The famous American baseball player Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over ‘till it’s over.” This truism has found its way into the world of business and has been reinterpreted to mean that even when things get tough, it’s not over until you’ve tried everything.
If your enterprise e-commerce site is suffering from insufficient sales, you may want to rethink your strategy. But how do you know when things have finally hit an impasse? Is it possible to change things too soon?
This is an interesting question. On one hand, you want to be agile and productive; but on the other hand, hasty decisions could bury what otherwise may have been a successful venture. Below we will discuss some of the important factors leading up to this decision and what you can do to ensure a smooth transition.
Cosmetic Changes
If your e-commerce store is struggling, you might want to examine your website through the eyes of your customers. Something as simple as a clunky and cumbersome user interface could sink your sales.Take advantage of A/B testing to see features are working and which ones are holding you back.
Remember that consumers love a clean website design. Don’t try to overcrowd your homepage with flashy sales, new product offers and distracting banner advertisements. At most, you should display just one featured product or special offering on your page. And ensure that your search bar, FAQ section, ‘about us’ and contact pages are simple to find as these are vital to the success of your e-commerce site.
Marketing Makeover
If your company is starving for sales, it might behoove you to revamp your marketing strategy. Are you taking advantage of email newsletters, on-page blog posts, SEO conversions or social media marketing? If the answer is no, you are probably missing out on large audiences of interested shoppers.
While it isn’t necessary to use all these, your business should at least be employing one or two of techniques listed here. Use social media to establish two-way conversations with your customers and encourage them to share your offers with friends and family. Entice one-time buyers to regularly check out your site for new sales and offerings with an email campaign. It might take a little practice to find the right balance, but in the end, you’ll be happy with the results.
The New You
Sometimes it’s not what you are selling, but how you are selling it. An often quoted mantra in the world of marketing is that you should be selling ‘ideas, not products.’ For example, there is a lot of competition out there when selling jewelry, but if your business sells “posh accessories for the modern woman” you might have a better chance at building a dedicated fan base or finding a specific niche.
Developing a brand identity will require a little experimentation, but do your best to incorporate the same feel in all your products and promotions.
Hitting the Reset Button
However, if none of the above methods have improved your sales, it might be time to rethink your business model. Maybe the products you are selling just aren’t appealing enough to online shoppers. In this case, it is time to hit the reset button and start over.
Some enterprise e-commerce platform providers, like Shopify, make it easy to rebuild an e-store using a straightforward template. Others might prefer to build an entirely new website before closing the previous one. It’s really up to you and your business needs.
While no one likes having to rebuild the wheel, a fresh start might be just what you need. Be sure to employ the same technique above from the get-go to put your e-commerce site on the right track.