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6 Tips to optimize your store for the holidays

6 Tips to optimize your store for the holidays
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

6 Tips to optimize your store for the holidays

There’s no denying that the holiday season drives most sales for all types of businesses. In 2017, U.S holiday sales reached $106.1 billion a 12% increase from the same season in 2016. In 2018, projected sales are $123.4 billion, which is a 15% increase in growth from 2017.  If you haven’t started preparing your website for the 2018 holidays, you need to wake up and smell the coffee. According to the National Retail Foundation, 20-40% of yearly sales for SMEs take place during the last two months of the year. To make the most out of the holiday season, you have to optimize your online store to deliver what the consumers want, handle the increased traffic, provide a seamless user experience, and retain these customers.

This article explores some of the methods you can use to optimize your e-commerce store for the holiday season before it’s too late. Read on.

  1. Carry out an analysis and learn from it

If your store was still running last year, you need to have a look at the numbers before making any plans. It is important to use hard data for decision making in the online business environment as this gives you an edge over your competition.

Look at the successes and failures of your previous year’s holiday campaign, days when sales peaked, slow sales days, best traffic days, best conversion days, total revenues against projections, keyword optimization results, competitor analysis among other things. From this data, you can set out plans for the holiday season.

  1. Optimize your store hosting plan

Your online store is only as good as the hosting environment. Many online businesses fail because they use the wrong hosting plans. If you don’t choose a good and reliable host, you will experience downtime during the holiday season, which will lead to loss of business. Make sure you choose a hosting package that can handle increased traffic, offer 24/7 technical support, and flexibility to suit your store’s changing needs.

If need be, you can change your hosting provider to ensure you get dedicated hosting environment, CDN for faster loading, SSL, and increased bandwidth capacity.

  1. Speed up your online site

One thing that all shoppers hate is a delay when looking for products and during checkout. During the holiday season, you expect traffic to bombard your store and the only way to avoid high bounce rates is by delivering excellent load time.

Online shoppers want everything fast and research shows a 1-second delay in loading a page can lead to a 7% reduction in conversion. Evaluate your site speeds using online tools such as Google’s Page Speed Insights tool, compress, and optimize images and carry out other recommendations given by the speed check tools.

  1. Optimize the checkout process

It is one thing to take payments online and something totally different to do it right. You see, many shoppers will abandon their carts if they can’t find their preferred payment method. As such, provide alternative payment methods in addition to traditional ones and make sure the checkout process is smooth and convenient.

Look for the cheapest online payment gateway, which allows multiple secure payment methods as this will not only save you money but also help with customer acquisition and customer retention during the holiday season.

  1. Optimize your store’s database

Over the last one year, your website’s database has grown and you have a lot of unnecessary stuff, which could be affecting optimal performance. There are multiple tools you can choose for a quick database cleanup and before the holiday season, you should use them. Database cleanup speeds up your website and improves overall performance.

  1. Leverage user testing

If you want to understand how customers feel when visiting your store, it is time to dive into user testing. You need to get into the mindset of your target customer and explore your online store through the purchase funnel, check the ease of account creation, check the availability of coupons and discounts, page functionality, password recovery process, and everything else on your website. If you notice any problems, fix them instantly as you prepare for the holiday season.

Preparations for the holiday season must start early. Every year, shoppers start doing their shopping earlier and as an online store owner, you have to optimize your store. There is a lot of money to be made during this holiday season but this is only possible if your e-commerce store can handle the traffic and deliver an excellent user experience.

7 years ago
5 Effortless Money Saving Tips for your Business
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

5 Effortless Money Saving Tips for your Business

A successful business is not just about generating higher revenue but also about cutting down on expenditure without compromising the operational efficiency. Hiring cheap labor, avoiding technology solutions, and trimming down marketing budget do not qualify as smart decisions. You will witness a decline in the growth rate if you follow these.

Instead, you should adopt innovative and easy ways to save money in your business. Here we elaborate on these ways that will assist you in generating more profit without decreasing the quality of your product or services.

Watch & Analyze your Expenses

The most basic, simple yet crucial step to save money is watching and analyzing your expenses. The financial statement gives you a complete overview of each and every expense. If the expense is not necessary, you can simply avoid it or replace it with an affordable version. This is not applicable to just tangible holdings but intangible ones as well. For example, time is also a resource. When you are wasting it on an unproductive task, it is an unwanted expense. Therefore, you should manage it judiciously to attain maximum value out of it.

There are various tools and apps that let you record and analyze expenses, generate in-depth reports, and recommend feasible ways to cut down on unnecessary expenditure.

Ditch Paper and Adopt Digitization

Use of pen and paper is unavoidable. You cannot completely eliminate the need but you can minimize it by adopting digital means. Instead of relying on paperwork for maintaining records, printing receipts and documents, preparing reports, etc, simply digitize the tasks associated with paperwork. For this purpose, you can invest in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system or project management software.

In addition to saving stationery expenditure, you will save money by not buying associated equipment like printers, fax machines, cartridges, etc.

Invest in a Secure Payment Gateway

Financial frauds have been the most dreaded way of incurring unwanted expenditure. If you want to prevent any monetary losses, you should invest in a secure payment processor that complies with the latest security standards. Some of the latest compliances and security protocols comprise AES 256-bit encryption, Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), and so on.

Moreover, opt for a payment solutions company that abides by the PCI DSS compliances, government rules and regulations, and other legal guidelines. While investing in a payment gateway, check out the subscription costs and associated costs to avoid hefty transactional charges.

 Adopt Cloud Computing & SaaS

Setting up your own IT infrastructure and deploying a team of IT experts can be an expensive affair. But when you have the provision of cloud computing, you don’t need to invest in physical infrastructure. Simply avail cloud computing services to store your data and operate seamlessly without any obstructions. Cloud computing ensures secure operations, ease of scalability, and affordable solutions.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a cloud-based subscription mechanism that allows you to invest in tools, applications, and software to manage business operations. You can avail a customized package based on your requirements, thereby avoiding any extra expenditure.

Outsourcing & Work from Home

Due to globalization, technological advancement, and access to high-speed internet, the world has become a small place. Now instead of setting up an in-house business operation, you can outsource to service providers who provide expert services at reasonable costs. And if outsourcing is not on your cards, you can allow employees to work from home. This saves your money that would otherwise be spent on setting up the infrastructure for the employees.

You can also consider opting for a co-working space. Purchasing property, customizing it, and maintaining it can be a costly affair. A co-working space saves you from all these hassles.

Conclusion

There are numerous other ways to save money in your business. But these are some of the most effective and easy-to-implement ways to cut down capital and operational costs. Adopt these before it’s too late to streamline business operations according to these changes.

7 years ago
8 Ways You Can Attract New Customers to Your E-commerce website
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

8 Ways You Can Attract New Customers to Your E-commerce website

Over the last few years, online retail sales have continued growing at an incredible rate proving that this is not a fad. According to projections,   online retail sales will reach 8.8% of total retail spending in 2018. According to TechCrunch, 79% of U.S consumers now shop online which highlights the huge opportunities in the e-commerce industry. If your business is not already online, it is time to make the big move. However, you should expect stiff competition as more online businesses set up shop and target the same market. To survive in this volatile business landscape, you need smart strategies to attract new customers to your ecommerce website.

This guide explores the best approaches for customer acquisition in the online ecosystem such as secure online payment systems, SEO, call-to-action (CTA), social media, and leveraging visual content, among others. Keep reading to learn more.

  1. Social Media Buttons

Most internet users converge on social media. If you want to attract new customers, you should target social media users by including social media buttons on your content. However great the content on your e-commerce website is, you will not attract new customers if your existing ones don’t share. If you have an amazing holiday offer on your products, make sure the content is easy to share on social media.  Sharing content on social media not only drives traffic to your e-commerce business but also increases brand visibility.

  1. Provide Flexible Payment Options

User experience is one of the biggest aspects of successful online marketing. If you want to attract new customers, you must offer an excellent user experience. One way of doing this is through flexible online payments. You should integrate the best payment gateway on your site to start accepting payments without much hassle.

  1. Focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The competition in the internet market is stiff and to get an edge over the competition, your website must rank high on search engine result pages (SERPs) for your target keywords.  You have to implement a smart search engine optimization (SEO) campaign for better ranking as this not only increases visibility but also builds the credibility of your online store and drives traffic to your site.

  1. Buy Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)

PPC is a premier online marketing tool to attract new customers. It is easy to target potential customers who are more likely to shop from your store. PPC campaigns have high ROI and you can use credible PPC platforms including Google, Bing and Facebook for targeted marketing with good results.

  1. Invest in a Professional Web Design

Many online businesses fail because they don’t make a good first impression. Web design is an essential part of any SEO campaign and it helps attract new customers. By investing in responsive web design (RWD), your target customers can reach you on any device. Good web design also reduces churn rates and increases conversion rates.

  1. Use a Powerful Call To Action (CTA)

On each page of your e-commerce website, you should have a call to action (CTA) which directs visitors as to what to do. A good CTA is short and concise and should lead to higher conversion rates. The idea is to convert a website visitor into a buyer and avoid high churn rates.

  1. Leverage the Power of Visuals

Visual content is the future of business marketing and internet users love it. If you want to attract new customers to your website, you have to invest in high-quality videos, images and animations with informative content, for your marketing campaigns. Videos and images have a high ROI and internet users share them rapidly. You will not only enjoy higher conversion rates but also create brand awareness when you invest in the best visuals.

  1. Invest in Fresh and Relevant Content

Internet users are highly conscious of what they need. They are always on the lookout for something that adds value to their lives and they want it instantly. If you can’t captivate your target customers with good content, they will quickly look for an alternative. For this reason, you should invest in fresh, relevant and interesting content.

These are only a few of the techniques you can use to attract new customers to your e-commerce website. You should also invest in creative marketing such as competitions, keep your website updated, and use referrals and membership programs, among other techniques. The ultimate goal is to grow your e-commerce business’s customer and get the best ROI out of the methods you use.

7 years ago
Why is It Important to Be PCI Compliant?
Mohab Ecommerce 0

Why is It Important to Be PCI Compliant?

The e-commerce market continues to grow at an incredible pace across all industries.  More consumers now shop online, and online retail sales keep increasing every year. However, it is not all hunky dory in the online business landscape. One of the biggest concerns online businesses must grapple with is the increase in data breaches.  Now that payments happen online, there is a big risk of data loss without proper data protection mechanisms. The industry has adopted secure online payment systems, but there is still a need for regulation and close monitoring. This is where Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards come in to protect cardholder data. If you are an online business owner, there are various benefits of becoming PCI compliant.

This article examines the risks of insecure payment systems, PCI standards and the importance of PCI compliance. Keep reading.

PCI in Brief 

The advent of internet technology provided an ample opportunity for businesses to expand their reach. As more people went online, trendsetters in all industries moved their operations to this platform to tap into the new opportunities. The early online stores had to accept credit cards to offer a seamless online shopping experience, and this is where security problems started.

With no regulation on data security, data processing, and data storage, it was only a matter of time before credit card fraud started to hamper online shopping. At this point, providers of payment solutions came together to develop the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard or PCI DSS compliance standard.

PCI standards define data security requirements for businesses handling online payments. The bottom-line is to protect the online shopper by minimizing risk to cardholders’ data. Today, this is an industry regulatory requirement accepted worldwide. Businesses must undergo rigorous requirements, to become PCI compliant and it is an ongoing process.

Reasons for PCI Compliance

The process of PCI compliance is tough but when your company is compliant, there are multiple benefits you enjoy. These include:

  1. Reducing the Risk of a Data Breach

The last thing you want as an online business owner is for your customers to lose their data while transacting on your website. This can lead to devastating lawsuits, loss of brand trust and ultimate failure of your business.  Information flow online is fast and swift and within no time, your business will hemorrhage customers leading to a slump in sales. By complying with PCI standards, you can rest easy knowing your customers’ card data is safe and secure.

  1. Increase Brand Trust

The PCI badge on your website makes shoppers more comfortable to undertake transactions. It is a badge of honor for any business to attain and it takes a lot of investment in security standards on your website.  It is easy to build customer loyalty when you offer a secure shopping experience.

  1. Boost Sales Conversion and Revenues

When your customers feel secure shopping from your website, they will always come back. If there is no security breach on your e-commerce website, there is a higher chance of retaining existing customers while attracting new ones. All these factors boost sales conversion which in turn improves returns.

  1. Avoid Costly Fines

The issue of data fraud affects all businesses in the online ecosystem. If your business suffers a data breach, there is an immediate impact on all other businesses as customers will fear the same will happen elsewhere. For this reason, your business will suffer hefty fines from PCI in case of failure to comply with the standards. These hefty fines force businesses to observe best practices in data protection while at the same time implementing all guidelines provided by PCI.

  1. Build Your Company’s Image

Internet shoppers can always switch to another online store if they feel uneasy making payments on your website.  For this reason, you need to invest heavily in your image branding and one way of doing this is by becoming PCI compliant. Consumers now appreciate the importance of security when shopping online. If you have met the highest standards, they will comfortably shop from you and recommend you to their friends too.

When thinking about facilitating online payments on your e-commerce website, you should look for a payment solutions company that will boost your efforts to achieve PCI compliance. By becoming PCI compliant, you will easily sustain your business by averting fraud, increasing customer loyalty and building brand trust.

7 years ago
Tips to increase revenue and brand loyalty
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

Tips to increase revenue and brand loyalty

One of the most difficult aspects of managing a business is increasing revenue.  As a business owner, you have to grapple with increased competition in the backdrop of increasing operation costs. While most businesses focus on customer acquisition to boost revenues, research shows building brand loyalty can have an even greater impact. A recent report shows that 43% of customers spend more money on brands they are loyal to highlighting the importance of building brand loyalty. The same report shows that the probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70%, while the probability of selling to a new prospect is 5-10%. If you want to increase your revenue base, you have to start thinking about strategies that will build loyalty.

From integrating secure online payment systems, customer referral programs, and excellent customer service to responsiveness, there are many ways of building loyalty with an eye on increased revenue. This article explores some of these strategies in detail. Keep reading.

  1. Create a customer reward program

One of the best techniques to retain customers is through gifts and rewards. This is the shortcut to customer loyalty and today; it is possible to personalize such gifts for better impact. With the data collected from your systems, it is possible for instance to wish a customer a happy birthday and even send them a personalized card and a gift.

This gesture will not only help in retaining the customer, but also promote your business by way of word-of-mouth marketing. Your business revenues will increase through return purchases and from referrals by your satisfied customers.

  1. Prioritize customer service

Businesses today struggle to increase revenues due to high customer churn rates. One of the main reasons for customer defection is poor customer service. According to the American Express 2017 Customer Service Barometer, 33% of customer say that they would consider switching brands in case of poor customer service. The same report shows that more than half of Americans have scrapped a planned purchase due to poor customer service.

These numbers emphasize the importance of providing excellent customer service. You must be there for your customer at all times because this is the only way to ensure they complete a purchase and remain loyal to your brand. If you want to improve your revenue numbers, you should invest in the best customer service.

  1. Provide value

Your customers already know many other brands selling the same goods and services as you. As such, your main focus should not be on the products themselves but on the value they add to the customers’ lives. You need to distinguish your brand as one that provides value, not just through what you sell, but also through community participation among other things.

  1. Engage with your customers

In today’s wired world, your customers are everywhere and they want to interact with your brand on all platforms. It is no longer enough to build a website because your target customers are on social networks and this is where you should also be. Make sure you connect with your customers as this gives them a sense of belonging and makes them loyal to your brand.

Use available platforms to inform your customers of new trends in the industry, your company activities, and anything else that is relevant to your relationship with the customer. Your customers should feel a part of your business as this will keep them coming and they will also promote your brand. This is a smart way to increase revenue for your business.

  1. Offer conveniences

If you make life easier for your customers, they will keep coming back and this will improve your revenue base. For instance, if you accept payments online free, offer feedback on social media, do free deliveries among other things this will retain your customers and increase revenue.

There is no denying that the current business environment is tough but if you focus on customer retention, it is possible to stay ahead of the competition. These two-prong customer retention strategies will not only build customer loyalty but also increase revenues.

7 years ago