Offline vs. Online – How to Convince Consumers to Online Shopping?

1. Take advantage of social proof

We’re likely to follow the crowd. That’s why online shopping is gaining in popularity each year. We buy because “someone also bought something”. Show potential customers that many other people have already purchased something in your store and are very satisfied with the products. That they aren’t concerned about shipping or payment methods. That everything is delivered safely and timely. Use social proof to address all the possible doubts of your personas so that they’re sure that they’re doing the right thing.

Show product photos taken by real customers who display items in everyday use. Publish pictures of people wearing clothes from your offer, using your kitchen utensils, or playing with their pets with toys from your store.

Benefit from user-generated content. Comments, reviews, or product recommendations written by real users are invaluable. They not only support the SEO process but also encourage potential customers to finalize their transactions.

Is there anything else social proof can help you with? When shopping online, have you ever encountered notifications saying “16 people bought this product in the last 24 hours” or “5 users are checking this item out at the moment”? If so, this is another application of social proof – “others bought it so why shouldn’t I get it as well?”.

2. Offer free shipping and returns

This is another huge concern of offline customers – they don’t want to pay for shipping and possible returns. Instead, they prefer to go to a traditional store, see or try everything on, and then make the decision. However, getting to the shopping mall is also time and energy-consuming. How to deal with this?

If possible, offer free shipping over a certain amount. Analyze the options provided by your market rivals and see what’s the standard order value over which they send goods for free.

The costs of an individual transaction will be higher (as you will pay for the shipment), however, there will also be more transactions as people concerned about this aspect won’t leave your store so easily anymore. Although you may not benefit from the first purchases as much as possible, the CLV (Customer Lifetime Value) of such new customers can be noticeably higher. Once they trust one brand and everything goes according to the plan, they may become your regular recipients.

3. Provide customers with as many payments and delivery methods as possible

If you want to reach customers who aren’t eager online shoppers right now, remember about offering various delivery methods. Parcel lockers aren’t located in every small city and not every elderly person is willing to open the door to the courier. For some people, it’s much easier to pick up the order from a selected collection point such as the nearest store where they do everyday shopping.

The same principle applies to payments. The first transactions made by customers who don’t trust you yet and aren’t avid online shoppers, in general, are likely to be finalized only if you offer a “cash on delivery” method. And it’s not only about trust, think about the technological barrier. You would be surprised if we told you how many people still don’t use online banking.

4. Benefit from the unavailability

If you’ve been selling your products or services only in brick and mortar stores so far and now you want to attract online customers, offer them special products or sets that aren’t available in traditional shops. Complement the package with a small, unique, free gift that can’t be bought in brick and mortar stores.

5. Benefit from the FOMO principle (fear of missing out)

Do you sometimes have the feeling that you’re missing the boat and that you’re not aware that something is happening? Most of us feel this way and online stores can benefit from that. Create special, time-limited offers for new customers. Deals that are available only on a given day. Starter sets for users who haven’t bought anything from you so far, discounts for signing up for a newsletter – all of these ideas are really worth considering.

6. Refine the UX and UI of your online store

People who have never shopped online don’t know the ropes. They aren’t familiar with online shops, shopping carts, registration forms. Remember about it when designing the interface of your store and planning the entire purchase path of the customers, from the very first moment they enter your store to the moment they finalize the transaction. Regardless of the device, assist your visitors the whole time they’re on your website. Use appropriate product descriptions to facilitate their decision-making process, dispel any doubts, and support SEO.

7. Make sure that users can fully benefit from online customer service

Customers who haven’t been shopping online so far need much more support and assistance than people who can’t imagine their lives without online sales and discounts. Make sure that your store provides all possible forms of contact with the customer service department. The phone number, email address, live video or audio chat with a consultant, and responsive social media profiles are a must.

8. Allow customers to finalize transactions without having to create an account

Creating an account and providing a huge amount of data may raise a lot of concerns if someone isn’t familiar with online shopping. Limit the amount of information required to register. Make it possible to finalize the transaction without the necessity to set up an account. At the same time, you can encourage users to do it by offering them specific benefits such as the possibility to track their order, extra gifts or order record that has an impact on future discounts and special offers for regular customers. Still, it’s better to encourage, not to force.

The takeaway

How to convince people to shop online? Many of us are more and more willing to purchase goods over the Internet, especially in the era of the ongoing pandemic, restrictions, and lockdowns. As an entrepreneur operating in the e-commerce industry, you should be aware that customers who haven’t dealt with online stores before requiring special treatment and different approaches. The minor adjustments we’ve described above can make offline customers stay with you for longer and improve the CLV. Thanks to it, you’ll be able to find a strong and reliable group of recipients of your offer. Take care of the users from the very outset and profit from the obtained benefits for years.