Sales consistency. It is something every eCommerce merchant strives for. Anybody can have a great day or week, but achieving sales consistency month in and month out is key. Especially because the retail industry can be filled with peaks and troughs. Payflex shares how merchants can ensure they achieve sales consistency all year round.
Offer Live Chat
When you sell your products digitally, you need a way for shoppers to connect with you 24/7. Which is why having a live chat option is a valuable tool to achieve sales consistency and improve customer satisfaction and conversion. Live chat offers a convenient platform for shoppers to chat with a ‘shopping assistant’ while on your website. Moreover, it provides consumers with instant support and quick answers to any questions or concerns they may have about a product.
Encourage Customer Reviews and Ratings
Did you know, 84% of customers trust online reviews as much as they would a word of mouth recommendation? Like it or not, people want reassurance before committing to a purchase online. Therefore, customer reviews are an important mechanism for achieving sales consistency because they go a long way to building trust, confidence, and comfort.
Payment Variety = Sales Consistency
Digitally savvy shoppers want to be able to pay how they want, whenever they want. In fact, choosing the right payment options can improve conversion rates by as much as 30%. Customers may not return to your site because you do not offer the payment method you want. This risks sales consistency. Therefore, eCommerce merchants need to offer a host of payment options at checkout to meet ever-changing customer needs. The key is to identify the payment methods most preferred by your audience and then make them available to shoppers. Consider part-payment or installment payment methods, flexible payment options, as well as other digital payment methods.
Think Mobile
The mobile phone has emerged as one of the most important points of digital contact with consumers. In fact, Mcommerce sales are expected to reach $3.56 trillion in 2021, which is 22.3% more than in 2020. This incredible growth means optimising your eCommerce store for mobile is crucial to sales consistency. Therefore, you need to make sure your mobile customer experience is as seamless, quick, and navigable as possible to ensure repeat business and consistency.
Reevaluate Your Delivery Policy
Do you charge a set delivery fee regardless of spend on your site? By now, all eCommerce merchants should be aware that delivery options are going to be the first thing customers consider before checking. In fact, it has become a cornerstone of strong customer experience. 68% of online shoppers don’t make a purchase more than half of the time if a brand does not offer free shipping. Consider offering free delivery on a minimum order value, or even free delivery altogether to try and set you apart in a highly competitive marketplace.
Customer Experience is Key To Sales Consistency
Consumers, with technology at their fingertips, are redefining customer experience. In fact, PWC found the less friction in their purchase journey, the more they’ll shop, and the more they’ll spend. Conversely poor customer experience will put you on the back foot, something you cannot afford in today’s crowded online marketplace. Bottom line, you need to do everything in your power to ensure you provide your customers with a seamless shopping experience from start to finish. To do this, you need to understand what your customer does and does not want, and listen to their concerns and pain points. This is central to building customer loyalty and trust, and will go a long way to ensuring sales consistency.
