Most people don’t buy a product the first time they visit an online store, which is why it’s so difficult to increase online sales simply by increasing site traffic.
Surprised?
The good news is that if you’re selling products online, there are proven ways to capture the interest of potential buyers and continue to draw them to your store to ultimately make a purchase - again and again!
It’s all about creating effective communications that keep your business - and most importantly, the items you’re selling - top of mind with your customers.
Let’s Hook Up! Pre-Purchase Email Sequence
Many potential buyers will turn over their email address in exchange for a 10% off coupon, free shipping offer or newsletter signup that offers regular deals and coupons. Splashing those offers across your home page with a pop-up might seem intrusive, but they are very effective in collecting contact information for potential buyers.
List in hand, you can use a marketing automation platform to sort these leads into a “pre-purchase” email nurture campaign that entices them to use those coupons or offers as soon as possible.
Here’s what the offers/content of those emails over 10 days might look like:
- Email one: Thank them for joining and encourage them to take advantage of the coupon offer they signed up for.
- Email two: Value-add video about how to use your product or a video giving them more information about your product.
- Email three: Product demo embedded video.
- Email four: Reminder to use their coupon offer soon, due to an expiration date, product availability or another limited-time window.
- Email five: Make this your best offer! Offer a 15% or 20% discount.
Always be sure to unsubscribe the lead from the sequence if they make a purchase (and rebucket them to your customer email nurturing list. You have one of those, right?!). If the potential buyer doesn’t make a purchase after five emails, bucket them into your lead nurturing email list.
We know this sounds like a lot of emails, but with all the distractions people have today, this is the best way to stay top of mind! If you see ho-hum email results, try auditing your emails and adjusting them for content and tone.
It may also be worth testing if you have an audience better reached via text message marketing.
Missing Something? Abandoned Cart Email Sequence
The current abandoned cart rate is about 70%, and some stores have observed that 90% of the people who abandon their carts come back to make that purchase within the first seven days of cart abandonment. That means those seven days are crucial to reaching out to your potential customer and incentivizing them to make a purchase.
Here’s what the offers/content of an abandoned cart email sequence over seven days might look like:
- Email one: Did you forget something? Remind the customer of items left abandoned in their cart. These types of emails can be generated using a marketing automation platform.
- Email two: Send content related to an item in their cart. This could be a video about how to use an item, or related product, or an infographic.
- Email three: Again, remind them of the items waiting in their cart, and offer another piece of value-add content.
- Email four: Your items are waiting for you! Again, remind them of what they left in the cart, and perhaps display related items. This type of email can also be auto-generated with a marketing automation platform.
- Email five: Once again, save the best for last. Offer free shipping on their abandoned order or 10% off.
Again, be sure to unsubscribe the lead from the sequence if they purchase (and rebucket them!).
Remember Me? Remarketing Ads
If you’ve ever searched for a pair of running shoes or hair care products and then saw ads for running shoes and hair care products pop up on across various unrelated sites you’ve visited, you have experienced remarketing.
Remarketing involves tagging a visitor to your site with a “cookie,” a piece of code that anonymously tracks them as they browse the internet. You can install these cookies on your own website via Google Ads, and create the types of ads that will show up based on your potential buyer’s behavior.
These ads increase overall brand awareness and familiarize your audience with your products. Remember how few people buy a product the first time they visit a website? The more they see you, the more positively they will think of you and the more likely they are to return and make a purchase.
Nurture the Tribe
Apple doesn’t just sell computers and mobile devices. It sells a lifestyle. Apple has created a “tribe” of those who “Think Different.” Those who purchase Apple products religiously often see their purchases as forming a core part of their identity. Think about the ongoing Ford vs. Chevy fan rivalry, or the passionate loyalty of sports enthusiasts everywhere.
We all want to foster a customer base that is passionate about our products, people who evangelize them to friends and family, who are the first to buy every new version or release or add-on. But great tribes don’t just happen: they are nurtured.
Create an ongoing customer retention program that rewards your customers and makes them feel like they are part of something larger than themselves. Think beyond simply “discount X after buying X items” programs, too! Mix up offers and provide additional value-added content that’s “just for fans.” Make customers excited to see an email or text message from you - and you will have a brand that lives forever.
For additional resources on how to rev up online sales, visit The Definitive Guide to on How to Recession-Proof your Business - and Rebound!
