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Top Tips to Increase your Online Sales

Category: Growth Hacks

Top Tips to Increase your Online Sales

Top Tips to Increase your Online Sales

Achieving strong top line by growing online sales is one of the biggest targets for any business. Whether you are running a small shop or a complex high profile enterprise, the optimal utilization of online channels may help you immensely in achieving this target. Here are some of the pointers which you need to pay attention to for ensuring that your revenue sees substantial upside.

  1. Boost Your Leads: Leads are simply the visitors to your website who have shown their interest in your offerings. The main characteristic of a lead is that they provide you with personal data, their contact details and their consent to send them more information. If you are looking to boost your online sales, then it is important that you fully utilize the leads available to you. Some of the most important methods for accumulating such leads are through email subscriptions, online contact forms or website registration. Whatever is the source of these leads, you can use these to achieve your target of higher sales. Further, the information collected through this route may also help you in your analytics program and aid the process of making more informed marketing strategies.

 

  1. Focus on Conversion Rate: While the exact definition of conversion rate would depend on the outcome you expect, but in this case it may be described as the number of visitors to your website who actually end up purchasing the product or the service. So, while you should aim to increase the number of leads or visits to your page, you should also endeavor to convert such leads into actual revenue. This ratio will also help you determine the quality of website traffic generated by your marketing efforts. There are a number of actions you may take to improve the conversion rate. These actions include changing the layout of your website among other things.

 

  1. Control Your Bounce and Exit Rate: Analytics may help you in determining bounce and exit rate for your websites. Both these metrics point towards the existence of different issues with the shopping experience at your website. Bounce rate is the percentage of people who leave your site after visiting just one page while exit rate refers to the percentage of visitors leaving your website from a specific page, irrespective of the number of pages visited by them. Such bounce and exits are wasted opportunities which could have been converted into revenue with appropriate actions. It may be useful to undertake detailed analysis approach to unearth the reasons behind high bounce and exit rates.

 

  1. Simplify your Website: The design and layout of your website is an important factor which can have heavy impact on different metrics such as conversion rate and bounce rate. A large portion of such exits and bounces are due to confusing website layout and complicated processes. While it may seem counterintuitive, but providing relatively lesser options may help in keeping things simple for the visitors. It should also be ensured that the visitors are not required to follow complicated procedures for checking out and making payments. Simple website and checkout processes are vital for achieving high conversion rate as these are easier to navigate.

 

  1. Provide Call to Action: A Call to Action (CTA) is the element which urges the visitor to undertake a specific act or step. It may range from ‘Subscribe Now’ to ‘Buy Now’ appeal, depending upon the main aim of the business. However, in all such cases, the personalized Call to Action tends to bring about the best results. A customized CTA highlights the relevance of the product or service to the customers’ needs and therefore is more likely to be successful in achieving its target. It is important to avoid using jargons or generic CTA buttons. Such personalization may be done by changing the language or by modifying the content of the page.

 

These pointers are some of the most important steps you can take to enhance your online traffic and revenue. However, depending upon your business objectives, several other courses of actions may also be useful for you. The key is to identify and analyze the unique features relevant to your business and then work on them to hit higher targets.

What is Important for Startups – Products or Sales?

What is Important for Startups – Products or Sales?

Whether a business should focus on perfecting its products or on boosting sales is the eternal question faced by entrepreneurs. The dilemma has given rise to the concept of Minimum Viable Product or MVP where instead of trying to wait until the product is in faultless stage, the business decides to market it and continues with the improvement process. Here are some of the thoughts to help you decide whether your business should strive for the perfect product or for higher sales.

  • Focus on Product: It is believed that a large number of companies fail due to different factors related to their products or services. In many cases, the companies launch products nobody had demanded. In other cases, the product may simply not be up to the mark, that it may not serve the function it claims to serve. Therefore, it is important to understand the market and its requirements. The business should then focus on developing a product which can meet the market needs in an efficient manner. The firm may decide to launch the product with certain key features and then may continue to fine-tune it. For startups, product improvement is a continuous, never-ending process.

 

  • Work on Value Added Services: As important as it is to get the product just right to fulfill customers’ requirements, it is also imperative that proper attention is paid to allied services such as logistics, after sales care, etc. For startups, liquidity and funds are highly crucial factors, forcing business to release the product as early as possible. In such cases, the enterprise may enhance customers’ utility by providing them with value added services. Empathetic customer care services can lead to higher customer satisfaction by addressing several concerns and issues. With the help of add-on services, the business may be in a position to launch the product at an early stage and still gain loyal following.

 

  • Business Life Cycle Stage: The decision regarding the product launch is dependent on several factors including the life stage of the business. For a startup, cash inflows are highly important as these enterprises are generally dependent upon outside funding for carrying out their operations. For early stage ventures, it is a matter of survival to get a product in the market so that a steady stream of revenue may be generated. This stream is then used for meeting various expenses of the organization. So, while a mature business may delay the launch of the product till it is perfected, new and fledgling organizations are bound to follow the concept of Minimum Viable Product.

 

  • Test the Market: As a young business, you might be tempted to get your product out in the market. However, apart from the product and its features, it is also important to gauge the maturity of the market. This implies that the market should be ready for the product. Any product, if launched in a pre-mature market, is bound to fail. One of the biggest examples in this regard is the various early attempts made by technology companies to launch smartphones. However, these launches failed as the markets were not mature enough to accept smartphones. Further, the infrastructure required for proper functioning of the phones was also not available. Therefore, ensure that the market is ready for your product.

The crux of the discussion is that a startup requires both a perfected product and sales revenue. It is the striking of balance between these two goals which ensures the long term survival of an organization.

5 Online Mobile Shopping Best Practices to Improve Customer Experience

5 Online Mobile Shopping Best Practices to Improve Customer Experience

Mobile internet has disrupted e-commerce segment as more and more people are now shopping on their phones and tablets. This change has brought about several new opportunities as well as challenges. In order to ensure that your clients get the best services whether they access your website on a desktop or on their mobile phones, you should pay attention to the factors illustrated below.

  1. Intuitive Design: The design of the website should be in sync with the device and the platform to be used. While many businesses choose to design one type of website for all types of mobile devices, you may decide to have different designs for mobile phones and tablets. While the latter option may incur higher expenses, it will also provide better experience to the customers. An ideal e-commerce website should also avoid unnecessary menu and buttons to keep the interface simple. The navigation system of the website should be intuitive so that the visitors remain interested and complete the transaction. The process should also be as short as possible, with minimal number of clicks involved. The main idea is to seal the deal before the visitor lose their interest and move away from the website.

 

  1. Choose Your Content Carefully: Mobile devices such as phones and tablets have limited screen real estate. Therefore, it is highly important to use this carefully. You should prioritize and carefully choose the content to be presented on the mobile website. Apart from the choice of the content, the presentation of the data is also of importance. The most essential information needs to be presented in the most prominent manner so as to facilitate the process of decision making of the visitor. For example, instead of cramming a large number of items on the homepage, carefully select the products and services to be featured there so as not to overwhelm the visitors. Further, you should also make judicious use of pictures as they tend to convey the information in a more direct manner.

 

  1. Involve the Visitors: Incorporating suggestions from the visitors is an ideal way to make a customer centric website. This step may also be helpful in personalizing the website as per the requirements of customers. For this purpose, it is important to design the in-app message the right way so that the visitors immediately identify with the content of the website. This will also help the organization in brain storming about their target market and identifying this market’s distinctive features. Another important step in this direction is to incorporate customers’ testimonials and reviews on the website. This feature will help other prospective customers in making informed decisions. Also, the visitors should be encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions about the website and its content.

 

  1. Value-Added Features: designing an attractive website is important but it is also important to make it more customer friendly with the help of other value-added services and features. The website should be optimized in such a way that it uploads on the device in a fast manner. Slow uploading may impact the customer experience negatively. Apart from faster loading, the website may also incorporate other features such as live chat facility, which may help in resolving customer issues in a prompt manner. It is also advisable to design an appropriate FAQ page or section so that the visitors are able to troubleshoot on their own.

 

  1. Evaluate and Improve: Mobile website development is not a one-off process. It needs to be continuously evaluated and improved upon. You can use different metrics to evaluate the efficacy of your website. There are several analytical tools which may help you in measuring various features such as customer retention, app usage, and the number of downloads. It is also advisable to carefully track app reviews and ratings so as to take appropriate remedial actions. You should collect data with regard to average visit length and frequency as well. Continuous learning and tweaking are the key to providing the best services to visitors.

 

As the competition in mobile segment grows, it is becoming highly important for the businesses to make their presence felt through the use of mobile websites and apps. The judicious use of these tools may help you grow your business exponentially.

How to Increase Alternative Checkout Options

How to Increase Alternative Checkout Options

For an e-commerce company, offering attractive checkout options to the customers is one of the most challenging tasks. Providing alternative checkout options may help a business in achieving a higher checkout process conversion rate, which is one of the most important metrics for gauging its efficiency. Another advantage associated with providing alternative checkout options is that it helps in controlling the rate of shopping cart abandonment by the customers. Further, smoother checkout process also provides an inducement to the customer to make a repeat purchase with the business.

Following are the main ways online businesses may provide a friction-less checkout experience to their clients and improve their business efficiency.

  • Make Sign Up Optional: It may seem tempting to make sign up necessary for checking out since it can provide you with valuable data but this requirement may put a serious dent in the conversion rate. Instead of making sign up mandatory, make it optional but with some incentive attached to it. For example, you can convey to the customers that the sign up may make the process faster. Another option is to let the customers sign in with alternative accounts such as Facebook or Twitter. This type of checkout can be customized so that the business may harvest the data from the customers’ social media accounts after receiving due permissions.

 

  • Simplify the Process: If you are not convinced about the idea of checkout process sans sign up then you may focus on simplifying the whole procedure. There are several tricks to make it easier and faster for your clients to complete their sign-up process so that they can check out in a smoother manner. You can use simple tools such as making use of Google Autofill which can complete various data fields in a jiffy. You should also ensure that the checkout procedure is simple and is not unduly complicated with a number of steps involved. With each additional step, the likelihood of the client abandoning their shopping cart increases exponentially.

 

  • Use Perpetual Shopping Cart System: There are several ways you can motivate the customers to complete their checkout process. Allow them the freedom to check out for each item separately or to club them together in a cart and then to check out for the entire order. Different eCommerce businesses may adopt different strategies in this regard, mainly depending upon their business and organizational structure. Perpetual shopping cart system is one such technique where checkout page is preserved perpetually if the process is not completed. So, when the customer visits your website next time, they may be tempted to eventually complete their shopping experience.

 

  • Work with Your Payment Processing Partner: If you run your online payment in collaboration with processing partners then it makes sense to receive expert advice from them. PayTabs can help you in simplifying your payment process and introducing alternative payment options for your clients. As an eCommerce operator, you should ensure that you collaborate with those payment processors who are at the helm of technological innovation. PayTabs is such a payment processor as it deploys latest technologies for making the entire process smoother and hassle free. Thus, eCommerce business owners can bring about exponential improvement in their performance and efficiency by collaborating with

 

  • Optimize the Checkout Process: There is no one single way to provide the best services to all your clients. Further, the checkout process also depends on the way your eCommerce business and website are designed. Based on these factors, you may decide to let your customers enjoy a faster checkout with express purchase of individual products, instead of making them collect these items in a shopping cart. At the checkout stage, you may further entice the clients by offering them freebies in the form of discounts, cheaper shipping rates or even free shipping. Discounts may be designed in such a way so that you can tempt the customers to make more purchases to earn higher discounts.

 

With the above methods to improve your checkout page experience, you can bring substantial improvement in your conversion rate and overall efficiency. While most of the measures are internal to any business, external factors such as tying up with the right kind of payment processor may also have magnifying impact on your bottom line.

Success Tips for Millennial Entrepreneurs

Success Tips for Millennial Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship has always been a challenging task but millennial entrepreneurs face some unique challenges. However, they also have access to better resources, allowing them to make the best of the circumstances presented to them. Here are the top tips which can help millennial entrepreneurs in avoiding potholes on the road to success.

  • Create an A Team: Entrepreneurship may be a lonely journey, but it helps to create a good team. Make sure that you have a strong support system and that your team consists of people who understand your ambition and vision. It is also important that you actively seek out help as and when you require it. People are more than willing to help others out when they are asked in a direct manner. As an entrepreneur, you need to understand that looking for help is not a sign of weakness but of open-mindedness. This quality is especially helpful in technical areas, so if you are struggling with the taxes for your business or are stuck with a faulty code, then make sure that you have right kind of people in your team to deal with such issues.

 

  • Learn to be on Your Own: While this tip may seem to be diametrically opposite to the first one, it highlights the importance of being self-reliant when it comes to running your enterprise. Your team may be able to provide you technical support and at times, maybe even moral support, but there will also be times when you will find yourself dealing with such issues on your own. Further, you should also develop your abilities to reach a decision in an independent manner. You may also need to severely curtail your social life to make time for your entrepreneurial ventures. Before you take a leap, make sure that you are ready for these sacrifices.

 

  • Find Your Passion: The success of your venture depends on your efforts and your efforts are directly correlated to how closely you identify with your business. If you are truly passionate about your venture, then you will be able to stay motivated despite all the obstacles coming your way. You can also keep up your motivation level by focusing on the ultimate reward. Entrepreneurship involves long working hours, repeated setbacks and consequent stress. These obstacles are easy to overcome when you believe in what you are doing.

 

  • But be Business Savvy: it’s great to have an opportunity to work in the area you are passionate about, but it is also important to have your business fundamentals right. This means that you have proper idea about your market, you have designed your product in an appropriate manner and that you comply with all the regulatory requirements, among other things. While passion matters, you should also keep in mind that businesses have a high failure rate, especially in the initial years. New entrepreneurs are also advised to be careful about the finances so that they do not run out of funds at crucial moments. If you do not have any business background then you may also take up a few business oriented courses in a local college or university. Alternatively, you may join your industry association and other trade collaborations.

 

  • Be Agile: In today’s highly competitive world, it pays to be agile and nimble. A venture’s success is widely determined by its ability to pivot. It is important that you quickly recognize the gravity of a situation and take appropriate actions promptly. Some of the situations which may require such quick actions include change in market structure or change in regulatory frameworks. It is also advisable to keep various processes and procedures simple so that they may be conveniently altered as and when required by the changed circumstances. An entrepreneur should also be open to making swift changes to their plans. If the earlier plans do not seem to work then they should amend them accordingly.
Entrepreneurs are not born, they are made. By following these simple tips, you can vastly improve your chances of becoming a successful entrepreneur. You should also use technology tools to boost your business. These tools such as those provided by PayTabs can bring about efficiency and economy to your business operations, helping you grow at a fast pace.