The main sales channel of a virtual store is the page that contains the product information and the “buy” button, which leads the consumer to the virtual cart and payment. But what about alternative channels, what are they?
There are many alternative sales channels in e-commerce and now I will introduce you to some of them, please note:
- Affiliate program
System in which registered affiliates publish banners and links to products from their virtual store on their websites in exchange for a commission that is paid every time a sale is completed. Affiliate systems are Hotmart, Afilio, Zanox, etc. Stores like Livraria Cultura, for example, have their own affiliate program and nothing prevents you from having yours.
– CRM + email + phone
CRM, an acronym for Customer Relationship Management, is a software that allows you to manage and present more personalized sales proposals (via email or phone) to leads, prospects, suspects, customers, and patrons who visited a specific page on your online store but did not make a purchase or abandoned their shopping cart.
- Social networks
Customers can contact you via inbox on social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and that's where you can also close sales. Simply tailor your product's value proposition to the customer's needs and agree on a payment method.
- Chat
Chat is an application for websites and virtual stores, which opens an online dialog window between the visitor and a salesperson, who can ask questions and, if he has the freedom, even close a sale. Many online stores use this alternative, including DELL.
- Physical store
A physical store integrated with an online store increases the credibility of the business and provides the chance to sell more. Some e-commerce websites offer the possibility for the customer to buy online and pick up the product at a physical store closest to their home.
Of course, there are other channels besides these and the virtual shopping cart that you can use to sell more and increase your e-commerce revenue. Plan, test and select the ones that give you the best results.
