Life is busy, and people are looking for more ways to make their day-to-day easier, which is why online shopping has become so popular. Over 80% of customers in the UK make ecommerce purchases, with 55% saying it’s a more convenient way of shopping.
More online shoppers mean more sales opportunities for your ecommerce business, but we know it’s not always as simple as that. The good news is that EKM can help you sell more online. We’ve taken our expertise and compiled this guide on ecommerce growth to get you started.
Why improving online sales is challenging
Ecommerce is a major industry in the UK. In 2024, 580,000 ecommerce-enabled websites were recorded in the country, and that figure is growing. With many online shops vying for shoppers’ attention, developing an ecommerce website that stands out and sells more is no easy feat!
Selling a great product or service isn’t enough to be successful online – you need to catch people’s attention, give them a reason to visit your website, impress them with an eye-catching online shop and make it easy for them to buy from you.
With more competitors entering the fray and offering smarter, more convenient shopping experiences, you can’t afford to sit back and hope customers will visit your online shop and buy your products or services. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to grow a standout ecommerce website that sells more online – and we’ll reveal them in this blog.
Boost online sales: 6 steps
Let’s explore the steps you can take to improve online sales.
1. Reach the right people
With many businesses advertising online, it’s easy for your message to get lost in the crowd – but not with targeted advertising. Relevant ads tailored to shoppers based on behaviour, preferences or demographics can help you reach people likely to be interested in what you’re selling, helping you bring the right crowd to your website. Additionally, targeted ads can give you a better return on investment (ROI). Instead of spending money to show ads to everyone, including people who aren’t interested in your products or services, your ad spend is used to reach people more likely to convert.
2. Share relevant content
The secret to driving sales with email marketing is segmentation. Customers receive tonnes of emails every day, meaning the only way to get them to consider opening your mail is with the promise of content that aligns with their interests. Get the right message to the right customers – segment your email list based on characteristics or behaviour and send relevant promotions to different customers to stand out in inboxes and increase your open and engagement rates.
3. Improve search engine optimisation (SEO)
With more than 42% of local shoppers starting purchase journeys via search engines, SEO has never been more important for your website. Before making changes to improve SEO, start with an SEO audit to identify issues and areas for improvement. From there, use the results to make data-driven decisions to get your website to the top of search engine results pages (SERPs).
4. Deliver a seamless shopping experience
A smooth, enjoyable shopping experience encourages users to browse longer and buy more. Improve website speed, build an online shop that’s easy to navigate and ensure your checkout process is fast and frictionless. Satisfying shopping experiences can reduce cart abandonment, boost conversions and increase customer loyalty. Don’t forget about mobile optimisation – with 69% of online shoppers using mobile devices for online purchases, a smooth mobile experience can lead to more sales and a better ROI.
5. Keep up with customer expectations and behaviours
With customer expectations and behaviours changing all the time, reviewing and updating your online shop’s design and content is a must to stay relevant and competitive. Learn how shoppers use your website with analytics tools that track customer behaviour and provide insights into the effectiveness of your design and content. Additionally, we recommend regular design reviews by experts who can offer advice and help you make changes that will encourage shoppers to keep visiting your website and spending money.
6. Tracks metrics that matter
Tracking relevant metrics takes the guesswork out of website optimisation. Instead of making changes you hope will give you the results you’re looking for, data highlights the issues you need to solve to sell more. Metrics such as bounce rate, page load time, average session duration, page views, and cart abandonment rate can help you identify barriers to conversion, optimise your online shop and encourage visitors to complete purchases.
Need help growing your online sales?
Our ecommerce experts are ready to support you! Get advice on improving marketing and design with our Evolve package, or let our specialists do the work for you with our design, SEO and PPC solutions.
Request a callback to get started.
