For e-commerce businesses it’s not always easy to engage with customers and encourage them to buy your product. There are numerous online businesses, all competing for their share of the market.

If you want to beat out your competition and see sales growth, you’ll need to boost your marketing efforts to attract more buyers. But where should you start?

There are different tactics you can use to attract more buyers. One of the best places is with your online listings. Are they as effective as they could be?

Grow Your E-Commerce Sales Through Online Listings

Use some of the techniques outlined here to write online listings that will boost your sales growth and take your e-commerce business to the next level.

There’s Psychology Behind Online Sales

Images here and below courtesy of ForSalebyOwner

Did you know that you can generate sales by using consumer psychology? Consumers connect emotions to what they’re buying – and when you strategically place these emotions and connections in your online listings, you can increase your ROI and reach more customers.

Find that emotional connection

Buyers react with emotions before, during, and after a sale. Great online listings build on those emotions and make it easy for consumers to justify a purchase. Two of the strongest emotions when shopping online are hope and excitement about finding the best product. Use words in your listing that make a buyer feel good about a purchase to get one step closer to closing a sale.

Present valid facts

Sometimes making that final decision to buy is difficult. Consumers often feel positive about buying a product, but there’s still that small hesitation that’s holding them back.

You can eliminate this last-minute doubt by providing accurate facts and information about your product in the listing. Backing up what you’re selling with solid evidence sets you up as an authority. People are quicker to click the “Proceed to Cart” button when they believe in the product they’re purchasing.

Know your customers' needs

Identifying buyers' needs and concerns ahead of time can help you write e-commerce content that solves one of their problems. Write about the features that provide solutions and make the buyers feel as though their purchase can change a part of their life.

Price it right

Consumers are motivated by price. Shopping online gives them the opportunity to find the best deals. Once you’ve captured the attention of a buyer with your listing, keep the interest going by using pricing tactics that work:

• Make use of charm pricing – A style of psychological pricing, ending prices in a “9” often triggers a cue in buyers that they’re getting a deal.
• Offer deals – Buyers are more inspired when they think they’re getting a deal. When you lower the price of a product, highlight these savings by using a bigger font and featuring the sale price prominently in your listings.
  
  

Best Strategies for Writing Listings

Writing listings is easy. Writing a great listing takes a bit more skill. Use these techniques to create listings that stand out.

Open with a great headline

Headlines are what pull buyers in and persuade them to read through the rest of your listing. The best headlines are 40 to 80 characters and they pack a lot into a short space. Use words that make the most impact, avoiding clichés and meaningless filler words. Keep your headline direct and to the point with just enough information to compliment your product and create interest.

Write rewarding descriptions

Once buyers have moved past your killer headline, they expect the description of your product to be just as inspiring. Talk about the key features of your product, making them the focus of the listing. For longer descriptions, use bullet points to condense the information and make it easier for consumers to process.

Use adjectives effectively

Selling online requires the use of descriptive adjectives that showcase products in their best light. Your listing should tell a story that makes buyers excited about your products – for instance, use words such as “luxurious” and “extravagant” rather than “nice” to describe an item.

Add pictures to the story

E-commerce needs a visual to go with your product. Otherwise consumers aren’t 100% convinced that your product is something they can’t do without. Images and videos both demonstrate further about your product, adding value for the buyer and increasing their confidence.

Time your online posting

Post when buyers are shopping. There’s no point posting first thing in the morning when most online shoppers are at work. Waiting until the evening hours ensures that your product listing is “fresh” and helps it get more views. Weekends are another good time to post when more users are online and have time to browse and shop.

Design with Text That’s Easy to Read

Any online print needs to be readable or people won’t bother. With so much competition, if your listing is difficult to read then consumers will just move on to the next product. Even if your product is amazing and your listing is right on cue, it doesn’t stand a chance with buyers if they can’t easily read it.

Focus on posting your listings with an easy-to-read design:

• Stay away from too much color, which can be overwhelming and difficult to read through. Using your brand colors in moderation is a good move; use them to highlight important information.
• Choose a sans serif font with less detail that makes online words easier to read.
• Select a font size that can be read easily both on a PC and a smartphone. Headlines stand out best at 16 to 20 point font size while the content of your listing should be 10 to 14 pt.
  
  

Boosting your e-commerce sales using your online listings is simple when you know how to use words and language that sell. Inspire buyers with great headlines, accurate descriptions, and consumer psychology tactics. You’ll soon find that your online business is scaling up to the next level of success.

Kiana Mason is a Content Marketing Strategist at Siege Media with a passion for writing and all things creative. She loves exploring a diverse collection of topics including business, marketing, cybersecurity and everything in between! When she’s not writing you can find her traveling, going for runs along the San Diego coastline, and performing music.