7 Ways To Get More Customers
Every online store wants to be a success story, but what exactly does one do to make their store the very best? Well, there are seven simple steps that can help every business owner make their store desirable. From product/service descriptions all the way to good, clean web design. Some of these steps may seem just too easy or good to be true, but you’d be surprised how many of us forget that those are the keys to making our store popular and rich with customers. So let’s jump in:
1. Inform your customers
Terms and Conditions
This seems like an obvious one but many people forget about this simple piece of information! Start by thinking of all the products/services you provide and what are the means of paying, billing, and shipping this item. Once you’ve done that, think of all the possible scenarios where something could go wrong. Yes, this sounds gruesome but you have to prepare yourself for the worst. Knowing how to handle situations and even more, stating it in a document that you’re prepared and know how to react makes people feel safer and surer. The better a customer feels about how every crisis can be handles, the likely he is to return or invite more people
Privacy Policy
I might be repeating the above but: the safer and surer the customer feels, the more likely he will become a loyal customer. Don’t ignore this document! Many online sellers feel that since they have the Terms and Conditions in place, the Privacy Policy is pretty much taken care of… well that’s not how it works. For example, if you offer accounts where customers can log in and purchase with single clicks, they have to know that their personal information is kept safe. Think of the most awkward and scared customer, and write you policy with him in mind, make sure he knows every precaution you take to keep him safe.
Also, as a tip I suggest that every one of those documents be read by a friend of yours who is not in the business. Why? Because if they read these documents and have no idea what you’re trying to say, it’s more than likely that your customers won’t understand either. Remember – people friendly!
2. Describe your product
Once again: “what? But isn’t this a given?”
It is, everyone knows it, everyone somewhat remembers it, but not everyone does it well. To make your product desirable it needs to well displayed (pixilated phone pictures will not do), shown in various angles, or colors if different are available, and the price must be clearly stated. Describe your product well, fabric, manufacturer, year, dimensions, anything that will help your customers get a better idea of what the product is like is good. When showing the price never hide any fees, state the true price and if possible put a small info below it what the price will be with estimated shipping costs added.
Now say you’re selling services or something that isn’t typical – you can still describe exactly what you’re doing, what it is compatible with, and how it works. For instance Design Connected did a beautiful job at describing their 3D models, provided dimensions, the designers name, multiple images, what the 3D model is compatible with (as a bonus they even allow customers to request a different format), and the price is well displayed but not overwhelmingly so.
3.Bonuses
Everyone likes to get free samples, discounts or surprise gifts. Especially new or loyal customers! If you have numerous return customers, maybe offer them a discount on certain products or special sales during holidays. If a customer feels appreciated and recognized for their numerous buys, they are more likely to stick with you and more likely to let their friends know about the great service you provide. New customers also are more likely to feel welcome if they get some sort of a free sample as a welcome gift.
4. Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ’s are no longer just about answering questions and posting a huge list on the website. It’s important to group, divide, and organize. Think about categories that each question might be put in (shipping, international shipping, multiple orders, payment methods, etc.). Moreover think about what you could do to make your business easier to relate to by making articles with detailed information about your services or products. It could be anything from the shipping process all the way to how you make a certain service work for your customers. UXPin did a great job with their support page by making it into a sort of forum and knowledge base. For even more check out spyrestudios post about FAQ’s/
5. Webpage design
What the customer sees first upon entering a page isn’t the FAQ, the ToS, or even sometimes the product itself… the first thing that the customer sees is your page. Eye burning colors, flashing ads, and ridiculous huge banners are not going to make a customer want to stay. Nevertheless an almost blank page that is confusing to navigate isn’t welcoming either! Since this is a topic that could be talked about for hours I’m going to send you to one of our previous post devoted to this subject in great detail.
Remember – minimalistic, intuitive, and user friendly design is made with pages that flow and don’t overwhelm with colors or text!
6. and 7. Social Media, growth hacking, and monitoring
These two steps are grouped together because they complement each other in great detail. Many businesses find it easier to stick to their website and don’t think about marketing or social media. Even though it feels like they have less work to do because they don’t have to keep track of their social pages, they’re actually robbing themselves of business. Whys is this? Simply because this is the age of “social sharing” and a big chunk of online shoppers like to share on their social media sites what they found useful and where they will never search for services or products every again.
Engage with your customers and make yourself visible in social media. You might be surprised with the great reviews and likes you might receive! Even there will be a bad apple here and there this will be a great opportunity to seize the moment and handle a problem and show your customers that you are there to serve THEM and not necessarily your wallet. Sharing your website and engaging is a great way to make new connections and learn more about your customers – which brings us to our last step, monitoring.
Keeping track of where your customers come from and what they think about you is crucial to making their shopping experience better. If you get to know your customer and their needs is just that much easier to satisfying them and making sure that you gain one loyal customer more. Of course sometimes there is a lot of useless noise, but there are not many a great tools to help you analyze and monitor what is happening on your website and social media. If you’re interested in 4 free tools that we have already tried personally and have reviewed, check out our analytics tools post!
Suit Up and get more customers!
Now that you have the seven steps to getting more customers in your hands, go on and tackle the online world! Simple improvements and keeping in mind the simplicity, clarity, and necessity of knowing your customer and thinking like them and not a computer will help you in making these steps come to life. Remember, with effort and a share of your time – you too could gain a ton of great customers!
