Once the rush of the 2013 holiday season is over, how can you keep your online sales in overdrive? After all, U.S. online retail sales are expected to grow to $434 billion by 2017. And 25 percent of those sales are projected to come from a mobile device. Here are three simple ways to boost your ecommerce sales :
1. Harness your SEO:
SEO is not something you figure out once and then ignore. Smart SEO tactics take research, time and real effort. If you don’t have the time to dedicate to SEO, you need to pay someone to do it for you. That said, no one knows your industry like you do, so make sure you are working with the SEO person to make sure they are using the top keywords from Google AdWords and Google Trends. Then frequently search for your business name, products and services to see where they fall in the rankings.
2. Keep it simple and easy to check out.
If you confuse a shopper, that shopper is likely to abandon an online shopping cart without paying. Make sure products and services are described in detail and pictures are high quality. Accept all types of online payments, including PayPal, and have an easy way for the customer to contact you for more information (either by phone, online chat or email). Real-time chat can keep customers on your site longer and get them answers quickly.
3. Lure them back in.
Once you know what a customer has purchased, keep in touch via personalized emails suggesting complementary products. Include a coupon for a discount or free shipping on a reorder, referral or new purchase within a certain amount of time.