In part one of this article, we examined ways in which business owners can begin building the foundations of a successful eCommerce sales strategy. This included looking at ways to attract new customers and enhancing the buying experience from your website.

In part two, we’ll focus on ways to improve the customer experience post sale, with a view of developing a long term strategy for encouraging repeat sales and building a loyal, satisfied customer base.

6. Keep Customers Updated By Emails

In the rush to capture leads and increase conversions from new visitors, it’s all too easy to forget about your existing customer base. Automated emails are a great way to maintain that relationship in a simple, manageable way. Start from the point of purchase (with a simple ‘thank you for your order’) and consider a series of follow-up messages:

• Provide information for each phase of the shipping process
• Help the customer to get the most out of their purchase (hints, tips)
• Feature discounts on related items
• Highlight other general promotions

...and so on. The frequency and content is really up to you, but having worked so hard to obtain that vital contact information, not using it would surely be a missed opportunity.

7. Solicit Customer Reviews

For online stores in particular, customer reviews are an essential marketing tool. Potential customers love nothing more than to see customer-generated reviews when making that all important purchase decision. Additionally, existing customers will be impressed you are ‘listening’ and that you value their patronage.

Publishing customer reviews can also be a great way to attract search engine traffic. If you haven’t already, consider building this functionality into your site.

8. Social Media

Connecting with customers using Social Media is fast becoming a vital component of any internet marketer’s tool kit. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for example all offer great ways to engage customers on a weekly or even daily basis to offer exclusive deals.

Publishing well presented videos on product reviews, demonstrations, ‘how-to’ instructions and more will provide ample opportunities to engage with new and existing customers on a whole new level.

9. Don’t Neglect Email Marketing

A natural partner to social media activities, email marketing is a great way to build a relationship with both current and, just as importantly, potential customers. Here’s a few pointers:

• Focus on a single message – keep your information concise and include the focus point in your message line.
• Customise your message – using the recipient’s name and adding a little personal touch makes all the difference. Don’t be afraid to be creative.
• Call to action – be clear on what it is you want them to do. Make any links clear and leave nothing to chance.
• Statistics – monitor your campaign statistics to see what works best, then rinse and repeat at a reasonable frequency.

10. Measure, Tweak, Measure...

Establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and using web analysis to review them is a great way of spotting trends and setting targets. Your KPIs should be directly linked to your business goals and areas over which you have some control; otherwise you’re making things difficult before you start.

Careful analysis of even the most rudimentary figures will often highlight areas for improvement that can make or break the average marketing campaign.

Improvements may not always happen over night, but with some persistence and a willingness to adapt, improvements will be made. If you would like help increasing your ecommerce sales, contact us.