Holiday Sales: Three Tips to Turn Browsers into Buyers

“I’m Just Browsing” Could Turn Into Cash

Thanks to the economy, people are more likely to visit your website and view merchandise multiple times before finalizing a purchase. Data collected from the study shows that consumers are increasingly more budget conscious, and may take several days or weeks to make a purchase.
The study also found that of the 163 million shopping transactions they tracked - 65 percent of those shoppers waited a day or more to complete a purchase.

In the past we’ve called it shopping cart abandonment. Today, I’d like to propose a new term for it: opportunity. Here are a few tips to help turn those shoppers who are “just browsing” into paying customers.

Offer Special Incentives to Buy Now. Everyone likes a discount. By offering this incentive to shoppers who have already shown an interest in your product, you are increasing the chances that they will purchase from you. Offer them a small percentage discount or throw in free shipping. Get creative with it. If someone is looking at buying a winter coat from your store, perhaps offer him or her a complimentary hat or set of gloves if they return to your ecommerce store and complete the purchase.

As an added incentive, offer a discount on accessories or related products to increase the size of a single order. Addons are a great way to increase your revenue per order when you offer a further discount on related items they were looking to purchase. Giving them a "one stop shopping" experience goes a long way to bring them back as repeat buyers.

Tell Your Customers About Your Security. Wouldn’t it be silly if you were losing sales because customers are worried that your site isn’t secure – but you know it is? Well, if you know it is, why not let potential customers know that as well. The study found that sales conversions were 11 percent higher for those online browsers when they were shown a security cue.

Follow-up to the End, and Beyond

Follow-Up with an Email. Help buyers keep your company in mind. Offer multiple locations on your site for these browsers to opt-in to your email list, and then send them an email encouraging them to come back to your site, perhaps by offering them a special incentive. Remember, if a visitor turns into a customer - The sale doesn't stop after an order is placed. Keep marketing to them with incentives and special offers, and new products to keep them coming back for more.

Hopefully you have your online holiday campaigns and discounts in place beforehand. Plan ahead for more marketing actions. Don’t forget to follow-through until December 25, and even afterwards. Last year we found that the week after the Christmas shopping season and in January, online shops experienced an increase in both conversions and sales.