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How to Increase Shopping Cart Conversions |
| Gareth Sales Thursday, April 18, 2013 |
You may have an amazing looking shopping cart which is regularly visited by a large number of visitors thanks to your great SEO work but are you converting as many of these visitors into paying customers as you could?
Unfortunately, a large percentage of web users use ecommerce websites to:
- Check for the lowest prices
- Learn more about products
- Locate their local brick-and-mortar store
- Read product reviews
They will then use this information to go and make their purchase from a real-world store, after all, a real world purchase allows them to get their hands on the product that very same day and they know they can easily return it to the store if they change their mind. So how can you ensure visitors don’t just use your site for information and encourage them to buy from you?
Don't forget that you are asking potential buyers to make sacrifices such as:
- Purchase from an unknown business
- Wait several days to receive their products
- Risk the hassle of returning the products if they are faulty / unsuitable
To combat these negatives, you need to promote the benefits of on-line shopping, think about the reasons why people use the web for browsing (instead of shopping) and turn each of those reasons into a sales closing technique.
Strategies to close more online sales:
Promote the convenience – If they buy from your online store, your customers don’t need to sit in traffic, fight against the crowds in shopping malls or wait in long queues at the checkouts. They simply fill up their shopping carts, type in their details and their products are on their way to them. Just ensure it is easy and convenient to buy from your store by offering a smooth checkout process and clearly displaying your shipping / returns policies and terms & conditions.
Offer multiple shipping options - Many customers want their products ASAP which is why many choose to purchase from a brick and mortar store. While same day delivery is still some way off being mainstream, overnight delivery is a very real option that might just close the deal for you. These people will gladly pay extra to get their product(s) the next day so offering a next day delivery option alongside ‘regular’ free or low cost shipping is a great closing technique.
Offer guarantees - Guarantees are a great trust builder and there are lots of different types you can offer: product guarantees, shipping / returns guarantees, satisfaction guarantees. Ensure you display these guarantees
Offer additional incentives – such as personalized service, loyalty points, money off their next order, free shipping etc.
Gift wrapping – Offering gift wrapping services is a great way to add value to your online store offering.
Please let me know in the comments section below if you can think of any other ways to make your online store stand out from brick and mortar stores.
Happy Selling!
Gareth Sales
VPASP Shopping Cart
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