WooCommerce is one of the most widely used ecommerce shopping cart services. It’s designed to work as a plugin for the popular WordPress backend site interface. Retailers love using WooCommerce because of its versatility, ease of use and the wide array of add-ons that are available (called WooThemes) that improve functionality across the board. If you’re selling using this shopping cart service, here are some helpful tips you can use to improve relationships with your customers.
Increase Website Speed
Slow website speed kills sales. Period. When you’re using WordPress for your website, a common gripe is that many of the available plugins slow down the site to unusable speeds. Most developers refer to this as “bloat” that’s unneeded for a smooth website operation. If you’re not a developer, it’s smart thinking to consult with one to learn your best options for improving speed. New studies have found that for every second your website load time increases your sales drop by as much as 7%. So, take the wise approach and optimize your site for fast page loads on desktop and mobile.
Create a Persistent Shopping Cart
Today’s online retail environment gives shoppers more options than ever before. Competing websites are just a click away, and shoppers can be choosy. If your prices are too high or your shipping and returns options are unfavorable, the next online store is seconds away. Factoring in giants like Jet and Amazon, you don’t have time to waste with prospective customers. This is why it’s important to integrate a persistent shopping cart. Such a feature—available via WooThemes—keeps the cart basket active if a shopper bounces away from your store before making a purchase, so that the cart is ready for them when they return.
Integrate a WooCommerce CRM
You can’t afford to miss even a single opportunity with prospective or existing customers. Retention rates are classically low in ecommerce because customers have so many different shopping options. That’s why smart retailers start building customer relationships from day one using a WooCommerce CRM that gives them a complete view of the customer journey. These CRMs also help consolidate cross-channel data and give retailers key insights into customer habits, so they can improve revenue, retention and long-term loyalty.
Reach out to Customers
One of the best retention tips that can be offered to WooCommerce retailers (and really to all online retailers for that matter) is to reach out to your customers often. This involves asking them to subscribe to your newsletter when they visit your store, so you can build your email marketing list.
- Offer subscribers a special, one-time deal for signing up to your email list, like 10% off their order.
- Use email personalization to reach out to customers on their birthdays to offer them a special deal.
- Send targeted, segmented emails every other week to increase sales uplift.
- A/B test your emails and modify them to improve click-throughs and purchases.
Selling online in today’s cluttered ecommerce world is hard work. New customers and sales assuredly come at a premium. To stay ahead of the game, it’s imperative that you build stronger relationships from day one. By applying these tips, you can gain a competitive advantage in ecommerce.