If you want to excel in online retail, there is more to consider than the standard range of marketing strategies. Drawing shoppers to your ads and converting page views into sales requires attention to multiple details unique to online platforms.
Below are the most essential considerations for dynamic online selling that will help you meet your competition head-on, present your product in the most effective manner and maximize sales:
1. Product Title
In the age of search engines, the design of your product’s title is the first step in maximizing your product’s potential success. You want to think like a potential customer here – ensure that your title includes all important keywords, but also that it is descriptive in a way that makes it easily identifiable. Simply listing the product name, for example, won’t achieve nearly the same success as a title that includes both general search terms and more specific detail about the product.
2. Bullet Point Descriptions
Efficiency is essential. You want to get the most detailed information about your product into as few words as possible. Research shows that the best results are achieved with descriptions that feature more than three bullet points and a minimum of 190 words. There is also a balance to achieve: Too little and too much information may yield the same bad outcomes. Visibility is also important. You want to ensure your description appears “above the fold” (i.e., the visible top portion of the page that doesn’t require scrolling, in the closest possible proximity to the title, so that the information is quickly and easily accessible.
3. Images
You won’t sell much without a good product description, but without optimized visual media your product description may not been seen, literally and figuratively. Quality product images are what initially draw your eyes to a product page, so make sure they’re high-resolution and show as much product detail as possible. This is one area where more is always better. Plan to include at least four images per product, the more detail a shopper can see, the more likely it is that they will get the product they expect, which helps to minimize return rates.
Another important consideration: different verticals have different needs when it comes to images. Take the time to learn about these particulars.
4. Enhanced Content
Most online retailers offer sellers options for premium or “deluxe” content. This content is very valuable as it can increase sales and create a more engaging shopping experience. Don’t forget that online verticals are in competition, as well, so they often go to great lengths to engineer enhancements that make the selling and buying experience as efficient as possible. If your retailer offers enhanced content, you should take advantage of it; the competition certainly will.
5. Reviews
Online reviews are important to a product’s success. Customers feel more confident, and therefore more willing to make a purchase if they can see a solid base of positive comments on a product page. Again, more is better in this regard, although research indicates that there is a “sweet spot” of around 250 reviews, where you begin to maximize conversions. As a start, aim for 50 reviews across each product; this is the safe minimum for inspiring a confidence level that converts to sales.
6. Ratings Score
A close kin to reviews, ratings give shoppers a faster graphic representation of your product’s overall approval among past purchasers. Ratings are important for the same reasons as reviews, but don’t require as much effort from potential customers to glean the essential information across.
Twenty ratings across each product should be considered a bare minimum. Key products in your online offering should show a minimum rating of 4.0 out of 5. Ensure you constantly track your ratings closely, and remedy any problems they reveal as soon as possible. Responding to negative reviews help protect the overall brand.
7. Product Availability
Since you can’t convert sales without inventory, monitor stock statuses diligently, and make sure to update retailers so they display the most current information. An out-of-stock status on most sites will push a product to a lower position in the search results, so maintaining your stock is also protecting your placement.
8. Buy Box
Ensure your product is being properly controlled. If, for example, your product is being sold through a marketplace retailer such as Amazon, you need to know who is doing the selling; as you might be creating unnecessary competition which divides a shopper’s attention and drives down sales when a third-party retailer is advertising the same product on a particular platform. You also need to know whether other marketplace retailers are legitimate.
When all is said and done, it is about the ease and satisfaction of the experience for the customers you are trying to attract. While it may be easier than ever to sell your products online, succeeding online takes proven strategies and commitment. Master these eight tips to take your online sales success to the next level!
