E-Commerce Strategies to Convert First-Time Visitors to Loyal Customers

Finding ways to get visitors to your website through different marketing channels is an extremely hard and tedious task. Therefore it is important to create a strong e-commerce strategy that helps you convert those hard-earned first time visitors to loyal customers that will visit your website again and again.

While first time visitors are unlikely to make a purchase, they could potentially become buyers if you are able to establish trust. Establishing trust is really important for the people who are visiting your website for the first time. The website is almost like a representation of your business’s brand values. Let your customers know what you’re selling and assure them that you’ll deliver on your promise. 

These are the e-commerce strategies that can help you achieve the conversion of first time visitors into buyers.

1. Find ways to incentivise their first visit

First time customers hold a lot of value for e-commerce store. This is because the cost of acquiring these visitors is much higher. They’re also not familiar with your business and so it becomes all the more imperative to showcase the best of your business on your website so that your customers feel valued and special. 

You can do this by offering a discount voucher as a first time customer, getting them to stay and possibly converting them to buyers too. When they visit a website for the first time and get an immediate discount for their purchase, it’s more likely to result in them wanting to make that purchase and make use of that offer.

Incentivising the first visit of any customer can create a great impact that can result in a purchase. It might come at a slight cost to you but can add great value to your business in the long run. 

Your offer should be an exclusive one and come with a limited time validity to prompt the customer to make a purchase. This can also help reduce the bounce rate of your website along with converting more first time website visitors into buyers. 

2. Send a reminder mail to customers who don’t complete their purchase

If there are customers who add things to their cart but abandon it, it can be quite frustrating. But there is a way to get those users back and get them to complete their purchase by sending them Cart Abandonment Emails or Cart Recovery Mails. 

Use data that you collect from your customers when they sign up and combine it with simple email marketing automation. 

Use simple conversational language and make it feel personal. Add the exact item they abandoned in the cart and adding a simple line or two that creates a connection with them is a great way to get them to go back to their cart and complete the purchase. You can additionally add limited time free shipping or a discount for the customer to edge them closer to completing the purchase.

3. Testimonials

Testimonials are very significant. Testimonials are often underrated, but they are extremely helpful to establish the trust between your business and the customer. Even more so if they are visiting your website for the first time. Testimonials that are original in the way they’re written, have a personal touch to them and also tell a story are a great way to establish a connection with their customers. If you’re using testimonials on your website, spread them out across different pages and include them in the pages where you think they’ll have the most impact. Do A/B testing to find the pages where they work best. Customer testimonials are a great way to build credibility and gives a much needed nudge to convert your first time website visitors into buyers.

4. Optimise the check out process

Simplifying the checkout process can really help you increase conversion optimisation. In the sales funnel, checkouts are where most of your users drop off. The reason for this is that the checkouts are too complicated or the website is asking the user to make an account that is a very long and complicated process. 

By optimising the checkout process you can avoid drop outs at the checkout. Reduce the number of fields that the user has to fill out so that they have to take a lesser number of actions. The more actions the user has to take, the more points of friction are created. Meaning that every action that the user has to take, decreases their chances to convert.

Thus optimising the check out process is essential to convert more website visitors into buyers.

In Conclusion

It is essential to attract people to your website, but it is only the beginning. Once they come to your website you need to engage their interest, encourage them to explore your website and ultimately convert them into customers. Ensuring this conversion will boost sales from new customers and increase repeat purchases from your existing audience. 

Your website needs to be built and designed with conversion in mind. It needs a cohesive structure that clearly communicates your brand value and principles, is easy to navigate and puts your customers on an easy path to conversion.