The pandemic surprised everyone. And a big lesson that many people took from this was: that changes happen all the time, so it’s important to be ready to update yourself in scenarios like this. The lockdowns, for example, generated new habits concerning purchases and the use of digital services. The online sales were intensified.
Physical stores suffered a lot since buying in physical stores is no longer a priority. According to KPMG research, safety is the main criterion for purchase in this pandemic moment, in addition to cost-effectiveness and ease of purchasing the product.
And what has changed since then?
The presence of walk-in customers in stores has dropped dramatically. People are scared! The ease of contagion and the high mortality rate are the primary causes. For all this, online sales grew 47% in the first half of this year [in Brazil]. According to the survey by Ebit/Nielsen, this is the highest rise in the sector in 20 years. A significant change, right?
Those who bet on the digital world had a big surprise! There are several online sales strategies. The more creative and innovative, the faster they reach and retain the consumer, right?
In this article, we list 15 strategies that can help you boost your online sales and position yourself digitally! Let’s go.
1) Online sales x Target audience
Do you know your target audience? Peter Drucker, one of the world’s greatest leaders, said a sentence that sums up the importance of knowing your target audience:
“The goal of marketing is to know and understand the consumer so well that the product or service molds to him and sells itself.”
Why know who your audience is? Because they will be the consumers! And because your business breathes on their behalf, the more you know about your audience and the more connected to them, the better. Does this mean that the bigger your audience is, the greater your chance of sales? Not always! For online sales, the tip is to focus on your target audience.
Investing in paid traffic helps you reach potential consumers, as not everyone who visits your page will be interested in the subject. When you have an audience that is sympathetic to your product, they are more likely to become a lead and buy.
You can segment your business’ reach to the right audience through paid traffic!
You optimize time by focusing on fewer interested parties but with greater potential. You spend less energy and fewer costs because you already know what to focus on since your campaigns will only target that audience. The results will be much more relevant!
2) Make videos to sell more on digital
A 2020 Hubspot survey found that over 50% of consumers prefer video content over other forms of content. Videos have more views than other formats. This new trend makes it grab the public’s attention more. You can make videos about:
- Demonstration: In this format, you can show a product and describe it to the audience and talk about how to use it in practice!
- Tutorial: Tutorials are great not only for those who don’t have a product yet and want to see how to use it but also for those who just purchased it! If the customer has any questions, the tutorial can help.
- FAQ: It’s worth recording a video answering the main questions about a particular product!
- Brand presentation: You may not know it, but consumers love to connect with a brand. So don’t be afraid to talk about yours! Share the mission and values it carries.
The videos will yield increased sales chances in addition to views and engagements!
3) Invest in security
Digital security for online sales is paramount. Demonstrate that your site is safe for both visits and purchases! If you’re going to sell online, your website is your store! When entering a website full of bugs, the consumer has the same reaction as if they arrived at a chaotic physical store!
Buying online is still an action that makes many people insecure, so invest in circumventing these difficulties. Thus, you increase your chances of sales and gain the trust and loyalty of customers.
Analyze if your site has any bugs, if it asks the visitors for any data that is not necessary, or if any other process generates distrust. Check the links, and make sure your site is clear, with an organized layout and well-explained information.
A tooltip that can help you in this step is the Google Source Console, it is responsible for analyzing all the technical parts of a website, and from that, it provides reports about what is disturbing the performance of your page.
4) Be honest with your customer
That temptation to sell something “for revenue” that you know will generate complaints after delivery can destroy your digital strategy and your reputation in the market. And this, in turn, can be a point of no return.
Pages of sales with too many promises, all mental triggers in a single paragraph, and exorbitant prices. Some pranks that any entrepreneur, no matter how honest, might be tempted to fall for just to “hit this month’s goal.” Is all this worth it? Think carefully…
Focus on the medium term, on the repurchase, on the qualification of that customer, and on the positive advertising that a single consumer can provide you. And as tempting as it may seem, don’t try to trick them with fancy promises.
Of all, the most important: comply with what you are offering! The offer in your ads and landing pages must reflect the reality of your product’s benefits. Nothing more, nothing less, okay?
Be honest about the delivery time, give real details and be willing to answer all questions, and, above all, solve the problems that have occurred (even if they do not concern you directly, such as those related to delivery, for example, whether it is a physical or distributed product by digital platforms).
This will make all the difference in the customer experience with your store!
5) Have a good structure
Always remember: your website is your store! Just like a physical store, think of the consumer when you’re inside. How is the organization, visual, and access to the information? This is all part of the user experience. A well-structured website generates credibility and loyalty and increases your chances of selling.
What should you keep an eye out for to ensure they have a good structure?
- See if the pages are intuitive: when the user enters the page, does he know where to click? Or is he lost with so much information? It is important to have a balance between aesthetics and content information, and it is recommended to prioritize the organization and coherence of information.
- Easy-to-understand content: be direct, objective, and attractively speak about your products, which presents the characteristics of what you offer and the benefit it will bring to the person’s life. Never lie. Avoid far-fetched terms and clichés.
- Don’t forget about appearance: use a design that matches the purpose of what you sell. Use colors, graphics, and images that convey a pleasant feel on the page.
In addition to the product you are selling, how the user feels during the purchase contributes to loyalty and the indications he will make.
6) To increase your online sales, invest in social media
We like that phrase from the terrific Chacrinha: those who don’t communicate, get confused! Having just the store’s website or a blog is not enough, and the company has to appear and ensure that potential consumers effectively visit its pages.
Being on the main social networks like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube is being involved with your audience and following their pains and pleasures. This will help you in producing content for engagement.
You can explore different content formats within social networks, such as videos for IGTV, stories, reels, and infographics for the feed. These platforms are the ideal space to bring together your customers who are passionate about your brand and trust your work. Use the opportunity to strengthen your community.
7) Build a community around your brand and sell digitally
As we mentioned, social networks are great spaces to bring together customers who are delighted by your products. People love to be a part of something that matters. Have you noticed that? We see great brands out there that have an incredibly engaged audience simply because they know how to do one thing: create a community.
Making your customers feel close to you is a way to retain them and delight those who are not yet your consumers. This is a mental trigger, and people like to discover new things and engage in them if it is compatible with what they believe. And how does this work in practice?
Imagine that on your Instagram, you always create polls for the public to interact with each other; you are always present in the comments and DMs, answering questions and sending messages asking if they are satisfied with your product. All this keeps the audience there longer!
Here are some practical tips that you can implement and strengthen your audience’s presence so that they become a community:
- Send messages! Invest in contact with those who accompany you. It can be direct, via email, or by message on Facebook. Send posts in which you have given tips or an inspiring phrase.
- Create content that reflects all your brand is! They can be posted in checklist format, a weekly poll with questions, voting, etc. Content: Every time someone looks at it, they’ll immediately know it’s yours!
8) Take advantage of special dates and celebrations to increase online sales
Take advantage of special dates to make promotions! There are several ways to surprise the public. One is to take advantage of the celebrations to create new products or make a special offer for a product that already exists. You can use the bestsellers or the ones your audience engages with the most. Keep the offer available for a few days to activate the shortage feeling!
The more the public sees that a product is special and that there is a chance they can get it at a reasonable price, the more they will be enticed to buy.
9) Be transparent and objective in communication
If you’re looking to boost online sales and build customer loyalty, creating a website that communicates clearly and objectively is a crucial point for better results.
For this, there are many copywriting techniques to help. They are writing strategies with a commercial focus to convince the client to take action.
Practically, to improve writing and help customers make faster decisions on the site, you can:
- Use clear and objective titles without the hype and false promises. The title has to speak directly about your product and present the benefit it will generate for the customer.
- Divide the text into short paragraphs, subheadings, topics, and short sentences to make reading more fluid and faster.
- Use simpler words. Avoid complex terms that will only confuse the customer.
Bet on the basics of communication, and organize your site so that it is easy to find the pages: about the store, products, questions, and contact.
10) Answer customer questions
It may seem obvious, but it’s not. Many people neglect customer inquiries.
To retain your customers and make more sales online, you have to know how to be available to them. What does that mean? You need to know where your customer is and adapt your service to them.
Does he send questions by email? By direct from Instagram? So organize yourself daily, at a particular time, to answer these questions, whether through Facebook, email, Instagram, etc.
If your customer has a question and doesn’t get a quick answer from your company, you can be sure that he will look for the solution in the competition in a few seconds.
11) Payment Methods
The consumer decided to buy your product. Excellent! However, he only uses one payment method you don’t work with. He backs out of the purchase, and you’ve lost a sale and a future customer. Lousy scenario, huh?
Offering multiple payment methods across numerous platforms and banks gives your buyer the best way how they can pay. Working with PIX (online and instantaneous transference) will be another differentiator. In the face of all this, have you realized how important it is to be attentive in your online store?
That punctual consumer can become your customer if you offer all the conditions for the purchase.
12) Work with the after-sales service
Now the customer already knows your work, has already had an exceptional shopping experience, has already recommended it to friends… and the next step? Wait until he decides to buy again? No! Your customer isn’t dead. He’s still a potential rebuy, right? Develop post-purchase strategies!
Now is your time to captivate your customer even more! And how can you do that? There are several ways:
- Email Marketing: you can send emails thanking them for the purchase and asking if the customer liked it. You can include the option to rate or give feedback about the purchase;
- Social proof: your customers love being able to trust you! Create a feedback section on your website, or put a spotlight on social media with the public’s evaluation of your products; in this way, future clients feel more confident in your work!
- Show other products or services: Show more products your company sells that the customer likes!
- Submit tutorials: remember the video tutorial? You can send content with tips and tutorials to improve the use of what the customer has purchased!
13) Seek a qualification
The more you know, the better. To undertake is always to be aware of the trends and growth of the moment, so seek to improve with those who are a reference in online sales and Digital Marketing. Determining what works by yourself can give you some (or several) losses.
Follow experts who deliver results! Around here, we consistently produce valuable content with tips and strategies we apply and are sure of the results.
Is your niche fashion? Follow influencers who talk about it and see which pieces are trending, colors and models. Don’t just focus on digital growth. Think about your niche and what its trends are. And when in doubt, always prefer to prioritize an expert!
Are you afraid to invest in any marketing strategy? Consult an expert like us to ensure it’s a good tactic.
14) Prepare for the new changes in the market
We mentioned earlier that due to the pandemic, a lot has changed, and it was a completely new scenario for all of us, right? But one lesson we learned: we must be ready for the changes because they are happening all the time. Have you ever stopped to think about what post-pandemic customer behavior will be like?
Facebook surveyed post-pandemic consumer behavior and reported that 32% of consumers admitted that flexibility is a determining factor for them to stay loyal and even pay more for specific products or services.
This research was essential because it raised some points that most companies refuse to see, you know?
The research reinforced the need for brands to invest in customer relationships. And more than that, companies must work with the same objective: to listen to consumers as an equal. This way, the pandemic highlighted a marketing strategy called “Human 2 Human”.
Do you know this concept? It started to be discussed in 2013 and concerns people and their human relationships. For brands to meet consumers’ desires to create experiences with them, it’s essential to understand how people react to today’s life.
That’s how we can see that it’s not just about numbers. Customers are people and connect with the brands they consume.
And is your business ready to consider strategies that fit this new reality?
15) Don’t get caught up in strategic planning
But don’t neglect it, either, OK? With this information about changing consumer behavior, we can conclude that sales will also change, and the online sales scenario will increase even more. And if the objectives of your strategic planning did not include growing your online store, now is the time to have it.
With all the tips we mentioned here, you can already rethink some modifications you can make to it, such as:
- Your target audience: Analyze whether your product has reached the right audience. Invest in paid traffic for better targeting.
- Explore the video content format: post on your business’s social networks and measure your network’s engagement with this content.
- Invest in security: let your customer feel comfortable on your website! Provide a safe and fluid experience.
- Be honest with your customer: don’t make promises you can’t keep, don’t exaggerate triggers, and don’t offer low-quality products.
- Have a good structure, and if necessary, restructure some things.
- Invest in social networks, take your products there too, and post photos, videos, infographics, and other types of content that move the web.
- Communicate clearly with your customers: always prioritize answering them.
- Keep an eye on payment methods. Add, if possible, multiple forms of payment.
- Work with after-sales: retaining a customer is as important as winning.
- Prepare for change: keep an eye on trends and always think about the best and worst case scenarios.
- Don’t get caught up on planning, but don’t neglect it.
To boost online sales, have a good strategy, offer the needs that matter, and invest in advertising! All these strategies, if applied together, can take your business to a new level. So, don’t forget to follow each one and keep an eye on the results, okay?
Remember that the digital universe is constantly being updated, so everything you do here must keep up with the news, so you don’t get left behind. What works for one business will not always work for yours. And how are you going to find that out? Testing!
We hope this article has helped you! Did you have any doubts? Leave it here in the comments. It will be a pleasure to help you.
