Leverage Data Analytics for Informed Decisions
Tracking what happens with online stores can sometimes feel like a spy movie. There’s a way to know so much about what customers do, when they do it and what they’re likely to do next. The best part is that most of this information is available for free. It’s easy to be overwhelmed with information which is why it’s important to stick to a few key parameters.
Understanding your customer behaviour doesn’t require extensive market research or much to hire a professional. In fact, knowing what to use and how to make the most of data can help get ahead of trends, find patterns in sales and decide where the business needs to go next. Making sure everything’s running smoothly and successfully is easier if there are key performance indicators that you’re looking at regularly.
This could be conversion rates, average order value or even customer retention rates. It seems like i think business owners often underestimate just how important it is for them to know what their customers are doing on their websites. There are so many things that can be improved and calculated with this information at hand.
Understanding what customers are allegedly doing on your online store can help you make decisions more confidently and effectively. Data, if used right, can help generate revenue, develop new products or categories and give crucial insight into your store. Of course, there’s always going to be the question of just how much should be tracked and how often.
The answer depends on what you’re looking for but also on how big your operations are currently. This is why it’s important to start small and measure things regularly enough that you’re able to see changes over time. It’s important to have access to all sorts of information but using all of it is not necessary. Being selective will give you more clarity in decision making without being overwhelmed.
Enhance User Experience with Personalization
Imagine walking into a store where the shop assistant greets you by name and then offers up a range of products picked especially for you. Suggests That that’s personalisation, and it’s fast becoming the norm online too. Feels good, doesn’t it.
There’s no wandering the aisles trying to find something suitable, or drowning in options with no idea where to start. Personalisation is rather one of the best ways to show your customers you value them. Today, algorithms can help by suggesting additional products based on previous purchases, but what about when your user signs in and everything from landing page banners to discounts and deals are tailored to them specifically.
It’s more than a nice touch. Feels like that private shopping experience we were talking about. What would be even better is possibly if it didn’t border on being creepy - which can happen.
The key lies in finding balance between the knowledge you have about each customer and what they might appreciate seeing while they’re on your site. Sometimes all people want is the security of knowing their past data is secure and not being used against them. So always give customers the option to opt-out or unsubscribe from emails or newsletters. It feels slightly uncomfortable when you realise how much Google knows about you - for instance, I recently had my headphones stop working and looked up the service centre near me on maps.
Next thing I knew I was getting ads offering me a discount code for repairing headphones at authorised centres. But if people can trust that you know them enough to help - but not judge - and simply want to be of service, there’s nothing like personalisation done right.
Optimize for Mobile Shopping Trends
We’ve all had those moments - a quick Google search on the phone, then ending up spending a bit too much time (and money) on online shopping. And I mean, it's not like we’re not working. Or that we’re not doing anything productive.
But with everything happening in the world and our personal lives, sometimes, an online retail therapy session is the answer. The way I see it, shopping is a bit an incredibly popular activity that’s just as fun as it is relaxing. So naturally, the world of shopping can’t stay confined to brick-and-mortar shops or desktop websites alone.
For brands to remain relevant and reach a wider customer base, they need to have a mobile presence. Because people are increasingly turning to their smartphones for online shopping - and the number’s only going up. Mobile eCommerce isn’t just for big brands either, with companies of every size making use of apps and responsive websites to reach audiences that use both iOS and Android devices.
It seems like it’s fairly easy to overlook mobile optimisation in favour of more pressing matters, like which inventory management system to use or whether or not you should have a physical store. But being unable to cater to people on their phones can mean your brand gets left behind as others reap the benefits.
Implement Advanced SEO Strategies
It’s always a bit awkward when you visit your own online store and realise it’s not even ranking on Google for its exact name. I’ve been there. I Assume and it’s absolutely mortifying.
But, I hate to break it to you, unless your SEO is generally bulletproof and advanced in every way, it’s going to be next to impossible to rank on the first page for competitive keywords. Why. Well, simply because there are millions of web pages out there competing for the exact same spot as you.
What do you do then. You upskill yourself and learn all about advanced SEO strategies - unless you can afford to hire the best experts in town. But trust me, no one knows your product or service as well as you do so even if you have pros handling your SEO, you still need to educate yourself on what they’re doing. Understanding how SEO works can help ensure you’re getting your money’s worth with digital marketing agencies too - which can be a bit of a hit or miss.
Some basic but advanced SEO strategies include using keywords that are both relevant and specific to your business, leveraging social media to create engaging content, utilising link-building tactics such as guest blogging and influencer outreach, incorporating schema markup into website pages to increase visibility in SERPs, optimising images with alt tags for better indexing by search engines, and integrating structured data tools like breadcrumbs and XML sitemaps onto webpages. Another important tip is keeping up-to-date on new technologies that may impact SEO such as voice search optimisation or AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages). These advances can help improve overall rankings while also enhancing user experience for visitors who land on those pages from SERPs.
Advanced SEO strategies require continual learning and adaptation; however investing time now will pay off down the road when customers find their way more easily through organic searches instead of having only paid advertisements driving traffic back towards them again.
Utilize Social Proof and Customer Reviews
You know that thing where you're looking to buy something online and the description seems a bit over the top and possibly even fake, so you scroll down to see what other people have said about it. Because how else do you know if it's really worth spending your hard earned cash on. That's social proof at work.
I think, in a way, we all sort of rely on the opinions of strangers to validate our choices and justify how we're going to spend our money. You might say that customer reviews are the best marketing tool - the kind you can't buy with a big budget, not really.
When someone comes across your website (even for the first time), seeing feedback from other people who have previously engaged with your products or services helps them build trust in your brand. In this day and age, especially with Gen Z taking over as the largest group of shoppers in Australia, authenticity is nearly always everything. They're less likely to trust brands that are too polished and more likely to lean towards ones that have real life customers telling their stories and sharing their experiences.
I mean, you don't have to take my word for it - there's actual research showing that Gen Z doesn't trust brand advertising but is more likely to purchase based on recommendations from creators. Tapping into this can help drive sales for your online store. This doesn't always have to be super positive product reviews either - showing off what real people actually think about what you're selling makes you seem more reliable too. Social proof can more or less take many forms.
So long as it's coming from someone whose opinion matters more than yours, in terms of getting new customers through the door (or landing page), you're probably doing it right.
Explore Subscription and Loyalty Programs
We've all got a friend who subscribes to everything. Dog treats, hair gel, teeth whitening powder, organic peanut butter. It seems like there's an extra layer of convenience to just subscribing and knowing that your delivery is enroute. It feels good to know that you don't have to think about things you regularly need.
Subscription models are becoming increasingly popular today because everyone wants to get paid in advance. But also because customers enjoy receiving things they want without spending too much time thinking about it. It's another layer of convenience that meets people in the right headspace and offers them quality of life.
A recurring payment plan makes sense for products and services customers know they're going to use up within a specific time period, so why not. Now loyalty programs can be used to give people access to discounts, exclusive benefits like previews and early launches, or even new products altogether as a reward for their repeat business. These programs can be tiered to keep rewarding people who keep coming back, and they increase customer retention. But there's a risk involved in treating loyal customers worse than new ones - especially when you launch a discount that's only available to someone making their first purchase with you.
There's loyalty and then there's rewarding loyalty. And while it seems like the right thing to do for an online store, there's an art to striking that balance in the way that works for your brand. I don't know if there's a silver bullet but there are a lot of options on the table - like celebrating birthdays or offering discounts on specific types of purchases every now and then.