Your website should never have time to become stale or boring. After all, your products keep you in business, right? Wrong. No matter how great your products may be, an outdated approach to your website can cost you profit and customers.
Customer needs are changing and competition is growing ever fiercer. You can’t afford to assume that customers will keep coming back to you. Why not give some thought to implementing new ideas and approaches to keep your ecommerce site fresh?
Improve your marketing
There are many ways to get your website noticed. An effective SEO campaign can reap big rewards in attracting new customers to your site. But you shouldn’t overlook existing customers either – how can you engage them to continue to be loyal? Offering discounts or advanced access to sales is a great way to thank users for their continued custom.
You should also consider the benefits of an email campaign targeting lapsed customers, providing them with an incentive to return to your website. Plus, the tried and tested method of providing free samples with shipments is always a winner.
Make the user experience easier
Many people use online shopping as a way to save time in an already hectic schedule. Why not consider the benefits of subscription ordering for certain products? For example, allowing an automated reorder process for 30, 40 or 60 days for a makeup product means the buyer doesn’t ever need to run out of their favourite product or remember to order in advance.
Expand your product lines
There’s always something newer, better or creating an interest – no matter what the product or industry. Your product line may be answering your customer needs effectively and providing profits and growth for your company, but you shouldn’t be afraid to take a step outside of your comfort zone. Introduce similar products to your range to see how well they perform.
It could be that many of your loyal customers shop elsewhere for certain products – a simple survey could lead to you adding a whole new range that benefits your existing business model. After all, if you sell cameras, why would you want your buyer to shop elsewhere for a camera bag or book on photography?
Don’t just sell, engage
With faster bandwidth speeds becoming more common, the use of video on websites can play a more important role. If your ecommerce site sells cameras, consider adding video tutorials demonstrating techniques or camera-specific features. Not only does this help the customer in making their choice, but also adds credibility and trust to your standing as a seller and expert.
Personalise
Consider allowing users to have their own user area, not just a user ID when logging in to buy something. Let them create wish lists or reminders, showing them products they recently browsed. If you are able to identify shoppers that added purchases to their online cart, but never completed the purchase, a triggered email offering a discount should result in them returning to your site and completing the purchase.
