I have just attended a couple of networking events and business courses recently which all seemed to cover this topic. It is a question everyone is asking. How do I increase my sales? We want to see results for our hard work and efforts. Instead of just guessing, why not look to experts in their field who can help us. Why re-invent the wheel?
Know your Target Market
You can do this by doing surveys but also use your Instagram and Facebook insights. This gives you tons of information about who your target market is. Google analytics for your website also helps you narrow down who your customers are and where they come from. Once you know your target market you can aim your ad campaigns and marketing at them. Also, know your competition.
Build trust
Use psychological tools in your marketing. Establish yourself as a trusted brand or service. How do you do this? By being consistent. Give something away for free. Ensure you have memorable, clear and concise branding across all your social media platforms. Do you offer after sales support? Answer all your calls. Answer your emails, messages, Facebook messages etc. Be authentic and relational. ‘Real’ational.
Email Marketing
This is actually quite an underrated way of increasing sales but one of the best approaches. Why? Because you are contacting people who are interested in you and what you have to offer. They have already opted in to hear what you have to say. Customers sign up on your website to receive your newsletter. A cleverly worded email will get them to engage, which will help generate sales.
“Selling to people who actually want to hear from you is more effective than interrupting strangers who don’t.” Seth Godin
Blog on your website
Blogging is important. When you blog, it gives Google a reason to index you and your website, resulting in your page ranking higher on the Search Page. This, in turn, will generate leads which you can turn into sales. Again be authentic in your blogging. Create high-quality content which also builds that trust we were talking about earlier. Write 350-1000 word blog articles with subheadings so it is broken up for the scan reader. You want people to stay on your page and read so that you have a low bounce rate on your website. Include images, make use of internal and external links. This all helps to get your website at the top of the Search Results page, which will generate engagement, leads and then, ultimately, sales.
Incorporate video
This is a whole topic on its own. Video marketing is highly effective. Customers relate with it more than text. They love to see your products in action. People love to look behind the scenes. Video highlights your brand, creating more awareness of you and your products. We need to not be afraid of using video on our social media. Instagram allows for 1-minute videos. You can add a video to your Facebook stories. Create visual consistency. They do not have to be professional and they do not need to be long. I am a part of a networking group on Facebook where we were encouraged to do videos and we were all so scared but we did it. We don’t like how we look or sound but we just have to get over that. Now I do 2 videos every week.
You can get a free YouTube account and load embedded videos from there on to your website. You can copy and paste links into your social media pages. Google loves video. Make sure to use keywords in your titles and descriptions. Video also appeals to both PC and mobile users, and you will inevitably reach a wider audience using video than you would with text and it is far more pleasing for the viewer. Video is also more likely to be shared across social media.
Call to Action
De Beers Call to Action was so powerful they sold love to the world in diamond form. The decline in diamond sales in the 1930’s motivated them to launch a new campaign and In 1947 their slogan “A diamond is forever” was coined. Everyone bought into love and now the diamond ring is a symbol of love marriage universally.
For a strong call to action use a command verb. Make use of strong emotion. Make your audience think they are missing out on something if they do not press that sign up button. You can just google some tips on great call to action ideas to get your creative juices flowing. We have to remember to include this in every post on social media and in our email marketing. Want more subscribers? You need a strong and well-worded Call to Action to get people to do what you want but in such a way that they believe its what they want. The Call to Action is the deal closer.
Parting Shot
“Your website needs to have a strategy. There’s no point in it being pretty & online & no one can find it. The strategy also needs to be decided on paper before you get the quote & start building, or you’ll inevitably get a surprise cost down the line”, Michelle Fouche of Trade and Lateral Development.
In conclusion, the best ways to increase sales online are: know your target market, be clear and consistent in your branding and your work ethic alike, build trust with the consumer by being authentic. Nail these few things and you’ll watch the sales come pouring in!