If your storefront is running smoothly and isn’t typically problematic, it’s easy to focus on website maintenance and manage daily sales operations.
However, big-box DTC sellers and marketplaces are rapidly advancing their digital customer experience (CX), and small- to mid-sized businesses must keep up.
Is it time to elevate your game?
If you're questioning whether you have all the technologies in place to optimize your conversion rates and improve average order value, consider the following tactics as ways to experiment and improve.
How mature are your CRO strategies?
What zero- and first-party data are you collecting?
While many believe that asking for several data points adds entry barriers for customers, adding a few more form fields can immediately double your chances of engagement. Using a Klaviyo form, for example, can help push data into an actionable program that helps you manage personalized automated email marketing and SMS campaigns.
“These additional data points will be fed into your email service provider’s platform as well to create segments based on their activities to trigger different campaigns, measure lifetime value, etc.” - JustUno
Beyond communication preferences, there's also power in letting your customers tell you their interests. Or your brand could throw several options at the wall to see what sticks. Watch your conversion rates soar as you personalize content to each unique customer based on what they’ve expressed interest in or already viewed on your site.
Try innovative value-add campaigns
Amazon Prime has made it challenging to stay competitive with DTC sales. Sometimes a lack of a free shipping may be the only thing that leads your customer to purchase from Amazon instead of directly on your site.
Test variations of shipping threshold minimums to find the sweet spot that increases conversion rates without greatly compromising margins.
If you’re hesitant to run discounts or free shipping offers, then product giveaways may better suit your needs. By gathering first-party data for a giveaway campaign, you’ll gain high-quality leads and organic brand awareness. Plus, you’ll maintain profit margins, provide genuine value to customers, and gain opportunities to show off your top (high ticket) products. It’s another great way to turn new, first-time customers into loyal regular buyers with a growing customer lifetime value (LTV).
Optimize product configurations
How many ways have you experimented with product presentation on your landing pages? Choosing a “default” group of products to feature, like best sellers, is a starting point to intuitively engage new customers with your brand. Many ecommerce platforms like Shopify make it simple for store owners to map out related products on the back end to populate in a customer’s shopping cart — allowing another chance for increasing AOV.
Displaying “You May Also Like…” recommendations without intelligent product personalization can be a turn-off for customers, though. Be cautious what phrase you use for this experience.
Hear more of our thoughts on this topic in our Podcast.
Try using out-of-stock or supply chain challenges to your advantage by letting your customers sign up for alerts for when an out-of-stock item goes back in stock. These customers have a high purchase intent, so keep them interested in purchasing from you before they seek to buy the product elsewhere. Bonus — you'll capture new customers' email addresses or phone numbers.
Out-of-stock items are another reason to have Similar Products pre-configured on the back end of your site so customers don't have to do guesswork.
Cater to your customer before, during and after purchase
Does your site describe common problems your customers face and demonstrate how your brand or product can help them?
For example, in the food and beverage industry:
“If [your customers are] ordering something extremely perishable, offering options like [same-day shipping] can make the difference between losing the sale and closing one. Partner with a reliable delivery company for expedient options and make sure your customers are aware of them!” - JustUno
Following your customer along their path to purchase gets their foot in the door. But nurturing your customer after they’ve made their purchase keeps them in the electronic room.
- Have you thought about your retargeting strategy lately?
- Can you automate your email marketing process to include a reminder when it might be time to repurchase a product?
- Are you tailoring your ads to match the user experience on different platforms? TikTok and Facebook audiences differ greatly, for example, and so should your creative.
Need help getting started? Contact us to help increase your average order value by connecting with your customers to build loyal, long-term fans.