Last Updated on Jan 7, 2013 by Jenna Scaglione
It’s the beginning of the year; a time to set goals, take action and improve upon the successes and/or failures of the previous year.
Whether you increased your bottom line or suffered from lost revenue in 2012, here are some proven strategies to help you improve your online business in 2013.
1. Know What Your Customers Think
Don’t run your marketing campaigns blindly. With a little effort, you can get inside the minds of your customers and use their feedback to improve your store. Consider surveys implemented via email or social profiles. Include an incentive to garner a good response.
Ask the customer questions about your products, checkout process, email campaign, etc. Include a spot for additional comments and probe your customers for suggested improvements. They will feel like you care about their opinions and you may also gain some priceless feedback.
2. Seasonal Sales
Take advantage of every opportunity to have a sale or promotion. Think outside of the box. Instead of waiting for Easter, consider days that relate to your industry like Secretary’s Day or Grandparent’s Day. These little-known holidays can re-introduce your customer to your store.
Many stores forgo the holidays because they think it is too much work. At a minimum, a small banner on your website and a page to list the details of the promotion is all you will need. Send the discount via an email blast and post it on your social profiles. Once you get it right the first time, all consecutive holidays will seem that much simpler.
You can also use company milestones and events to launch promotions. A 10-year celebration or a new website design sale would work well. Accompany it with a press release to maximize your results.
3. Contests
You can also take advantage of the seasons by running contests. If executed properly, contests can become viral and introduce your product and services to new potential leads and customers. Give away one of your products or something your audience will enjoy. Digital goods like ipads and Kindles are a good choice because they are generally perceived as high-value items.
4. Mobile Customers
Mobile customers have escalated into the millions. If your website is not optimized for a mobile audience, you could lose profits. Mobile searchers will land on your website and leave because of a poor user experience. Consider implementing a mobile strategy in 2013 and capture the large percentage of customers buying via their devices.
5. Social Media
Social media is here to stay and it is only gaining in popularity. Many Ecommerse stores are finding explosive success on social sites, especially Pinterest. If you have not exerted much effort to creating a social presence, this year may be the ideal time to get going. And to help you in your efforts, Numinix offers several social modules to enhance your store and drive traffic to your profiles. You can find them here: Social Networking Modules
There you have it! Five solid strategies you can implement to improve your store in 2013.
Have you used any of them? Please share your experiences and opinions with our readers!