Month: September 2018

There are mistakes you do not want to make as they can be detrimental to your business growth and overall success. A mistake in your product content is one of them. Without a hard-proof and solid product content strategy, you will discover that you have invested your time, effort and money for nothing.

I will give you a fact; people seem to know how important content as a business element can be, however, it is one element that is not given much attention to. It is important because it encompasses the entirety of all communication a firm has with its customers.

Consumers of today have gotten more informed with so many alternatives to select from and you do not want to make mistakes with regard your product content. Well, because there is another competitor always ready to snatch them and turn them into loyal customers!

In the course of this post, you will find product content mistakes you would never want to make. However, if you have made some, there is always room for immediate improvement. They are discussed below;

Inadequate Strategy Formulation and Planning

“He, who fails to plan, plans to fail”. Before you begin writing your product content, a lot of clear plans should be made with regards to its strategy and execution. You need to have goals you intend to accomplish with the product content.

The mistake most companies make is the warped idea that the only goal of their product content should be getting likes and shares across the globe. This is only a small portion of it and without strategy; you will only be wasting time as your product content will be ineffective.

You should define strategies for every single step you will take as a brand in your content marketing. You can start by defining clear business goal you want to achieve and the outcome you desire from them. Have a clear focus, as trying to achieve too much at the same time can make an analysis of what is working and what is not quite difficult.

If you are hoping to create buzz and make it go viral, your product content will be more vibrant to get people tweeting and sharing it easily. Of course, it becomes a different content for a corporate site.

Know your customers intimately and what makes them tick. This will go a long way to dictate how you communicate with them and meet their needs. Doing this will involve research effort to know the needs and desires of your customers and how best to meet it with your product.

Planning and having a clear strategy helps build the foundation for your product content to thrive and produce positive results.

Making Use of Click-Bait Titles and Headlines

In a bid to catch the attention of consumers, some brands engage in the creation of click bait titles. Articles with click-bait headlines rely on flashy and shocking title claims to suck people in, which give a message entirely different from the body of the content.

Using click bait titles and headlines may get you the desired traffic to your site, but it will leave your customers frustrated. You can make a difference by producing honest and factual contents that will provide solutions to the challenges they face.

Please, do not damage your brand credibility by letting yourself get sucked into the short-lived thrills of click-baiting. Your customers will lose faith in your brand when you use deceitful titles that are not in sync with the content they eventually read.

Instead of click bait titles, strive for captivating subject lines. Ensure that you deliver whatever you promised in the title in the introduction of your content. There are also free tools available to help you analyze headlines and how they rank in quality.

Poor Product Descriptions

Do you know how frustrating it can be when you read a product description and it offers a bland detail? And sometimes, against my judgment, I have bought products I wouldn’t have considered because of the compelling, solid eye-catching product description that was offered.

When you have an attention-grabbing product content, it has a persuasive effect of making you need it and you find yourself getting it. I remember a statement I saw online and it aptly summarizes this; “having poor product description is like committing conversion suicide”. This statement hit me hard.

Your words and copy layout do matter. Avoid using excessive technical terms and ambiguous words that are difficult to understand to your average customer. I always say that the best way to write copies is to write as a consumer; you know what will appeal to you as a customer, so do the same. Sell an experience to them that will always leave them wanting more and beat a path to your store.

It is all about the experience and personality you sell. It is good to proofread your content before you publish it on all your media platforms.

You need to know how to write product descriptions that sell. This takes time, effort, research and an insight into the minds of the consumers. You do not want to make mistakes about this.

Do you come across product descriptions that make you feel like the owner wrote it probably at gun-point or just because it was of necessity to put up a description?

How did you feel?

I bet it poisoned your mind with regards to the benefits that could have been derived from the use of the product or service. This should give you an inkling as to how important product descriptions are and how a mistake in this area can be costly to your business growth.

Ignoring the Appeal of Product Images and Relying Solely On Texts

This is a mistake closely following the point discussed above. There are some products like electronics, vehicles and so on; which have their selling points in images and video descriptions. Pictures of the product from different angles can go a long way to assure the buyer he is making the right choice.

Sometimes, your product image can boost your customer’s interest in your offer. The increasing growth in mobile devices equipped with good cameras makes it easy to create visual content and share it on different platforms in a matter of seconds.

If I am to buy a product online, I do not have the ability to hold it up for close inspection of every single aspect. Already at a disadvantage, I have to rely on images from multiple angles with the option of zooming in. It is that important. What do you think is going to happen if the product image in the display is poor?

Research has shown that 94% more total views are attracted by content containing images that are compelling than contents that do not contain images. That is a high percentage and one that should not be taken lightly.

You may think the poor quality and blurry images used will go unnoticed. You could not be more wrong because they do not! Make quality your top priority in every visual product content you publish. Your customers will always notice all the details you put into your content creation and this will influence their final purchase decision.

Ensure that quality standards are established and with consistency in quality, you will attract more prospects to your site. Always remember that your product images are what the potential sees and bases his decision on. Ensure that your product images are of high quality.

Failing To Proofread Your Product Content before Publishing

It may not seem like such a big deal to forget to cross your “T’s” and dot your “I’s”; but it really is. Of course, the advancement of technology makes it easier to publish marketing contents faster. Always resist the urge to hastily publish yours until you follow due proofreading protocols.

The presence of grammatical error does not make you seem professional. I still feel I should repeat this for emphasis; always try to proofread your work thoroughly before publishing them with no expense should be spared.

Proofreading is more than just checking for misspelled words. Sentences with good intentions have been turned into embarrassing ones as a result of failure to proofread. Proofreading renders a high level of accuracy and quality even to an average work.

There is a long-term benefit associated with careful proofreading of your content. It can go a long way to help preserve your reputation as a credible brand and your relationships with your stakeholders. When you provide consistent product content that is well crafted and free of grammatical, spelling and factual errors to your customers, you position yourself as a trusted resource.

I am not saying all content you publish must be a hundred percent accurate; sometimes, the mistakes are bound to occur despite our best efforts. After all, human error is inevitable. But wouldn’t it be nice if we could reduce the chances of its occurrence considerably? That is where proofreading comes in.

There are a lot of free software and tools you can use to proofread and double check your product content before publishing. A popular one is Grammarly. Remember, a poor content structure or grammar can chase a prospect out the door!

Underestimating the Social Share Button

A lot of companies fall victim to this mistake. When you underestimate the importance of social sharing, you miss out on a lot of opportunities that would have driven a lot of traffic to your site. Of course, this translates into a loss of prospects and loss of sales.

Gone are the days when social media was optional or just a connection platform for teens. Businesses have incorporated it as a strategy in their marketing activities. When your product content is not shareable on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google+ among others, it limits the buzz that would have been created.

Your product content should be able to drive traffic to your web and your store and there is power in numbers. Having created great product content, you need to put it out there. Always ensure that there are social sharing buttons available for your customer or a random site visitor to share across different channels.

Make images you add in your contents more “pinnable” and always attach a share option to your content. Trust me, if the content is compelling enough, it will attract shares across numerous platforms and this will, in turn, increase awareness and generate revenue for your business.

Omitting Your Contact Details

It is not enough to write compelling product descriptions and content that makes customers run to your store, you should also make it easy for them to contact you. I guess the fear of most customers is that they want to be sure you will be readily available to them when they need help or information about your product.

A phone number, web address, email address or a toll-free line will do wonders for your customers and facilitate communication between you two.

Clear contact detail is a must. It is highly important that you include a contact detail in your product content and ensure someone is always available to respond to calls and reply messages or emails sent. You should have an email address for customer service that will be easily accessible.

Non-Inclusiveness of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Keywords

If you want your site to be easily found, you are going to have to play by some rules. If you want to be easily found on search engines, there is a need for the inclusion of keywords that are relevant and effective to the product you are selling.

These keywords, when included, will help increase your online visibility and generate more traffic which can result in leads. This brings me to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) keywords. Don’t worry; I will explain if you are not quite familiar with it.

Think of SEO keywords as the phrases in your web or product content that will make it easy for people to find your site via search engines. Whenever you type in a word, phrase or sentence on your search engine, it will display millions of results often separated by pages. Implementing and taking note of this will give you an edge over your competition by ensuring your site ranks high.

With the inclusion of keywords, you can create great product content that answers the question of your prospects with their keyword searches; thus driving web traffic on your site.

Little or No Customer Relationship Building

You will discover that most consumers buy more than the product you are selling. They are buying a solution to their problems and they need to be able to trust you can deliver, which brings in the aspect of relationship building.

Building lasting customer relationships is the fastest way to reduce customer churn and improve your customer service. Don’t just take my word for it. A popular quote from Sam Walton comes to mind here, “the goal as a company is to have customer service that is not just the best, but legendary”.

In today’s competitive world, you do not want to be found wanting in this regard. It has become increasingly important to build customer relationships that add value to the entire customer experience over their lifetime.

Through your product content, you need to communicate like a human being and not a heartless machine. Your content should not sound stiff and memorized; instead, go for conversational and friendly. After all, customers really want to communicate with your brand as a person.

You need to see every interaction you have with your customers as an opportunity to build a lasting relationship with them. Through this connection, it will be easy to be the top choice among different alternatives they may come across.

Follow up comments, inquiries, and complaints about your product content and respond adequately. Do not end your relationship with the closing of a sale but follow up even after the sale.

Remember to communicate relevant and correct information in your product content because this will help boost your goodwill and increase your credibility with your customers.

Bring It All Together  

In your product content, you need to create buyer persona which becomes the version of the customers that are ideal for your product or service. What am I trying to say? Write your product content with your specific target customer in mind. This entails that you take time to carefully research on your customers and their specific needs and interests.

Everyone will never be your customer so do not make the mistake of writing just to anyone who will visit your page. Understand the needs of your target audience and write to them specifically. If you have a broad customer base, you will not be able to effectively engage with anyone; so focus on a few instead and make it personal.

As earlier said, your product content should not lack enthusiasm or creativity. This is even more important for online stores as it is the information you provide that makes them see the product in their mind’s eye to make an informed decision.

I dare say, the more description you can give, the better for your store. This will go a long way to help your customers feel like they are already using the product.

No matter what you are selling, always use the right keywords to attract your target customers and increase traffic to your site. Much importance should, therefore, be placed on search engine optimization to enhance your marketing efforts and promote consistency throughout your page.

Much attention should be given to customer relationship building. Open communication strategies should be drafted to build relationships and create more value for your customers. It will definitely pay off in the long run.

I always stress the need for consistency in driving brand loyalty. Consistency can shape the direction of a business. As Anthony Robbins rightly said, “it is not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It is what we do consistently”. Always remember that content marketing is not a one-off activity but a long-term commitment.

A good product content places much emphasis on the prospects and what they are actually interested in, and not what your company is. You are not designing your product content for yourself but for your customers. This means that your personal needs are not important. The needs of your customers should always take precedence over yours.

You need to ensure that you also distribute and promote your content. The goal is to get the word out there and distribute it to the people who will benefit from it. This means you should carry out offline and online advertising and promotional activities to be able to achieve your target.

Finally, in the marketing world today, content is highly important. Potential customers to your site consume the content you produce and they will keep returning if you always have something interesting to tell them.

Now that you know how to avoid making product content mistakes, click here to see what Catsy can do for you.

If you simply want to survive in today’s competitive world, you have to go the extra mile—that extra mile others will not go. Today’s global market is harsh, I will not mince words. It is one riddled with cut-throat competition ever willing to spread their market share and ready to crush anyone in their path.

Brands are becoming proactive and ensuring they maintain a presence both offline and online, especially in the promotion of their brands online. All this is done in a bid to stay one step ahead of the competition. This feat cannot be achieved without a fool-proof product content strategy and this is highly used by leading brands in their respective industries.

Companies of all sizes can compete against each other with engaging great content to win targeted customers and keep them coming back for more, without the constraint of budget.  The content does not have to stop at being good but it should be great! This is what will differentiate your content from the information thrash (often known as spam which has no value whatsoever to us!) that is often rampant online today. Of course, producing great content takes a serious commitment on the part of brands.

The truth is that you need to expand your market share and market reach while maintaining your current customers. The power of content marketing is in its relevance to this and many more.

The importance of research in product content creation

Before you can write engaging product content, you have to know what you are talking about and this is where research comes into play. Research activities are regularly carried out by firms interested in staying ahead of the competition.

Your competitors are not sleeping and neither should you too. Before I forget to mention, there should not be a time frame for research! Research is so important that it should be a continuous process.

You will need to carry out research to obtain deep insights into the needs and preferences of your customer. You cannot deliver great product content without carrying out extensive research to know what you are really selling. Through research efforts, you will uncover shapes, colors, phrases that can easily be recognized by your prospects.

The visuals of a brand can help the firm to stand out from the rest and make an impact. Research also uncovers further insight into consumer buying behavior and preferences. The knowledge of this can go a long way in the creation of content that communicates a solution to their identified needs.

Your research scope should not be limited to your level. What do I mean by that? Don’t research only on your level of growth presently but think global. This goes to say that research can also be carried out on your competitors, especially the market leaders in your industry.

Through your analysis, you can find out their areas of strength and weaknesses. Through the weaknesses and lapses identified in their systems and processes, you can develop better solutions.

To round up, my advice is to be in research-mode at all times. The quality of your product content borders on this.

The attraction and conversion goal of product content

The most difficult people to predict are humans; you and I. This is because our choices are never constant and can change on a whim. The ultimate goal of product content is to attract visitors and convert them into loyal customers. This is a feat that can be quite difficult to achieve but it is possible with the right product content.

The attraction element helps your brand get more people to your site. Through your product content, you can target the right people with the relevant message. This will build interest in the solution you are offering especially if it is an answer to the challenges they face.

By creating informational articles and product content which demonstrate your expertise, consumers learn new things and become aware of the solution your product can offer and this comes to mind when they need to make a buying decision.

When your content is such that is vital to your customers, you become very important in their lives. The beauty of content is that you do not have to be a multi-billion dollar company or a powerful brand with a huge budget. Startups and small and medium-size companies can also have access to compete with big names in attracting customers with their product content.

There has to be an incentive to read your product content which spans across from relevant information, high definition product images to high-value products. If you cannot give clear reasons why customers should visit your site, you will not have any visitors. It’s that simple!

You should not rest on your oars after attracting customers to your site. Instead, strive to keep them coming and converting them into lasting customers. Through your content, you can achieve this by attaching your contact details. It should be reachable at all times. Help your customers in real-time and they will not be quick to forget your brand.

Through your content, never forget to have a clear call-to-action which solidifies the conversion element. Your content should be able to convince your prospects that your offering is the right solution to their needs even when faced with alternative options.

Important tips to produce great product content

When I talk about product content, I am simply referring to the information (text, images, videos, audio and so on) a brand uses to communicate its brand offerings to its target customers. A customer cannot make a purchase decision if your product content is defective and lacking, especially when making online purchases.

Note the inclusion of great in this sub-topic. There is a huge difference between good product content and a great one. If you want to be ahead of the competition, you must strive to make your content great. If you had to visibly struggle or force yourself to read through a piece, then it obviously wasn’t interesting enough to sustain your attention.

This means there has to be a shift from the production of bland copies to more engaging, interesting and creative ones, strong enough to elicit an emotional connection with your customers. The return on investment is explosive if your product content is executed properly.

Great product content focuses on delivering solutions and not solely product pitches. I will explain using one of my favorite quote from Henry Ford, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses”. Ford focused on providing a solution to the problem of movement and people who were looking for that solution connected with that.

Through your content, you should be able to connect with customers looking for a solution to the challenge they are facing. This is what can set you apart. The problem with focusing on only pitching your product is that there is a high tendency for your customers to switch to another brand that provides answers to the problems they seek.

The importance of delivering value through your content has been talked of repeatedly in the course of this article. We all skip content that provides little or no value to us. Carrying out quality research as earlier noted will give you an insight into areas that will be helpful and provide value to your customers.

The truth is that customers will have more reasons to stick around when there is engaging content available. Let us do the analysis together; sticking around translates to more familiarity, which translates to emotional connection and ultimately leads to the higher possibility of a conversion, making you their number one among competing alternatives. It is a good thing when customers are always staying on your site and great content is a sure way to hook them in.

Include media in your product content. The inclusion of images, audios, videos that provide value to your text will go a long way to improve user experience and sustain interest.

Nothing beats consistency; it is highly critical and quite challenging. This was further backed by a statistic from Deloitte which showed that about ninety percent of customers expect a consistently excellent experience across all touch points. The failure of brands to do this will lead to negative consequences. There are no exact guides to follow, but consistency can be achieved with the right content strategy in place. Consistency is what differentiates extraordinary from mediocrity because it requires a high level of commitment and hard work.

For your business to grow, it needs a record of success and this cannot be established without the element of consistency. Your product content should be consistent across all platforms such that it becomes immediately recognizable on sight.

Consistency is so important because it takes marketing to another level. When your product content becomes so consistent, customers identify your brand immediately before your logo, slogan or brand name is displayed. This means you have registered your identity in the minds of your customers and no consumer will dream of purchasing from a brand they do not recognize.

Consistency is complete when a brand becomes dependable in the delivery of your customer experience across all channels of communication and digital touch points. This is because you have built an image over time through your consistency that gives value to your customers.

At the end of the day, never forget that your customers are the reason why you are in business and their satisfaction is highly important. Hence, the focus is not on producing great product content alone but producing content that is great for your target customers.

Social media and product content

It is no surprise to see the increase in the usage of social media platforms and sites. The opportunities for success of your content marketing abound in these platforms as they offer a wider reach for your target customers. Your social media marketing cannot be effective without great content and people will rather share content than a regular product promotional update.

This is why your product content and the social media are linked together. Think of social media platforms as a vehicle for your product content strategy. Create an engaging and attention-worthy product content that provides solutions to the challenges of your target market and create awareness and distribute the content through the use of social media channels.

Brands are using social media platforms in a bid to connect with their customers. Product content usually has expectations of a buzz or hype which social media platforms offer. People share what they find interesting and it gets to a huge number of people in a matter of seconds.

This becomes challenging as it is not easy to produce content that people will be willing to share. When using these platforms, it is important to note that you should create product content that is share-worthy.

For a content to be share-worthy, it has to be useful to satisfy the needs of your target market. This means that the content has to be educative, interesting or entertaining enough to warrant a share. The idea here is quality over quantity.

You should attach a share button to your product content. I cannot stress this enough! There are so many product contents I have come across and I would have loved to share with friends and followers, but I couldn’t see a share option.

Connecting the two paragraphs above, it is of necessity to produce great share-worthy product content that is so good, it goes viral naturally. This is why it is necessary to attach social media buttons to your content. You never know the one that may connect emotionally with your target audience, and as a brand, you do not want to miss an opportunity to create awareness and generate leads.

It is quality of your content or the lack thereof that creates a buzz and results in impressive results. Drive reaction with the infusion of videos, audios, and images. A research from the Visual Teaching Alliance revealed that consumers get a paltry ten percent of their knowledge from reading and the other ninety percent is gotten from video and audio.

Building your brand through product content

When everything else goes, your brand name still remains. Building your business afresh from a sucky financial year is easier with a name that everyone knows. The best way to build your brand is through the creation of content.

For you to build your brand personality and brand voice, you have to know what distinguishes your brand from others. What makes you stand out? What is your Unique Selling Point? What is the personality of your target audience and how do they communicate?

When you have a clear idea on all these, it will help you consistently communicate your brand promise in a way your customers will be able to connect with it emotionally. Your unique voice, style and brand personality should be evident in your product content and this is what will make it original.

Product content is not limited to a physical place nor is it constrained by location. It is literally everywhere you look from a blog post to a Google Ad popup or through a social media platform, reaching customers at their own convenience.

The ultimate information a buyer is looking for is the information that will help him make smart buying decisions. If a brand is able to supply content that makes the buyer seem knowledgeable and smarter, you ultimately stand a better chance of winning their patronage.

Brands who wish to build their brand are no longer solely dependent on traditional media to reach across to their customers. So, if you are yet to come aboard the content marketing train, you could miss out on so many benefits. Through content, awareness can be created with regards your product and service offerings.

Conclusion

Content creation has ceased to be an option but a necessity for companies that wish to remain competitive in today’s digital age. Of course, it spans across different firms and different industries which means there are a lot of companies engaging in it. Thus, it becomes even more difficult standing out as a brand amidst all the videos, images, texts and other information shoved in the consumer’s face.

The global marketplace has evolved into a buyer-driven environment with buyers becoming the expert and going for brands that can offer the best solution.  Your content represents your thoughts and should be on-point to drive traffic to your site and instill trust in you as a brand. This trust is not forced but earned. There is something obviously wrong if you have to force your market to see the value in your product content.

Your product content should be a source of information. Your site should be known as a credible source of information within the industry you are operating in. The wealth of knowledge you have in your product content can let potential customers know you can be trusted. And this will set you apart from the competition.

Great product content should not be turned into an advertisement shout-out. The primary aim of your product content should be to inform, engage, help and bring value to your target customers.

It is a well known fact the most difficult customers to sell to are the informed ones. This can be interpreted to mean that the more informed they are, the harder it becomes to sell your brand promise to them. Hence, relevant and engaging content can help position your company better to them as a trusted source for information and then become their first source for products and services.

Traditional marketing has become less effective in engaging her customer as consumers become more interested in online surfing.

With internet technologies comes the possibility of automation which can save you some valuable time and resources as a brand. This is because automation allows you to easily distribute your product content across multiple platforms. In these competitive times, it is not enough to create rich content. Companies must implement technologies to its content creation and management in order to maximize customer engagement and revenue; remaining one step ahead.

It takes dedication and serious consistency to produce great product content which will help communicate your brand promise and make you stand out. This is why content is a necessity for survival. I will go as far as saying that marketing is not complete without content.

I will end with a quote from James Keady, a digital marketing manager which says, “Content is the voice of your brand, and it is, therefore, important to allocate the respect, investment and focus it requires. Creating good content is difficult, and delivering great content consistently through established processes is complex. However, this is what is required if you want to take your brand from good to great in today’s communication environment.”

Now that you know how to stay ahead of your competition with great product content, click here to see what Catsy can do for you.

In cutting to the chase, every online store has one overriding goal: To make sales and more sales. Sales are the life-giving blood of any online business ecosystem. From sales made, profits existing customers, salaries are, expansion is possible and the business to function sustainably.

Online sales are boosted by the internet. The World Wide Web has and continues to change the way people shop for goods/products. Online shopping, which translates to online sales has become the standard and convenient way to connect with a much larger consumer base. The convenience stems from the fact that increasing numbers of individuals are embracing making transactions from the comfort of their home, office or anywhere!

Boosting online sales is given premium attention by many businesses and e-commerce stores. The questions involve what strategies and methodologies work best in taking sales figures northward. There are a number of courses and programmes that offer advice, tips, and tweaks to help increase online sales.

However, if your online business is not making significant online sales, maybe the question you should ask is what steps are you not taking, to put you on the way to super bumper sales on the internet.

What are the online sales strategies your competitors are implementing that you have not identified yet? Maybe it is time you sat back and appraised your e-commerce model and to see the ways you are missing out on more online sales. The ensuing list can serve as a guide:

1. You Have Not Established the Basics of Online Sales

Know that there are no measurable goals

The overall aim of a football game is to get the ball into the back of the net. So coaches and team managers prime their players to achieve this set target. The same ideology holds true for increasing your business’ online transactions. If there are no measurable goals in place, it will be much harder to assess your performance and to make needed adjustments to your online sales and marketing strategies. The more precise your target, the better your chances at not missing out of gaining a chunk of the online sales in your chosen sector.  You should also consider the following:

• You can set an ambitious goal, but remember to set targets that are possible to achieve.
• Put in place structures to track your goals. You can install some kind of web analytics software on your site in order to determine how well you have met your online sales targets.

There is no focus on evidence

The last thing you should do in your ecommerce business is letting personal experiences or opinions drive your operations. For instance, because you are piqued by subscription pop-ups or ads, does not mean that every other person is. Rather, you should try out methods that have verifiable proof of being effective and result-oriented. If you are to boost your online sales figures, identify that your personal opinions and prejudices should be left out of the equation. Rather, base your actions on statistics and studies that have been tested and certified effective.

You are offering too many items for sale

Do not be swayed by the belief that offering a deluge of products on your ecommerce website increases your chances of making more sales. It might just have the opposite effect. Empirical studies show that listing too many products is often mentally tasking for the average visitor. This is because of the time needed to flip through product specifications and other such information. Ultimately, such a potential buyer ends up being overwhelmed and leaves your pages without making a purchase.

The rule of thumb in this regard is to place a sizeable number of items, so your buyers can see only the most important options and ultimately make a purchase decision.

You do not have back-end products

This point flows from the one preceding it. From avoiding posting too many products, you might actually be limiting the volume of your online sales if you do sell back-end products to your customers. Backend products are other products you can offer to your existing customers after they’ve made their initial purchase. From the knowledge of the products purchased, you can recommend what other products would complement their initial purchase.

In dealing with backend products, you should take cognizance of the following:

• Offer only products that complement the initial product of purchase. As an example, if your customer purchased golf clubs, you can point him/her to buy a golf club bag. Or you could also offer to sell golf shoes, hand gloves, face caps as well as golf training videos among others.
• Utilize paid subscriptions as backend products. In this regard, you must have become an authority in your field, hence you can offer paid premium access to members and intending members.
• You can also give upgrades as part of the offer of purchasing a backend product.

There are no opt-in offers

If your website has no features that give the opportunity for future interaction with potential and existing clients, then you will be missing out on more online sales. An opt-in offer is a tool used to collect your customer’s email address and other information. With this strategy in place, you can inform them about new products, sales, promotions, and more. In addition, you can receive feedback and suggestions through the same channels, thereby building positive relationships over time. To get started with opt-in offers, you can consider the following:

• Place your opt-in offer in an easy-to-see location on your homepage. Experience shows that users’ eyes often go to the top left-hand corner of a page. This would be a good place to post an opt-in offer.
• Ensure that your opt-in offer also appears on every page of your site. In this manner you can sure that customers will, at some point during their stay, provide you with their contact information.

Utilize hover adverts

Hover ads are tools that inform the customer about information relevant to the customers, such as a sales promotion as well as product upgrades.

However, use hover ads with caution. Ensure that the ads only gives information to users that will be beneficial to them. For instance, a 30 percent off all sales until Saturday is relevant information that can that you with a hover ad. With this tool in place, you can be sure of turning traffic into purchase decisions.

Your users are mobile but you are not

Take into consideration that the bulk of your users are young and mobile. And that means that these individuals are making more transactions on the move and with their mobile phones. So, if your e-commerce site is not optimized for mobile telephone usage, then you could limit the volume of online sales you are recording.

Incorporate and optimize your website for mobile viewing. Mobile users also have a common habit of swiping left and right to view images. Therefore, instead of putting product images in vertical order, add a gallery so they can swipe horizontally. Once you optimize your website for mobile use, complete with accessible payment options, the chances of posting impressive online sales figures increases.

You do not create a sense of urgency

If your website does not cause visitors/buyers hearts to flutter, it is possible that your online sales numbers will take a dip.

The reason for this is not far-fetched. A good number of buyers are prone to browsing around or abandoning their online collection, with the belief that they can always return to complete a transaction.

But in the ecommerce space, you can trigger an immediate action when you create a sense of your product going out of stock. This piece of information is meant to make customers act quickly in order place an order for a product.

You can set your stock number lower than actual quantity in your inventory. This act creates an impression that your items are in high demand and will soon sell out.

Place a timing feature also adds to the sense of urgency you would want to convey to your customers.

When customers are considering making a purchase, you can show a time-limited offer along with a running countdown timer to motivate them to make an unplanned purchase.

Placing the right product, at the right location along with appropriate promotions have the potential of boosting your online sales volume.

2. Your WEBSITE is not CONTENT compliant

You do not post content regularly

If you do not put up engaging content on a consistent basis, you could be missing out on making online sales. A good way to determine how much you should post is through conducting a poll among your users. Get their input and their specific needs. The goal is to place relevant, but not overwhelming information that is central to their needs.

You should also note that timing is important to placing content on your website or whatever social media platform you use. Evidence shows that Twitter posts are often clicked on after 6 pm, with the platform experiencing heavy traffic on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The best time to place content daily on Facebook is between the hours of 12 noon and 6 pm.

Your content is not shareable

If your customers can not share your products and items to their friends and family, then you could be missing out on making more online sales. In this regard, you should embed social media buttons into the header of your website, your email signature, your newsletter and other forms of correspondence. When visitors can easily share products they like on various social media handles, the chances of increasing your online sales become better.

For creating easy-to-share content on your e-commerce site, here are a few tips you should consider:

• Place social media buttons (which are images of the various social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter) in spots that are prominent on your website. If someone wants to share your product on Facebook, for example, all they would need to do is to click on the Facebook logo. Then, a window will pop up allowing them to write a quick post about the item and share the related content.
• It is important that you amass a considerable amount of shareable content, before engaging with the various social media platforms. In this way, users are assured of receiving fresh content on a regular basis.

There is a lack of buyer personas

You should know that having a lack of buyer personas for the various categories of products you offer, could erode your online sales. For example, if you sell running shoes, you could look at demarcating your market into specific user groups. These groups may include fit young folks running 60 + miles a week, casual or weekend running enthusiasts, mountain trail hikers as well as road trip runners among others. In order to optimize sales, your e-commerce site may need to provide different appeal factors to these groups.

One way to go about developing useful content for these buyer enclaves is by interviewing customers in these areas. The feedback you receive should form the basis for creating packages and promotions that appeal to the target markets.

Images are under-utilized

Visuals are a credible force in the e-commerce world. If you do not tap into the power of imagery you might as well be underperforming in your online sales. Empirical evidence shows that image-based posts generate over 50% more likes than regular posts.

The rule of thumb is attaching some kind of image to an announcement regarding a new sale, product, or anything else related to your business.

3. Your Strategy Is Not Geared Towards Achieving Additional Sales

You do not have enhanced purchasing buttons.

If you do not move your visitors to make a purchase with the right enhancement options, then your online sales figures could experience a dip. Note that there are a number of ways to get users to make a purchase. Take the color orange as an example. Using this color for purchase buttons is proven to cause people to make a purchasing decision.

Another area that you could enhance is the use of language. Experts advise that you use specific and active phrases. For example, if you are selling a sports product, do not use the words “Complete Sale”; rather you should opt for the phrase “Get it NOW”

Your web pages lack a personal touch/feel

Everyone loves to feel comfortable flipping through the pages of a website. This comfort often stems from the fact that the content of the site connects with the visitor on a personal level, so much so that they are moved to making a transaction.

Tweaking your use of language will do the trick in this regard. Instead of writing “Your shopping cart,” write “My shopping cart”. Instead of writing “Your Wish List,” write “My Wish List.”  Writing in the first person creates a deep and powerful connection with your visitor.

The presence of Inconsistencies

Consistency should be the watchword of your e-commerce website. If the language, tone, and style differ from one webpage to another, you stand the risk of coming across as unprofessional. Viewers expect the pages to look and sound the same. Anything short of this expectation may cause the user to leave, thereby hurting the volume of your online sales.

When you do not run a loyalty/reward program

One of the more notable business truism states that it is easier to retain and sell to existing customers than to a new customer. Therefore you should focus considerable energy on keeping your present bunch of clients happy and contented. One of the ways of achieving this is by instituting a loyalty/customer reward program. The overall aim of a loyalty program is to motivate customers to spend more or make repeat purchase to earn reward points.

By asking your buyers to join a loyalty program, you can precipitate impulse purchases for earning advertised rewards, thereby turning them into loyal customers.

4. When your website does not provide a concrete sense of security

Have you conveyed the impression of trustworthiness?

It is a given that potential and existing customers will leave at the slightest hint that their details (financial and otherwise) are not safe/secure. It is important that you show your customers that you do care about their safety and privacy online. Put in place structures and processes to safeguard personal information and other details, especially such details are used in sending spam/unsolicited correspondences.

There are a number of ways to gain the trust of visitors. You can make use of customer testimonials. This is one of the quickest and most effective means of building up your site’s trust coefficient. However, endeavor to use only genuine recommendations and always seek permission from your intended customer.

Secondly, you can never miss the mark when you dedicate a part of your online pages to talk about yourself. This should include your qualifications, ideas, visions, and goals in setting up your business.

Putting these in place will make users feel more confident in your business and what it has to offer. This trust, more often than not, translates into more online sales.

Are you missing a trust seal?

As an extension of the previous point, customers demand to see that you have taken practical/concrete steps in keeping their vital information safe and secure. One of the ways to achieving this is through the use of trust seals. Trust seals are usually small graphics that say that a website is trusted/validated/verified/secure. This validation comes from trusted 3rd party authorities in online security and safety processes.

Note that once customers are satisfied with the level of safety measures implemented, you can rest assured that your online sales will definitely witness a rise.

For good measure, there are categories of trust seals. These categories include standard trust seals, security seals, privacy seals as well as business seals.

As a business, you must select the most appropriate trust seal that suits the operations of your business.

Identifying these focus areas and more should give you an idea of the changes needed to bring about an improvement in online sales. While you should not expect a sudden increase in online sales volume immediately after implementing the above recommendation, persistence and determination are key requirements.  Staying the course and evaluating performance parameters will ensure that you achieve, maybe even surpass, your online sales target.

Now that you know how to figure out if you’re missing out on sales, click here to see what Catsy can do for you.