Are you worried about your small business sales dropping? Like many business owners in South Africa, you may be battling the effects of the seemingly never-ending energy crisis and the many contributing financial stresses that come with it. However, there are some parts of your sales journey that you can control. We share some of the top tips to boost your sales generation.
The number of small businesses in South Africa reached 710 000, contributing up to 34% of the national GDP. Therefore, your business's success is paramount to the health of our national economy.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to help supercharge your sales and successfully steer your small business along its growth trajectory. Let's explore some of them.
A whopping 90% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase. Therefore, having satisfied customers leave reviews is an excellent way to generate trust among potential customers, which, in turn, will increase sales.
But, more often than not, even happy customers need to be prompted to leave a review. Therefore, it's helpful to have a system that lets you send automated review request messages to your customers after a purchase or service. Not only will you increase the number of positive reviews for your brand, but your business will get an edge over competitors. With Hellopeter Business's WhatsApp Chatbot, we've made this even easier for both customers and businesses alike.
To get the most benefit from your online reviews, remember to showcase them on your website, in brand newsletters and wherever potential customers will see them.
With so many businesses to choose from, it's vital that your website's usability doesn't turn potential customers away. A poor user experience will have 88% of online shoppers leave your site and not return, whereas offering a good user experience was found to increase sales by as much as 30%.
Common user experience issues include a slow-loading website, poor content, unattractive design and a website that's not optimised for mobile. By improving these factors, you can rest assured buyers visiting your site will have reason to return.
If your small business has yet to embrace the power of email marketing through digital mailers or newsletters, now is the time to begin. By regularly providing subscribers with valuable content in their inbox, you remain top-of-mind for your recipient. When they need a product or service your business offers, you'll be the first they think of.
On top of this, email marketing is a great way to introduce your customers to new products, showcase your expertise and offer promotional discounts to encourage sales. Remember to include a review in your email marketing every now and again to show customers that you deliver on your promises.
Also, we encourage you to send out an email review invite shortly after the purchase, asking them to review the experience and/or product. Hellopeter Business has made this easy with in-mail templates, allowing a customer to review your business without even having to leave their inbox.
If your business sells products online, you may have noticed many customers abandoning their carts. In fact, just under 70% of all online shopping carts are abandoned by online shoppers. The reasons include extra fees, a complicated checkout process, an inadequate returns policy and security concerns.
To limit cart abandonment, ensure your website has an SSL security certificate and partner only with recognised secure payment vendors. It also helps highlight your returns policy and a money-back guarantee on the checkout page. And, to give your shoppers extra peace of mind, add a few of your best customers' reviews. Furthermore, by displaying positive online reviews (like with our website widgets), you offer Social Proof, giving them the confidence to continue with the payment process.
You may, however, have a service-based or brick-and-mortar-only business. If this is the case, give your potential customers the assurance they need by drawing their attention to any guarantees, free returns and after-sales services.
If you don't think social media is a serious sales driver, you'll need to reconsider. Consumers report spending 20%-40% more on a business with whom they've interacted on social media. In addition, 90% of marketing professionals have reported that social media marketing has increased exposure to their business.
You can grow and nurture your social media community by regularly publishing high-quality, engaging content. Social media is also a great place to show off your expertise and respond to customer queries or concerns. By showing the world you care about the people who support your business, you'll attract new customers and increase the amount they're willing to pay for your service or products.
Another great way to communicate your value and supercharge small business sales is by regularly sharing positive consumer reviews on your social media channels. With Hellopeter Business, you can do this by simply selecting the review, creating a design, and publishing it straight to your chosen social media channels – all without leaving the portal and with no design skills needed!
Even when times are tough, there are several proven ways you can supercharge your sales growth. One of the most impactful is collecting positive online reviews showing buyers why they should spend their money with you.
To streamline this process, Hellopeter lets you automate review collecting with request messages sent to your customers after every purchase or service. Considering how easy it is to get those reviews pouring in, take a look at our plans to see how we can help you set up your small business for sales success.