Generating sales online isn't rocket science. In fact, selling items online is easier than marketing them in store. We live in a society where time is precious. People would much rather shop online as opposed to trekking up and down the high-street.
Be Truthful – Identify Problems With Your Website
Increasing the rate of customer purchases isn't very complicated, especially if you know the benefits of your product / service inside and out. Before we start I recommend reviewing your own site. Analyse the design, functionality and content with a fine-tooth comb. If you were a customer browsing online, would you trust and buy from your site? Do your competitors' sites look better? Don't sugar-coat the truth, it's better to be honest and find the root cause of the problem rather than ignoring it while your sales continue to drop.
If you spot any issues with your website I strongly recommend contacting your web developer, or contacting a web design company like JDR. Our team of specialists have worked with various businesses in many different sectors to create captivating bespoke web designs that effortlessly convert customers.
Down To Business: Psychological Tricks To Boost Conversions
Follow the tips below to transform your website into a lean, mean, money-making machine!
1) Reviews Are PARAMOUNT
I've said it once, and I'll say it again: don't ignore the power of reviews. Human nature dictates that people are easily influenced by our peers. Successful online retailers (especially industry giants like Amazon and eBay) use a variety of “social proof” techniques. Read this article for more information - How To Get More Online Reviews.
Strategically place testimonials and reviews around your website, especially next to images of products or Call-To-Actions so prospects can see the quality of your work and craftsmanship. The odd negative review (such as 3 or 4 stars) will also develop trust with your buyers. Websites that have nothing but 5 star excellent reviews look like scams. Responding to minor criticism will also show your commitment to improvement.
You should also ask your existing customers to share your products on social media. You can display the number of shares as a counter, this adds extra weight to your claims.
2) Fear Of Missing Out
There's nothing wrong with praying on your customers' fear of missing a bargain. Most customers won't actually bite the bullet or part with their money unless for good reason. Creating a sense of urgency encourages people to buy. Ways of doing this include:
- State when stock is low
- Set a time limit, for example, sale ends this Monday!
- Add offers such as buy NOW and get 10% discount at checkout
- Promote your business on social media to increase brand exposure
- Use Google AdWords to promote your promotes and services to your target market
3) Cart Abandonment Emails
Believe it or not humans are extremely forgetful. Many people add items to their wish list or online basket but simply forget to complete the transaction. Many business owners think that abandoned carts means a customer changed their mind, or they saw a better price elsewhere but this isn't true.
Marketing automation software such as HubSpot is an excellent, hassle-free tool which allows you to setup automatic email reminders to customers. For instance, you could schedule a reminder to go out 2 days after someone abandoned their cart, and then again at day 5. You can also set up reminders for customers to review your products. Marketing automation tools can also identify your customers buying habits and send them new content / deals centred on what they might like to increase the chances of future purchases.
4) Colour Psychology
Humans are visual creatures. Our eyes and brains are automatically drawn to things with personality and sass. For this reason, I strongly recommend that you try different colour combinations for your advertisements, banner ads and CTAs. Certain colours instil certain emotions and feelings in your customers, thereby increasing conversions.
Here's a brief overcome of commonly used colours, please visit HubSpot's blog for a comprehensive overview of colour psychology - Color Psychology in Marketing
- Red – Creates a sense of urgency which is helpful when trying to drive online sales. Red also encourages appetite and reportedly gets the pulse racing as it's associated with power and excitement.
- Orange – Bright, fun colour often associated with warm and innovation, however some customers relate this colour to items that are cheap.
- Yellow – Is associated with optimism and intellect. Yellow is a very striking colour when paired with black.
- Green – Primarily associated with health and freshness. Many brands use this colour to represent ideas like medicine and finance.
- Blue – Very calming effect, often seen as the colour for strength and wisdom. Oddly enough blue also suppresses the appetite.
- Black – Often associated with luxury, power and security, however some people associate this colour with oppression and mourning.
Product Landing Pages
Product landing pages are also massively important – this is the page your customer will see and read when learning the fine details of your product / service. Poorly constructed landing pages will lead to poor sales.
Listen to the following podcast where we cover the main elements of a landing page, including imagery, descriptions, call-to-action, online forms and much more!
Final Thoughts
It's simple maths really, the more psychological tricks you follow the better your conversion rate will be. We live in a society where people love to buy things. Your business should focus on making the buying process as alluring as possible.
Are you struggling to understand where your business is going wrong? Perhaps last year’s sales don't reflect the hard-work and effort you put in all year round? Contact the JDR Group today for a FREE 20 minute, no-obligation review of your current marketing strategy where our marketing specialist Andy Gibbins will discuss areas for improvement to get your business the sales it deserves! Call us on 01332 343281 or complete our online contact form.
