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Online Sales Techniques
The basic principles of direct marketing are especially effective on the Web.
Successful Internet marketing campaigns borrow heavily from traditional direct response techniques. These principles have been extensively tested, re-tested, and proven to be effective over time.
Use proven sales techniques
Ask for the order - as many times as you can with large BUY NOW or Add To Cart buttons positioned near each product.
Use action words - Send advanced notice on up-coming sales and promotions.
Develop special promotions - and reasons to order. Test motivators until you have several that work well for you - such as discounts, free product, a premium, credit toward a future purchase, etc.
Create urgency- and promote it heavily. Set a deadline for your propositions and offers – make it stand out. Mention limited supply or availability, if applicable.
Promote your top products
One of the ways to get more sales is to make a bigger deal out of your best sellers. Promote them aggressively in the following locations:
- on your homepage
- in banners (top and side)
- in depth on their own page
- on their own “mini” sites that link to your main site
- on any gate pages
- on any new customer acquisition programs
- on all response emails
Up-sell at point of purchase
Give your customers a chance to step up to the next level of quality or utility — perhaps at a savings, or with a bonus. Consider the following:
- discounted multiple pricing
- groupings of products into a collection
- a “good, better, best” selection of items in any one product category
- recommending a duplicate of product as a gift during the holiday season
Cross-sell in the cart
Too few ecommerce businesses are utilizing this powerful order-growing tool effectively. Don't be one of them.
Work with your top products first. - Choose items that relate to your top product lines and will compliment their enjoyment and usefulness.
Don’t let cross-selling interfere with the sale of the product. - Introduce special offers at the end of the shopping process when the order is ready to be submitted.
Test special offers related to products in the cart.- For example: “Add the Remote Control Option now for only $15.00 (regularly $35.00)”.
Test cross-sells that have worked offline- in print or on the phone.
Look at your analytics package- for ideas on cross-sells. What top sellers can be paired with each other?
Include a “we recommend” link,- pop-up, or section on the page.
Test your suggestions for cross-sells. Some will dramatically out-produce others.
Don’t forget to support sales with strong email campaigns
Develop an extensive email marketing program specifically for sales generation. When you have a special product or promotion on your web site, let your opt-in list know about it via email.
Give your customers an email preview of a print campaign, and use email to remind them of an approaching sale deadline. Take advantage of every opportunity to make a sale.
Emails that confirm orders or shipment of orders are also excellent vehicles for up-selling and cross-selling. The more promotional you are, the better.
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