It’s common for e-commerce businesses to hit a plateau from time to time. To keep growing, you have to develop a sure-shot strategy to attract new customers, nurture the existing ones, and automate key business processes.
Here are 7 expert tips to scale your e-commerce business.
1. Make your website mobile-friendly
If you’re planning on expanding your e-commerce business, it’s necessary to optimize your website for mobile devices. It has to load fast, customers should be able to access the website from any device they are using, and there must be CTAs in the right places. Keep the design as clutter-free as possible.
A thoughtfully designed website alone cannot guarantee an influx of sales, but it does improve the customer experience and helps customers navigate through the website with ease.
2. Invest in an ERP system
During periods of rapid growth, automation is your best friend. And to implement automation effectively, you have to invest in an ERP system. Softwares like kentro.io help unify multiple business processes under one umbrella. From multichannel listing, order management, inventory tracking, order fulfillment, accounting, customer support, supply-chain management, to warehouse management—it’s possible to automate everything, making your job seamless like never before.
If you’re using a SaaS like kentro.io, you can integrate it with popular shipping platforms, e-commerce marketplaces, third-party logistics software, payment software, etc, which makes things further streamlined.
3. Outsource
As your e-commerce store starts to gain momentum and sales grow, it can be difficult to manage multiple business processes, especially if yours is a small team. This is the right time to outsource tasks, which will in turn help you concentrate on the core.
Whether you need help with product copy, website design, business development, on-page, and off-page SEO, or developing a long-term business strategy, you can always outsource it to experts on a freelance basis.
4. Use stellar copywriting
The moment a customer lands on your website, you have to make sure they get a clear idea of what you have to offer. Each product listed on the website should come with a great product copy, that helps buyers identify their pain points, and communicates how the product will solve their problem.
Don’t forget to include appropriate product specifications—it helps buyers understand your product better, and enables them to make an informed decision. Besides copy, you can also integrate real customer reviews into your product pages. 93% of consumers depend on online reviews before making a purchase, so going through positive feedback from past buyers is more likely to increase your conversion rates.
5. Focus on inbound marketing
Have your outbound marketing strategy in place, but at the same time, double down on inbound marketing. With inbound marketing, you don’t have to go on searching for buyers, rather they would come to you seeing the value you offer.
Invest in an informative blog section on your website, and include a bunch of articles related to the products you sell. Optimize with the right set of keywords so they rank well on search engines. Do competitor research and zero in on areas that others are neglecting—make your blog section as comprehensive as possible. Create helpful content on your social channels to draw customers, build trust, and solidify your brand presence.
6. Offer excellent customer service
Customer service is the soul of your e-commerce store, so ensure it’s always a top priority when your business is scaling. Integrate AI chatbots to make communications quick, be transparent about your shipping charges or any other extra charges, have a dedicated FAQ on the website to answer any possible queries a customer might have, make order tracking seamless, and send a confirmation when the customer places an order.
Refrain from sending spam emails—only share offers and new product launches through your promotional emails, and make return processes simple. Aim to offer a great shopping experience on the whole, and you’ll get new customers through referrals and word-of-mouth.
7. Encourage customer retention
Driving more sales is the most essential part of growing your business. But for that, you cannot rely solely on acquiring new customers. When you already have an existing customer base, be steadfast about customer retention. Your happy customers are the best brand loyalists, so make sure they feel valued.
Offer them occasional discounts and loyalty points, recommend new products through emails, ask for direct feedback, and make your follow-up game strong.
Take your e-commerce business to the next level using optimization and automation with kentro.io. Book a demo to learn more.