E-commerce has opened the flood gates for mass global consumerism. Simple transactions today would have been impossible just twenty years ago, and these changes have had a profound impact on how consumers and businesses interact with one another. Through a delicate dance of customer service, SEO and marketing, online businesses can make names for themselves and enjoy plenty of prosperity. If you are like most brands, then you are always on the lookout for more customers and attention. Today, we’ll review how you can best optimize your product pages and website in order to boost sales.

Shipping Superiority

One of the biggest reasons why shoppers put off making purchases or decide to look elsewhere is because of shipping concerns. In some cases, it may be the actual amount quoted for shipping. In other cases, it may be the processing time or guaranteed delivery date. People tend to want a no-hassle shipping and handling experience, which means that the more information you provide, the better off you’ll be. Additionally, that information should be as consumer-friendly as possible: free shipping (even if that makes the product price more), 24 hour handling times and express shipping options are all elements that you’ll want to be pinging your website with in order to snag picky people.

Inventory Indicators

Many people worry that any orders placed online might not ship immediately due to stock levels. Likewise, there can be a certain procrastination effect when the number of items in stock is not visible to consumers. You can kill two birds with one stone by providing customers with inventory indicators for each product. Not only can this include item quantities available for each product, but you can also add alerts and subscription services so that people who are not yet ready to buy will get a notification when inventory is low. An additional indicator that shows when only a few items remain in stock can help move some of those shoppers who are on the fence into buying today.

Comparison Tools

The more information provided to customers, the more customers will engage with your brand. One great way in which to boost the number of sales is to offer product comparison solutions. This can be easily done, will help reduce the number of overall questions you receive about various products, and can be a godsend for reducing the number of returns you have to handle. By allowing side-by-side comparisons of similar products, customers will be better equipped to make the right purchase and will therefore feel more confident in buying now than later. When coupled with a “suggested items” or “view products similar to this” function, you can really increase the number of sales you’ll earn from a given number of visitors.

If you are not yet pinging your website with these refinements and additions, then what are you waiting on? By adding these three simple changes to your store and products, you can help increase the number of people who make a purchase and reduce the number of people who abandon their shopping carts or otherwise never complete an order.