Retailers are always on the lookout for ways to increase their sales productivity, especially eCommerce store owners and managers. But what does sales productivity actually stand for?
Maximizing productivity, essentially, means obtaining the best output by decreasing the inputs such as human effort, time, costs and other resources. With more than 2.14 billion digital buyers, your online store can use some makeovers that can make the most of this eCommerce boom.
Online stores face new competition every day which makes it even more necessary for eCommerce brands to go that extra mile. Though it is easier said than done, it is the brands that put in the effort to improve productivity and efficiency that observe an increase in sales.
The following hacks can help you do just that! You can streamline your processes by appealing to the ideal audience with these practices so that it provides the much-required nudge to your existing sales strategies for increasing conversions.
1. Optimize the product pages
Product pages are straightforward in theory. You want to provide your ideal customer with just enough information to persuade them to buy the products they want, as well as show them that purchasing this product will benefit them. Updating your product pages regularly does make a difference as 22% of high-performing brands update their pages on a daily or weekly basis.
Your product page should be able to highlight the main components:
- Your product is obviously front and center, as this is its moment to shine, but what you’re offering may influence how it’s presented—and what questions your buyers have before they commit to buying.
- Your brand leaves an impact everywhere. It is rooted in aspects from how you post photos on social media to how you handle post-sale communications, but it is especially crucial on product pages. Due to the impact of branding and how things are discovered these days, someone may never view your homepage before purchasing from you, thus branding on your pages is important.
- Copywriting is vital because it combines the written information your clients require with your brand’s distinct voice and tone. Consider how your product can make your users’ life more enjoyable, or convenient. Descriptions don’t have to be boring; take the time and effort to speak directly to your users. Speak to them rather than at them, capturing the voice and tone of their closest friend or trendy older sister.
- All of these factors will influence your page design and user experience, but there are nuances to consider, particularly from the user’s perspective. The layout of the page and what’s included can have a major impact on your conversions. Having a clear call to action, pricing details, and social proof will lead to decreasing the friction and increasing sales productivity.
2. Leverage social proof
People are more prone to make decisions based on the opinions of others when they are exposed to social proof. Every day, even if we don’t realise it, we come across examples of social evidence. If a buddy has recommended a product or service that you bought without much deliberation, you’ve encountered social proof.
Allowing clients to post feedback is one of the simplest methods to establish social proof on your website. 36% of millennials trust online reviews for brand and product research. Reviews are an excellent buying signal for customers who are browsing your site but are indecisive about making a purchase.
Establish brand awareness through social media
Social media is a wonderful technique for establishing a positive internet reputation. Consumers continuously seek out businesses with a huge number of followers, communicate with customers, and routinely post special deals on their social profiles.
All of this reinforces the concept of social proof in the minds of prospective consumers. If someone has never heard of your business before and then sees that 500,000 people follow your page, they are considerably more inclined to follow you and visit your website.
Increasing your social media audience is the most effective strategy to establish proof both on and off your website. Create an online contest, hold surveys, and share good feedback from customers on your personal page to increase your following.
All of these strategies engage your audience and demonstrate to them that others are closely following your company because they appreciate your products and believe in your brand. When new customers witness long-time fans praising your brand or engaging with your content on social media, they feel the same way.
3. Simplify the checkout process
No one wants to go through a time-consuming checkout process. On average 69.82% of customers abandon their online shopping carts. As a result, while discussing how to improve the overall sales productivity for any online store, it is critical to underline the necessity of a simple process that does not irritate the consumer.
Here are a few simple techniques to streamline the process:
Make it brief
Elaborate form fields that go on and on are a big source of frustration for eCommerce shoppers. You want to make the checkout process as simple as possible for them. Keeping the procedure short kills two birds with one stone — saving clients time and effort while also lowering your business’s cart abandonment rate.
Provide payment alternatives
Preferences are important in this category. Your clients should be allowed to transact with your brand in the way that they are most comfortable with. Consider the various payment choices and make it as secure as possible for the customer to pay without difficulty. Incorporating minor things like these can significantly increase client happiness.
4. Expedite order fulfillment
You can achieve a great reputation as an online store when you fulfill the order on or prior to the delivery date. This established credibility and reduces the hassle of extended customer support regarding delayed shipment queries.
You can achieve this by being smart about your warehouse locations. The eCommerce stores are implementing smart shipping algorithms that help recognize the ideal shipping process. These are designed to keep you from overspending on the shipping process while simultaneously keeping up with all the orders during seasonal sales. Set up a micro fulfillment center in your delivery area. This boosts your sales productivity with fast yet low-cost ground shipping.
Collaborate with the right shipper
There is no point in managing the inventory or elevating the productivity of the sales process if your shipping service provider is below par. Opt for shippers that enable real-time and accurate order tracking. Check whether they have a reputation for late, lost, or damaged shipments. It is worth investing time and resources to provide the best shipping experience to keep them coming back to your eCommerce store.
Wrapping up
Most practices in the eCommerce arena revolve around implementing practices that increase the productivity of the marketing and sales strategies while enhancing the customer experience. These hacks will help carve a name in the crowd by meeting your customer’s expectations in the era of instant gratification.
Author Bio
Tim Robinson is Digital Marketing Manager at PACK & SEND, a 25+ years old and respected brand in ecommerce, logistics, and freight delivery solutions. Tim has 20 years of combined experience in sales and marketing. Logistics, D2C, franchising, business planning, and operations management are his core expertise. Connect with Tim on Linkedin