Whether your company has a local focus, operating mainly within the Greater Manchester area, or the scale of operation reaches further afield, sales are probably the lifeblood of your business. When it comes to improving sales figures, two main components are involved: finding new people to buy your product or service and encouraging existing customers to return. Although it might seem like a daunting prospect at first, there are some steps that you can take, which really can have a big impact on sales performance.
Understand the Competition
Analysing the practices of competitors can help to establish a clear understanding of the techniques that are successful in your particular industry. Learning what competing businesses do well and in what areas they are less than successful can inform your sales and marketing strategies to ensure that you stand out from the crowd.
Promotions
Offering promotions to existing customers is a great way of enticing them to try new products. It will also help to forge long-lasting relationships and customer loyalty. These promotions can take the form of discount codes, bundle deals, or free samples.
Promotions are also a really great tool for encouraging individuals new to the brand to make their first purchase. When it comes to using a promotion to encourage a sale from a first-time customer, a business might offer this customer free shipping or a discount when they sign up for their newsletter.
Create Unique and Credible Products
One of the best ways of standing out from the competition and boosting sales is to offer new and innovative products and then to display these products on your website in an exciting manner, with eye-catching images and videos. Not only are these types of products more likely to boost initial sales, but they will help create a more recognisable brand image, which will impact future sales too.
Focus on Funnel Conversion
Unlike many common digital marketing techniques, funnel conversion does not simply focus on one aspect, such as website design or search engine optimisation, but instead the whole user experience. By covering the entire interaction that a customer has with a brand, funnel conversion is sales focused. This involves streamlining the flow-through that a visitor has when they land on your site and taking key actions designed to lead to a sale. If you choose to optimise your funnel, you are not only likely to increase first-time sales but repeated sales too, as the process continues after the purchase has been made.
Understand your Target Audience
Having a clear understanding as to who your target audience is can have a big impact in many different areas, from product development to customer service to marketing. A target audience might be defined by a range of factors such as age, gender, and level of education. It is important for the chosen target audience to be the type of person who would be the most likely to buy your product as soon as they saw it.
Ask for Feedback
The benefits of feedback are twofold; firstly, if something is not right, feedback provides a vital resource that can be used to guide product improvement. Secondly, having a long list of positive reviews is a great way of encouraging potential customers to make that sale, since it is easy to trust the unbiased perspective of other customers.
