We understand how frustrating it could be if you have a woocommerce store but you are not getting any sales. Many of our clients had the understanding that if we build them a woocommerce online store then they will start getting sales. But that’s not how it works. We need to put in a brilliant marketing mind to launch campaigns that can drive sales. We have compiled the top 3 e-commerce sales strategies that can help you gain more sales.
- BOGO: Buy One Get One Deals
- Product Variations: Having product variations with the most demand.
- Direct Checkout: Help users cross the checkout hurdles smoothly.
Now let’s dive deeper into each of these.
BOGO Deals: Make Your Promotions Really Work
Trying to add some real spark to your WooCommerce sales? We should look at BOGO offers – you know, Buy One, Get One. They’re more than just a gimmick; they tap into what makes buyers tick and can give your earnings a nice boost.
What’s the Deal with BOGO Offers Anyway?
Basically, a BOGO (Buy One, Get One) deal is when a customer buys something and scores another item free or for cheap – or maybe gets a nice discount on that second product. It’s kind of like a discount on steroids that makes your customers feel like they’re getting a sweet gift. And it’s not just “Buy One, Get One Free.” BOGOs come in a few fun flavors:
- The Classic:
Buy one, get one totally free. Can’t get much simpler or clearer than that!
- Half Off the Second:
Buy one, snag the next one at 50% off. This is a good one if you want folks to spend a bit more.
- Buy This, Get That:
Buy a certain thing (or something from a particular collection), and you’ll get a different item free or discounted. Awesome for getting customers to try new stuff or for bundling items together.
- Mix ‘n’ Match:
Let your customers pick and choose different products for their BOGO.
But Why Are BOGOs Such a Big Hit? What’s the Secret Sauce?
- Bigger Shopping Carts (Higher AOV):
People are usually happy to spend a little extra if it means they get that free or discounted goodie. So, they often end up tossing more into their cart.
- Clear Out Old Stock:
Got stuff that’s just sitting around? BOGOs are perfect for clearing out those slow-movers or making space for new arrivals.
- Attracts New Faces:
That magic word “free” (or even “discounted”) can be just the thing to get new customers who were on the fence to give you a try.
- Boost Sales Where You Want:
You can be smart about it and use BOGOs on specific items or collections that you really want to see move.
- Creates a Buzz:
A good BOGO, especially if it’s for a limited time, gets people excited and makes them want to buy now. Think “Don’t miss out!”
Setting Up BOGO in WooCommerce: Going From “Hmm” to “Heck Yeah!”
So, WooCommerce itself has some basic coupon tools, but for the really cool, flexible BOGO deals we’re discussing, you’ll want a specialized plugin. And don’t sweat it – it’s usually simpler than it sounds!
Let’s check out a few popular plugins that are known for being pretty user-friendly and packed with features:
- YITH WooCommerce Dynamic Pricing and Discounts Premium:
This one’s a real workhorse. It’s not just for BOGO, but it lets you set up all sorts of complex discount rules, so you can create pretty much any BOGO deal you can dream up.
- What it does: Think dynamic pricing, discounts for buying more, tiered deals, cart-level discounts, sales you can schedule, and yep, awesome BOGO settings.
- Cost: It’s a paid (premium) plugin.
- How easy? It’s got a lot going on, so there’s a bit to learn, but their guides are really good. I’d say moderate.
- WooCommerce Buy One Get One Free:
No surprises with the name here – this plugin is all about BOGO. If you want to keep things simple with classic BOGO deals, this is a super easy-to-use choice.
- What it does: Makes setting up BOGOs a breeze, automatically adds the free item to the cart, lets you tweak messages, and you can limit offers to certain products.
- Cost: They have a free version (with some limits) and a paid one with all the bells and whistles (Freemium).
- How easy? Super easy. Great if you’re just starting out.
- Discount Rules for WooCommerce – Pro:
Here’s another well-loved plugin that handles all kinds of discounts, including some powerful BOGO options. It’s really popular and has a solid rep.
- What it does: Percentage-off, fixed price cuts, BOGO rules, free shipping, and a bunch more.
- Cost: Freemium – so, a free version to get you started, and a paid one for the full toolkit.
- How easy? Pretty easy to get the hang of.
Super Important Tip: Before you even think about installing a new plugin, please, please, back up your website! Seriously, it’s a lifesaver if anything goes sideways.
BOGO Game Plan: Getting the Best Bang for Your Buck
You can’t just throw a BOGO out there and hope for the best. To really make it work, you need a bit of a strategy:
- Pick Your Products Smartly:
Don’t just put a BOGO label on random stuff. Think about:
- Stuff with Good Margins: This way, you can still make decent money even with the discount.
- Slow Sellers: Time to clear out that inventory that’s been collecting digital dust!
- Things That Go Together: Like “Buy a camera, get a memory card free.” It just makes sense.
- New Arrivals: What better way to get people excited about your new products?
- Make it Super Clear:
Nobody likes confusing rules or sneaky hidden conditions. Spell it out! For example:
- “Buy ANY T-shirt, Get a Second T-shirt HALF PRICE!”
- “Grab a Coffee Maker, Get a Bag of Our Best Beans FREE!”
- “Buy Two Pairs of Socks, Get a Third Pair ON US!”
- Shout It From the Rooftops! (Okay, Maybe Just Online):
Don’t let your awesome BOGO be a secret!
- Homepage Banners: Make it the first thing people see.
- Product Pages: Put a note right where they’re looking at the item.
- Pop-ups (But Don’t Be Annoying!): A quick, well-placed pop-up can work wonders. Just don’t overdo it.
- Emails: Tell your subscribers all about it.
- Social Media: Get the word out on your favorite platforms.
- Use a Ticking Clock:
Limited-time offers make people act fast. Phrases like “This weekend only!” or “While they last!” really do the trick.
- Mixing Deals? Tread Carefully:
You can sometimes combine BOGO with other sales, but be super careful. It’s easy to accidentally give away too much and lose money. Always test out any tricky combo deals before you go live.
- See How It’s Doing:
Use the reports in WooCommerce (or your go-to analytics tool) to check out how your BOGO deals are performing. Are sales up? Are people buying more stuff at once? Use what you learn to make your next promotions even better.
Variation Swatches: Making Your Products Look Good (and Easier to Choose!)
You know how it is: you’re on a product page, squinting at a tiny dropdown trying to figure out if “S” is your size, or what on earth “Forest Green” actually looks like. Let’s be real, in 2023, that kind of awkward way to pick product options can totally tank your sales. That’s where variation swatches come in – they’re a good-looking, easy-to-use way to show off your product choices and make shopping a whole lot smoother.
So, What Exactly Are These “Variation Swatches”?
Picture this: instead of those snooze-fest dropdown menus, you’ve got cool little color blocks, clear buttons for sizes, or even tiny pictures of your different product versions. That’s what variation swatches bring to the table. Instead of making people click around and scroll forever, they see all their options right away. It just makes picking stuff way easier and more fun.
Like, say you have a t-shirt that comes in five colors. Instead of a dropdown listing “Red,” “Blue,” “Green,” etc., you’d see five little squares, each showing the actual color. Click the blue one, and bam! The main product pic changes to the blue shirt. That’s a swatch doing its thing.
Here’s why these are such a big deal for your WooCommerce shop:
- Makes Shopping Way Nicer (Better UX):
Swatches just make sense. They make looking through options and picking one a lot more pleasant.
- See What You’re Getting:
Customers can actually tell what they’re choosing. No more guessing games with colors like Midnight Blue.
- Less Clicking Means Quicker Buys:
When people don’t have to click a million times, they get to the “buy” button faster.
Swatches are made for mobile. They look and work great on small screens, unlike clunky dropdowns.
- More Sales, Plain and Simple:
A better shopping experience usually means more people actually buy stuff. If it’s easier to choose, more people will finish checking out. It’s really that straightforward.
Adding Variation Swatches in WooCommerce: It’s Not as Hard as You Think!
Just like with BOGO deals, basic WooCommerce doesn’t really do swatches out of the box. To get these cool visuals, you’ll need a plugin. But don’t worry, there are some really good, user-friendly ones out there.
Here are a few of the best ones to check out:
- WooCommerce Variation Swatches by RadiusTheme:
This one’s super popular, and you can see why. It’s loaded with features and lets you customize a ton.
- Cool stuff it does: Color swatches, picture swatches, text/label ones, radio buttons, different shapes (squares, circles), tooltips, and ways to make it match your site’s look.
- Price: It’s a paid (premium) plugin.
- Easy to use? Pretty easy. The setup looks good, but since there are so many options, it can be a bit much when you first dive in.
- Variation Swatches for WooCommerce by GetWooPlugins:
Another great pick, known for being clean and running smoothly.
- Cool stuff it does: Color, image, and label swatches, you can change swatch sizes and styles, it’s quick to set up, and plays nice with most themes.
- Price: Freemium (a free version with the basics, and a paid one for more advanced stuff).
- Easy to use? Very easy. Awesome if you’re just starting out.
- YITH WooCommerce Color and Label Variations:
If you’re already using other YITH plugins, this one will fit right in. It works perfectly with their other tools.
- Cool stuff it does: Color, image, and text/label swatches, you can upload your own images for variations, and you can even show swatches on your main shop page.
- Price: Premium.
- Easy to use? Easy.
Quick Tip: Always look for plugins that have good reviews, get updated regularly, and have support folks who actually respond.
Making Your Swatches Look Great: Tips for a Pro Finish
Once you’ve picked your plugin, it’s time to make those swatches really pop. Here’s how to make them work best:
- Pick the Right Kind of Swatch:
- Color Swatches: Best when color is the main difference. Make sure the colors are accurate!
- Image Swatches: Perfect for showing off patterns, textures, or different angles of a product. Use good-quality, small-file-size images.
- Label/Text Swatches: Use these when words work best (like for sizes or materials).
- Put Them in a Smart Spot:
Most plugins let you decide where swatches show up on the product page. Usually, they go right under the product name or near the “Add to Cart” button. Play around with it to see what looks best with your site’s design.
- Keep it Consistent:
Try to use the same style for your swatches (like shape and size) all over your store. It makes everything look put-together and professional. Mixing square color swatches with round image ones can look a bit messy.
- Think Mobile!
Always check how your swatches look on different phones and tablets. They need to be easy to see and tap.
- Don’t Make it Too Crowded:
If you’ve got a ton of options, think about how you can lay them out so it’s not overwhelming.
- Always Test Them Out!
Don’t just guess that your swatches are perfect. Ask real people (friends, family, maybe even a few customers) if they find them easy to understand and use.
Direct Checkout: Getting People Through the Finish Line Faster
Alright, so we’ve chatted about grabbing customers’ attention with BOGO deals and making it easy for them to pick what they want with cool variation swatches. Now, let’s get to that make-or-break moment: actually buying the darn thing. A clunky checkout with a million pages? That’s like having a hole in your shopping bag – you’re losing people right at the end! Direct checkout is how you fix that, turning that leaky bag into a super-speedy slide straight to “Thanks for your order!”
So, What’s This “Direct Checkout” Thing (and Why Bother)?
You know the usual WooCommerce checkout, right? Page after page, tons of boxes to fill in – plenty of chances for someone to get distracted and just give up. Direct checkout (sometimes called one-page checkout) cuts through all that. The goal is to squish the whole process – shipping info, billing details, payment – onto one single page. Sometimes, it even lets folks buy right from the product page with just one click!
It’s really all about making things smoother. The fewer hoops a customer has to jump through, the better the chance they’ll actually finish buying.
Here’s why direct checkout is a game-changer for any serious WooCommerce store:
This is a biggie. Less steps, less confusion, less time for people to second-guess themselves and bail.
- Super Quick Checkout:
Speed is everything these days. People want things fast and easy, especially on their phones.
- More Sales, Simple as That:
A smoother, quicker checkout naturally leads to more people actually completing their purchase.
- Works Great on Phones:
Direct checkout is a lifesaver for mobile shoppers, where cutting down on steps is even more important.
Getting Direct Checkout Set Up in WooCommerce: Picking Your Tools
Out of the box, WooCommerce usually makes people click through a few pages to check out. To get that slick direct checkout experience, you’ll need a plugin. The good news? There are some great ones out there, from dead-simple to super-customizable.
Let’s look at a few popular options:
- WooCommerce Direct Checkout:
No fancy name here, this plugin does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a solid choice if you want something straightforward without a ton of extra fluff.
- What it does: Adds an “Add to Cart” button that zips past the cart page and straight to checkout. You can also change the button text. Pretty simple stuff.
- Price: Freemium (a free version with the basics, and a paid one for more features).
- Easy to use? Very easy.
- CheckoutWC:
This one’s more of a powerhouse for totally redoing your checkout page. It lets you create a really polished, one-page experience.
- What it does: Lets you drag and drop checkout fields, offers different checkout designs, is built to help you sell more, and works with common payment systems.
- Price: Premium (paid) plugin.
- Easy to use? A bit more to learn because it’s so powerful, but manageable.
- CartFlows:
Now, this one thinks about it a bit differently. It’s all about building sales funnels, and a slick checkout is a key part of that. It’s a more advanced tool if you’re looking to really optimize how people buy from you.
- What it does: Helps you create landing pages, offer upsells and downsells, and customize the checkout flow.
- Price: Freemium.
- Easy to use? Moderate.
- PeachPay:
Definitely one to keep an eye on.
- What it does: Offers one-click checkout and works right on your product, cart, and checkout pages.
- Price: Free.
- Easy to use? Easy.
Friendly Reminder: Before you install any new plugin, please, please back up your site! Better safe than sorry.
Making Your Direct Checkout Awesome: Tips for the Best Results
Getting direct checkout set up is a great first move, but to really make it shine, you’ll want to fine-tune it:
- Less is More (With Form Fields):
Only ask for what you absolutely need. Every extra box to fill is another chance for them to get annoyed and leave. Do you really need their company name? Probably not for most sales.
Don’t make people create an account just to buy something. Offering a guest checkout option removes a big hurdle.
- Make Your Buttons Clear:
Use big, obvious buttons with text that tells people what to do (like “Complete Purchase” or “Pay Now”). No guesswork!
- Show Them How Far They’ve Got (If Needed):
If your direct checkout still has a couple of sections (like shipping, then payment), a little progress bar can show people where they are. It helps them feel in control and less antsy.
- Show Them It’s Safe (Trust Signals):
Put up those security badges (SSL certificates are a must!), logos for payment options you accept (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal), and any other trust seals. This helps people feel good about giving you their info.
- Always Think Mobile!
Make sure your direct checkout looks and works perfectly on all devices, especially phones. Test it like crazy!
- Test, Test, and Test Again (A/B Testing):
Don’t just assume your direct checkout is perfect. Try out different layouts, button colors, the number of fields, and what your buttons say. See what actually works best for your customers.
Conclusion
Whew, we’ve definitely been through a lot, right? From making BOGO offers that customers can’t resist, to using cool variation swatches so they can easily pick what they want, and finally, zipping them through a super-fast direct checkout. The thing is, these aren’t just separate little tricks. They all link up, like pieces of a puzzle, to really take your WooCommerce store from just “okay” to “wow!”
It’s kind of like this: your BOGO deals are the hook, getting folks interested and often spending a bit more. Then, the variation swatches make it fun and easy for them to choose, not a headache. And finally, that smooth direct checkout gets them across the finish line without any fuss. When it all works together, you’re not just making more sales – you’re creating an awesome shopping experience that’ll make people want to come back.
Let’s be honest, it’s a jungle out there in the online shopping world. Just having great stuff isn’t always enough to get noticed. You’ve got to be smart about every part of your WooCommerce store. Adding these kinds of features – BOGOs, swatches, direct checkout – isn’t just about making your site look fancy. It’s a real investment in your business and a solid way to get a leg up on the competition.
