6 ways to spark more sales from your eCommerce (in the next 6 months)

As we reach the halfway point of the year, now’s the perfect time to sprinkle some magic on your eCommerce website and conjure more sales throughout the next six months.

While we’re not quite sure how this year has sped along so quickly, the fact remains: we are within finger’s reach of the halfway point of 2024.

Before you take the Christmas decorations out of the attic, let’s take a moment to first of all recognise what you’ve achieved this year so far (bubbles optional ??) and, also, explore what you want to focus on for the year ahead.

If you’re a fellow small business owner, chances are that you wouldn’t mind increasing your income over the next six months. And, especially for those in the eCommerce space, this probably looks like reaching and converting more customers.

Thankfully, this really doesn’t have to feel like a dark art. In fact, there are some super nifty changes that you can make yourself to boost your chances of bigger, bolder sales.

So, read on to find out our top six ways to turn your website into a sales powerhouse in the next six months.

PIN FOR LATER: BOOSTING SALES WITH A BESPOKE ECOMMERCE PLATFORM AND PICTURE PERFECT DESIGN

1. Enchanting product descriptions

Your product descriptions may seem like nothing more than short and snappy chunks of text, but they have the power to make or break your eCommerce’s selling potential.

Let’s face it – they’re that first impression. And we all know that first impressions matter. Next time you’re scrolling through Netflix trying to choose your Sunday afternoon film, imagine that you’re doing so with NO descriptions, NO extra information and NO text whatsoever. It’s going to make your job of choosing doubly hard, right? According to a study by Salsify, 87% of consumers rate product content extremely or very important when deciding to buy. That’s a huge number of people who may opt not to ‘Add to cart’ if your product descriptions aren’t quite doing their job.

But it isn’t just about first impressions. Your product descriptions are also a fantastic way to boost your SEO, directing targeted traffic to your website (more on this later). Plus, they’re the perfect place to layer in your brand voice and ensure customers truly know what they’re signing up for (rather than ending up with a bunch of returns).

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW:?

• Look at the products or services that are selling the best and the worst. Is there any difference in their product descriptions?
• Look at the SEO lowdown on each of your product pages. Are they ranking well for your keywords? If so, why not?
• Gather up all of your product descriptions and ask yourself how you can make them: more engaging, more reflective of your brand voice, more memorable and more catered to your audience.
• Check that you are highlighting BENEFITS over FEATURES
• Drop in some social proof.

RELATED: UNIQUE WAYS TO ADD A BURST OF PERSONALITY TO YOUR WEBSITE

2. Top notch visuals

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a top notch visual is worth a thousand sales!

The images that you use across your eCommerce are crucial. We’re talking high quality photography, videos and also behind the scenes content to bring a sense of ‘realness’ to your brand. A study by MDG Advertising found that 67% of consumers say the quality of a product image is “very important” in selecting and purchasing a product, while another study by Eyeview revealed that video can boost conversion rates by up to 80%.

They aren’t just a ‘nice to have’. If you want more sales this year, they need to be a vital part of your marketing strategy. Unique, branded and top quality visuals can maximise conversion rates, deepen customer understanding of a product or service, increase engagement (both on your website and social media), deepen customer trust, differentiate yourself from competitors and add to your SEO strategy. It’s time to chuck those royalty free images in the bin and prioritise visuals that have your brand at the heart.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW:

• Check that your visuals are consistent across your website.?
• Are your images or videos too old? Do they still represent your brand as it is today?
• Ensure all visuals are optimised for SEO.
• Opt for unique visuals rather than ones from royalty free websites (and likely seen across a bunch of other sites just like yours)
• And if all of these boxes remain unticked… Book a personal branding photoshoot both for yourself, your team and your products.

YOU MIGHT LIKE: 7 WAYS TO USE IMAGE TO BOOST YOUR SEO RANKING

3. Magical CTAs

Your CTAs (call to actions) are your eCommerce goldmine – your magic potion to grab potential customers hook line and sinker.

They are so powerful. Why? Because they compel people to act. They – as the name suggests – inspire action. Plus, they have endless potential; there are so many ways to use CTAs to get what you want.?

For example, some CTAs may focus on encouraging immediate action. Others will create urgency or highlight savings. Some CTAs will promote benefits and features, while others will leverage social proof. You’ll get CTAs that encourage sign ups and you’ll get ones that enhance the shopping experience.

What we’re saying is, they’re pretty damn epic. They’re so epic that creating personalised CTAs can increase conversion rates by 202% compared to generic CTAs, according to HubSpot. That ‘BUY NOW’ button isn’t looking so attractive anymore, is it?

WHAT TO DO NOW:

• Gather all of the places you currently have a CTA – are there any further areas that could benefit from one?
• What is the click-through-rate of your CTAs? Which ones are doing better than others?
• Strip out anything that doesn’t command attention and gain #inspo from:
• Discover the latest trends in Summer [product/industry]
• Share your Style on social media
• Unlock your exclusive discount (before it runs out!)
• Order now and SAVE BIG
• Head this way for ultimate comfort
• Join thousands of satisfied customers
• Only a few left in stock (seriously!)
• Join the [industry] revolution
• Claim your 10% off (and monthly offers)
• Run don’t walk to your new [product]

READ NEXT: HOW TO OPTIMISE YOUR CONTENT SEO STRATEGY

4. A sensational SEO strategy

We wouldn’t be #TeamLBB if we weren’t shouting about your SEO strategy from the rooftops ????♀?

SEO holds an abundance of answers when it comes to increasing website traffic, getting targeted dream customers through your metaphorical doors and converting people from curious snoopers to die hard fans.

We’ve already shared some ways that you can layer in SEO to your eCommerce; but, ultimately, your entire website SEO strategy needs to be at the top of its game. That means using relevant keywords throughout, optimising ALL of your content (yep, even your policy pages!) and keeping your ‘site updated with fresh, engaging content.

Get it right, and your SEO strategy will increase organic traffic (responsible for 53.3% of all website traffic, according to BrightEdge), enhance user experience, refine your targeting, give you the competitive edge, save money in your marketing budget and increase the trust and credibility of your business.

WHAT TO DO NOW:

• Improve (but don’t stuff!) the keywords in your product descriptions
• Ensure all images have Alt texts
• Check your site speed – if it’s on the snail end of the spectrum, make necessary changes to rev it up
• Maximise your internal linking and also backlink opportunities
• Hire an SEO guru to nail your SEO strategy for you… (luckily, we know just the guy! Get to know him here).

SAVE FOR LATER: NAVIGATING THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF SEO IN 2024

5. Charm them with offers and discounts

Who can resist a good deal? If you want to spark more sales for the second half of the year, why not explore limited-time offers, flash sales, and bundle deals to entice visitors. You can then highlight these offers prominently to create a sense of urgency and excitement, such as through dynamic countdown timers, pop-up announcements, interactive banners, limited offer graphics, social proof with countdown sales, visually appealing bundle deals and gamified discounts.

Especially if you lean into more creative methods to promote these offers and discounts, you can enhance the overall shopping experience, drive more engagement, and boost conversions on your eCommerce site.?

WHAT TO DO NOW:

• Look at your website capabilities and what might be possible for creative approaches to discounts and offers.
• Can you tie offers into any upcoming marketing campaigns?
• Trial a discount offer for a period of time and see how many people engage. Trial the same offer using a different method and compare the two. Keep going until you find your sweet spot.
• Promote a seasonal sale.
• See if you have the means of running a bundle deal and what this would look like for you.

6. Bewitch them with email marketing?

We’re closing by taking a step outside of the website to a place that holds some major influence: it’s your email marketing.

Email marketing isn’t just alive – it’s thriving. Don’t believe us? Campaign Monitor found that email drives an average of 20% of eCommerce revenue. It isn’t a platform that you want to ignore.

Used in conjunction with your website, email marketing allows business owners to directly contact their customers, segment and personalise messages, promote those all important offers (that you worked so hard on creating!) and build customer loyalty through regular communication. This can lead to a higher ROI, better customer retention, immediate sales and more targeted messaging. Plus, you’ll also land yourself with heaps of data that you can explore and act upon based on your email analytics.?

It’s an unparalleled way to nurture relationships, free from social media algorithms and the like. Afterall, these people have made a conscious choice to hear from you. Make it count.

WHAT TO DO NOW:

• Take a look at your email analytics from the last year. What can you learn from them?
• Consider how you can use your website and all other platforms to bring more people to your mailing list.
• Think about a specific email marketing campaign that can tie in with one of your special offers.
• Read back on past emails – are they in your brand voice? Are they interesting? If not, change it!
• If you don’t have a mailing list – come on now, what’s stopping you?!

READ NEXT: HOW CAN MAILCHIMP HELP YOU BOOST YOUR ONLINE STORE?

Can Littlebigbox help me spark more sales from my eCommerce website?

While we love empowering business owners to take charge of their own website, we also – OF COURSE – love taking the reins for them.

We’re experts when it comes to eCommerce and have a small but mighty team of designers, developers, SEO specialists and copywriting experts who are all on hand to help your website be the best it possibly can be.

It all starts with a cuppa and a conversation. So, book in a call or meeting IRL if you’re local, choose your brew and let’s chat.