17 Proven Strategies for Increasing Your Online Sales

Why Increasing Online Sales is Critical for Business Growth

Increase online sales is the primary goal for businesses looking to scale their revenue and reach new customers. The shift to digital commerce has accelerated dramatically, with global e-commerce sales projected to exceed $5 trillion annually.

Quick Ways to Increase Online Sales:

1. Optimize your checkout process – Reduce cart abandonment (currently 70% average)
2. Offer free shipping – 62% of shoppers won’t buy if shipping costs extra
3. Display customer reviews – 93% of customers read reviews before purchasing
4. Implement mobile optimization – Over 50% of traffic comes from mobile devices
5. Use abandoned cart emails – Recover up to 63% of potentially lost sales
6. Add trust signals – SSL certificates, guarantees, and security badges
7. Create urgency – Limited-time offers and low stock indicators

The opportunity is massive. With approximately $4 trillion worth of merchandise abandoned in shopping carts last year, and 63% of that being potentially recoverable, the potential for growth is enormous.

Modern consumers expect seamless experiences across all devices. They want free shipping, easy returns, and instant access to product information. Meeting these expectations while standing out from competitors requires a strategic approach.

I’m Matt Maglodi, founder of Online Advantages, and over the past 15 years, I’ve helped dozens of businesses increase online sales through proven SEO strategies, conversion optimization, and data-driven digital marketing. My experience spans e-commerce, local services, and B2B companies, all focused on turning website visitors into paying customers.

Foundational Strategies: Build a High-Converting Online Store

Think of your website as your best salesperson—one who never sleeps, never takes a break, and greets every visitor with the same enthusiasm. To truly increase online sales, your site needs to do more than just display products. It needs to build trust, guide visitors smoothly toward purchase, and create an experience so good that customers want to come back.

The foundation of any successful online store rests on four key pillars: a clear value proposition, professional presentation, trustworthiness, and seamless navigation. Get these right, and you’ll see visitors transform into loyal customers.

1. Define and Showcase Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

Your Unique Value Proposition is your answer to the most important question every visitor has: “Why should I buy from you instead of someone else?” It’s not marketing fluff—it’s the specific problem you solve and how you solve it better than anyone else.

I’ve seen the incredible power of a well-crafted UVP firsthand. One client came to us with a conversion rate stuck at 1.9%. After we helped them clearly define and showcase their value proposition throughout their website, their conversion rate jumped to 4%. That’s more than double the sales from the same amount of traffic!

Your UVP should speak directly to your customers’ pain points and highlight what makes you different. Place it prominently on your homepage, weave it into product descriptions, and make sure it’s the first thing visitors see. When someone lands on your site, they should immediately understand what you offer and why it matters to them.

Ready to refine your message and attract more customers? Find More info about our digital marketing services and how we can help you articulate your unique selling points.

2. Invest in Professional Product Presentation

In the online world, your product photos and descriptions are doing all the heavy lifting. They’re your sales team, your showroom, and your demonstration all rolled into one. Just like a beautifully plated dish tastes better than food thrown on a plate, professionally presented products feel more valuable and desirable to customers.

High-quality photos from multiple angles are non-negotiable. Customers want to see exactly what they’re buying, so show them every detail that matters. Product videos take this a step further—72% of people prefer watching a video to reading about how a product works. These videos answer questions, show the product in action, and help customers visualize themselves using it.

Your product descriptions should focus on benefits rather than just features. Instead of just listing specifications, help customers understand how your product will improve their lives or solve their problems. Paint a picture of the change they’ll experience after purchasing.

Online shoppers can’t touch, feel, or try before they buy. Your job is to bridge that gap with presentation so compelling that customers feel confident clicking “add to cart.”

3. Build Trust with Social Proof and Security

Trust is everything in online sales. Without it, even the most amazing products will sit in shopping carts, abandoned and unpurchased. The good news? Building trust online is completely doable when you know what customers are looking for.

Customer reviews and testimonials are your secret weapons. Here’s a stunning statistic: 93% of customers actively seek reviews before buying a new product or service. That means almost every potential customer is looking for proof that others have had positive experiences with you.

Display these reviews prominently on product pages and throughout your site. Real customer stories and experiences carry more weight than any marketing copy you could write.

Trust badges and security certificates provide another layer of confidence. When customers see secure payment icons, quality assurance badges, and clear return policies, their anxiety about buying online decreases significantly. An SSL certificate is essential—it encrypts customer data and shows that little padlock in the browser bar that signals safety.

Don’t forget to clearly communicate your return and refund policies. When customers know they can easily return something if it doesn’t work out, they’re much more likely to take that initial leap and make a purchase. You can Secure your site with an SSL certificate to protect both your business and your customers.

4. Optimize Website Navigation and Mobile Experience

Your website should feel like a helpful guide, not a confusing maze. User-friendly navigation with clear menus, logical categories, and powerful search functionality helps customers find what they want quickly. When people can’t find products easily, they leave—it’s that simple.

But here’s where many businesses miss a huge opportunity: mobile optimization. Over 50% of website traffic now comes from mobile devices, and by 2025, experts predict that 44% of all e-commerce purchases will happen on phones and tablets. If your site doesn’t work perfectly on mobile, you’re essentially turning away half your potential customers.

Mobile-first design means more than just making your site smaller. It means fast loading speeds, easy-to-tap buttons, simple checkout processes, and navigation that works with thumbs, not mouse cursors. A poor mobile experience will drive away 62% of customers permanently, while a great one makes 69% more likely to return and buy again.

Think about your own shopping habits. When a site loads slowly or buttons are too small to tap accurately, you probably leave immediately. Your customers do the same thing.

Ready to see how your site stacks up? Let us help you Get a free SEO analysis to improve sales and ensure your online presence is optimized to convert visitors into customers.

Core Strategies to Increase Online Sales

Once your online store is built on a solid foundation of trust and usability, it’s time to get proactive! This section dives into proven tactics you can implement directly on your site and in your marketing. Our goal? To actively boost your conversion rates and significantly increase online sales.

5. Simplify the Checkout Process to Reduce Cart Abandonment

Imagine a customer has found exactly what they want. They’ve added it to their cart, and they’re ready to buy. But then… they get stuck. The checkout process is often where most online sales are lost. It’s a staggering thought, but it’s estimated that the average shopping cart abandonment rate at the checkout page is about 70%. That means seven out of ten potential sales vanish at the finish line! The biggest culprit? Unnecessary friction.

We believe the checkout experience should be as smooth and quick as possible. This means offering helpful options like guest checkout, so customers aren’t forced to create an account just to buy one item. We also recommend one-click checkout for returning buyers, making it incredibly easy for them to complete their purchase. Features like autofill forms and minimizing the number of steps and form fields also make a huge difference. The less effort your customer has to put in, the more likely they are to complete their purchase, adding nicely to your bottom line and helping you increase online sales.

6. Offer Multiple Payment and Shipping Options

Today’s consumers love choices, especially when it comes to how they pay. To truly increase online sales, you need to cater to these preferences. Providing a variety of flexible payment methods helps ease any pre-purchase worries and makes it simpler for customers to complete their orders. Think about offering common options like major credit cards, alongside modern solutions such as mobile wallets (like Apple Pay and Google Pay) and even “buy now, pay later” services.

Shipping is another critical factor that can make or break a sale. Studies reveal that a large percentage of online shoppers (62%!) won’t buy if shipping costs extra. What’s more, 48% abandon their carts specifically because of high shipping fees. Offering free shipping, perhaps with a minimum spend threshold to encourage larger orders, removes a huge barrier. Providing clear order tracking and multiple delivery options also significantly improves the customer experience. These thoughtful touches can dramatically boost your conversion rates. We specialize in helping businesses like yours improve conversions with CRO services by fine-tuning these vital elements.

7. Create Urgency and Reduce Risk

Understanding a little bit of psychology can go a long way in boosting sales! Consumers often respond well to incentives that create a sense of urgency. And when it comes to making a purchase, one of the biggest reasons people hesitate is risk aversion. They want to feel confident in their decision.

To create that gentle nudge of urgency, consider strategies like:

• Limited-time offers or flash sales that encourage immediate purchases.
• Low stock indicators (like “Only 3 left in stock!”) which can prompt quick action.
• Countdown timers for special promotions, visually emphasizing the limited window.

To reduce perceived risk, a strong money-back guarantee can be incredibly powerful. This shows you have confidence in your product and removes a major psychological barrier for hesitant buyers. Clearly communicating a fair returns policy also builds trust; in fact, one study found that returns policies influence 82% of purchasing decisions. By making buyers feel secure, you make it much easier for them to click that “buy” button and help increase online sales.

8. Implement Upselling and Cross-selling

Want to increase online sales without necessarily finding new customers? Upselling and cross-selling are fantastic ways to boost your average order value (AOV). Upselling is all about encouraging customers to purchase a more expensive or premium version of a product they’re already considering. Cross-selling, on the other hand, recommends complementary products that go perfectly with what they’re buying.

Just look at Amazon – they are masters of this! They reportedly generate a significant portion of their revenue from cross-selling. We can help you implement similar smart strategies on your site, such as showcasing “frequently bought together” items, creating appealing product bundling options, and offering personalized recommendations based on a customer’s browsing history. Imagine a customer adding a new camera to their cart, and your site instantly suggests a protective case, an extra battery, and a larger memory card. It’s a win-win: customers get what they need, and your revenue grows!

9. Leverage Email Marketing and Automation

Email marketing might seem like an old friend in the digital world, but it remains one of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to increase online sales. The numbers don’t lie: email buyers spend a remarkable 138% more than those who don’t receive email offers.

One of its most powerful applications is recovering lost sales through abandoned cart emails. With approximately $4 trillion worth of online merchandise abandoned every year, and a significant portion (63%) of that being recoverable, a well-timed email can literally bring sales back from the brink. Beyond recovery, we help businesses build robust email lists and set up smart automated sequences. These include a warm welcome series for new subscribers, post-purchase follow-ups to thank customers and offer support, and personalized offers custom to specific customer segments. This automation ensures consistent engagement, nurtures customer relationships, and keeps your brand top-of-mind long after the initial purchase.

Advanced Growth & Traffic Generation Tactics

Once your core sales strategies are humming, it’s time to scale your success by reaching new, qualified audiences and re-engaging past visitors through sophisticated marketing channels.

10. Leverage SEO and Content Marketing to Increase Online Sales

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and content marketing are like planting seeds that grow into a powerful sales-driving forest. Here’s the reality: 95% of all search engine traffic goes to sites that appear on the first results page. If you’re not ranking, you might as well be invisible to potential customers.

The beauty of SEO is that it brings you high-intent traffic – people who are actively searching for what you offer. Over 50% of all website traffic comes from organic searches, and these visitors are already interested in your products or services.

We start every SEO strategy with thorough keyword research to understand exactly what your target audience is typing into Google. Then we help you create valuable blog content that answers their burning questions and addresses their pain points. This isn’t just about stuffing keywords into articles – it’s about becoming the go-to resource in your industry.

When you consistently publish helpful content that naturally incorporates relevant keywords, something magical happens. You build trust with potential customers before they’re ready to buy. By the time they need your product, you’re the obvious choice.

The best part? Unlike paid ads that stop working the moment you stop paying, great SEO content keeps bringing in qualified visitors month after month. It’s like having a 24/7 salesperson who never takes a break.

Ready to boost your organic visibility? Let us help you Drive sales with effective content marketing that actually converts browsers into buyers.

11. Use Paid Ads and Remarketing to Close More Deals

While SEO builds long-term success, paid advertising gives you immediate visibility and laser-focused targeting to increase online sales right now. Think of it as the express lane to getting your products in front of interested prospects.

But here’s where most businesses miss the biggest opportunity: remarketing. This strategy targets people who already visited your website but left without buying. And the results? Absolutely incredible.

Remarketing ads get click-through rates up to 10 times higher than regular display ads. They can boost conversions by up to 150%, and here’s the kicker – they cost about 50% less per click than search ads. Why? Because you’re targeting people who already know your brand.

We also help businesses use ad extensions to make their Google Ads bigger and more informative, which naturally increases clicks. On platforms like Facebook, we create lookalike audiences – targeting people who share characteristics with your best customers. It’s like having a crystal ball that shows you who’s most likely to buy.

Ready to see how targeted ads can transform your sales? Let us help you Boost your sales with PPC advertising.

12. Harness the Power of Social Media and Influencers

With 61.4% of the world’s population active on social media, these platforms have become essential sales channels, not just marketing tools. The game has evolved far beyond posting pretty pictures and hoping for likes.

Today’s social media is about social commerce – features that let customers browse and buy without ever leaving their favorite platform. Instagram Shopping, Facebook Shops, and TikTok’s shopping features turn social scrolling into shopping opportunities.

User-generated content is pure gold for building trust. When real customers share photos and reviews of your products, it’s more powerful than any ad you could create. We help businesses encourage and showcase this authentic content.

Here’s something that might surprise you: nano-influencers (those with fewer than 10,000 followers) often deliver better results than mega-influencers. Their audiences are more engaged and trust their recommendations more. One brand we know generated $50,000 in sales and reduced customer acquisition costs by 29% by building relationships with over 250 micro-creators.

The key is community engagement – responding to comments, sharing customer stories, and creating content that sparks conversations. Social media isn’t a billboard; it’s a two-way street where relationships turn into sales.

Let us help you Expand your reach with social media marketing and connect with your audience where they’re already spending their time.

13. Implement a Customer Loyalty Program

Here’s a business truth that might shock you: acquiring a new customer costs 5-25 times more than keeping an existing one. Even better, loyal customers provide value up to 10 times their initial purchase over their lifetime.

This is why loyalty programs are so powerful for helping you increase online sales. Two-thirds of consumers say the ability to earn rewards changes their spending behavior, and that behavior change usually means spending more, more often.

We help businesses design loyalty programs that actually work. Reward points for purchases create a game-like experience that keeps customers coming back. VIP tiers make your best customers feel special with exclusive benefits and early access to new products or sales.

The psychology is simple but powerful: when customers feel valued and rewarded for their loyalty, they don’t just buy more – they become advocates who refer friends and family. It’s like turning every customer into a member of your sales team.

14. Analyze Data to Make Smarter Decisions

In online sales, data is your secret weapon. Flying blind and making decisions based on gut feelings is like trying to hit a bullseye with your eyes closed – you might get lucky once, but you won’t consistently succeed.

We emphasize diving deep into your sales analytics to understand what’s really driving results. Attribution models help us trace the complete customer journey from first click to final purchase. This reveals which marketing channels truly contribute to sales, even if they don’t get credit for the final click.

For example, you might find that social media drives lots of traffic with lower direct conversions, while email marketing drives less traffic but converts at much higher rates. This insight lets you optimize your marketing spend and put more resources into the channels that actually move the needle.

A/B testing is another game-changer. We continuously test different website elements, email subject lines, and ad copy to see what resonates best with your audience. Small improvements compound over time into significant sales increases.

Our Case studies of successful online sales growth show exactly how data-driven decisions lead to measurable results. When you know what works and what doesn’t, every marketing dollar works harder for you.

Bonus Strategies for Sustained Growth

Beyond the core tactics, these additional strategies are crucial for fostering long-term customer relationships and ensuring your online sales continue to grow steadily.

15. Provide Exceptional Customer Service

Here’s something that might surprise you: 89% of customers will return for another purchase if they’re happy with the support they receive. Yet many businesses treat customer service as an afterthought once they’ve made the sale. This is a huge missed opportunity to increase online sales through repeat business.

The best customer service happens across multiple channels. Live chat gives customers instant answers when they’re browsing your site and considering a purchase. Self-help resources like detailed FAQ pages let customers find solutions on their own time. And here’s where it gets interesting: sometimes a problem can actually strengthen your relationship with a customer.

There’s something called the “service recovery paradox.” When you quickly and effectively solve a customer’s problem, they often become more loyal than customers who never had an issue in the first place. That frustrated customer whose order was delayed? If you handle it right with genuine concern and maybe a small gesture of goodwill, they might become your biggest advocate.

Post-purchase support is where many businesses drop the ball. Following up after the sale, providing helpful tips for using the product, and being available when questions arise transforms one-time buyers into lifelong customers.

16. Be Honest and Transparent in Your Copy

Let’s be real for a moment. Customers have seen every marketing trick in the book. They’ve been burned by hidden fees, exaggerated claims, and products that didn’t live up to the hype. In this environment, honesty becomes your competitive advantage.

This means no surprise charges at checkout. If shipping costs extra, say so upfront. If your product takes two weeks to arrive, don’t promise overnight delivery. Clear pricing and honest product claims might seem like they’d hurt sales, but they actually build the kind of trust that leads to long-term customer relationships.

When you’re transparent about what your product can and can’t do, customers know exactly what they’re getting. This reduces returns, eliminates negative reviews, and creates customers who trust you enough to buy again. Building long-term trust is always more valuable than making a quick sale through misleading promises.

17. Act on Customer Feedback

Your customers are constantly telling you how to increase online sales – you just need to listen. Every review, survey response, and social media comment contains valuable insights about what’s working and what isn’t.

Customer surveys and quizzes can reveal surprising insights about your audience. One brand we know used a simple recipe quiz to collect 13,000 customer emails and drive $500,000 in revenue. The quiz didn’t just build their email list; it gave them deep insights into customer preferences that informed their product development.

Product reviews are gold mines of information. Pay attention to what customers love about your products and what frustrates them. Use their exact language in your marketing – when potential customers see their own words reflected in your copy, it resonates powerfully.

Don’t just collect feedback; act on it. When customers see that you’ve made changes based on their suggestions, it creates a sense of partnership. They feel heard and valued, which translates directly into loyalty and repeat purchases.

The key is creating a continuous loop: listen to customers, make improvements, communicate those changes, and watch your sales grow as a result.

Frequently Asked Questions about Increasing Online Sales

Why is a simple checkout process so important for sales?

Think about the last time you abandoned an online shopping cart. Chances are, it happened during checkout when things got complicated or took too long. You’re not alone—a complex checkout is a major point of friction that costs businesses millions in lost revenue.

Here’s the shocking reality: with an average cart abandonment rate of nearly 70%, seven out of ten potential customers walk away at the final hurdle. That means for every 100 people who add items to their cart, only 30 actually complete their purchase.

Simplifying the process by offering guest checkout, one-click payments, and fewer form fields directly recovers potentially lost revenue. It’s really about removing obstacles and making it effortless for customers to complete their purchase. When someone has already decided they want your product, the last thing you want is a complicated checkout process that gives them time to second-guess their decision.

How can offering free shipping increase my sales?

Here’s something that might surprise you: unexpected costs are the #1 reason for cart abandonment. Imagine a customer finds the perfect product, adds it to their cart, and then finds shipping costs that weren’t clearly displayed upfront. That sticker shock often sends them running.

Offering free shipping, even with a minimum purchase threshold, meets a key customer expectation and removes a major barrier to purchase. Studies consistently show that over 60% of shoppers won’t buy if shipping costs extra. It’s become such a standard expectation that many customers view shipping charges as a penalty rather than a legitimate cost.

The psychological impact goes beyond just the money. Free shipping signals value and convenience, encouraging customers to finalize their orders. Even when you build shipping costs into your product prices, the perception of “free” shipping makes customers feel like they’re getting a better deal.

What is the most effective way to start increasing sales with a limited budget?

I get this question a lot, and the good news is that some of the most effective strategies to increase online sales don’t require a huge marketing budget. The key is focusing on low-cost, high-impact strategies that give you the biggest bang for your buck.

Start by optimizing your product pages with customer reviews to build social proof. This costs nothing but time, yet 93% of customers actively seek reviews before buying. Next, implement an abandoned cart email sequence to recover lost sales—this single automation can recover up to 63% of potentially lost revenue.

Finally, create valuable blog content that answers customer questions to drive free organic traffic through SEO. While this takes time to build momentum, it creates a sustainable source of qualified visitors who are actively searching for solutions you provide.

These tactics offer a high return on investment without requiring significant upfront spending. The beauty is that they compound over time—each review builds more trust, each email sequence runs automatically, and each piece of content continues attracting visitors months after you publish it.

Conclusion

Increase online sales isn’t something you achieve overnight—it’s an ongoing journey of testing, learning, and refining your approach. Think of it like tending a garden: you plant the seeds with foundational strategies, nurture them with core tactics, and watch them flourish with advanced techniques.

The beauty of these 17 proven strategies is that you don’t need to implement them all at once. Start with the basics—make sure your website builds trust, your checkout process is smooth, and your products are presented professionally. These foundational elements are like the roots of a tree; everything else grows from there.

Once you’ve got those fundamentals humming along, you can gradually layer in the more sophisticated tactics. Maybe you’ll start with abandoned cart emails (they’re surprisingly powerful!), then move into remarketing campaigns, and eventually build out a comprehensive content marketing strategy. Each strategy builds on the others, creating a powerful engine for sustainable growth.

What I love about this approach is that it’s scalable. Whether you’re a small business owner just starting out or running an established e-commerce operation, these strategies can be adapted to fit your budget and goals. The key is to stay consistent, measure your results, and keep optimizing based on what you learn.

Your customers are real people with real problems you’re solving. When you focus on genuinely helping them—through better product presentation, smoother experiences, and honest communication—the sales naturally follow.

The team at Online Advantages has been helping businesses steer this exact journey for years. We understand that every business is unique, which is why we create customized strategies custom to your specific industry, audience, and goals. Learn how our Charlotte internet marketing and SEO company can help you achieve your sales goals and turn your website into the sales-generating machine it was meant to be.