Tag: boost sales

How Facebook Messenger Can Help You Drive Sales
Facebook Messenger is only about three years old and it’s already one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world. With the right marketing strategy, the app can easily convert leads and drive sales.

Since its unveiling at the 2015 F8 conference, more than one billion messages have been sent to Facebook Messenger by businesses and their customers. Analysts expect this trend to continue and have predicted that the app will have 139.2 million users by 2020.

Number of Facebook Messenger users in the United States from 2014 to 2020

There are about 1.3 million people using Facebook Messenger now. That’s a number that marketers should not ignore, especially since the app is a great marketing tool.

Advantages to Using Facebook Messenger

Consumers today use messaging apps like Messenger, Viber, and WhatsApp more often than social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. This means that brands who can successfully use these apps can enjoy advantages like:
- Improved Communication With Clients: Reaching your customer is faster with Messenger since you don’t have to wait in queue or be placed on hold. One Facebook study also revealed that people nowadays prefer to send a message than to call customer service. A majority of customers also tend to purchase online from brands that they can easily reach through chat.
- Raised Awareness of Your Products: You can raise more awareness about your products or services via Messenger. This is because you can swiftly start a dialogue regarding the products or services you offer with your prospective customer.
- Better Customer Service: A lot of customers prefer to send Private Messages instead of publicly posting their questions in the comments section of the Support Page. With Messenger, you can quickly reply to your customers and provide them with the information or answers they need. Plus, 63 percent of consumers surveyed by Facebook were found to have developed a good impression of brands that they can easily chat with.
- Faster Transactions: It’s also simpler to conduct transactions with the help of Messenger. You can sell your products and services directly to your customers. The application can also assist you to immediately take orders, book appointments, invite prospective clients, and send product photos, receipts, and shipping information.
[Graphic via Facebook IQ]

4 Ways to Use Messenger to Boost Sales

1. Use a Welcome Message to Initiate a Conversation

When you enter a store, you are always welcomed in by someone, whether it’s the owner, the manager or a sales personnel. You can do the same thing with your online shop. Consider setting up a welcome conversation so that when a customer sends a message to your page, you can greet them automatically. You can then proceed to inquire about what they need and assist them in finding it. A welcome conversation will make your customer feel appreciated and supported. It also provides a good experience that will entice repeat business.

2. Send a Reminder About Abandoned Carts

Buyers abandoning their carts is a big concern. Facebook Messenger has been found to be more effective than email in converting abandoned carts to sales. Set up a message that will ask the customer if they would like to complete their purchase. You can even put options like “Remind me tomorrow,” “Still thinking,” “Thanks” or even a “like” or “heart” icon.

3. Drive Traffic With Pop-Ups

This is one of the most popular strategies to drive traffic and accumulate opt-ins. It’s easier for users to just tap on a button to opt-in instead of typing out their whole name and email address.

4. Set Up an Auto Reply Feature

Aside from a chatbot, companies can also utilize the Messenger’s Auto Reply feature to send a custom message to customers and prospective clients. People today don’t want to waste time listening to messages that they can just read. With Facebook’s Messenger app, you can program and send messages based on the consumer’s requirements in a quick, interactive and convenient way. This can also boost the chances of opening a conversation with the client over what you’re offering.

Your business has the potential to grow bigger if you use Facebook Messenger, especially since the company continues to develop new ways to interact with consumers. So integrate the app into your marketing campaign and give yourself an edge over your rivals.
August 13, 2018
7 Local Marketing Tips to Help You Make More Sales

Most small businesses want to spread the word about their product or service to as many people as possible. But after covering the cost of inventory, employee wages, utilities, taxes, and a host of other expenses, many of these businesses simply don’t have enough money left over to launch widespread advertising campaigns. The good news is…even if you’re running a business on a tight budget, you can still afford effective advertising; you’ll just need to think local.

Local marketing, or location-based marketing, is the process of optimizing your company’s website and online presence to drive traffic to localized areas. This is particularly useful now that Google’s algorithm utilizes location in its search results. People looking for goods and services online get results for nearby businesses relevant to their search request. This is a highly targeted, low-cost way for businesess—big and small—to reach customers.

7 Ways to Increase Your Revenue With Local Marketing

1. Optimize Your Website for Mobile

Small businesses need to capture the attention of mobile searchers. Increase the odds of converting these leads by optimizing your website for mobile so that whatever screen your site is accessed on, it will still be displayed seamlessly.

2. Get Your Business Listed

One of the first things you can do for your small business is to get listed on Google’s My Business or Facebook. Doing this will enable you to update and manage critical information like your business address, contact details, opening hours, and images.

3. Build Bridges With Local Businesses

Align yourself with an established shop in the area and come to a mutual marketing agreement. For instance, a consultancy group could offer a discount on one of its seminars to the top clients of a local accounting firm. Working with these businesses enhance your credibility and gives prospective clients a chance to learn more about your company.

4. Secure Testimonials

A lot of people rely on online reviews when they’re trying to assess whether a business is trustworthy. Try to secure a testimonial from a resident since it will carry more weight, especially if it’s from someone known in the area.

5. Use Social Media to Engage With the Locals

Social media has made connecting with people so easy. You can integrate platforms like Facebook or Instagram into your customer service and outreach efforts. For instance, you could use hyper-local keywords in your posts or hashtags to establish your current location or put the focus on local stores that you have partnered with.

6. Work With Local Publications

Work with local publications to engender more face time with the area’s residents. Find a publication that ties up with your product or business model. Check if they’re looking for ad placements or even guest blog writers. You can even ask them if they can do a write-up about your company.

7. Sponsor a Community or Charity Event

Sponsoring an event is an effective way to utilize one of the most fundamental advertising tactics—putting your name on something. Consider sponsoring a neighborhood team or donating to a known charity in exchange for putting your brand’s name on the marquee or t-shirts from the event. You’ll be giving money to a good cause while ensuring that your company’s name is seen by a captive market.

A local marketing strategy can be an effective way to generate sales for your small business without spending too much. Get your brand noticed by interacting with the community, whether it’s through local influencer, partnering with an established shop, or sponsoring an event.

[Featured image via Pixabay]

August 10, 2018
Win the Amazon Buy Box and Watch Your Sales Soar in 2018
Amazon is now one of the ten largest retailers in the world. A study by One Click Retail also determined that the online giant accounted for about 44 percent of all eCommerce sales in 2017. These two reasons alone should be enough to convince you about the importance of integrating Amazon into your sales strategy.

However, simply creating an account and selling on Amazon is not enough. After all, there are millions of third-party sellers on the site, and a lot of them even offer the same merchandise as you. If you want more shoppers to see your product and boost your sales, you need to appear in Amazon’s vaunted Buy Box.

What’s a Buy Box?

The Amazon Buy Box is the golden ticket for e-retailers because winning it means high visibility and amazing sales numbers. This is the white box found on the right of the product detail page, where shoppers can add the items they plan on purchasing.

When customers search for a product on Amazon, photos and details of the product appear, along with an “Add to Basket” or “Add to Cart” button. Once the customer clicks on the yellow button, the lucky seller who has the Buy Box at that particular moment will get the sale.

Image via websitemagazine.com

There’s another box underneath the Buy Box for the other sellers. However, 82 percent of shoppers tend to just click on the yellow button while 18 percent of customers really take the time to scroll through other sellers and compare prices, delivery methods, and seller feedback. So it’s easy to see why the Buy Box is a prime commodity among third-party sellers.

Advantages of Winning the Buy Box

Retailers who win the Buy Box have a huge advantage over their rivals, especially now that the majority of consumers are doing their shopping online and more often than not, they make their purchases on Amazon.

Winning the box is also essential now that mobile shopping is growing rapidly. As a matter of fact, shopping on Amazon’s mobile app increased by 56 percent globally and is expected to continue growing. Unfortunately, while the “Add to Cart” button can still be seen under the product image and details in the app, shoppers can’t view other sellers easily. So if you want to secure more sales, it’s vital that you win the Buy Box.

How to Win Amazon’s Buy Box

In order to win the coveted Buy Box, you have to have the following key requirements.
- Have a Professional Seller account: Retailers with a Professional Amazon Sellers account are the only ones who have a shot at winning the Buy Box. The company’s algorithm does not include Basic Seller or Individual accounts. So if you want that box, make sure to upgrade to a Professional account.
- Be Buy Box Eligible: You should be Buy Box Eligible for a specific product if you’re planning to compete for Buy Box sales. This means you have to have been trading for a minimum of two to six months. You should also have a history of successful sales. Closing a large number of sales proves your consistency and trustworthiness. Good customer metrics and great customer service are also needed to be eligible. You can also improve your chances by fast-tracking your eligibility via the Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA).
- Products Should be New: Only new products can win a place in the Buy Box as the company wants to ensure that only products of high-quality and in good condition are being promoted. If you’re selling pre-loved items, you can be eligible for the Used Buy Box, which is distinct from the main box.
- Have Enough Items: Having available stocks will certainly boost your chances here. After all, you can’t sell something if you don’t have it on-hand. Amazon also wants to minimize incidents of customers being disappointed when they reach checkout only to discover the item is sold out. So it’s crucial that you have enough stock and that your inventory is updated. Otherwise, your seller metrics will go down and your chances of getting the Buy Box will dwindle.
Winning Amazon’s Buy Box will undoubtedly help boost your sales and enhance your reputation as a successful seller. But you have to be ready for some strict competition if you’re planning to go for the box. Remember that there’s no solid way to beat your rivals and ensure you win the Buy Box. All you can do is monitor your metrics and focus on key factors like having Prime products, becoming an FBA seller, having excellent customer service and getting positive feedback from happy shoppers.
March 15, 2018
5 Ways to Boost eCommerce Sales with Product Recommendations

Businesses know that acquiring new customers is more difficult and costlier than selling new products to existing customers. This is why eCommerce businesses prefer to invest in a good loyalty program. And product recommendations is one of the best marketing tools that a retailer can have in its arsenal. After all, the right recommendation helps sell more products to existing customers.

Simply put, recommendations are suggestions made by the retailer on various things that the customer might also be interested in. But in order to do this, the company has to know its customers and what they want. This is to avoid scenarios like recommending red stilettos to a client who prefers white trainers.

The question now is how to successfully use recommendations to improve eCommerce sales. Here are five suggestions:

1. Generate Personalized Product Recommendations

Personalized recommendations are carefully calculated and chosen products that are offered with the customer’s shopping behavior and history taken into consideration.

[Image via Amazon.com]

Amazon is a prime example of personalized recommendations. First-time site visitors will initially see some generic suggestions that are either crowdsourced bestsellers or what other visitors are checking. But once a purchase has been made, they’ll see recommendations based on items they’ve bought or searched for recently. These suggestions are found in the product description of the item a customer is currently checking or on the homepage that they’re logged into.

2. Have Well-Timed Customized Email Recommendations

Email marketing is still one of the most effective marketing strategies. It’s affordable, practical, and can boost conversions. But to have a more robust customer engagement, personalized email recommendations are the way forward. After all, the more relevant the email’s content is, the higher the rate of emails opened, website visits and sales.

Amazon is again a good example of this strategy. The company’s AI sends well-timed emails that recommend products that the customer has just browsed on the site. The emails are also sent as soon as the customer leaves the site, thereby ensuring that they’re still receptive to recommendations.

3. Make Product Pages More Appealing With Relevant Suggestions

The product page is one area where you can make more recommendations. However, it’s important that you find the best way to showcase your items because at this stage, you’ll either push your client towards the checkout process or drive them away altogether. Data-backed recommendations can provide shoppers with more choices at this key stage. By putting together selections based on the customer’s interest, the odds of conversions can increase by as much as 411%.

[Image via Shopify.com]

Brands can boost conversions by suggesting complementary items. For instance, if the shopper is looking for shoes, they can cross-sell by suggesting a shoe rack. Product recommendations can also be based on the shopping patterns of other shoppers. For example, if previous shoppers also bought a necklace after buying a blouse, then the product page would recommend what “people who bought this product also bought.”

4. Don’t Stop at a Confirmed Order

A successful order confirmation doesn’t mean you have to stop making recommendations. This stage of the shopping process can still be a good arena for recommending items that the customer could buy. Think of it as a last chance to add more products to the deal.

There are two good ways to make the most of order confirmations. One would be to have recommendation popups. Aside from thanking your customers for their latest purchase, include messages that suggest “you might be interested in this product.” The second way would be to integrate recommended products in the order confirmation email. Make your offer more compelling with the promise of freebies or discounts in their next purchase.

5. Making Friendly Referrals

As already mentioned, recommendations shouldn’t stop just because a purchase has been made. Recommendations can be used as a referral tool, one that can push a brand further, generate traffic, and boost more sales.

Brands can do this by asking customers to share the news of their latest purchase with their friends via social media. Bear in mind that people are more likely to buy or use the same brand that a trusted friend has used and recommended. To make this easier for your customer, integrate a “Share This” button on the customer’s order confirmation page.

There’s no question that recommendations have positive results. It’s a marketing strategy that eCommerce businesses can easily adopt. So this year, put more emphasis on recommendations and see your sales numbers grow.

[Featured image via Pixabay]

January 29, 2018