You’ve invested in a great eCommerce website and now it’s time to sit back and watch it do its thing, right? If only! Even the best eCommerce websites will still need to be supported by sales and marketing teams to really take off.
That said, having a great eCommerce website can make a big difference to how easy your sales and marketing teams find their jobs. If you’re approaching eCommerce in the right way, your eCommerce website can serve to support your teams just as much as they support your digital strategy.
But how exactly can sales and marketing teams leverage a great eCommerce website? We’re discussing 5 things to remind your teams of when it comes to making the most of your eCommerce website.
1. A good eCommerce website adds credibility to your claims
Have you ever been excited by a great social media ad for a product or service, clicked-through to the company’s website… and then instantly done a 360 on your opinion of that company? This is usually because the website you’re visiting doesn’t match the expectations set by the ad you were originally influenced by.
Generating a sale is all about maintaining momentum. Once a prospective buyer feels excited about the value you’re offering, the goal is to maintain this feeling at every stage of their journey. This means that if your ad is working to capture a buyer’s attention, your website should aim to validate and advance these emotions.
This combination of great marketing and a great eCommerce website is the sweet spot of online selling. So, always ensure that your team’s efforts are on raising the bar on their content if it’s not matching the voice and tone of your website.
2. Online resources can free up valuable time
Online resources aren’t just a great way to raise your profile as an expert in your field or to create long-form content for SEO purposes. Online resources can also be a great way to inform your target audience about your products and services, freeing up valuable time for your sales team.
For example, if your sales team is constantly answering the same types of questions, why not ask them to share their insights on content that might fill in the gaps for potential clients?
For example, if you’re selling custom dresses online, measurements will most likely be a concern for your customers. Why not create an entire blog post on the topic that your marketing team can also feature on social media?
Your sales team will know exactly what information customers are lacking, so allow them to take the lead on rectifying the situation.
3. Good sales teams monitor metrics
With an effective eCommerce website, the information a sales team needs to improve their performance should be easily accessible. By monitoring metrics, sales and marketing teams can strategically alter their approach to better suit their target audience.
Some critical eCommerce metrics your teams should be focusing on include:
- Sales conversion rates
- Website traffic/bounce rates
- Onsite activity metrics
- Average order value
- Customer acquisition cost
However, that’s not all. If your eCommerce website is doing its job, it should be easy for sales and marketing teams to guide prospective buyers to the exact products and information they’re looking for.
This is why it’s important to ensure that:
- Product codes are kept up-to-date
- Stock levels are being consistently monitored
- Promotions are not outdated
- Broken links are not a regular occurrence
- Any issues with your website can be easily communicated across teams
4. Make investments in your eCommerce site go further
Have you added virtual tours to your eCommerce website? What about 360-degree product photography? If so, your sales and marketing teams can also make use of these features.
Across LinkedIn, Facebook, and any other social media platforms that your business uses — the content you’re using on your eCommerce website can be repurposed into something that attracts new leads.
If you have a virtual tour on your website, make it the feature of an entire Facebook or LinkedIn post. Showcase exactly what makes your eCommerce website worth visiting and highlight your sophistication as an online seller.
Bonus tip: Did you hire a professional copywriting service to write your website copy? If so, it might be a good idea to ensure that your marketing and sales materials match this standard.
Customers notice inconsistencies in your messaging so consider hiring these services again for content such as lead magnets, sales reports, and other marketing materials your team might use. Again, these marketing materials can be used for repurposing as social media content — so factor this in when evaluating the investment.
5. Online reviews tell you what sales teams need to counteract
Does your website allow for reviews to be posted directly by customers? If so, insights from these reviews can be invaluable for sales teams to monitor.
According to a study conducted by Digital Business Ireland, 59% of consumers in the younger generation said that they look at customer reviews when buying goods and services online. This is why for sales and marketing teams, knowing exactly what’s being said about your business (and knowing how to rectify any negative feedback!) is essential.
45% of consumers also say it’s important for brands to respond to social media comments. Because of this, it’s vital that sales teams monitor what’s being said about their business on social media and modify their sales strategy to counteract negative feedback.
What’s being said about your customer service and/or the products you sell carries a huge amount of weight these days. This is why getting ahead of this feedback is the best way to avoid damage to your brand image.
A successful eCommerce website is one that sales and marketing teams are proud to showcase
Ultimately, all employees working for your eCommerce business should be proud to share your website. If that level of pride isn’t there, there might be something wrong with how your website is coming across.
Nothing makes a sales or marketing team’s job harder than a bad website, so if you have a good one — they should know exactly how to take advantage of this.
How Ireland Website Design can help:
If you want an eCommerce website that your sales and marketing teams can really work with, you might want to consider a complete redesign or refresh by our team.
As well as web design and development, we also offer branding and digital marketing services, helping boost eCommerce sales with better cohesion across your channels.
If you’d like to know more, just reach out and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
