Marketing in this digitally-dominated world of ours is as much of an art form as it is scientific in nature. We rely on numbers to analyze successful and the not so successful interactions we have with our website visitors and customers, and we trust a range of analytics tools to tell us where things have gone wrong and how we can make it right. In the same way, businesses are constantly looking for ways to boost conversion rates, to inspire more purchases from existing customers and to increase customer acquisition, as well.
Every year or so, the world comes up with a slew of gimmicks and trends that rise to the top as the most successful and relevant for various industries. Trends aside, markets are driven by customer preferences and the subtle changes in their behavior – all of which can be influenced by the right strategies. To help you increase your earning potential through higher conversions, we’ve assembled a list of the most relevant tactics for this year.
Keep your checkout short and sweet
According to research, it seems that almost 70% of carts are abandoned on e-commerce websites. The main culprit in so many of those unsuccessful interactions? Your checkout process. Whether it’s too lengthy, requires the creation of an account, or has too many annoying detours, a checkout can make or break your customers’ desire to actually follow through.
Improve the process by recognizing at which step your customers drop off your site. Perhaps you need to add more payment options, or ensure that your shipping prices are clearly and transparently outlined at the start of your customer’s purchase. Whatever the issue may be, the checkout process should be simple and smooth in the end.
Boost trust with reviews and ratings
No matter your industry or how long your brand has been in existence, you need to make sure that your reputation speaks for itself. If you already have satisfied customers and clients, you should leverage their experience to your advantage by publishing their reviews and comments directly next to the products or services you’re offering. Additionally, a dedicated testimonial page can add another layer of credibility to your business and inspire customers to go through with the purchase.
Of course, this requires a long-term approach that won’t just affect your 2020 conversions, but that will rather define your reputation in the years to come, as well. Make sure to use third-party reviews, as well, from reputable platforms and sites, including those found on Google.
Leverage social proof with tech tools
Trends don’t come about by pure accident. They are a combination of individual efforts from celebrities, influencers, and various authority figures that define them, and they are deeply affected by that slow but steady evolution of customer behavior and preferences. If your product or service is relevant and trendy, then you already have customers lining up to make a purchase. How can others be able to see that appeal of your brand in the eyes of others?
One simple way to achieve that is to use an effective social proof tool on your website to generate quick popups whenever someone buys on your site. As the name implies, the tool then provides immediate evidence of interest in your brand, and visitors who might be having second thoughts will feel more inclined to make a purchase because they see others following through. This allows you to leverage the interest of others in your products to inspire new customers to trust you more.
Make your CTAs relevant
Often seen as that fine line connecting your sales strategy and your marketing approach, your CTAs are certainly a promising tool in 2020 to increase conversions. Depending on your industry, your unique selling proposition, and of course, your current website layout, you can refine how you use your CTAs to inspire more purchases. This might be an old tactic, but it still works like a charm!
Offer help across platforms
Live chat has become a must for most e-commerce vendors. It enables greater control over what happens on your site, and it’s a surefire way to prevent abandoned carts when there’s a simple solution available. Then again, live chat also offers a great opportunity for cross-selling and up-selling, letting your agents customize each customer’s journey.
However, to make it even simpler for you and your support team, you can use an AI-driven chatbot on your site to provide the needed information, guidance, and even buying suggestions based on that buyer’s shopping history.
Leverage social media
Contests, polls, and live-streaming have all become quite popular in recent months. These and other interactive social media efforts can make a huge difference in how eager your audience will be to visit your website and go through with a purchase. Sharing beautiful landing pages with your improved checkout can then take over and seal the deal. Use your social media content to bring people to your store and to inspire engagement in the form of subscriptions and purchases – both of which will in turn lead to more audience interest over time.
From your social footprint to your chatbots, you have a wide variety of tools available that can help you boost your profits in the months to come. Remember that you should always rely on the most recent and industry-relevant insights and data from your own website to see where you can make improvements, and then implement these strategies to inspire more purchases from new and return customers alike.
