Whether you’re just starting out, or looking to expand, you probably want to get more sales. Social media, referral websites and online listings all give you a chance to widen your exposure, but often it’s not about brand awareness so much as applying winning tactics to convince a buyer to take up your product. The Internet provides many avenues for us to reach audiences, but you need to have a good grasp of the different tools available to you.
Let’s have a look at some effective ways to get more sales:
Develop Your Brand
Contents
No matter what you are selling you are engaging with people, so you have to give them what they want. Your brand has to communicate why your target should buy from you, and you have to convince them that you are the only option in your category. Your branding is what differentiates you from the competition, so be sure to give it the thought and research it deserves.
It’s The Results That Matter
If you represent a brand and are responsible for making sales personally, the internet offers you many avenues. But, as Entrepreneur.com points out, you have to keep all your efforts completely focused on getting results:
Your success in selling is about getting results and that means getting your products into the hands of more customers. A great salesperson knows how to get the customer’s attention and present their product or service in a way that causes the customer to buy. Don’t confuse results with efforts. You don’t try to get an appointment — you either get it or you don’t.
Upsell To Existing Customers
It costs more money to acquire new leads than to keep existing leads in your sales cycle. Consider using automated software to keep you in constant contact with the customers who know and support your product. Also listen to your customers’ needs. If you pick up that a certain product or service is in high demand, tailor a package so you can provide it to your customers at an annual or monthly fee.
Don’t Underestimate Value-Added Services
New and existing customers like to feel like they are getting something extra, or something free when they buy from you. Inc.com provides an example of how a value-add can enhance a campaign and add to a brands’ engagement:
Language International’s primary product is language study abroad programs. “But very often, our customers also need housing and travel insurance,” says Karen Ong, CEO of the Boston-area company. Offering those complementary products has “helped us expand our gross margins from 21 percent to more than 25 percent,” she says.
Design Your Website For The Sale
There are certain design elements you should consider to maximize your chances of making an online sale:
Keep your most important sales elements “above the fold” (in other words, on the first screen, without scrolling, when readers go to your page). Usually that means a compelling headline, a great opening paragraph, and possibly either a wonderful product shot (to create some desire) or a photo of you (to build trust and rapport).
Also, make it as easy as possible for someone to buy from your store. Make the buttons prominent, tell your user to push them. Start the sales process from the meta data you in put for your products search page results, through to the content, design and copy used on the product landing page.
Be sure to include all the product information, including additional information on shipping, payments and returns. Run through the process as if you were a customer and consider how you can make the process smoother and more enjoyable for someone who lands.