How Online Retailers Can Sell More

Online retailers have it tough.

Their High Street counterparts have the benefit of being able to display their wares for all to see and a small army of sales staff to encourage people to buy and to answer any questions.

All the online retailer has is a website, a few pictures and some persuasive words.

One of the key elements in the sales process is trust.

Again the High Street retailer has the advantage of face-to-face contact, the products being available to see (try and touch) and the ability to talk to the customer to allay any buying objections they may have.

But it’s not all doom and gloom for the online shop because there are several things they can do to garner trust.

1. Useful

If you can’t talk directly to your customers it’s essential you offer them as much information as possible to help them make their buying decision.

Offering ratings, reviews, detailed product descriptions and daily deals will help develop a trusting relationship.

A great example of this in action is Amazon.

2. Secure

Security (or rather lack of) is one of the key factors that will put people off buying on line, which is why you must show your potential customers that your website’s security is second to none.

If possible use an https:// domain and only offer reputable payment methods such as PayPal, MasterCard etc.

Also a no quibble money back guarantee is also a deal winner.

3. Privacy

No one wants their details passed on to a third party so make sure you put potential customers’ minds at rest by publicly showing:

• Your cookies policy
• That you won’t pass their details onto a third party
• You only ask a minimum number of questions to complete a purchase

4. Customise

This one won’t always be possible, but if you can customise your service to suit your customer’s needs. Not everyone is going to have the same needs, so being as flexible as possible will show you as a company that puts its customers first.

5. Reputation

Trust also comes from having a good reputation. Using your social media channels as a way of promoting your great customer service is the perfect way to show you are a company to be trusted.

Also make sure you make it easy for people to get in touch with an email address, phone number and postal address clearly shown on your website.

As you can see, there are a number of ways the online retailer can enhance its reputation.

Sally Ormond – Copywriter, MD at Briar Copywriting and avid online shopper