You're selling an in-demand product, you groomed your website using the correct technology, and you've put in x-to-the-tenth-power number of hours just so you can improve your business. So why are your targeted customers still seem to be averse to the idea of buying from you?
As a fellow entrepreneur, I always find it advantageous to assume the perspective of my customers, since I often strike a gold mine of strategies that improves my business. Frequenting e-commerce websites brought to fore a number of nuisances that drove me to turn the other way without bothering to transact with the website.
So if you are trying to boost your sales, have a look at these common issues which could be hindering your online business from thriving:
Reason # 1: I don't know who you are.
Translation: You need to boost your branding.
For any business venture to prosper, it's a given for the owners to establish their brand to distinguish themselves amongst a sea of competitors. Who are you? What does your business have to offer that others can't? What are the traits that make you unique?
Creating an identifiable brand answers these basic questions (and many more), in order to build the blocks of your reputation within your niche. And quite frankly, from a customer's point of view, it's easier to make a purchase at a store I've been patronizing for a long time than risk my money on a brand I haven't even heard of.
So when customers stumble upon your site and they have not even heard of your name or your reputation, chances are, they will go somewhere else more familiar.
Branding problems encompass more issues than you are probably aware of. And anybody in the company from the modest of marketers to the top management can be held responsible for lack of branding exposure.
Sometimes, the problem starts with the planning, if there is one at all. Schemes lack insight, research, and supervision. There are also instances when the conflict takes place on the manager's court. In some cases, it's the owner who insists a radical overhaul of the brand before even studying how these changes can affect the entire business.
Reason #2: I don't know what you're selling.
Translation: You need to improve your product descriptions.
Whenever I look something up online, I make sure to scrutinize product descriptions and research for reviews before I click the "Buy" button. The problem arises when the details I'm looking for do not contain the specifics or do not even exist at all.
Granted, product descriptions can be a really time-consuming task, especially if your site has hundreds (or even thousands) of products available. But if you want your customers to trust what you have to offer, descriptions are vital.
Throughout the course of my browsing, I've noticed that there are those who post duplicate content of product descriptions, while there are those who don't bother putting one at all. Duplicate contents are problematic, since reading those will not be one of the best first impressions especially for customers who have already browsed other e-commerce sites with the same descriptions. Search engines also tend to penalize sites with duplicate content (more on the importance of site ranking later).
Moreover, some of those who create their own products forget to include the specific details that set their merchandise apart. The photos and the overall layout are also neglected, driving customers to switch to better-looking online stores.
Reason #3: I don't know where to find you.
Translation: You need to make use of search engine optimization.
Whenever there is a bourgeoning strategy that promises to enhance your website and increase your sales, it's hard not to be curious and skeptic at the same time. I had a little bit of both reactions when I first stumbled upon search engine optimization (SEO), but after researching and employing it in my business, my doubts were put to rest.
When a website is not optimized for the crawlers, your targeted customers will have a hard time looking for you via Google and other search engines. I have come across a few really good e-commerce websites in terms of trust signals and overall layout, but since they do not rank on the search engine results page, customers are very few and far in between.
There are also websites that do rank, but with bad internal linking. Meaning, the links on a page that leads to another link within the website is totally unrelated to what customers are looking at.
For instance, I was browsing through product descriptions of iPhone accessories. A link at the bottom of the page urged me to click it for more related content. Lo and behold, the link led me to accessories for an Android phone that is not even available in my country. It just turns off potential customers.
The same goes for linking out to another website that is not related to your niche. The problem can also be lying on the layers of your website that are not visible to the customers' eyes, especially if those pages are really helpful for the customers.
Reason #4: I don't think your site is safe.
Translation: You should address your site trust issues.
Since your website is a place where monetary transactions occur, you can just imagine how imperative it is for you to gain the customers' confidence. So when I started my own online business, this is one of the things on my priority list to secure my website with all the authentication and trust certificates I can get my hands on.
There is no question that protecting your website and your customers should be first in order. However, what your website might lack is enough trust signals and authentication. Online businesses are also prone to malware and possible harm if you rely heavily on free apps instead of investing in paid ones that deliver better services. At the end of the day, customers will not transact with you if they don't trust your site.
If you experienced the same problems listed above, how were you able to solve them? Write a comment below on what you perceive as the most effective solution to these predicaments.
As a fellow entrepreneur, I always find it advantageous to assume the perspective of my customers, since I often strike a gold mine of strategies that improves my business. Frequenting e-commerce websites brought to fore a number of nuisances that drove me to turn the other way without bothering to transact with the website.
So if you are trying to boost your sales, have a look at these common issues which could be hindering your online business from thriving:
Reason # 1: I don't know who you are.
Translation: You need to boost your branding.
For any business venture to prosper, it's a given for the owners to establish their brand to distinguish themselves amongst a sea of competitors. Who are you? What does your business have to offer that others can't? What are the traits that make you unique?
Creating an identifiable brand answers these basic questions (and many more), in order to build the blocks of your reputation within your niche. And quite frankly, from a customer's point of view, it's easier to make a purchase at a store I've been patronizing for a long time than risk my money on a brand I haven't even heard of.
So when customers stumble upon your site and they have not even heard of your name or your reputation, chances are, they will go somewhere else more familiar.
Branding problems encompass more issues than you are probably aware of. And anybody in the company from the modest of marketers to the top management can be held responsible for lack of branding exposure.
Sometimes, the problem starts with the planning, if there is one at all. Schemes lack insight, research, and supervision. There are also instances when the conflict takes place on the manager's court. In some cases, it's the owner who insists a radical overhaul of the brand before even studying how these changes can affect the entire business.
Reason #2: I don't know what you're selling.
Translation: You need to improve your product descriptions.
Whenever I look something up online, I make sure to scrutinize product descriptions and research for reviews before I click the "Buy" button. The problem arises when the details I'm looking for do not contain the specifics or do not even exist at all.
Granted, product descriptions can be a really time-consuming task, especially if your site has hundreds (or even thousands) of products available. But if you want your customers to trust what you have to offer, descriptions are vital.
Throughout the course of my browsing, I've noticed that there are those who post duplicate content of product descriptions, while there are those who don't bother putting one at all. Duplicate contents are problematic, since reading those will not be one of the best first impressions especially for customers who have already browsed other e-commerce sites with the same descriptions. Search engines also tend to penalize sites with duplicate content (more on the importance of site ranking later).
Moreover, some of those who create their own products forget to include the specific details that set their merchandise apart. The photos and the overall layout are also neglected, driving customers to switch to better-looking online stores.
Reason #3: I don't know where to find you.
Translation: You need to make use of search engine optimization.
Whenever there is a bourgeoning strategy that promises to enhance your website and increase your sales, it's hard not to be curious and skeptic at the same time. I had a little bit of both reactions when I first stumbled upon search engine optimization (SEO), but after researching and employing it in my business, my doubts were put to rest.
When a website is not optimized for the crawlers, your targeted customers will have a hard time looking for you via Google and other search engines. I have come across a few really good e-commerce websites in terms of trust signals and overall layout, but since they do not rank on the search engine results page, customers are very few and far in between.
There are also websites that do rank, but with bad internal linking. Meaning, the links on a page that leads to another link within the website is totally unrelated to what customers are looking at.
For instance, I was browsing through product descriptions of iPhone accessories. A link at the bottom of the page urged me to click it for more related content. Lo and behold, the link led me to accessories for an Android phone that is not even available in my country. It just turns off potential customers.
The same goes for linking out to another website that is not related to your niche. The problem can also be lying on the layers of your website that are not visible to the customers' eyes, especially if those pages are really helpful for the customers.
Reason #4: I don't think your site is safe.
Translation: You should address your site trust issues.
Since your website is a place where monetary transactions occur, you can just imagine how imperative it is for you to gain the customers' confidence. So when I started my own online business, this is one of the things on my priority list to secure my website with all the authentication and trust certificates I can get my hands on.
There is no question that protecting your website and your customers should be first in order. However, what your website might lack is enough trust signals and authentication. Online businesses are also prone to malware and possible harm if you rely heavily on free apps instead of investing in paid ones that deliver better services. At the end of the day, customers will not transact with you if they don't trust your site.
If you experienced the same problems listed above, how were you able to solve them? Write a comment below on what you perceive as the most effective solution to these predicaments.