10 Best Strategies to Increase Ecommerce Sales in 2024

Ecommerce is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. According to Oberlo, global ecommerce sales are expected to reach $6.4 trillion by 2024.

However, with so many ecommerce businesses competing for the same customers, it can be challenging to stand out and increase sales. Ecommerce stores need to constantly innovate and optimize their strategies to attract, engage, and convert their target audience.

In this blog, we will share 10 proven strategies that can help you increase your sales in 2024. These strategies are based on the latest trends, best practices, and customer preferences in the industry to boost your performance.

What are the strategies to increase ecommerce sales?

Let's explore 10 proven strategies that you can put into action to boost your sales.

1. Optimize your website for mobile devices

As per a survey conducted by Statista, mobile ecommerce sales are projected to account for 72.9% of total ecommerce sales by 2024, up from 58.9% in 2020. This means that more and more customers are using their smartphones and tablets to shop online, and they expect a seamless and convenient mobile shopping experience.

This demands ecommerce stores to be optimized for mobile devices. To optimize your website for mobile devices, you need to keep these best practices in mind:

• Ensure that your website is responsive, fast, and easy to navigate.
• Ensure that your website is compatible with different browsers, screen sizes, and operating systems.

2. Leverage the power of email marketing

Email marketing is one of the oldest and most reliable digital marketing channels, and it can help you build long-term relationships with your customers and drive repeat purchases.

The best part is, it has the highest average return on investment (ROI) of $36 for every $1 spent, as compared to other marketing channels.

Some of the types of emails that you can send to your e-commerce customers are

• Welcome emails: Introduce your brand and offer a discount or a free trial.
• Abandoned cart emails: Remind your customers of the items they left in their cart and encourage them to complete their purchase.
• Product recommendation emails: Suggest relevant and complementary products based on the customer's browsing or purchase history.
• Review request emails: Ask your customers to rate and review their purchases and offer an incentive or a reward.
• Re-engagement emails: Re-activate your inactive or lapsed customers and offer them a special deal or a free gift.

To leverage email marketing, here are a few things you should keep in mind:

• Segment your email list based on various criteria, such as demographics, behavior, preferences, and purchase history.
• Personalize your email content and subject lines based on the interests and needs of each segment. If you find it difficult to write subject lines on your own, Mailmodo has an AI subject line generator which you can use and generate subject lines in seconds.
• Create interactive AMP emails to increase your engagement and conversion rate. You can use Mailmodo's AMP email builder for easily create and send highly engaging emails to your audience.

Related guide: 11 best ways to personalize subject lines

3. Use social media to engage and convert your audience

Social media platforms is one of the most popular ways for ecommerce businesses. It allows you to reach, interact, and influence the behaviour of your potential or existing customer base and build better relationships with them and boost your sales.

According to Hootsuite, there are 4.62 billion social media users worldwide as of 2022, which is 58% of the global population. And the good news is, 71% of social media users are more likely to buy from brands that they follow and trust on social media.

To leverage social media marketing, here are a few things you should keep in mind:

• Create and share valuable content that showcases your brand personality, values, and products.
• Use social media features and tools that can help you drive traffic and sales to your website.
• Engage with your customers and address their questions without keeping them waiting for days.

4. Implement a customer loyalty program

A customer loyalty program is a marketing strategy that rewards your customers for their repeated purchases and actions, such as referrals, reviews, and customer feedback. It can help you increase your brand awareness, customer satisfaction, retention, and advocacy.

According to Annex Cloud, loyal customers spend 67% more than new customers, and they are 5 times more likely to repurchase, 5 times more likely to forgive, 4 times more likely to refer, and 7 times more likely to try a new offering. Moreover, increasing customer retention by 5% can increase profits by 25% to 95%.

To implement a customer loyalty program, you need to design one that suits your business goals, your customer preferences, and your industry standards. You also need to promote it to your customers and prospects and encourage them to join and participate. Some of the types of customer loyalty programs that you can implement are:

• Point-based programs: Reward your customers with points for every purchase or action that they can redeem for discounts, freebies, or gifts.
• Tiered loyalty programs: Encourage your customers to shop more by introducing a tiered loyalty program where the more they shop, the more discounts they can get.

5. Optimize your product pages for SEO and conversion

Your product pages are the most important pages on your online store, as they are the pages where your customers decide whether to buy your products or not. Therefore, you need to optimize your product pages to provide better user experience, better SEO and conversion. It's important that they rank higher on search engines to get infront of your potential customers and can persuade your customers to take action.

To optimize your product pages for SEO and conversion, you need to follow some best practices, such as:

• Use descriptive and keyword-rich product titles and URLs that match the search intent and query of your customers
• Use high-quality and relevant product images and videos that showcase your products from different angles and perspectives
• Use clear and compelling product descriptions that highlight the features, benefits, and value proposition of your products

6. Provide free shipping and easy returns

By providing free shipping and easy returns, you can reduce your cart abandonment rate, increase your customer satisfaction, and boost your customer loyalty.

According to a study by Baymard Institute, 50% of online shoppers abandon their carts because of extra costs such as shipping, taxes, and fees, and 74% of online shoppers are more likely to buy from a retailer that offers free shipping.

To provide free shipping and easy returns, you need to offer your customers a clear and transparent shipping and return policy that outlines the terms and conditions, the costs and fees, the delivery time and methods, and the refund and exchange process. You also need to display your shipping and return policy prominently on your website, especially on your product pages and checkout pages.

7. Display customer reviews and testimonials

Customer reviews and testimonials are one of the most powerful forms of social proof that can influence the purchase decision of your customers.

According to a report by Spiegel Research Center, displaying reviews can increase conversion rates by 270%, and products with more than five reviews have a 270% higher conversion rate than products with no reviews.

To display customer reviews and testimonials, you need to collect and showcase authentic and positive feedback from your customers on your website, especially on your product pages and landing pages. You also need to encourage and incentivize your customers to leave reviews and testimonials for your products and services. Some of the ways to display customer reviews and testimonials are:

• Use a review platform or plugin that allows your customers to rate and review your products and services
• Use a star rating system that shows the average rating and the number of reviews for each product and service
• Use a testimonial slider or carousel that displays the photos, names, and quotes of your satisfied customers
• Use a video testimonial that features your customers' stories, experiences, and results with your products and services

8. Create a sense of urgency and scarcity

Urgency and scarcity are two psychological triggers that can motivate your customers to act fast and buy your products before they run out of stock or time.

According to a study by CXL, creating a sense of urgency can increase conversion rates by 332%, and creating a sense of scarcity can increase sales by 226%.

To create a sense of urgency and scarcity, you need to use words, phrases, and visuals that convey the limited availability or duration of your products, offers, or deals. You also can use countdown timers, stock indicators, and social proof notifications that show the real-time status and demand of your products, offers, or deals. Some of the ways to create a sense of urgency and scarcity are:

• Use words and phrases such as "Hurry", "Last chance", "Limited time", "Only X left", "While supplies last", "Don't miss out", etc. on the product page.
• Use social proof notifications that show the number of people who have viewed, bought, or added to cart a product or an offer.

9. Offer multiple payment options and currencies

Payment options and currencies are two of the most important factors for your customers when they shop online. Your payment process should make it more convenient for your customers to purchase, and increase their confidence.

According to a report by Worldpay, 75% of online shoppers prefer to pay with their local currency, and 42% of online shoppers will abandon their purchase if their preferred payment method is not available.

To offer multiple payment options and currencies, here are the few things you need to keep in mind:

• Integrate and support various payment methods and currencies on your website, especially the ones that are popular and preferred by your target market and audience.
• Display and convert the prices and fees of your products and services according to the currency and location of your customers.

10. Use AI chat assistants

Using AI chatbots is one of the most effective and efficient ways to communicate and interact with your customers on your website.

According to a report by Invesp, 63% of online shoppers are more likely to return to a website that offers live chat, and 77% of online shoppers prefer to chat with a real person before making a purchase.

Integrate a live chatbot that can handle simple and common queries and requests from your customers, such as product details, shipping status, order confirmation, etc. It will improve your customer service, satisfaction, and loyalty.

Conclusion

Sales is the lifeblood of any business, especially in a competitive industry like ecommerce, where constant innovation is paramount. As the landscape evolves, embracing these 10 strategic approaches will not only strengthen your online presence but also position you for success in reaching your sales objectives in 2024 and beyond. Keep adapting, keep innovating, and watch your online sales thrive.