When an online store does not sell enough, the cause is rarely a single thing. Visitors may not be the right ones, product pages may not answer their questions, or the checkout may lose them. Here are eight levers, in the order in which we usually look at them.
1. Know where you lose customers
Look at your analytics before changing anything: how many visitors see a product, add it to the cart, start the checkout and pay. The step with the biggest drop is where your effort will count most. Without these figures, every change is a guess.
2. Make the product page do its job
A product page should answer the questions a customer would ask in a shop: what it is, what it looks like from every angle, what it costs with delivery, when it arrives, how to return it. Clear photographs and a complete description do more for sales than any slogan.
3. Shorten the checkout
Ask only for the information you need. Offer the payment methods your customers actually use, show delivery costs before the last step, and let people buy without creating an account. Test the whole checkout on a phone, where most visits happen.
4. Bring the right visitors
Search engine optimisation brings people who are already looking for what you sell: work on your category and product pages first. See how we approach SEO. Advertising brings visitors faster, but you pay for each click, so send them to the page that matches the advert and measure the orders, not only the clicks.
5. Use email for customers you already have
People who have bought once are the easiest to sell to again. Build your list with their consent, and send messages that are useful: back in stock, a reminder for an abandoned cart, a new collection. A few well-timed emails are better than a weekly newsletter nobody opens.
6. Be present where your customers are
Choose one or two social platforms your customers use and keep them alive, rather than opening accounts everywhere. Answer questions and comments quickly: for many buyers, it is the first contact with your brand. More on social media management.
7. Know who you are selling to
Describe your two or three typical customers: what they buy, why, what makes them hesitate. This description should guide your photographs, your wording and your offers. Customer reviews and questions to your support team are the best source.
8. Use limited-time offers with care
A time-limited offer can help a hesitant customer decide. Used all year round, it teaches customers to wait for the next discount. Keep offers real, clearly dated, and the same on every channel.
Where to start
Start with the first lever: measure, then fix the step where you lose the most customers. If you want a second pair of eyes on your store, book a 15-minute call, or see how we work on online stores.
