Tag Archive for: ecommerce business

10 PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES TO CONVINCE YOUR ECOMMERCE CUSTOMERS TO BUY

If you own an ecommerce store acquiring more customers is essential to your business. But did you know that convincing a customer to buy is the real deal? Here are some techniques to convince customers to buy. 

The web is bombarded with tricked-out strategies that manipulate SEO or convince owners to create viral Youtube Campaigns to win customers. They overlook the basics and forget that in the modern world customers are subject to persuasion techniques, cognitive biases, psychological theories, etc.  

Having a solid foundation of excellent persuasion technique will give you an edge over your competitors. It will provide a deeper insight into why your visitors buy and the reason why some abandon the cart. Here is how you convince your customers to buy your ecommerce product; 

#1. USE THE POWER OF RECIPROCITY 

Ever received a gift from a friend that left you feeling obligated to return the favor? That is called the power of reciprocity. However, in this case, you have to take it a step further. Once you have offered an irresistible gift to your customers, don’t wait for the voluntary act from them. Take the opportunity and ask for the favor in return.  

Customers like bonuses, they help them to build compelling emotions around the brand. When customers receive bonuses they feel appreciated and happy. They find reasons to strongly connect to your brand.  At this point, they feel more obligated to return the favor by buying more from your store.   

In addition to bonuses, you can offer your customers a tripwire (a low priced product that is irresistible). This product should be designed not to bring profit but to convert a visitor into a loyal buyer.  

Alternatively, offer discounts and free gifts. This could be a welcome discount, product samples, free shipping, or a surprise free gift shipped with the ordered product. Moreover, you can pamper your existing customer by sending them appreciation notes and cards.  

#2. ENTICING PRODUCT SUMMARY 

Do not overlook the importance of a compelling, well-written, and detailed product description. Nowadays, online customers rely heavily on the web to learn about the products they want. Unless they get enough details they won’t be convinced to buy the product. For this reason, if the product description is lacking they will take the business elsewhere.  

Unturn all the stones and give rich descriptions using a simple and clear language. Explain every product feature and do not forget to include specs such as weight, measurements, materials, and the sizing charts. Give the information in bullets points to make it easily digestible. It’s paramount to articulate the superior value offered by the product features and how they enhance customers’ lives. Be specific and straightforward in your language of benefits but practice the highest standard of honesty.  

#3. UTILIZE VISUALS 

The description of the product is incredibly important but remember “a picture is worth a thousand words”. A rich product description is to be accompanied by quality product visuals.  

Produce large images that can be zoomed easily. The images should be of high resolution, free of clutter, and well-fit. The images should also be taken from different angles for easier identification of the product.  

Besides, the up close shots should include images of the product in its lifestyle setting ( the place where the product is used by the consumer). This will easily convince the customer since it makes them visualize utilizing the product in their everyday life.  

If your pockets are deep enough, set a budget for videos. This can be particularly effective for providing value-based descriptions and showing off 360 degrees product views in an incredible visual format.  

#4. PROVIDE SOCIAL PROOF 

Even before the emergence of the social media, humans were naturally social. For this reason, they are influenced by their peers, especially if they highly regard them. Its social proof that makes your customer to base their buying action on the actions of those around them.  

Studies have shown that 7 out of 10 online shoppers trust online reviews. Moreover, over 6 out of 10 online shoppers are motivated by positive reviews to buy a product. Share counts, reviews, testimonials, and ratings contribute immensely to the social proof.  

Invite customers to give written reviews both positive and negative. Although it’s very tempting to remove the negatives reviews, you are better off letting them stay on your site. This is because customers will become suspicious if they only find positive reviews on your site. Instead of weeding out the negative reviews respond to them in a more constructive way. It helps to clear your brand image and enhance the user experience.  

In addition, it’s important to pay attention to what others say about your brand outside your site. Visit sites that exist explicitly for product reviews in a specific industry. Respond promptly to all the valid complaints.  

#5. LIKENESS 

Customers are simply tempted to say yes to a product they like. This is influenced by two factors; one is the physical attraction. Studies have shown that if something or someone is physically attractive it is more persuasive. Two is a similarity. Customers are persuaded by products they can familiarize with.  

When it comes to ecommerce, the two factors can be translated into your store design. If you have a cleaner and more attractive site design, it will help you to convert quite easily.   

#6. ATTENTION BIAS 

Online shoppers feel more attached to emotionally stimulating factors. They pay more attention to such product and downplay the others. So where do your products fall? Do they stimulate emotions? Or have you attached an emotion-evoking visual and messages to them? 

Conduct rigorous qualitative research and determine the emotional state of the visitors arriving on your site. Are they desperate or stressed when seeking the right solution? This will enable you to either take advantage of the visitors’ natural emotional state or change it to perfectly convince them to buy. Focus your energy on writing copies that will make an effective emotional appeal. 

In addition, customize your product images, font, and color since they hold an incredible emotional value. Be purposeful and authoritative when choosing these factors.   

#7. PAMPER YOUR EXISTING CUSTOMERS 

Existing customers are the most valuable asset you have. Therefore, as you pursue more conversions do not overlook their importance. Studies have consistently shown that it’s easier and less expensive to convince your existing customers to buy than it is to attract new clients.  

For this reason, it’s important to sweet talk your existing customers. Make follow-ups after the customer purchase and thank them for their action. Add all the existing customers to an autoresponder sales funnel. This will make it easier for them to take advantage of the product offers, enjoy discounts, buy upgrades, or be part of a reward based referral program.  

#8. CREATE A BUZZ 

Your product might not sell without being advertised. High-quality marketing campaigns convince more customers to buy. Actually, products that sell best are backed by a strong marketing strategy.  

By generating a buzz around the product, you make it known and create credible traffic to your site. Some of the best way to generate excitement include; publishing press releases, content marketing, email marketing, influencer shares, and pulling PR stunts.  

#9. CONSISTENCY 

This is very important if you are looking to maintain momentum. It’s as simple as the name suggests, once you commit to offering something you should maintain your stance. Customers buy more from sites with actions and thoughts that are aligned.  

Remember once a customer makes a commitment they start engaging in self-persuasion. They justify their actions not only to themselves but also to their peers. One of the best ways of maintaining consistency is listing your business beliefs and attracting customers of similar ideas. If the beliefs resonate with your visitors, they will be convinced to buy. 

#10. BE REACHABLE 

If you want to record more conversion, you must be easily reachable. Provide the exact and correct name of your business and the contact details. In addition, provide the link to your social media links to help your customers to stay in touch.  If you are easy to find customer will frequently visit your site at the expense of your competitor. Get the right support channel for your online business and the benefit will trickle down to the conversion rate.  

CONCLUSION 

It’s not easy to turn visitors or potential customers into buyers or faithful customers. However, if you come up with a robust strategy based on the highlighted actions you will be amazed by the results.  

All the strategies are in line with the basics of your ecommerce conversion. But do not be inclined to neglecting them, they play an important role. They have the ability to make or break the growth of your business. The strategies form the foundation for some of the fancier conversion tricks. Once you have them in place you will be in a stronger position to attract more customer, retain existing ones and convert more easily.  

The strategies have proved their importance in ecommerce and are truly worth experimenting with. If you want to stand out and go beyond the regular, the strategies above give you the best way to build customer loyalty and increase the conversion rate.  

HOW TO CONVERT A HOBBY INTO AN ECOMMERCE BUSINESS

 

Wondering how to convert your hobby into a sustainable, full-fledged, and profitable business? Think it’s hard? It should not be because you have landed on the right page. It’s not an easy venture to convert your hobby into an ecommerce business, but with my entrepreneurial inspiration, I will steer you in the right direction.

Are you too involved with your hobby? Many in your category fail to build anything substantial from their passionate hobby. The reason is they never pursue their ideas in the perfect way. The e-commerce landscape is bumpy and your path to success will only be illuminated if you get the basics right. Let me guide you through the steps.

#1. SELF ASSESMENT

This is the first and very important step in your quest for success. The reason you are turning your hobby into a business is to make money. Period. Of course, the idea is truly exciting, but many starters fail because of rushing into it. They say hurry hurry has no blessing, the wise men said. If you want to excel take your time to carefully evaluate all your personal conditions.

Be brutally honest with yourself. Do you think your hobby will survive customer scrutiny and financial pressure? When the environment is hostile, will you accord enough time to your business? When the going gets tough how will you balance it with other responsibilities like your family and day job?

It’s a daunting task bearing the financial burdens and working to a strict schedule of a startup. You could end up hating your hobby. Consider the following factors before making any other decision;

  • What do your finances look like? 

How much have you set aside for this project? Can you quit your day job to pursue the project? If according to your projection, the money set aside cannot sustain you for 6 to 12 months, keep your job. Make the transition easy, gradually drop to a part-time job, until your business starts to generate revenue.

  • How much time are you willing to accord the business?
  • When they going get tough, do you have a robust support system. Be on the same page with your partner, family, or a close friend who you can rely on.
  • Are you confident enough about your product/hobby?
  • Are you equal to the challenge? Regardless of how much you love the hobby, it’s going to be a challenge.

#2. MARKET RESEARCH

Do you know your target market? You do not want to enter the scene only to find your hobby or its resultant product generates no interest. Research your target market and ensure people have interest in the products you are about to introduce. If you hit the right button, your hobby will seamlessly convert into a great business without even noticing. Analyze your target audience and your possible competition in the intended market. Here are some valuable tricks;

  • Use keywords and hashtags to assess the amount of interest the hobby will generate.
  • Come up with a generalized or fictional representation of your target customers. This will make it easier for you to understand your ideal customers and relate to them as human beings.
  • Identify the trends in your field.
  • Find your biggest competitors.
  • Check the laws and licensing

#3. CHOOSE A BUSINESS MODEL

Are you scared off? If not yet, congratulations! The next step is selecting your business model. This is not easy but it’s crucial to make the right decision. The business model affects your profits, tax rates and liability when the road gets tough.

One of the easiest models for many startups is the sole proprietorship because:

  • It easy and inexpensive
  • Gives you complete control
  • East tax preparation and reporting

However, you will be required to shoulder all the liabilities and it will be difficult to raise funds. In addition, being all alone in the business can be very stressful.

Alternatively, you can pursue your dream in a partnership or a limited liability company if you want to protect personal assets. Choose a model based on your preferences, personal condition, and financial circumstances.

#4. CREATE A BUSINESS PLAN

So far so good, if you have not given up, you got the right attitude to set the business rolling. A good business plan will not only help you navigate through the early business days but it will also let you visualize the whole journey. It will be a necessity when trying to raise funds to buy equipment, purchase inventory, or hire staff. To come up with a comprehensive business plan follow the following guideline:

  • Where will the finances come from?
  • Why and how are you planning to do this?
  • What is the workflow?  How long will it take to create the product or provide the service?
  • Any plan to expand the business in future?
  • Have do you set the pricing?
  • Based on the above factors, what your expectations? When do you think the business will break even?

#5. TIME TO GET LEGAL

Everything is almost falling into its place, but you are not yet done. Prepare for the tedious paperwork, this is crucial if you miss a step the government will be on your back. Some of the most important things to get at this step include;

  • Employee Identification Number (EIN): this is important for tax purposes and it will be required in your business transactions.
  • Business checking account: this the central checking account where all your business transactions and finances will run through.
  • Business credit card: you will like the reward system that comes with the credit cards.
  • PayPal account: this account should be tied directly to the business. You will need it for your online transactions.

#6. FIND THE RIGHT MARKETPLACE

You are almost at the tip of the ladder, but you will have to choose the right marketplace. The modern marketplaces are great because they offer free traffic. So will have the freedom to trade without worrying about SEO or marketing. However, the platforms will charge you for selling on their sites. Nonetheless, they are the best way to establish your foothold in the ecommerce arena. Some of the most common marketplaces include Amazon, DaWanda, Etsy, Handmadeology, Zibbet, Aftcra, and eBay.

#7. ESTABLISH YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE 

Now that you have successfully converted your hobby into a business, you need to establish an online presence. Social media is an excellent platform to raise your brand awareness. If you go the social media way observe one simple rule: keep it professional. You should also be smart if you want to generate viable traffic.

SUCCESS STORIES

Some of the most popular people who made a great business out of their passionate hobby include;

Bill Gates

Bill Gates was a 13 years old boy when he took up the art programming as his hobby. He raised money by selling a rummage to buy the resources he required to write a tic tac toe game. Bill Gates perfected his art and developed an algorithm for sorting pancakes while still at Harvard University. He converted his hobby into Microsoft after dropping out of college.

Walt Disney

Walt is the most popular hobbyists. Out of his passionate hobby of sketching and doodling, Walt made a multi-billion dollar business. Though the man is gone, the Business created continue to do well almost fifty years after his death.

At the age of four Walt Disney was drawing pictures and at seven he was selling the pictures to relatives and friends. All through his formative years, Walt kept pursuing his hobby even while attending a Chicago art school. Walt later launched his career in film production, theme park design, and animation.

Debbi Fields

Using the money she earned working as a young ball girl for Oakland A’s, Debbi started making cookies. 10 years later, she started selling them in a retail shop. Her business recorded an instant success and helped her to establish over 650 retail bakeries in the USA and over 80 in other countries across the globe.

Pamela Love

Pamela love has demonstrated that you can easily convert your little hobby into a big business. She spent many hours during her preteen to making bracelets from toothbrushes. She would bend the toothbrushes into cufflike shapes using heat. 20 years later, Pamela Love converted her hobby into a multi-million dollar jewelry business. Some of her best items feature in some of the top fashion magazines like Elle and Vogue.

CONCLUSION 

At this point, I believe you have taken the right steps to transform that passionate hobby into a multi-billion business. However, setting your business rolling marks the start of the whole tussle.

Hobbies help people to pass time, but it takes diligence to separate your heart from reality. Control the love for your hobby and don’t allow it to shadow the harsh reality ahead of you. Though the business idea originated from your hobby do not sit back comfortably thinking it will be a good business. There is a lot you need to learn to keep the business buoyant.

 

Essential Email Campaigns Every Ecommerce Business Must Have

Email marketing is considered to be an efficient and affordable way of growing a business and increasing ROI. According to a recent study, every one dollar spent on email campaign brings an average return of forty-five dollars. However, if you want to see these results, you must reach all your clients first. Fortunately, it is not rocket science to achieve this mission. Here are some of the email campaigns every e-commerce company should use to reach customers and increase sales.

New stock notice

If you want to drive more revenue in your business, then you have to encourage repeat purchases in your business. Experts say that it costs five times to get a new customer than it is to acquire a new one. The best way to encourage repeat purchases from clients is by keeping them updated when you bring in new products in your store. Whenever you have brought a new product, send the consumers an email.

Targeted Campaigns & Newsletters

Sending your clients email newsletters has always been considered to be a powerful method of keeping customers up to date with some of the latest promotions and products in your e-commerce company. This method is also perfect for making new customers come back and make more purchases.

What makes this newsletter efficient is the targeting used. When creating a newsletter for your clients, then it is important to keep in mind some practices so that you can win the heart of your customer. Always position the most important information at the top of the letter. Different studies show that attention drops as individuals read your email. Placing your information at the top will ensure that you have the highest clicks.

Review Request Email

Businessmen who have done well in online stores understand the importance of customer reviews on their sites. This is one of the proven ways of significantly increasing conversions in the business. Experts say that items with reviews have a ten percent higher conversion rate.

When a client purchases a product from your online store, it is always crucial to send them a special follow-up email, requesting them to leave a review of the item on your company website. This email marketing strategy is successful because of the single focus of the email. When writing a review request email to your clients, have the following in mind:

  • Always ensure that it is automated. It is possible to send a campaign manually after you make every purchase, but it will consume a lot of your time and resources. The most efficient way is to set up an automated email that will go automatically to all the customers making purchases from your store. This will make everything easier for you.
  • Offer your clients an incentive. Although most people will click your website and leave some comment even when they do not get an incentive, it is always paramount to offer something to motivate the consumer to leave a review. This can be achieved by

providing discounts on future purchases. The discount will encourage the client to make more purchases.

Birthday email

Birthdays are exciting times for everyone. During these days, almost everyone is willing to give themselves a treat. Did you know that sending an email to your clients on their birthday makes them feel special? Setting up an individual automated birthday email to your customers. Especially with a birthday offer will make the customer feel valued and part of the business. The gesture will also make the customers return to your store and make more purchases. To achieve great results when using this strategy, keep these practices in mind.

  • Automate the email always. It is impossible to manually try to send a birthday message to all your customer every year during their birthdays. It will be an organizational nightmare for your business. However, having an automated email campaign can work wonders. The email can serve the company for years.
  • Use beautiful images. If you want people to increase their desire for an item, then it is crucial to use beautiful imagery. Some of the modern most successful online stores have done well because they used professional shot images in their email campaigns. Whenever you are making a special offer to an individual on their birthday email, always include a beautiful image to capture their attention. The image will increase the motivation to get the offer you are giving.
  • Use an action oriented button copy. Many people in business use some genetic words on their buttons such as claim now. However, going for a term that is action oriented and focused like, Get your Chocolate Cake.

Abandoned Shopping Cart Email

Experts say that online shopping carts are abandoned sixty-seven percent of the time on different e-commerce sites. As a business person, never take this personally. Online shopping carts are abandoned for several reasons. However, there are ways of retrieving the forgotten shopping cart. Always send your clients an email shopping cart reminder. These reminder emails have worked effectively for most e-commerce businesses in the world.

Thank You Email

Consumer email campaigns are considered to be very effective. They are as simple as sending a thank you note. These type of emails are known to be the best way of building and maintaining healthy relationships with your online customers. Whenever you are creating these emails, it is always good to thank and praise them for purchasing your product or service. It is also crucial to appreciate the clients for leaving a review or subscribing to your services. We all love to be appreciated, so always show some gratitude to your customers and subscribers. This simple gesture will make them feel better and come back for more purchases.

Email marketing is one of the most powerful methods of online marketing. However, you must use it effectively if you want to get good results at the end of the day. Individuals who have used these campaigns in the past say that they increased their profits and sales significantly. Most of them retained their customers too.

Site Navigation

> Home

> Solutions

> Payment Methods

> Consulting

> Partners

> About

> Careers

> Contacts

> Blog

Resources

> Privacy Policy

> Terms and Conditions

> PCI Certification

> SRO VQF Membership

Developers

> API Documentation

Your ARETO Profile

> Sign In

> Apply Now

Compliance

DISCLAIMER

Areto Payment Processing Services AG is a licensed Financial Intermediary and member of the VQF, a self-regulatory body approved by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) for the supervision of the financial intermediaries.