How to Take Control and Drive Your Online Sales

Digital marketing should always be at the core of every business strategy. That’s what you want to focus on to increase your online sales. 

Here are ten foolproof tips to keep in mind in 2023:

Aim for first-party data

Google is planning to phase out third-party cookies from Chrome, and when that happens, it will be a huge step backward for advertisers. While the intention is good – to protect customer data and privacy – this move can be a big blow to marketers who can no longer collect consumer behavior data. Since this also removes audience targeting from the picture, ads will no longer work as effectively.

Start gathering first-party data as soon as possible. This should be one of your most important projects for 2023. A good way to begin is by offering gated content, which allows you to gather customer information from online forms. You can also offer discounts, conduct surveys, and other similar steps. 

Hold on to your SEO best practices 

Beyond ever-evolving algorithms, some things have always weathered the test of time and trends. These are best practices, which you must put at the center of your SEO campaign. 

Some of the most timeless SEO best practices are maintaining a high web page loading speed, publishing relevant, high-quality content and other educational digital assets, creating internal links and building authoritative backlinks, and, of course, using well-researched keywords. Best practices can cement your online credibility when paired with seasonally relevant tactics. 

Pump up your affiliate marketing 

Brands are investing more heavily in affiliate marketing each year. They even topped the $8 billion mark in 2022, showing that this is a powerful strategy. The good news is you don’t even have to do it yourself. You can work with providers that help increase your efficiency in reaping affiliates’ results.

Affiliate marketing software allows you to increase your gains through automation as you manage, monitor, and scale your campaigns. The key is to find the right software and tools that suit your needs. Before buying, consider issues like user-friendliness, SaaS integrations, and pricing. 

Protect the environment and let people know 

Consumers have never been more environmentally conscious than they are today. Sustainable consumerism has become even more pronounced in recent years, with people favoring businesses with eco-friendly practices over the rest. 

This is more than just a trend. This is how business should be done. And this is what we highlight in the Beusail Academy program. As a business, your focus should be twofold: profit and purpose. One cannot exist without the other. A profit-and-purpose business model lets you hit two birds with one stone: you contribute to helping the planet and the humans that live on it and make money along the way. 

There’s always a way to help preserve humanity and Mother Earth. When you support social and environmental causes that are aligned with your business, you communicate to your market that you truly care about them and that you’re not just about the money.

Use voice assistants 

More than half of consumers are now using voice search when looking up products online, while 22% buy with a voice command. This is proof that using digital voice assistants can be one of the most important things you can do to pump up your sales this year. While voice commerce is not suited for all types of business, it can be a good investment for those who sell basic and common products. 

For example, people can now use Alexa to gas up. Similar technology also works for ordering grocery items and other household essentials. If you sell products that can be sold without human intervention, it’s time to adopt voice commerce. 

Get more social 

Social media is no longer only for marketing or communicating with customers. You can now sell things right out of it too. According to research, conventional e-commerce is now stepping aside as experts expect social sales to reach more than $50 billion this year. 

If you use social media yourself, you’ve certainly seen Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and other platforms turn into shops. That’s one trend you cannot afford to skip as a business owner. What’s even better is that social commerce optimization is relatively easy.  

As long as you know the best platforms for your brand and rely on native analytics to customize your interactions, you’ll be off to a great start. If you really want to make noise, tie up with an influencer. 

Invest in augmented reality

One of the most future-forward sales technologies you can use today is AR or augmented reality. It makes for a new and exciting way to shop, but more importantly, it helps prevent buyer’s remorse with people able to experience the product before buying it. It can also heighten user engagement and increase competitive differentiation, among other benefits. 

Several big-ticket brands are already using AR, such as Nike, BMW, Timberland, and IKEA. The only catch is the price, which can range from $7000 to $250,000, depending on your project’s complexity, size, and longevity. In any case, it will be a significant investment with long-term returns for your business. 

Offer payment options

If there’s one thing people expect from online shopping, it’s convenience. One simple but critical way to make things more convenient is by offering a range of payment options. When you offer people choices on how to pay for their orders, you allow them to go on seamlessly with their shopping. They’ll be less likely to abandon their carts and more encouraged to buy more. 

Aside from the usual credit and debit cards, you can offer more options. By knowing where your customers come from and studying their shopping habits, it will be easier to know which alternate modes of payment you should accept. Additionally, this will help you avoid platforms that your customers rarely use. 

Maximize LIA (Google Local Inventory Ads) use

Your business benefits from Google Shopping ads by getting more exposure among people in your area. These consumers can click your LIA and buy from your website or your physical store. 

Increasing bids for nearby shoppers is a great way to leverage LIA. It puts you in front of potential customers within up to 35 miles of your location. On top of that, you can add the option for them to pick up their orders. You can also raise bids in or out of business hours – just another way to increase convenience for your shoppers. 

Keep it personal 

Countless new brands are emerging online today, including those that have recently gone digital. If anything, this means you have to start getting more personal with consumers than ever. The deeper your connection with your customers, the more you attract their loyalty and learn about them. True enough, a 2022 survey shows about 80% of U.S. consumers are more likely to buy from online retailers that offer personalized customer experience. 

A great way to start personalizing your customers’ experience is by grouping them according to their behavior and developing an algorithm that lets them see more products they are more likely to buy. While Google is poised to ditch third-party cookies, it’s not supposed to happen until 2024, so you have at least the entire 2023 to do what you must do. 

Steer Your Online Sales to the Top This 2023 

For as long as humans roam the Earth, online businesses will thrive. It only boils down to mastering the ever evolving dynamics and nuances of the Web. You may not get it right the first, second, or third time, but that’s why there are experts to help you out. Don’t hesitate to reach out.