Although sometimes shoppers will visit an online store because they need something urgently and know they can get it quickly, there isn’t such a need most of the time. Most of the time, those visitors are simply browsing, and if they see something they like, they might save it for another time or put it in their cart but then go away and potentially forget all about it. This is even more true if that customer is comparing prices. They will have several tabs open, they will be flicking back and forth between pages, and they’ll be drilling deeply into the delivery prices, the dates they can get the items, and much more.
If you can create a sense of urgency in your online store, not only will you see more sales, but you won’t have to resort to other tactics to gain those sales; tactics such as price-slashing and buy one get one free offers. These can undoubtedly increase your sales, but they will reduce your profits, and although they can be helpful, if you can avoid them, your bottom line will be much healthier. Creating a sense of urgency that helps visitors turn into buyers is a great way to do this. Read on to find out more.
Get Your Content Right
Words are essential when it comes to creating a sense of urgency. Talk about deals and deadlines, and you will immediately show that there is an urgency involved. Visitors will, even subconsciously, take this in, and many will act on it, buying something much more quickly than they would typically do. Content is crucial when it comes to marketing, and that includes creating a sense of urgency. It’s so vital that hiring digital marketing companies to help you is often the best course of action.
By creating an emotional response through your website’s copy, you can create a feeling of urgency and need. Using words like ‘hurry’, ‘ending soon’, ‘last chance’, and ‘don’t miss out’ to inspire a feeling of need and a faster buying decision. You can also add exclamation points throughout the text, as this is another way to show urgency.
Give Deadlines
Deadlines will always be useful for you when you are creating a sense of urgency within your online store and using it to boost sales. You can make these deadlines yourself, choosing dates and times that work for you and that offer your visitors enough time to buy but not so much time as to allow them a chance to shop around too much.
However, sometimes there are more global, recognized deadlines such as Valentine’s, Christmas, or Mother’s Day. Knowing when these dates are coming and ensuring that your sales copy is full of references to them will inspire a sense of urgency, even if there is actually plenty of time between now and the date itself. You should create promotions that link to these deadlines and holidays, and having an actual deadline clock that counts down to the date on your site might seem like overkill, but it can drive that sense of urgency even more.
Great Demand
Another option for creating a sense of urgency is to remind shoppers that there are other people out there just like them and that those other people might want to buy that product they’ve been thinking about. With a limited amount, that can cause some people to decide to buy more quickly than they would otherwise do. No one wants to miss out, especially if the product is something that many people want.
If you’ve ever noticed a display on a website you were looking at that told you how many people were viewing the exact product you are or how many people have bought one, this would have been there to create that sense of urgency and heighten the fear of missing out. Having your stock levels displayed prominently is another good idea that ties in with this; customers won’t be able to miss that the numbers are dwindling, and if they want whatever it is, they’ll need to act fast. Can you see how this sense of urgency can be introduced using simple methods?
Think About Delivery Options
When you buy anything online, there will always be a delay between making the purchase and receiving the delivery (unless you are purchasing a digital download, of course). The delivery time – and cost – can make all the difference to buyers, especially if they are shopping around.
If you suggest a sense of urgency to buy the product but then offer only slow delivery options, that urgency will be lost. This will tempt buyers to look elsewhere. After all, they know they can come to you if they can’t get what they want any sooner, but they will feel it’s worth checking with your competitors. If they can get the item more quickly from somewhere else, that’s what they’re likely to do. Since many logistics operators offer next-day or even same-day deliveries, you can use these options to ensure that your sale doesn’t fall at the final hurdle.