7 Steps To Optimizing Your Online Store And Driving More Sales

In a competitive ecommerce market, it’s important to make sure that every page on your website is carefully curated and optimized. There are many elements to consider, but take your time to do this, because it will greatly assist in generating new conversions.

@sapegin I Unsplash

1. Run A First-Impression Test

If your business is not a world-wide popular brand, you must rely on the first impression your website makes with a potential customer.

Go to your website and do a short analysis yourself. Is your website taking too long to load? Can you see any outdated banners? Or maybe some information that’s not correct anymore? Do all of your products have images and descriptions? Do you have all the products in stock? If you notice any of those issues, it would be a good idea to fix them.

Don’t stop there. Look for the other stores in your niche, find the best ones and use them as a benchmark. Do their websites have any features that your website is missing? Is their website design better? Take some notes and consider improving your website.

We also suggest using a tool called “Peek User Testing” for a free five-minute review of your store from a stranger.

2. Minimize Load Time Of Your Website

According to Kissmetrics, 40% of visitors will abandon a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Use Pingdom to check your website statistics.

Source: Pingdom

If your loading time is longer than 3 seconds, here are a few simple things that you can do to fix that:

  • Resize your images with Pic Resize;
  • Reduce the number of plug-ins and redirections;
  • Use cinemagraphs instead of GIFs and videos;
  • Choose a template with a simple design.

3. State Your Value Proposition Clearly

What issue can your product solve for a customer? For example, if you’re selling fruit-infusing water bottles, your customers can have tasty water during the day and they will get more vitamins than without your bottle.

Your value proposition can be something simpler, too. Do you offer free shipping? Or free product installation after the purchase? Make sure to mention that on your landing page.

When marketers visit the Ecango website, they get a clear idea of what everyday issues the software can solve.

4. Write Compelling Product Descriptions

When customers shop online, they don’t have the ability to touch your product or to try it out. You can only use your words to persuade them that your product is what they are looking for, so make sure to include all the relevant information in your product description, such as:

  • The material of the product
  • Significant design features
  • Care and maintenance instructions
  • Features and benefits of your product/service
  • Information about the brand or manufacturer

This is even more important if you’re selling clothes online. Take ASOS as a good example – besides using compelling product descriptions, they make sure that the customers have all the details listed.

Source: ASOS

5. Use Videos To Showcase Your Products In Action

Does your product have any special features? How can customers use your product? Or how can they install it? Demo videos are one of the most powerful tools to showcase your products!

Although high-quality images and detailed descriptions are enough for selling clothes, ASOS decided to go a step further and they have added videos of models showcasing their collection of clothing. We have to admit, it is a nice and refreshing touch.

Source: ASOS

6. Enable Reviews And Testimonials On Your Product Pages

Having customer reviews below your products gives potential customers a chance to find out what people who use your product think about it. According to Econsultancy, customer reviews can increase conversion rates by 4,6%, can build customer trust and improve sales.

By having reviews and testimonials on your website, you let your website visitors know that your products have been tried and tested. There are many apps that you can use for this, such as Product Reviews Addon by Stamped or Yotpo.

Source: Yotpo

7. Include Upsells For Every Product

Upsells are products that can be paired with a product someone is buying. For example, if someone is looking for a T-shirt on your website, you can upsell pants, shoes or jackets that match that T-shirt. Or if you’re selling art supplies and someone buys paint, you can suggest brushes and sketch notebooks. You get the principle.

If you get stuck and don’t know what products to upsell, just use more or less the same products. In the T-shirt example, you can upsell similar T-shirt, only with different prints or in different colors.

Source: TOPSHOP

With these 7 simple strategies, you now have actionable suggestions you can implement to start optimizing your website and boost sales!