B2C is short for Business-to-Customer and is one of the most popular sales models in the e-commerce context.
There are a lot of similarities, and differences, between B2B e-commerce and B2C e-commerce, but the goal is always to sell products.
This article gives 12 tips aimed at B2C online retailers to keep up with the trends and help you grow your online B2C e-commerce online sales.
1. Be unique and stand out from the mass.
Customers remember what stands out. Think outside the box and try new things, you need to be unique.
But how?
It’s a good idea to do A/B tests to see what works for your customers. A/B testing means that visitors view 1 of 2 different pages. One is called the A version and the other one is called the B version. They usually have slightly different designs or some other differences.
You collect data from real visitors during the test; that way you can measure which of the pages converts best. This is a very powerful approach for increased conversion, as you will find which design solutions give the best results. A/B testing can increase conversions by 20% per year.
2. Offer as much product information as possible.
Make sure you have quality product descriptions on your merchandise. Measurements, colours, materials, right prices, and other important, necessary, information about your products. This can be crucial whether it will be a purchase or not.
3. Ask for feedback, and take advantage of it.
Online shoppers research before making a purchase, by gathering information about the product they want to buy. Reading user’s experiences, product reviews and ratings is a part of the purchase decision.
Did you know that…
- 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
- Only 12% of consumers ignore reviews before making a purchase.
- 85% of consumers say they read up to 10 reviews before making their decision.
- 50 or more reviews per product can mean a 4-5% increase in conversion rate.
If you ask for feedback and show that you receive it, you will get more honest feedback from your customers. Both good and bad. When you get feedback, you can act on it and get better. You can choose, no feedback and fewer sales or take the feedback and sell more.
4. Newsletter subscription.
Email is one of the best channels to reach out to customers. If you don’t have a newsletter already, allow your customers to subscribe to your weekly (or monthly) newsletter. Let the emails contain news, discounts, and other important information.
5. Create additional sales.
A good way to increase sales in your B2C e-commerce business is to offer the customer to supplement their orders with more products.
- Show products that go with the product the customer is looking at or has added to the shopping cart.
- Give quantity discount: “Order 3 pieces and you will get a XX discount”.
- Offer free shipping if the customer orders for a certain amount.
- Suggest products that are popular with other customers.
- Get customers to come back, by offering a discount or free shipping on the next purchase. “Get a XX percent discount on the next purchase if you order within 30 days”.
6. Automated merchandising.
It’s almost impossible to track everything and control your merchandising in real-time. Your merchandising needs to be highly automated. Voyado Elevate helps you respond quickly to emerging trends and seasonal assortment changes. The more relevant your products are, the more you can increase your sales. Show the right products, at the right places, at the right times.
7. Make your customers feel safe.
It’s important to make the customer feel confident in purchasing on your B2C e-commerce website. Here are some things you can do to increase the trust of your visitors:
Offer easy and smooth deliveries/returns.
It’s important to have an easy way to deliver/return packages. If it is not simple enough, it will probably not result in a purchase in the first place.
By using Q-Commerce, the next generation of e-commerce, you can offer delivery within an hour.
Customer service
Good customer service is no longer an asset to your B2C business, it’s a requirement, even more, when your business is online.
Make sure your customer service can handle all the questions about your products or services that your customers may have. Be available by phone and email every day. It’s also a good idea to have a live chat function on your site.
Make sure your customer service can handle all the questions about your products or services that your customers may have. Be available by phone and email every day. It’s also a good idea to have a live chat function on your site.
Offer different payment methods
The more payment options you offer, the more likely you are to appeal to a wider audience. The easier you make it for people to pay you, the more likely it is that you will have more money coming in.
8. Improve your SEO.
Having high-quality content on your B2C e-commerce website is one of the best ways to increase traffic and improve your Google search ranking. Find keywords that people search for, choose high-value keywords and publish content that Google searchers want, are some of the things you need to do.
If you aren’t visible on search results, fewer customers know about you, you sell less, and your growth slows down. At the same time, your competitors will increase sales and profits.
9. Do marketing through video.
It’s a good idea to have videos that show how to use the product in question. Videos are the most effective way to market a product. By filming creative, good-quality videos, you can raise the awareness of your brand and increase sales.
- 90% of consumers say videos help them make buying decisions.
- 64% of customers often buy a product online after watching a video about it.
- Video on landing pages can increase conversions by 80%
10. Don’t forget the mobile.
Today, we are addicted to our phones. It’s almost like the phone is an extended body part. It’s predicted that, by the end of 2021, mobile devices will make up almost 73% of the total e-commerce sales globally. So, one thing is for sure, your B2C online businesses must be working for smartphones.
Over the past few years, mobile apps have been increasing in popularity, and it has given great results. Mobile apps convert 157% more than a mobile web session.
Even mobile wallets like Apple Pay or Android Pay have increased. This is a safe way for consumers to checkout when shopping from a mobile retail app.
11. Frequently Asked Questions.
Collect all frequently asked questions in one place on your e-commerce site. A good FAQ page can give you both happier customers and better rankings on Google. Gather the most common questions that visitors or customers ask, as well as answers to these.
12. Customer account.
Be personal and get to know your customers by offering them to create a user account while they are online shopping on your B2C e-commerce site.
That way, both you and your customers can have a good overview of orders, past purchases, discounts, special offers, and communicate in a more personal way.
It’s important not to force your customer to create an account. Instead, you should recommend creating an account, while offering special benefits in return.
The goal with customer/user accounts should be to convince your buyers to register for an account on your e-commerce platforms, without making it a mandatory step for purchase.
