You’ve launched your online business in a rush of excitement, made your first sale, dispatched your first orders.
But the sales aren’t taking off as you’d like and the website visitor numbers just aren’t increasing fast enough. Everyone says your site looks great and your prices are competitive.
So what should you look at first – increasing traffic, or increasing sales from those who do find you?
Increase website traffic?
One of the quickest ways to increase traffic is to start using Google Adwords (provided it is implemented properly). But if your website conversion rate is low, then you will be throwing your money away.
Increase website conversions?
With low visitor numbers it can be difficult to find the reasons people don’t buy.
So here’s a step by step approach to take:
1. Get your analytics sorted
Without Google analytics installed (properly including ecommerce and adwords tracking where appropriate) you can’t measure where things are going wrong. Understand how to read your reports and set up goals and funnels (if this is gobbledegook, ask about our analytics set up and training!).
Also look at Google webmaster tools which will tell you the search terms Google thinks are relevant.
2. Look for major website stumbling blocks
Ask your friends, family, network associates to take a critical look at your website and give you feedback – and make test purchases if possible. This can be hard but you will get lots of useful feedback. Some common issues are:
- security problem messages at checkout
- having to register to purchase
- delivery charges not clear (or having to checkout to find delivery costs)
- no telephone number or contact details
- buy now button hard to find
- poor photos and/or product descriptions
3. Increase visitor numbers
Adwords is likely to be the quickest and should only bring targetted visitors (provided it’s set up properly!).
4. Review your analytics
Now you have more visitors you can start to really dig to find areas for improvement.
Use funnel analysis to find where people are dropping out
Check which keywords from analytics actually convert
5. Implement improvements – and repeat
Now you have some meaningful stats to work with you can make improvements. Remove barriers to conversion and work on attracting the most profitable visitors to your site.
It’s an on-going process – customer behaviour changes, new cometitors arrive. So keep analysing and improving.
What if nothing works?
If you are still struggling to find visitors who will buy your products then it’s time to re-evaluate your business. There is no point in continuing with a product no-one wants or fighting a high volume player on price. Take a cool-headed look at your strategy and make some tough decisions.
It could be time to hire a digital marketing expert.