Do you offer customer stories that confirm the quality of your brand? Do you offer better products or an easier buying experience? What does the customer think of the products? More powerful platforms use search to infer those intentions. Trial Close Sales reps often forget about this tactic, but ecommerce sites use it frequently. Overcoming Objections Shoppers are typically concerned about shipping rates, availability, returns, delivery, pricing, warranty, and reliability. Make it as easy to initiate a checkout — from your shopping cart or a mini-cart. Post-sale Follow-up Send an immediate email confirmation of the order with the same details as shown at checkout. This is typically a self-service console to inform customers of order status, order history, and support options. Encourage your customers to use that portal as a source of information and a method of contact and support.
Many online retailers don’t focus on selling. An online store is a digital sales agent. It must interpret a buyer’s needs, pitch relevant products, and close the deal — much like in-store or direct sales associates.
But, in my experience, ecommerce merchants often fail at all or parts of this.
For example, retailers often present rich product content that looks like their competitors and therefore they feel good about it. In fact, because of syndication by manufacturers, the content is frequently the same. There’s no difference among competitors.
If your content is unique, do you ask for the order when prospects are reading or viewing it? Or, do your potential customers use your product catalog for research and then buy elsewhere?
Is your store is different? Do you offer customer stories that confirm the quality of your brand? Do you offer better products or an easier buying experience? Better pricing? Better customer service? More importantly, are you selling products that consumers are looking for?
Let’s review the old-school steps of a sale.
- Establish credibility. Earn buyers’ trust and establish that your company has a unique value proposition that meets their needs.
- Gather information. Understand buyers’ intentions and the problems they are trying to solve.
- Deliver appropriate content — product recommendations and supporting information — based on the buyers’ needs.
- Have a trial close. Adding products to wish lists and shopping carts are “trial closes,” as are signing up for email newsletters and various alerts.
- Overcome objections. Listen and respond to objections and concerns.
- Ask for the order. Don’t mess around. Just ask.
- Post-sale follow-up. Ask for feedback. How was the buying experience? What does the customer think of the products?
Does your online store support those steps?
Establish Credibility
Build a brand story that engages your buyers and differentiates you from competitors. Provide transparency about who you are, where you are located, how to contact the company, and who leads the company. Tell customer success stories, with images.
Try to make your site…
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