Ecommerce newcomers often think that the old mantra ‘build it and they shall come’ is the be-all-and-end-all to online shopping. Sure, money can be ploughed into securing traffic through advertising, and pretty soon hundreds of visitors will flock to the website.
But nobody is buying.
Disheartened, they probably think that getting more traffic is the answer – surely SOMEBODY will want to buy something? The prices are great, the shop looks nice, but nobody is parting with their cash.
Sound familiar?
If you’ve put money into advertising but it’s not bought you any sales, you should think about the following five points before investing any more money.
I assure you the following five tips will help you sell more.
Good ecommerce websites will solve a problem on their landing page.
Take the following two landing pages as examples. Both sell dog poo bags.
http://tinyurl.com/d2rxhy and http://tinyurl.com/df2w7n
The first landing page has this description:
“Clean up dispenser with 40 bags. With practical hook to attach to the lead or your key ring.”
It’s very clinical. You’re told what you get, and that’s it. Dog poo bags are not a necessity, I often use recycled shopping bags, and after visiting this page I am not convinced I need to part with my money.
Now compare this to the description of the poo bag dispenser on the second site:
“Clever idea for doggie clean-up bag, Bags On Board attaches to any Lead, so you’ll always have bags with you (as long as you remember to fill it!). Simply pop off the lid, remove the used cartridge and place the new cartridge inside. Replace the lid and you’re ready to go! The 100% biodegradable bags come in rolls of 15, and 2 rolls are included in each pack. ”
The second description solves a problem for me - even as the most responsible owner, I am prone to memory lapses, and I can find myself leaving the house without remembering to pick up a bag! The second option fills me with confidence that I will no longer have to face the embarrassment of being caught without a bag ever again!
I’d be more inclined to purchase from the second site.
In summary: don’t just tell the person what it is they’re buying, but tell them how it will make their life easier, or solve a problem.
Are your product descriptions a little stale? You need to think about injecting a little emotion.
For example:
“Our chocolate truffles are made in 16 tempting varieties” (http://tinyurl.com/d5ur5c)
Just by reading the word ‘tempting’ I am actually a little tempted to buy a box of truffles. The shop owner could have simply told me he sold 16 different varieties of truffles and I wouldn’t have given it a second thought. By injecting a little bit of emotion, you are connecting with the visitor, and communicating with them directly.
But how do I inject emotion into my copy?
Injecting emotion needn’t be difficult. Just think about how the person looking at the site will feel after buying your product, or in the above ‘truffle’ case, how they’re feeling looking at your product.
Here are a few quick examples to get you thinking:
Next day delivery: An additional £3
Could be changed to:
Can’t wait until next week? Get this delivered tomorrow for only £3 more.
And -
Each premium membership package comes with access to our sauna.
Could change to:
Forget the hassle of everyday life in our luxury sauna, available exclusively to premium members.
Do you spot the differences? The second examples are both invoking an emotion. Excitement in the first, and luxury/relaxation/exclusivity in the second. You obviously need to ensure the emotion relates to the product, and your target audience. Motor bikers seeking a thrill might not be interested in the plush, velvety feeling of your new seat covers.
If you’re still finding it a struggle, try using this list of emotional words, or this rational-to-emotional word tool. You’ll grasp it in no time at all.
Look at the top of your website, does it talk about your company? Do you address the visitor? Does a first-time visitor have a reason to buy from you within the first 30 seconds of reading your ‘welcome’ copy? No? Maybe? Not sure…?
Well, take a look at this example,
‘Diamond Jewellers was established in 1878 by Mr. G. Diamond and his brother, Mr. A. Diamond, in Chesterfield Derbyshire. Today, we are the UK’s number 1 seller of diamond rings, and we use a patented setting technique, which is unique to our company.’
It’s not bad, but it doesn’t directly tell me why I should buy a ring from this shop.
Instead of boasting about your company to every visitor, think about how your 100 years of experience can help them, and how your unique selling point will bring them unique benefits. Communicate with the visitors directly, and tell them the reasons why they need to buy from you.
See how this example is better:
‘Quality handcrafted jewellery created by Diamond Jewellers, the UK’s leading specialist. Established in 1878, using a patented setting technique, you can be assured that the diamond you buy will still be as brilliant in 2078 as it is today. No other diamond jewellers can guarantee this promise.’
The second paragraph of text shows the visitor that your established name equals quality, and you’re assuring that the ring will last another 60 years at least. You’re adding value to their purchase, they’re not just buying a ring; they’re buying a ring that will last, guaranteed.
Does your website take each visitor by the hand and guide them through the sales process, from start to finish. (From landing to payment?)
If you simply expect people to call you because you have a number on the contact page, or click through from an email campaign because you’ve provided a link to do so, you are wrong. You need to instruct people what to do. Show them where to click. Tell them what to do next.
So check your website for the following:
- Each product landing page has an ‘add to basket’ or ‘add to cart’ button
- Each link to the order page has ‘click here’ in the anchor text
- You have a step-by-step help file to guide customers who get confused by the ordering and payment process
- All banners and buttons have a ‘click here’ instruction if they link to the order form, or payment page
- On the landing page you tell people what to do next, for example:
“simply, add this to your cart and it will be delivered 3 – 5 days after payment.” - You have the company phone number, with opening times at the top of every page
If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful. Jeff Bezos
Word of mouth is extremely powerful. This is because people trust the opinions of the people who have been bold and voyaged into the unknown before them.
Not sure about the new Apple notebook? You read some reviews.
Need to find a childminding service? You listen to your friends’ advice.
Want to buy a brand new bread machine? Read user submitted testimonials.
The simple fact is that testimonials make the visitor feel reassured.
They can see somebody else paid you money, used your service or bought your product and liked it so much they logged back online, and left a testimonial to share with others.
How to get testimonials from your customers:
- Send an email, inviting feedback after purchasing
- Put a testimonials area on your site that visitors can post onto
- Call past customers and ask for testimonials
- Offer a small discount incentive if users post testimonials
- Recommend-a-friend scheme
- ‘Email this page to a friend’ link
The latter two aren’t strictly testimonials but they’re word of mouth advertising, which is just as valuable.
Tip: Never make up testimonials, more often the not, visitors can tell they’re fake from the style it’s written in, and the tone. Fake testimonials can lead to a lack of trust, and therefore a lack of sales.
