Are you looking for creative and effective ways to boost your WooCommerce store’s sales? Attracting and retaining customers is a never-ending challenge with many facets and considerations. Everyday we work with clients looking to grow their online revenue, and we have seen a lot of trials and tribulations.
The FirstTracks team is composed of development and design experts who help optimize a customer’s shopping experience and improve conversion rates. We also have a team of marketing experts who specialize in email marketing, SMS, SEO, paid advertising, social media, and content. While all the inbound marketing and on-page optimizations are fundamentally important as they are bringing customers to your site, one of the most effective ways to increase online revenue and convert more customers is through marketing promotions. By offering promotions, you can create a buzz around your brand, attract new customers, and retain existing ones.
While the margins, products, and customers differ greatly, our bag of tricks for effectively increasing online sales is consistent and tried and true. Here are a few of our favorite WooCommerce promotions that can help you increase your sales:
1. Discount Codes 🏷️
Offering discounts through coupon codes is a great way to attract new customers and incentivize existing ones to make a purchase. However, it’s essential to keep your product margins in mind while setting your discount rates. Make sure that your discounts don’t cut into your margins so deeply that they render your promotions unprofitable. Additionally, consider using coupon codes as a way to encourage customers to make larger purchases, such as offering a discount for orders over a certain dollar amount. This approach can help you increase your cart value and boost your margins.
JESS SAYS: Coupon setup can be simple but there are lots of options to consider. Always test your coupons for accurate setup and discounts. The more active promotions you are offering the more complex things may become in terms of coupon stacking and customer eligibility. Simpler is always better and clearer for customers. Instead of trying to set up a Buy 3, Get One at 50% off coupon — a 10% off offer is often more effective. We highly suggest while running coupons to consider where customers will find or locate the coupons. Auto-apply settings may be appropriate for some offers. Sitewide banners, cart notices, pop-ups, and even default text options should be updated to support customer shopping behavior and conversion.
2. Free Shipping 📦
Free shipping is a popular promotion among customers as it removes an obstacle to making a purchase. However, offering free shipping can be costly, especially if your products are heavy or expensive to ship. One way to balance the cost of free shipping is to set a minimum order value for customers to qualify for it. For example, you could offer free shipping on orders over $50 or $100. This approach can help you increase your average order value and offset the cost of shipping.
JESS SAYS: Free shipping thresholds can increase your AOV (average order value). We suggest testing different threshold amounts with AOV in mind. If your average order is $60, try setting your free shipping threshold at $65 or $69. Free shipping can also be restricted to the contiguous United States. Negotiating rates with shipping providers and determining your costs is critical to understanding what shipping you can offer and remain profitable.
3. Bundles 🛍️
Creating product bundles is an effective way to increase sales while maintaining your margins. By bundling products together, you can offer a discounted price that’s still profitable for your business. Additionally, bundling can encourage customers to purchase complementary products that they may not have considered otherwise, increasing your sales and margins.
JESS SAYS: We love bundles. Utilizing WooCommerce Product Bundles you can create sets of related products and offer discounted pricing for buying multiple SKUs at once. Not only does this simplify shopping for many customers but it also increases order values. There are many options to consider when deciding how you want your bundles to appear on product pages, in product archives, and in shopping carts and checkout. In our experience, the appearance or representation of the bundle can have a significant role in conversion as it increases the perceived value.
4. Free Gifts 🎁
Offering free gifts with specific products or purchase amounts is a promotional strategy that can be effective in increasing sales and encouraging customers to make larger purchases. This often incentivizes larger purchasers, encourages impulse purchase, and creates a sense of urgency. It’s important to choose the right free gift to offer with a purchase, one that is relevant to your customers and fits with your brand. Additionally, you should consider the cost of the gift to ensure that the promotion is still profitable for your store.
JESS SAYS: Looking to increase conversion and AOV? Many of our clients have had success offering a bonus gift for spending a certain amount or buying a specific product. The more attractive and the higher perceived value of the item — the greater the success. We suggest using free gifts to accomplish a certain goal and to set these as limited time only offers to add a sense of urgency. In WooCommerce, you can set up free gifts with the WooCommerce Extended Coupon PRO plugin, increasing functionality for the default WooCommerce coupons. You can also offer the option to have a customer choose between options. This works well if you are giving away a t-shirt that has different sizes or a treat that has multiple flavor options.
5. Referral Program 🗣️
Referral programs are an excellent way to incentivize your existing customers to refer new ones to your store. By offering rewards for successful referrals, you can increase your customer base and sales. However, it’s important to ensure that your referral program doesn’t cut too deeply into your margins. Consider offering a discount or store credit that’s profitable for your business, but also compelling enough to encourage referrals.
JESS SAYS: Many loyalty programs have a “refer a friend” program but there are many stand alone and affiliate options that work with WooCommerce as well. Sometimes it is as simple as “Give $15, get $15 off.” However, it’s important to ensure that there is some fraud protection and safety guards in place so that the program is not abused. We have worked with ReferralCandy, YITH WooCommerce Affiliates, AffilateWP, and Post Affilate Pro. Discussing your goal, margins, and target audience is critical to evaluating what referral program option is right for your business.
6. Loyalty Programs 🤝
Implementing a loyalty program is an effective way to encourage repeat purchases and increase customer retention. By offering exclusive discounts or rewards to your loyal customers you can build a loyal following and increase your sales. However, it’s important to track the performance of your loyalty program to ensure that it’s not eating into your margins. Consider offering rewards that are still profitable for your business, but also compelling enough to encourage repeat purchases.
JESS SAYS: Depending on your business and products, and likelihood of repeat purchasers, one of the greatest but often most complex options is to add a loyalty component to your website. Customers can earn points for every purchase which in turn can be used for a discount. Many of the third-party software options also provide the ability to award points for taking certain actions, such as following a social media channel or watching a certain video. We have customized WooCommerce Points and Rewards, Stamped, and Yotpo platforms and programs with WooCommerce to support a wide array of client needs. The more integrated you can make these with your website and email marketing the greater the overall success.
7. Cross-Sells, Up-Sells, and Add-Ons 👍
Recommending related or complementary products to customers can increase the value of each transaction and the overall revenue of the store. Cross-sells, up-sells, and add-ons can be customized based on a specific product or category in a customer’s cart. Add-ons, such as gift wrapping or a cleaning kit, can increase the total value of an order and provide customers with additional benefits.
JESS SAYS: Almost every product catalog has opportunities for cross-sells, up-sells, and add-ons. Even when a customer knows just what they want, there is an opportunity to suggest a product with a few upgrades or to promote complementary products that other customers often purchase in conjunction. Up-sells are typically offered on a product page. In WooCommerce, you can hand select the products that might be a higher-end or more expensive version of the product the customer is already interested in buying. We have also custom programmed rules for many clients to pull products that are in the same parent category and/or are greater in price. Cross-selling typically happens in a customer’s cart and under the guise of “You may be interested in…?”
8. Limited-Time Offers or Flash Sales 💯
Flash sales can be an effective way to create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to make a purchase quickly. However, it’s important to set clear parameters for your flash sales, such as a specific timeframe or product category. Additionally, consider offering discounts that are still profitable for your business, but also compelling enough to drive conversions.
JESS SAYS: Urgency is a powerful tool. Flash sales are typically time-limited. If a customer is interested in the deal, the sale encourages them to purchase or convert quickly. Flash sales can also be offered with some exclusivity to make customers feel special and valued, which can increase their likelihood of making a purchase. It’s not rocket science: The higher the discount typically, the more effective the promotion is among price-sensitive shoppers. Flash sales create a fear of missing out (FOMO) among customers who don’t want to miss out on a good deal. This can encourage them to make a purchase, even if they weren’t initially planning to.
Need Help Improving Your Online Sales?
Remember to keep your product margins in mind while offering promotions and to track your conversion rates to ensure that your efforts are paying off. We recommend A/B testing creative and messaging around promotions to determine what resonates best with customers. By implementing some of these fun and effective promotions, you can increase your sales, build a loyal following of satisfied customers, and spice up your e-commerce marketing strategy.
Ready to take your WooCommerce store to the next level? Our team knows all about third-party integrations and services that work like magic with WooCommerce. We specialize in customizations and know the tricks and the tools that ultimately matter to your bottom line. We’ll create a plan and promotional calendar to promote your store and help you rake in online revenue. So why wait? Get in touch with us today!
