No matter your product base, if you sell building products, optimizing your company’s online ordering system can only help you win sales.
Why?
Sure, some customers only want to order face-to-face or over the phone. But, online ordering has become more prevalent in every facet of life and the building products industry isn’t different. Why should you work on your online ordering system?
It can be easier and more convenient for your customers. You'll cut down on errors and misunderstandings. Your customers will be able to look at past orders. You'll capture some extra sales without much continuing effort. Do I need to go on?
If you don’t have an online ordering system, put a little thought into it. Three direct benefits to consider – your customers order at their convenience, you help eliminate confusion or misunderstandings and it can be quicker and easier to communicate sales and bulk discounts.
Online ordering might never fully replace a personal conversation, but using an out of date or difficult online system is a sure way to lose sales.
Maximize Sales By Optimizing Your Online Ordering Software
So, how do you improve your system? Simply, make it work for the customers’ needs and make it as easy as possible to use.
- Think about product placement – just like an endcap in a store highlights featured products, the top of your list and your top search returns should feature your best sellers. Don’t make customers hunt for the SKU's they use over and over.
- Allow customers to set up a profile so they can order what they want and simply click a button to auto-fill their shipping, company and billing details. You will create goodwill by not making someone fill out their business details over and over.
- Make it visual – use pictures and featured text to boost interest. If a customer can see what they are ordering and find out the dimensions and specifications at the press of a button, you will make it much easier for them to say yes to the sale.
- For intricate or new products, consider adding video explanations or demos.
- Set up the ability for customers to view past orders and to create repeat orders to save time.
- Highlight sales and promotions on the main page and set up your system to auto-calculate these items.
- While a nice looking site is great, it is far more important you have a streamlined and working site. Keep efficiency and efficacy in mind more than graphics and making it pretty.
If you want to truly make sure you are capturing your maximum sales potential, optimize your online ordering software to make the process smooth for your customers.
