The world of eCommerce can be an incredibly competitive place. While modern technology enables websites to be created almost seamlessly, the task of attracting and retaining customers can prove tricky without placing yourself in the shoes of your prospects and asking, “What would encourage me to make a purchase?”
In this article, we’ll look at five ways online businesses can increase revenues and even keep customers repeatedly coming back:
1) Help your customers feel secure
Cybersecurity is more important now than ever and secure card processing matters. By implementing encrypted card payment services, your customers are more likely to have the confidence to make a purchase. A recent survey revealed that 87% of consumers are willing to shop elsewhere if they have a reason not to trust a business.
2) Offer multiple payment options
Everybody is unique, and each of us have our own payment preferences. Some customers want credit card processing as they can remain safe in the knowledge that payments can be easily reversed in the event of poor service. Others want to utilise mobile payment options like Apple Pay for convenience and security. By catering to the payment preferences of all your customers, you’re more likely to achieve sales – and with 166 million consumers already making use of mobile payments in 2018, there’s a large market to corner.
3) Keep it simple
Don’t go overboard with complicated website designs and graphics – while intricate animations or visuals on your site might make you feel proud, these will always be counterproductive if they don’t match with the needs of the customer. Try to limit your pages to the bare minimum information and a call to action – remember, increasing numbers of customers are browsing via mobile these days, so your site needs to be optimised to fit all the essential product info on a handheld screen.
4) Go above and beyond with customer support
The offer of 24/7 customer support is important to many potential buyers – if your prospect needs vital information about a product before purchasing and they can’t find out what they need to on your site, but can gain that information from a customer service agent on a competing site, guess where they’re going to spend their money?
5) Encourage customer interaction
By encouraging your customers to create an on-site profile or submit their contact information, you’re putting yourself in a better position to market to them with your latest special offers. Just remember to acquire the consent of the customer in accordance with the new GDPR legislation.
Sources:
http://www.bmmagazine.co.uk/in-business/5-ways-to-encourage-customers-to-make-online-purchases/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurencebradford/2018/03/30/why-people-should-learn-about-cybersecurity-in-2018/#4a51f1435d00
https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2018/02/08/six-trends-that-will-shape-customer-service-in-2018-for-better-or-worse/
https://www.digitalpulse.pwc.com.au/report-protect-me-consumers-cyber-security/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/461512/nfc-mobile-payment-users-worldwide/