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Conversion
It’s a New Normal for Ecommerce in 2022
November 23, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
The pandemic has accelerated the worldwide digital transformation. Online businesses have opportunities for massive growth. But it comes with a cost: elevated consumer expectations. Merchants who opt for "business as usual" may find survival difficult.
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Product Pages
Honest Messaging Drives Conversions This Holiday Season
November 8, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
The 2021 holiday shopping season is unpredictable for both shoppers and merchants. Supply chain interruptions and likely shipping delays have prompted many consumers to wrap up gift-buying earlier than usual.
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Product Pages
Conversion Lessons from the Luggage Industry
October 24, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
The pandemic challenged online luggage merchants to find unique ways to entice consumers to purchase items they might not put to immediate use. Led primarily by independent, direct-to-consumer manufacturers, successful mid-priced luggage and travel-bag sites are setting the pace for conversion practices.
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Product Pages
3 Rule-breaking Product Pages, Designed for Conversions
October 6, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Most ecommerce platforms have a standard layout. Their product page designs are relatively conventional, with a left-to-right display and a dominant image. Calls-to-action almost always appear near the top, especially on mobile. But the norm isn't always the best.
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Checkout Tactics
Remove These Distractions to Lower Cart Abandons
September 22, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Cart abandonment rates remain high. I've seen estimates in 2021 ranging from 50% to 80% depending on the product and industry. A common culprit is sticker shock from excessive shipping and handling fees. Another is distractions: unnecessary or confusing checkout fields. In this post, I'll address steps to streamline checkouts to save the sale.
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Product Pages
11 Product Page Features to Drive Conversions
September 8, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
When it comes to compelling product pages, less can be more. Cluttered pages distract from selling points. Focus on the crucial details. Embrace a minimalist approach to lessen the thinking process and close the sale. What follows are 11 product page features from three online stores.
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Customer Retention
9 Ways to Reduce Customer Acquisition Costs
August 23, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Customer acquisition costs can make or break an ecommerce business. Efficient spending could produce new, profitable customers. Spending too much could bankrupt the company. Computing the CAC is straightforward: Divide total promotional costs by the number of new customers.
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Checkout Tactics
Ecommerce Conversion Rates beyond the Averages
August 9, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Monitoring the percentage of visitors that convert to paying customers helps businesses track the performance of marketing campaigns, landing pages, design and navigation, and the checkout process. Email signups, survey responses, and social media shares are important conversions, too.
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Product Pages
What Online Shoppers Expect in 2021
August 4, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
The pandemic-induced shift to online shopping is permanent for many consumers. That's the good news for ecommerce companies. The not-so-good news is those consumers have heightened expectations. Here are seven of them.
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Customer Service
Policy Pages, Done Well, Enhance a Brand
July 6, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Shoppers search an online store's policy pages for details on shipping, returns, and more. Rarely are these vital pages engaging. But they should be.
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Conversion
What Is Your Company’s Secondary Audience?
June 21, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Ecommerce sites rely on a primary target audience. These are the people who are most apt to purchase products and become loyal customers. It's the same audience marketers use for advertising. However, secondary audiences can be lucrative, too.
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Conversion
The 3 Common Mistakes of Ecommerce Launches
June 6, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
I've consulted over the years on dozens, perhaps hundreds, of ecommerce launches. Here are three frequent mistakes in the building of online stores.
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Product Pages
3 Keys for High-converting Product Descriptions
May 20, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Writing product descriptions sounds simple. But it takes planning. The best descriptions address a broad audience, which is why many companies employ marketers to help. When writing descriptions for the masses, focus on the following three elements.
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Product Pages
Can Pantone Colors Drive Online Sales?
May 6, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Adopting retail and societal trends can keep your brand fresh and relevant. Some fads are short-lived, lasting just days or months. Others might stick around for years. Here are three trends that inspire consumers to buy.
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Photography & Video
Using a Smartphone for Stellar Product Photos
April 25, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Manufacturer-supplied photos are not the greatest. Professional photographers can help tell a product’s story. However, photo sessions are cumbersome and pricey. Need an alternative? Consider a modern smartphone.
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Product Pages
Product Page Headlines Drive Conversions
April 8, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Every product has a name. It could be short and simple or long and tedious. It can be definitive, witty, or subtle. And unless it's your company's product, you have no control over it. But there's an alternative way to grab shoppers' attention: headlines.
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Checkout Tactics
4 Pricing Strategies to Increase Average Order Values
March 22, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Price isn’t everything, especially for quality and niche products. When boosting average order values, take things up a notch by focusing on the overall value of each product. That, coupled with stellar service, can provide a much better return on investment.
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Shipping & Fulfillment
Sustainable Packaging Drives Customer Loyalty
March 7, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
How merchants pack online orders makes a difference. One needn't look any further than Apple's product packaging to understand the cherished tradition of unboxing. But packing materials are as important as the overall appearance. More than half of U.S. consumers are concerned about the environmental impact.
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Customer Retention
5 Ways to Prompt First-time Customers to Buy Again
February 22, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Loyal customers talk about the business and its products, driving more shoppers. So it makes sense to shift some of your marketing efforts to retain the buyers you already have. Here are five ways to do it.
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Customer Retention
Want Repeat Customers? Foster Long-term Relationships
February 8, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Successful brands make a point of building long term relationships with customers. It’s a crucial step in a company’s growth. But it takes more than exclusive deals and special features. Here are seven ways to foster long-lasting relationships.
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Customer Service
Pandemic-driven Shoppers Expect More from Ecommerce
January 21, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
The pandemic has upped consumers' digital expectations. What was once the exception is now the norm. Telemedicine, online learning, virtual meetings — all have advanced in the past year. Ecommerce stores must evolve, too, in how they engage and interact with shoppers.
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Checkout Tactics
Resolve in 2021 to Drive More Conversions
January 7, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton
Consumer shopping habits changed drastically in 2020. Ecommerce sites experienced dramatic growth. Resolve in 2021 to capitalize on that momentum and convert more visitors. Here are three tips to help.
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Checkout Tactics
My Top 6 Conversion Tactics for 2021
December 6, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton
Despite the unprecedented changes in 2020, the standard ecommerce usability requirements remain constant: simplify navigation, ensure mobile-friendliness, and streamline the checkout process. But there are plenty more conversion tactics merchants should deploy heading into 2021. Here are my top six below.
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Checkout Tactics
6 Tweaks to Streamline the Checkout Process
November 24, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton
Ecommerce should see significant spikes this holiday season. However, merchants must consider the need for speedy, no-hassle checkout processes to lower abandons, especially from shoppers on mobile devices. What follows are six tweaks to streamline an ecommerce checkout.
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Product Pages
7 Quick Tips to Drive 2020 Holiday Sales
November 8, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton
Consumers will rely on online merchants more than ever during this year’s holiday season. Here are seven tips for retaining shoppers and closing more sales. 7 Tips for the 2020 Holidays Integrate ...
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Customer Service
To Sell More, Understand Shoppers’ Motives
October 27, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton
Does your store sell products or experiences? Think about it for a moment because the two are vastly different. And how you approach shoppers' questions and concerns plays a significant role in closing sales. Focus on what shoppers hope to accomplish with particular products.
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Checkout Tactics
Shopper Feedback Is Gold
October 8, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton
A product question from a shopper is an opportunity. Consumer inquiries provide critical keyword search terms. They also help you understand your audience's vernacular to include in product descriptions, calls to action, and checkout funnels.
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Conversion
Forget Black Friday Sales This 2020 Holiday
September 22, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton
The upcoming holiday shopping season is bound to shake the ecommerce sector. If you haven’t yet finalized your holiday sales schedule, now’s the time to get it done. But you may want to rethink your strategy for November and December.
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Payments
4 Payment Methods to Integrate for the Holidays
September 14, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton
Convenience and security increasingly impact online selling. That's especially the case for the upcoming holiday season, as consumers will likely seek flexible, seamless payment options. Here are four payment methods to consider for this year's holiday selling.
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Conversion
9 Holiday Selling Tips to Pandemic-driven Consumers
August 23, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton
The holiday 2020 shopping season will be unique. Pandemic-driven concerns of safety and economic uncertainty will prompt shoppers to look for both functional and entertaining gifts at competitive prices. Here are some tips for ecommerce merchants to gear up now.