As retail businesses continue to move online, smaller operations find it more and more difficult to stay afloat in the face of competition from the big guys. Retail websites go under every day due to flagging sales, and you don’t want yours to be next. If your online sales have gone down the drain, consider these four updates to get business booming again.
Product Offering
Is your website selling t-shirts with outdated memes and phone cases from 2010? It’s time to comb through your inventory and oust those old products. Although it hurts to scrap products, displaying dated items that nobody wants hurts your business more. If you can’t bear to part with your old inventory or honestly think someone will purchase it eventually, try offering those items in a special clearance section.
Search Visibility
Were you selling like hotcakes for a few weeks only to see your business slide into the abyss? Don’t assume that customers just lost interest. The key to staying visible online is appeasing Google’s constantly changing algorithms. After all, having the best products in the world does little good if no one knows about your business. A Google algorithm update can happen several times in a day, so consider hiring a web team to keep your business in the top search results.
Advertising Campaigns
Another key element of visibility is advertising. However, it’s not enough just to get eyes on your ads. You need a carefully crafted campaign that catches the attention of potential customers and encourages them to visit your website. It’s also important to target your ads at potential customers. Otherwise, your advertising dollars might be wasted on putting ads in front of people who will never be interested in purchasing your products.
Branding and Design
Why do so many consumers choose a brand name like Hellmann’s or Kraft over generic equivalents that cost less and taste the same? The branding behind those products has a long history that makes people feel confident in their purchase, and the packaging design is attractive and appealing. If your sales are in a slump and your branding is weak or generic, it’s time to consult a graphic designer for a refresh.
Remember, the good thing about being an online retailer is that size and money are less important. Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, your online business can keep running on limited resources. All you need to stay in the game is a place to warehouse your products and some funds to cover postage.
Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and walks in the park with her three-year-old husky, Snowball.
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