can do just the trick to ignite a customer’s interest. Also, compressing images and embedded videos can improve your website’s loading speed. 

Better still, post helpful, well-researched, and verifiable content. By this, your customers and search engines will most likely trust you. The reward could even be a top spot on the search engine result pages (SERPs). A win-win.

According to Statista, mobile devices are taking over internet access by storm. So, try optimizing your website for mobile device access. Otherwise, you're closing the door on many potential customers.

Simplify the Checkout Process

A lengthy checkout process can make your customers click away in frustration. And once they find greener pastures, it's near impossible to lead them back.

Remove as many complexities as possible from the sales process. For instance, don't compel a buyer to create an account to complete a transaction. Better still, only ask for essential contact information on your data collection forms. You may as well streamline the sales process by letting customers check out with their social or Google profiles.

A streamlined checkout process will likely fetch more conversions, increasing online sales quickly. 

Diversify the Payment System

The more payment options you offer, the more sales opportunities you can create. To lack one is to send all customers who prefer that method to your competitors. 

Attract more customers by offering various payment options, such as:

  • credit and debit cards
  • PayPal
  • Apple Pay
  • cryptocurrency

Run Lead generation ads

Running lead generation ads could be an excellent option for increasing online sales through social media.

Here is a practical example.

Assume you run a SaaS website, on which you offer subscription-based accounting and tax calculation software. But you want to familiarize your potential customers with the app. 

So, you can create a short downloadable course as an incentive. The catch is only those who leave their contact information can download it.

Then you can turn a captivating excerpt from the course into an awareness-generating ad. Next, you can run it on your target audience’s favorite social media platforms.

An embedded link ushers anyone who clicks on the ad onto your landing page. From here, you continue nurturing them until they walk straight to the decision stage. 

Offer Excellent Customer Service

A memorable customer experience is like gold. To gain repeat customers, excellent customer service is almost everything. Even price considerations matter little in comparison.

Be intentional and methodical at impressing your customers.

You can go the extra mile by:

  • using the right CRM tools
  • avoiding rushed customer interaction
  • communicating clearly with customers
  • knowing how and when to amiably end a conversation with a customer
  • prioritizing finding solutions for customer complaints
  • using positive and polite language

Have a Clear Return Policy

Customers usually take your return policy pretty seriously. They may want your assurance that they can return an item if they don't like it. So, leaving the door open for a return can increase online sales.

Don’t be too strict. Instead, let buyers be confident that by doing business with you, they aren’t risking getting stuck with a product they don’t like.

Final Thoughts

Online business competition may be fierce and global. However, the potential for increasing sales is also high.

Run with one or a combination of the tips shared here and see how far your online sales can go.

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