Online Shopping Cart sales optimization
Why is SEO done? most times, to drive business... and the shopping cart is the unavoidable selling point of web sites. Having a site with products is a great way to get started making money, driving traffic is another great step in the right direction... digging further, increasing sales from current visitors is another important aspect. Here are a few tips to that aspect:
Shopping carts sales tip #1: high quality touched pictures
Web shoppers always hesitate when shopping online because they do not have the object physically in their presence. The more appealing the picture, the better for the user. make sure it is in focus with a nice mono color:pleasing contrasting background; make sure also their size is optimized... if it is too slow, then you have a problem
Shopping carts sales tip #2: all details filled in, appealing description
it is not enough to list a product, make sure all details are filled in; if options are available, talk about them... if some nice buzz words apply, put them in, imagine you were trying to pitch the product to the most difficult client and add the details, make the people want to own it
Shopping carts sales tip #3: related products
Sometimes, the people will like your website but the page they are there for is for a product they are not interested in; make sure that you have a few suggestions... preferably based on search terms or products they browser... or maybe past customer behavior
Shopping carts sales tip #4: cross selling
when people buy a toothbrush, suggest they buy toothpaste too... sell any related products, telling why this is a good pick with that product
Shopping carts sales tip #5: upselling
if they buy one product, suggest an upgrade to that product (with possibly a discounted amount for the upgrade). If they buy one month subscription, suggest a yearly subscription with a month free... or if they buy one item, suggest free shipping on the second (especially if shipping cost is not an issue)
Shopping carts sales tip #6: reminders for non completed sales
sometimes for one reason or another, sales will get interrupted. It does not necessarily mean your customer is not ready to buy... sometimes, they just have forgotten to complete the sale. if you have their info, send them a friendly reminder email; if they visit a partner site/ sister site or revisit the site, suggest they take action (with maybe a limited time offer)
shopping carts sales tip #7: make pages sharable
people like to ask for advice when buying online... make it easy for them to share the product they are looking at... all standard sharing advice applies
shopping carts sales tip #8: Gift lists/ wish lists
Sometimes, like for a wedding, people have gift lists or sometimes they have a wish list. Provide a way for people to provide such a list, their friends are more likely to purchase that item from you.
shopping carts sales tip #9: Order has coupon for next purchase
when people order, provide a time limited coupon for another purchase. Not only does it make the client feel better about their purchase but it builds brand loyalty... if they bought once and satisfied, likely to come back... and who knows, bring some friends
Shopping carts sales tip #10: Order assistant
a lot of people have difficulties choosing... some even hate picking a product... why don't you offer them a simple wizard which will ask them a few questions that will help them narrow their choices. This is especially true when you have a lot of products, but this can also work with smaller catalogs where you can insert selling points/ pitch throughout the wizard... pick important features to the customer and explain them in detail.