For some eCommerce merchants, the first few months of the new year are spent looking over last year’s data. Although this can help inform your current marketing plan, it’s important that you don’t forget about your goals for the coming quarter.
To be successful in the second quarter, you need to be laying the groundwork now. This means giving your online store a good spring cleaning so that you can pave the way for serious growth.
As you tidy up your eCommerce store, use these key tips, and you are guaranteed to ramp up your revenue in Q2 this year:
Tip #1: Don’t Underestimate the Power of Bad Data
Since discovering the power of “Big Data,” eCommerce marketers have been obsessed with gathering as much information from consumers as they possibly can. The problem is that many digital marketers haven’t realized how quickly their data can grow stale and begin hurting their eCommerce success.
The data that you collect has an expiration date the moment it enters your marketing database. If you don’t pay attention, this data can grow outdated, and you will waste both time and money chasing ineffective leads.
In fact, a study by DiscoverOrg found that sales departments lose an estimated 550 hours and $32,000 from bad data. Ouch!
In addition to time and money, your online business can also lose credibility. That is why every eCommerce merchant needs to think carefully when choosing a digital marketing solution so that they can more effectively manage their data.
Tip #2: Emphasize Performance over Appearance
It’s no secret that poor site performance is a major conversion killer for eCommerce stores. These days, the average web user isn’t going to wait around for your pages to load and will quickly bounce from your site.
Why do so many eCommerce stores struggle with site performance? While there are many factors that can slow down a website, it’s often caused by using too many plugins, widgets, and images.
To be clear, we aren’t saying that you need to strip your eCommerce site of aesthetics to maximize its performance. We’re simply suggesting that you think about the user experience and decide which plugins and themes are must-haves, and which ones you can do without this spring.
Tip #3: Spring Clean with Multiple Devices in Mind
A consumer’s path to purchase is no longer limited to one device. In 2017, it’s not uncommon for online shoppers to view a product on their smartphone and purchase it on their desktop or in-store.
This means that your spring cleaning efforts should be performed with multiple devices in mind. For example, removing excessive plugins to increase site speed may satisfy desktop users, but mobile users often have higher expectations. You may have to find other spring cleaning solutions to improve the user experience across all devices.
Tip #4: Put Yourself in the Customer’s Shoes
A great way to identify and fix issues with your eCommerce store is by pretending to be your own customer. Sign up for your online store’s emails to see how effective your email marketing is. Purchase a product from your store to see how streamlined your checkout process is. By putting yourself in your customer’s shoes, you can more easily identify their biggest frustrations and resolve them in time for the second quarter.
You can go one step further by hanging out in forums and blog comment sections in your niche. These are prime locations for identifying new keywords that your customers are using to shop for your products. Now you can update your keyword list and use them to create content that is more effective.
Tip #5: Build Up Brand Transparency
If there is one thing that is evident this year, it’s that brand transparency is extremely important to consumers. A recent study by Label Insight surveyed more than 2,000 consumers about brand transparency and found that 94 percent of them were likely to be loyal to a brand that offers complete transparency.
To ramp up your conversions for the second quarter, it’s important that you provide customers with upfront information. This means being clear about shipping costs, return policies, and expected delivery dates. The more transparent you are about your brand, the more confident your customers will feel about making a purchase.
