How to Increase Ecommerce Sales: A Step-by-Step Guide

In today’s competitive online marketplace, finding effective ways to boost e-commerce sales is crucial for online business success. While paid advertisements may seem like a lucrative option, there are several proven strategies that can help boost sales without breaking the pocket.

In this comprehensive guide, we will learn how to increase e-commerce sales using 15 tried and tested tactics that will help you optimize your sales funnel and skyrocket your e-commerce revenue.

How to increase ecommerce sales?

1. Build an Email List Onsite

In this how to increase ecommerce sales guide the best way to boost ecommerce sales is by building an email list onsite. While social media may seem sufficient for connecting with your customers, an email list offers a more direct and personalized approach. Regardless of your industry, an email list can be a powerful tool for long-term growth and customer engagement.

There are multiple ways to capture email addresses on-site:

• Exit Intent Popup: Offer free shipping or a discount to visitors before they leave your site in exchange for their email address.
• Welcome Popup: Welcome new visitors with an exclusive discount to encourage them to make a purchase.
• Content Upgrade Form: Create a valuable ebook or resource and ask visitors to provide their email addresses to access it.
• Abandoned Cart Recovery: When a customer adds items to their cart but doesn’t complete the purchase, offer them a discount or incentive to encourage them to return and complete the transaction.
• Gamified Signup Forms: Create interactive signup forms, such as a spin-to-win wheel, where customers can enter their email addresses for a chance to win a discount or a free gift.

By implementing these onsite email capture strategies, you can build a valuable email list that will serve as a powerful tool for driving e-commerce sales.

It is important to regularly clean your email list to maintain its quality and effectiveness and minimise the risk of deliverability issues.”

2. Set up an Automated Email Campaign

Once you have built an email list, it’s important to have a well-defined email marketing strategy in place to drive ecommerce sales. Email marketing automation allows you to send targeted and personalized emails to your subscribers, nurturing them through the customer journey and increasing the likelihood of conversion.

Here are some key types of automated email campaigns to consider:

• Welcome Email Series: Send a series of emails to new subscribers, introducing your brand, highlighting your best products, and offering exclusive discounts.
• Birthday Email Series: Send personalized birthday emails with special offers or discounts to make your customers feel valued.
• Transactional and Post-Purchase Email Series: Send order confirmations, shipping updates, and post-purchase follow-ups to keep customers engaged and encourage repeat purchases.
• Cart or Browse Abandonment Email Series: Remind customers about the products they left in their cart or encourage them to complete their purchase if they were browsing without adding anything to their cart.
  

By leveraging email automation, you can deliver targeted and timely messages to your subscribers, increasing engagement and driving e-commerce sales. Implementing a strong  dmarc generator ensures your automated emails are properly authenticated and reach your customers’ inboxes.

3. Showcase Customer Reviews

Social proof is a powerful tool in boosting e-commerce sales. Displaying customer reviews in prominent places on your website, such as product pages, menus, and checkout areas, can significantly increase customer confidence and encourage them to make a purchase.

According to field surveys, 87% of customers read reviews before making a purchase decision, and product pages with customer reviews have a 3.5 times higher conversion rate than those without. Therefore, it’s essential to showcase customer reviews to build trust and credibility.

Consider implementing the following strategies to display customer reviews effectively:

• Average User Rating: Display the average user rating directly under the product to provide a quick overview of product satisfaction.
• User Reviews: Provide a section where customers can read detailed reviews from other buyers, allowing them to make informed purchase decisions.
• Verified Buyers: Highlight reviews from verified buyers to increase trust and credibility.

If you don’t have any customer reviews yet, you can proactively ask for reviews through email campaigns or use other strategies to encourage customers to share their feedback.

1. Recover Abandoned Carts with Emails

Abandoned carts are a common challenge for e-commerce businesses, with an average abandonment rate of nearly 70%. However, abandoned cart recovery emails can be a highly effective strategy for bringing those potential customers back and boosting sales.

To effectively recover abandoned carts, consider the following tips:

• Timely Reminders: Send the first email within an hour of cart abandonment, followed by additional emails at 12-hour and 24-hour intervals.
• Compelling Subject Lines: Use persuasive and attention-grabbing subject lines to entice customers to open your emails.
• Highlight Abandoned Products: Feature the abandoned products in your emails to remind customers of what they left behind.
• Customer Support Contact: Provide clear contact information for customer support to address any questions or issues the customer may have had during the checkout process.

By implementing an abandoned cart recovery email campaign, you can effectively re-engage customers and encourage them to complete their purchases, ultimately boosting your e-commerce sales.  If you don’t have an in-house team to take care of your website and make necessary updates, consider teaming up with a professional webflow partner.

5. Use Video Product Demonstrations

In today’s visually-driven world, high-quality product images are essential for e-commerce success. However, video product demonstrations can take your product showcasing to the next level and help boost sales. Unlike still images, videos allow customers to see products in action and provide a more immersive shopping experience.

Consider implementing video product demonstrations in the following ways:

• Product Exploration: Create videos that showcase the features and benefits of your products, allowing customers to explore them in detail.
• Idealized Environment: Demonstrate how your products can be used in their idealized environment, helping customers visualize the product’s value and functionality.

By incorporating video product demonstrations into your e-commerce strategy, you can capture customers’ attention and increase their likelihood of making a purchase.

6. Provide Product Recommendations

Product recommendations are a powerful tool for increasing e-commerce sales and encouraging customers to explore additional products. By showcasing similar items or complementary products on your website, you can entice customers to make additional purchases and increase their order value.

Here are some strategies for providing effective product recommendations:

• Upselling: Suggest higher-end or upgraded versions of the product the customer is considering to increase the order value.
• Cross-selling: Recommend related or complementary products to encourage customers to make additional purchases.

Implementing product recommendations on your website can enhance the customer shopping experience, increase engagement, and ultimately boost your e-commerce sales.

7. Add a Live Chat to Your Store

In today’s fast-paced digital world, customers expect quick and responsive customer support. Adding a live chat function to your e-commerce store can provide immediate assistance and enhance the customer experience, ultimately leading to increased sales.

Consider the following benefits of live chat:

• Improved Customer Satisfaction: Live chat offers real-time support, allowing customers to get their questions answered instantly.
• Increased Conversion Rates: By addressing customer concerns and providing personalized recommendations, live chat can help overcome purchase barriers and increase conversion rates.
• Opportunity for Upselling and Cross-Selling: Live chat provides an opportunity to offer additional products or upgrades to customers, boosting sales and order value.

By integrating live chat into your e-commerce store, you can provide exceptional customer support and drive sales through personalized interactions.

8. Optimize the Checkout Process

A complicated and time-consuming checkout process can significantly impact e-commerce sales. To maximize conversions and minimize cart abandonment, it’s crucial to optimize your checkout process for a seamless and user-friendly experience.

Consider the following strategies to optimize your e-commerce checkout:

• Simplify Registration: Minimize unnecessary registration requirements, such as asking for excessive personal information.
• Guest Checkout Option: Provide a guest checkout option to allow customers to complete their purchases without creating an account.
• Trust Signals: Include trust signals, such as security badges and secure payment options, to instill confidence in customers.
• Multiple Payment Methods: Offer a variety of payment options to cater to different customer preferences.
• Upsell Opportunities: Incorporate upsell opportunities during the checkout process to encourage customers to add additional items to their order.

By streamlining your checkout process and removing unnecessary barriers, you can improve the overall customer experience and increase e-commerce sales.

9. Use Urgency and Scarcity Tactics

Urgency and scarcity are powerful psychological triggers that can drive customers to make a purchase. By creating a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out), you can encourage customers to take immediate action and increase e-commerce sales.

Consider implementing the following urgency and scarcity tactics:

• Limited-Time Offers: Offer time-limited promotions or discounts to create a sense of urgency.
• Countdown Timers: Display countdown timers to show customers how much time is left to take advantage of a specific offer.
• Limited Stock Notifications: Notify customers when a product is low in stock to create a sense of scarcity and encourage immediate action.

However, it’s important to use urgency and scarcity tactics responsibly to avoid diluting their effectiveness and potentially alienating customers.

10. Improve Your Store’s SEO

Content marketing has emerged as a game-changer for eCommerce businesses seeking to boost sales and customer engagement. In today’s digital landscape, the mantra is clear: content is king. By crafting compelling blog posts, informative videos, and engaging social media updates, brands can establish a stronger online presence and connect with their target audience on a deeper level.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for increasing visibility and driving organic traffic to your e-commerce store. By optimizing your website for relevant keywords and improving its overall SEO performance, you can attract more potential customers and increase e-commerce sales.

Consider the following SEO strategies for your e-commerce store:

• Keyword Research: Identify high-volume, low-competition keywords relevant to your products and incorporate them into your website’s content.
• Optimized Image Tags: Use descriptive alt text for your product images to improve their visibility in search engine results.
• URL Optimization: Create keyword-rich and user-friendly URLs for your product and category pages.
• Optimized Product Descriptions: Write compelling and keyword-optimized product descriptions that appeal to both customers and search engines.

By implementing effective SEO practices, you can improve your website’s organic visibility, attract more qualified traffic, and ultimately increase e-commerce sales.

11. Allow Split Payments for Customers

Installment or split payments are a game-changer for e-commerce businesses. By allowing customers to buy now and pay later in manageable chunks, you can make your products more affordable and increase conversion rates.

Consider integrating third-party payment solutions, such as Klarna or Afterpay, that offer seamless installment payment options. By providing customers with flexible payment choices, you can eliminate financial barriers and drive more sales.

12. Use SMS Marketing Campaigns

SMS marketing can be a highly effective strategy for driving e-commerce sales. By sending personalized text messages directly to customers’ phones, you can engage with them on a more immediate and personal level.

Consider the following ways to leverage SMS marketing:

• Exclusive Discounts: Send SMS messages with exclusive discounts or limited-time offers to drive immediate sales.
• Order Confirmations and Updates: Automate SMS notifications for order confirmations, shipping updates, and delivery notifications to keep customers informed and engaged.
• Abandoned Cart Reminders: Send SMS reminders to customers who have abandoned their carts, reminding them of the products they left behind and encouraging them to complete their purchases.

By incorporating SMS marketing into your overall marketing strategy, you can reach customers more directly and drive e-commerce sales.

13. Inspire Visitors with an Instagram Feed

Instagram is a highly visual platform that offers a wealth of opportunities for e-commerce businesses. By showcasing your products through an Instagram feed directly on your website, you can inspire visitors and encourage them to make a purchase.

Consider the following strategies for integrating an Instagram feed:

• Display User-Generated Content: Share user-generated content from your customers to showcase real-life experiences and build trust.
• Highlight Popular Products: Feature your best-selling or most popular products on your Instagram feed to generate interest and drive sales.
• Partner with Influencers: Collaborate with influencers in your niche to expand your reach and attract new customers.

By leveraging Instagram as a marketing tool, you can tap into its massive user base and increase e-commerce sales.

14. Run Paid Marketing Campaigns

While organic strategies are important, paid marketing campaigns can provide an extra boost to your e-commerce sales. By investing in platforms like Google Ads, Microsoft Ads or social media advertising, you can target specific keywords and demographics to reach your ideal customers.

Consider the following tips for running successful paid marketing campaigns:

• Keyword Targeting: Conduct in-depth keyword research to identify relevant keywords with high search intent and incorporate them into your ad campaigns.
• Compelling Ad Copy: Craft compelling and persuasive ad copy that highlights the unique selling points of your products and entices customers to click.
• Optimized Landing Pages: Create dedicated landing pages for your ad campaigns that are aligned with the ad copy and provide a seamless user experience.

By combining paid marketing campaigns with your organic strategies, you can maximize your reach and drive more targeted traffic to your e-commerce store.

15. Give Away an Expensive Product

Product giveaways are a fun and engaging way to generate excitement and increase e-commerce sales. By offering a valuable prize, you can incentivize customers to provide their email addresses and create a sense of anticipation.

Consider the following steps to run a successful product giveaway:

• Choose an Attractive Prize: Select a high-value and relevant product that will capture the attention of your target audience.
• Promote the Giveaway: Use your website, social media channels, and email marketing to promote the giveaway and encourage participation.
• Keep Entry Requirements Simple: Only ask for minimal information, such as email addresses, to make it easy for customers to enter.

By running product giveaways, you can grow your subscriber list, increase engagement, and ultimately drive more e-commerce sales.

Conclusion

In this comprehensive guide, we have learned how to increase eCommerce sales along with 15 proven tactics to improve eCommerce sales. From building an email list and implementing email marketing automation to incorporating video product demonstrations and optimizing the checkout process, these strategies can help you maximize your sales potential and drive revenue growth.

By combining these tactics and tailoring them to your specific business needs, you can create a powerful e-commerce strategy that will attract and convert customers, ultimately leading to increased sales and long-term business success.

Remember, it’s important to continuously analyze and refine your e-commerce strategies to ensure ongoing success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.