In our last blog, we suggested a few New Year’s Resolutions to small business owners throughout Canada. After all, New Year’s Day comes in a couple days so it’s definitely a good time to make some solid plans for 2021. As we mentioned last time, 2020 has been a tough year on all of us. As a business owner, you’ve undoubtedly been impacted by the pandemic. So what can you do to turn things around in the new year?
Here are three more New Year’s Resolutions to make for your business:
1. I will push harder to sell my products online.
With COVID-19 still a problem – to the point where the province of Ontario is currently on lockdown – online shopping has become a necessity for consumers. Can your customers order products directly from your website? As Janna Hartley informs on Business2Community.com, selling directly online increases your reach.
“With an online store, your profits are no longer limited by the number of customers that can physically visit your brick and mortar location,” she writes, “You can sell across towns, states, and even across borders, removing all geographical limitations. Your online store also allows you to cater to shoppers who find it more convenient to browse and buy at times when retail locations are not traditionally open.”
2. I will try to eliminate cart abandonment.
Is your e-commerce business taking a hit due to cart abandonment? This just-past holiday shopping season should provide you with a clear answer to that question. It’s a time of year when online shopping is at its highest. But are people following through on their purchases on your site? What is your cart abandonment rate like? It’s important to make the online buying process as easy as possible for your online visitors. To do that, avoid making them create accounts.
“Users didn’t come to your site to create an account,” stresses Paul Boag on Shopify.ca, “They came to buy something. If you let them buy first, they will be happier, less likely to give up, and more open to creating an account. So wait until they have finalized their order, and at that point ask them if they want to create an account. But when you do ask, make it easy.”
3. I will offer delivery options to my customers.
In a pandemic-burdened world, it’s practically mandatory to offer customers new delivery options for their products. Can you deliver straight to their front doors? Have you been offering curbside pickup? Especially in Ontario, where a province-wide lockdown has recently taken effect, it will be important to find ways to get products to your customers in spite of your doors being closed.
“If you want to stay ahead of the competition and provide a unique selling point, then speedy shipping can help you reach your goals,” writes Aaron Rudd on Feedster.com, “Implementing a next day delivery service could help your company to create competitive advantage which could ultimately result in a larger number of customers and more profits.”
Unity Payments would like to help your business have a happy new year. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to learn all about our safe and secure e-commerce solution! Call us at 1-800-661-3761 or email us at info@unitypayments.ca. Happy New Year!
