You’ve been checking your mobile on and off for a while now – and still zilch. You check your notification settings but everything seems to be in order. And now, you’re beginning to wonder if the decision to set up an online business was simply a regrettable detour from your ordinarily sound judgment — the idea, a weakly sputtering engine running solely on the fuel of false bravado. But wait! There may be hope. Before you start assessing your inventory and begin searching for the best font for the words “Clearance Sale,” first check out these tips on how to boost your online sales:
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Different is good.
In the flurry of the crowded online marketplace, customers are bombarded with messages all communicating the same thing, “Buy Me!” Technological innovations have made such leaps and bounds in the connectivity of mankind that previous restrictions on global commerce have been relegated to the dinosauric past. This means the unimaginable abundance in the assortment of products and services available today. To be noticed amidst this dazzling array, one needs to be significantly differentiated from the rest. To do so, one must develop a unique value proposition. Position your brand in such a way that it stands out from the competition. Make that differentiation evident from the outset, without customers having to scroll down through multiple pages to know what you’re all about. One of the best value propositions to hit the advertising world is that of the Apple iPhone: The Experience IS the Product. All its resources and processes are strategically focused on churning out that value. Take the time to think, “What is the value of my offering that will set me apart from the rest?” Once you have decided on it, it will be easier for you to come up with a unified communication plan by which you can be understood and be easily remembered and appreciated.
Location, location, location! (Virtual, that is.)
No matter how solid and singular your value proposition is, if you don’t make the effort to let people know about it, that would be tantamount to creating a very beautiful sign with a well-crafted message and putting it in your cold basement for all your cellar critters to see. Many good well-meaning innovations have surfaced only to shortly disappear and join the ranks of myriad storied failures. Your product need not be among them. Ensure your virtual visibility in these two channels :
1. Shopping platforms
While it is true that the likes of Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix Ecommerce, etc. charge for their services, the services they provide will enable you to professionalize your website, and consequently, your business in no time. Think of them as interior designers who will spruce up your eCommerce shop and make it appealing and engaging to the customer in a variety of ways, from helping you build your brand to ensuring seamless checkouts for higher cart-to-card conversions.
2. Marketplaces
While participating in this channel does not come free, “being out there” through a high-traffic shopping site will give you the kind of customer reach that can be well worth every cent spent. Today’s world is a buyers’ market. The deluge of sellers ever eager to outcompete for their share of the pie necessitates the use of every platform available to secure conversions. While your website can help establish your credibility as a legit business, you will miss out on low-hanging opportunities if you fail to hop on to the marketplace bandwagon. And this is not just FOMO. Time is of the essence. The earlier you start building that virtual presence, the better for establishing brand identity and awareness.
Delegate where you can.
If you have the luxury of putting in the time as well as the diligence to keep pace with the latest high-search words and consistently create interesting, high-quality content for back-link building, among other must-dos, then by all means, take the DIY route. But if you are, like most of us, pressed for precious minutes, your time would be best spent in engaging the services of digital marketers whose job it is to help make selling more effective and easier for you. Leverage the expertise of SEO professionals. They can customize packages based on your needs and wallet size. Let them drive shoppers to your site as you focus on crafting long-term plans and goals for your business.
Disruptive is necessary.
Whether or not you believe that creation came into existence 4.5 billion or 6,000 years ago, you will have to agree that the long-drawn-out human experience has made it more difficult for our species to come up with truly novel, absolutely fresh ideas. It is said that there is no experience that is unique to us that has not been experienced by our predecessors. This is why, when something comes along that is out of the confines of ordinariness, one is immediately stopped in his or her tracks. And that kind of attention-grabbing newness is what we need to make that jaded pointer decide to double-down on those clicks that will deliver the dollars. Tweak promotional ideas. Going big doesn’t necessarily mean more costly — it can simply mean just more catchy. Work those creative juices. Think ads in digital artwork, product or service auctions, even product placement in zoom weddings and webinars. The sky is no longer the limit.
