How to set up an eCommerce Site to sell Huge during the Busy Summer Season

 Competition between eCommerce companies has elevated consumer expectations significantly, pushing them to an all-time high as sites continue trying to outdo one another. More than 70 percent of Canadians will do at least some form of online shipping this year. For an eCommerce site to thrive in the market, they need to be able to measure up. Fortunately, through some small adjustments, any site should be able to successfully position itself for long-term success in the upcoming summer sales season. Here are some eCommerce strategies to try.

 

Evaluate competitors’ strategies

 

Sign up for the competition’s sales newsletter. Pay attention to both larger, multi-national corporate brands and smaller businesses. Any company that poses a threat in the local market should be something to keep an eye on. This way, you can decide on whether to offer similar deals, better deals, or it may give some ideas on what you wish to offer the customer.

 

Create sales and clearance sections

 

Any product that you need to move fast should be appropriately featured in their own section. By diverting attention directly to these pages, there is a greater likelihood of them being in the mood to spend money and buy. Consider categorizing products according to men, women, and children; and grouping by price. Be sure to include relevant keywords, high volume phrases, and don’t get to target long-tail keywords which you may be more likely to place for.

 

Consider deals for returning customers

 

Though it may make sense to set up deals and promotions for new customers only, having some exclusive, limited time-only returning customer promotions is not such a bad idea either. These customers have already bought from you and if the experience was a positive one, it makes it even more possible they will return. Build an eCommerce site that is constantly giving customers a reason to return, whether that’s through daily sales and promotions, blog content, social media contests, and/or something else.

 

Maintain a strong, detailed ‘About Us’ Page

 

Some consumers may harbour apprehensions about buying from a site they’ve never bought before. Via an About Us page, be sure to explain a little bit about your business and philosophy.

 

Hit email marketing hard

 

Email marketing is where a lot of eCommerce brands are seeing return visits from past customers. Strategize carefully, send out timed emails to existing clients detailing reasons to return, and encourage new customers to sign up for the newsletter.

 

Better return policy

 

Considering a more extensive return policy is a smart move for eCommerce sites. There are some sites offering as long as a 1-year product guarantee and free returns. This might be something to consider, though a year is admittedly long. No matter what the return policy is, ensuring that it is indicated and advertised appropriately across the site.

 

Be sure the site is loading at fast speeds

 

eCommerce sites are not your typical site. They use many components that the non-eCommerce site won’t use. This can make loading times increase significantly if your web design is being overseen by an inexperienced designer. Nearly half of all users will abandon a site entirely if the page they want takes longer than three seconds to load. For an eCommerce site, this could mean losing out on potentially thousands of sales. So be sure to test loading speed regularly on desktop, tablet, and mobile platforms to identify irregularities and slow-downs.

 

By following these tips and tricks for how to set up an eCommerce site to sell huge during a busy summer season, Unlimited Exposure is confident your brand can continue to attract loyal customers and increase its revenues.