Can you create an impulse buy on your online shop the same way as in a physical shop? The answer is yes and here we show you how.

We know that physical bricks-and-mortar shops and online shops are very different. While the ‘shopping’ principle is the same, the experiences are nearly polar opposites. One thing that (at first) does not seem to translate well into the online realm is the idea of impulse buys – purchasing a low ticket item on a whim with little or no consideration behind the decision. But with a little bit of planning and clever website design techniques, you can make impulse buys happen at your online store to increase your sales.

Step 1. – Purchase your Impulse Item in Bulk

Impulse buys are usually facilitated by a cost-effective item. As an example, a basic pedometer would be a good idea to use as an impulse item for a sports and fitness online store. If you bulk buy this item you can usually secure it at a more cost-effective price so that you can sell each one for a profit.

Step 2. – Consider your Pricing Structure

As touched on above, if you buy this impulse item in bulk, you can sell each item for a profit. Factor in the outright price and then the delivery cost to work out exactly how much you are paying for them. Add on your desired mark-up and you now have the cost at which you can sell your impulse items for.

Step 3. – Add a Lightbox/Pop-up

Here is where the impulse element comes into play, the item needs to be introduced to your shoppers as they go to checkout. This is the equivalent of having bars of chocolate beside the cash register in a physical store – they are introduced near the close of the sale so that they can be quickly added to the sale. To convert this into an online shopping format, have a lightbox/pop-up appear with the option to add the impulse item to the checkout before the user goes to pay and complete their purchase.

Step 4. – Review and Repeat    

The above three steps outline the simple but effective setup of implementing an impulse buying technique into your online shop. Review and repeat this process with different impulse items to find the perfect sales generator for your online shop. With this, you now have a successful and tangible impulse buying element to your eCommerce activities.

The expert team at Ireland Website Design specializes in both online marketing and website design. The skills and knowledge that we have drives sales to your business.