Have you been using the same techniques repeatedly to increase sales but haven’t seen the results that you were hoping for? If you want to increase sales and influence your customers to buy more, you have to get inside their heads. Figure out what they are looking for and what you can do to convince them to buy your product.
There is already so much content out there. If you want to stand out from your competitors, you have to understand their minds and what they want. This is where psychology comes in.
How to Increase Sales for your Business
1. The Art of Giving
The principle of reciprocity in sales means that when someone gives us something, we feel bound to give something back.
Even though online retailers cannot make house visits and promote their products by giving out samples directly, there are ways to promote more than the product the customer is buying.
Give Content
Depending on your products, written content can go a long way for customers. This is done in the form of an email. For example, if you sell clothing and a customer is looking at a particular shirt, you can send that customer an email to a blog post about making the most of your wardrobe.
Content can come in the form of how-to guides, blog posts, or any other written content beneficial to what they are looking at or what they have been interested in. If they have abandoned their cart, this is an excellent way to send an article related to things in their cart. That small push could be what they are looking for if they haven’t gone through with the purchase yet.
Surprise!
Advertising any free gift or incentive before a purchase is a great way to increase first-time purchases. But, there are other more subtle approaches that you can use when giving free gifts to increase online sales.
This means that they don’t tell the customer ahead of time that they are receiving a free gift or sample. Instead, when they open the package that they are already looking forward to, they will have the added surprise of receiving a free gift.
This can create a feeling of reciprocity with your customer, where they will feel more willing to buy something in the future.
2. Commitment and Consistency to Your Customers
The principle of commitment and consistency shows that people will go to great lengths to appear consistent in their words and actions.
If you are looking to make a change in your life, it always helps to share your goal with a close friend, a relative, or anybody. Once you have made your commitment out in the open, you will have more incentive to go after your goal and keep it up.
From a retail perspective, if you understand the psychology of buying and you get customers to make even a small commitment to your brand, such as signing up for your newsletter, they are more likely to purchase from you.
Easy Returns can Increase Sales in the Long Run
Your commitment and consistency to your customers can even extend to your return policy. Narvar, an intelligent customer experience platform, conducted a study that shows almost three-quarters of consumers said they would be more likely to buy from a company if they had an easy return policy.
Customers are less hesitant to buy a product if they can easily return it. Unless there is something wrong with the product, they may not be as likely to return it as they are already committed.
3. The Psychology of Likes
The psychology of buying shows that we are more likely to say yes to a product or request if we feel a direct connection to the person making the request.
This is one of the reasons that brands hire celebrities to endorse their products. As a result, fans of celebrities become fans of the product or brand.
Your Brand Identity
Every aspect of your store, from the colors to fonts to photos, etc., contributes to you and your brand identity. Your main goal starting is to create a personality that your target audience can relate to and like.
Let your potential customers relate to you. Talk about your story and building your brand. Put a personal element on your “About Us” page. For example, include a picture of yourself wearing or using your product if you feel comfortable doing so.
Another way to allow customers to identify with your brand is by photographing ‘real people’ using your products. Post candid shots of people using or wearing your product on your website, with the people’s permission in the photo. This can give your brand a more relatable feel for potential customers.
Remember that brand identity will be different for everybody, depending on what’s sold. If you’re selling children’s products, the brand will look different from if you’re selling natural and organic products. Match your brand identity to what you’re selling.
Social Links on Product Pages
Many potential buyers are more likely to purchase your product if recommended by someone they trust, such as friends or family members.
Having links to your Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest accounts can allow your customers to tell their friends and followers about the products they found on your site.
This can expand your brand to an even wider audience and increase traffic on your site, leading to sales.
People Want to Know What Others are Interested In
When you see someone wearing the same shirt or shoes as you, there is a psychological trigger to feel a connection with that person.
Many stores use the connection tool by showcasing products similar to what the person is looking at. You can show other products that customers have purchased in the same transaction. Or, you can also share what other products customers looked at while browsing.
4. Voice of Authority
People like a sense of familiarity in their world. It offers a sense of security. This is why your brand showcases something familiar, such as a celebrity or industry expert. As a result, people will be more apt to believe your brand possesses similar qualities to that voice.
When you associate your brand and products with authoritative figures, you inherit an appearance of authority to your customers.
What the Expert Recommends
Buyers are more likely to purchase a product when an expert recommends it.
If you sell clothing and have an expert stylist, create a page with their top picks for every season or what they would pair with a particular item of clothing. Have a personal trainer showcase what they use if you sell fitness products.
The experts’ recommendations give your brand a sense of authority because it showcases that your experts know what is best.
Endorsements from the Experts
If you don’t have an expert on your staff, there is nothing you need to worry about! However, even having a stamp of approval from an expert in the form of an endorsement is enough to show a sense of authority you need to instill in customers’ confidence.
When shopping online, you can’t physically pick the item up or ask questions about it to a sales associate in real-time. However, potential buyers will likely buy the product you’re selling if an industry expert encourages them to purchase it.
Endorsements from experts don’t always come in the form of social media either. You can showcase endorsements right on product pages, with testimonials from the experts and pictures of them wearing or using the product. This displays the product in action.
5. Social Proof
This psychological trigger is connected to the principle of liking. As social creatures, we more often than not lean towards what other people like. This is true whether we like the product or not. People also trust product recommendations from their friends and family.
One approach to using social proof is to provide a “Best Sellers” or “Most Popular” page. Then, when you highlight a top-selling product, you give them a specific sense of desirability. And, of course, ratings and reviews are another useful way to use this approach. Ratings and reviews from real people give your brand a sense of credibility.
The psychology of social proof doesn’t just have to happen off your website. It is also useful on social media. Social media is a great way to show off the products you are selling and reach your target audience.
Online comments about your brand and products can garner interest and increase sales. We are more apt to buy a product after reading positive reviews on social media, even if we don’t know who wrote the review.
6. Don’t Miss Out!
When people believe they are missing out on an opportunity or sale, they are motivated to make a purchase. So you want to instil a small sense of fear in customers that they may miss out on a product you’re selling. This is the principle of scarcity.]
Announcing scarcity is only 50% of what you have to do. You need to provide your customers with information, so they can act and not miss out. Provide information, but also a way to get there. This prevents frustration among potential customers.
Almost out-of-stock
If a product is almost out of stock, provide a link to the product page. In addition, you can highlight a product that is almost out of stock through an email to the customer, your social media page, or your website.
Items that are almost out of stock have an element of scarcity built-in. If a product is a sample sale, it may be worth highlighting so interested customers don’t miss out.
Limited-time and Seasonal Products
Seasonal products, including holiday drinks, have a special array to them. Buyers know they are only there for a limited time, thus making the purchase of them more exciting. The desire to have that beverage or product drives buyers to purchase it as many times as possible before they have to wait until next year.
Labels
If you don’t have a label for your brand, but your loyal customers have created one of their own, embrace it and use it. If they haven’t, look for opportunities to do so. The label can revolve around your brand or a shared value between you and your customers.
Stand Up for What You Believe In
Standing up for what you believe in, either politically, socially, or environmentally, can turn many potential customers away from your brand. But, increasingly, consumers praise brands that stand up for different issues.
This move can strengthen your connection with loyal customers and create strong relationships with new customers. Your political stance isn’t going to turn away all potential customers.
After you take a stance on a particular issue, the customers who stand by the brand are more than likely geared toward your type of audience.
The old-fashioned ways may be beneficial sometimes to increase sales, but it is not as useful as knowing your customer’s mind in the long haul.
The seven psychological triggers listed above and how you can use them can help you increase sales and influence your customers. Then, you turn that “no” into a “yes,” which equals a purchase.
Use these techniques on your website, through your emails, on social media, and anywhere your brand is present. Use these techniques anywhere your brand has a following and reap the benefits by watching your sales go up.
