In today’s blog I’m going to talk about the difference between automatic discounts and discount codes on Shopify, and share a little-known tip to easily share your discount code via a sharable link. 

The whole point of a discount is to incentivise people to come and buy from you. So not only is it important that you share your offer with your audience, but also that you make it super easy for them to claim the offer. 

There are two types of offers you can create on Shopify: 

1. Automatic Discounts 
2. Discount Codes

Automatic Discounts 

Automatic discounts are the easiest for your customers as they are applied automatically to the customer’s cart. 

Automatic discounts are great because it makes it super easy for people to complete their purchase without having to remember a code or jump through hoops to claim your offer. 

You can set up the following automatic discounts:

• Percentage
• Fixed amount
• Buy X get Y

And you can apply this to select products and collections: 

• All products
• Specific collections
• Specific products

Discount Codes

If you want to run an offer that’s only available to select customers, the best way to do this is by using a discount code. This is great for VIP early access, discounts for influencers to use or email-subscriber only offers.

Setting up a discount code is easy, and like automatic discounts you can have different types of discounts: 

• Percentage
• Fixed amount
• Free shipping
• Buy X get Y

You can also apply these to select products and collections: 

• All products
• Specific collections
• Specific products

Where automatic discounts are available to every visitor to your site, with codes you can specify who can access it: 

• Everyone
• Specific groups of customers
• Specific customers

Once you’ve set up your code, rather than simply sharing it with your audience, did you know that you can share a link that will automatically apply your discount code at checkout for anyone who uses that link?

This makes it simple for people to click through to your site, browse your products and complete the checkout without having to go back to find the code. They don’t have to leave your site to go back to their email, your Facebook ad or social media post to find the code… the discount code is automatically applied at checkout. 

This is great because it removes a barrier that might stop people from shopping with you and it gives them a pleasant surprise when they reach the checkout. 

How to get a sharable link to promote your discount code: 

1. Start by creating your discount code in your shopify dashboard: 

2. Once you have set up your code, Shopify  will display a lightbox that prompts you to “get sharable link”. You can simply click on the call to action button and a pop-up will appear with the code and a “Copy link” button. You can simply copy the link and paste it wherever you want to share the discount – in your email, your social posts or your Facebook ads. 

Note: This green lightbox will only appear once, straight after you create the code. 

To get the sharable link at any time, simply open up the discount and click Promote. This will bring up the option to Get a sharable link.  

Want to learn more? 

• Join our free Facebook Group for lots of free training and more great info. 
• Want to deep dive into learning how to set these kinds of ads up for yourself? Check out our education program eComm Ignitor. 

Facebook ads are a great tool to use to sell more on your online store. But they are just that… a tool. They aren’t a magic wand or a silver bullet. When used wisely they can create amazing results for your online store… but you can also flush a lot of money down the drain with them if you aren’t using a clever strategy. 

In today’s blog, we share 6 resources we’ve created to help you sell more on your online store using Facebook Ads. 

1. Will Facebook Ads work for me? 

In this blog post, we share the non-negotiable ingredients that your business needs in order for Facebook Ads to work for you. We look for these ingredients when choosing whether to take on a client and you can use this to get a gauge as to whether Facebook ads may work for you.

2. Ep. 41 – Will Facebook Ads work for me?

Alternatively, we have a podcast episode detailing the non-negotiable ingredients and elements that your business needs in order for Facebook ads to work for you.

3. Ep. 32 – Our 3 Step Process to Ensure Your Facebook Ads Get People Buying Not Just Clicking

If you have spent money on Facebook ads, you want your customers to go beyond clicking those ads to actually purchasing your products. However, Facebook ads are just a tool—it’s only as good as what you do with it. In this episode, we dive into our 3-step process which has produced amazing results for our clients and students.

4. Ep. 14 – Should You Spend Money on Your Website or Facebook Ads?

In this episode, we answer the question “Should I spend money on updating my website, or use that money to invest in Facebook Ads?” We deep dive into how to know which investment makes sense for you, depending on where you are in your business right now.

5. Facebook Ads: Outsource or learn how to do them yourself?

Ever wonder whether investing in your own knowledge vs outsourcing Facebook Ads is the way to go? In this blog, we share the benchmarks we use to answer the question of when is the right time to outsource your Facebook ads management

6. Ep. 10 – 5 Pillars of Successful Facebook Ads

In this podcast episode, we look at why some Facebook Ad accounts do well and why some don’t. We also discuss all the moving parts that need to work together to ensure Facebook Ads success, and dive into the 5 key pillars that we use to generate up to 30 times return on ad spend for our own clients.

So there you have it – our 6 resources to help you sell more with Facebook Ads. Let us know what you think!

Want to learn more? 

• Join our free Facebook Group for lots of free training and more great info. 
• Want to deep dive into learning how to set these kinds of ads up for yourself? Check out our education program eComm Ignitor. 
• Or if you want someone to do it for you, get in touch. We provide a done-for-you service to our clients.

There are 3 main ways to sell more on your online store. Get more traffic, increase your average order value and increase your conversion rate. If you haven’t got a good conversion rate, increasing traffic is going to be a huge waste of time, effort and money. And you can’t ask people to spend more, i.e. increase your average order value, if they aren’t buying from you in the first place. So, you want to aim for a conversion rate of around 2-3%, depending on the type of online store you have. 

In today’s blog we share 6 resources we’ve created that will help you improve your online store conversion rate. 

1. Ep. 28 – How to Get Your Website Traffic Ready to Increase Your Conversion Rate

In this podcast episode, we teach you how to increase your conversion rate and give you tips on building trust through your website. We also teach you our ultimate test to find out whether your website is traffic ready.

2. Ep. 7 – 5 Tech Must Haves to Increase the Conversion Rate on Your Online Store

In this podcast episode, we share 5 tech-checks to improve your online store, the first thing we look for when an online store’s conversion rate is tanking, and some free tools so you can run these checks on your online store.

3. Ep. 6 – 5 Onsite Changes to Increase the Conversion Rate on Your Online Store

In this episode, we’re going to share what conversion rate is, how to work out what yours is, and what you should be aiming for. We also talk about why it’s important to focus on increasing your conversion rate, even just by one percent.

4. Increase your conversion rate with these 5 onsite must-haves

We all know that increasing your conversion rate can dramatically impact your revenue so in one of our blog posts, we share 5 onsite must-haves your online store needs to make sure you’re optimised for conversion rate

5. Increase your eCommerce conversion rate with these 5 tech-checks

If you need to improve your conversion rate, check that you have a fast loading, mobile-optimised site that has the ability to follow people up who leave without purchasing. In this blog post, we share 5 behind-the-scenes tech checks to run on your website to make sure you’re optimised for conversion rate. 

6. Ditch the default for better conversions

We’ve talked about when it is important to colour between the lines but there are other times where it is important to ditch the default to make your website stand out from the crowd. In this blog, we share how adding personality to your website with your brand voice and customising the little things can make a big difference in your conversion rate.

So there you have it – our 6 resources to help you improve your conversion rate. Let us know what you think!

Want to learn more? 

• Join our free Facebook Group for lots of free training and more great info. 
• Want to deep dive into learning how to set these kinds of ads up for yourself? Check out our education program eComm Ignitor. 
• Or if you want someone to do it for you, get in touch. We provide a done-for-you service to our clients.

One piece of advice that we repeatedly tell our clients and students is to “know your numbers”. You can’t manage what you don’t measure, so we regularly look at our metrics, and at the end of each year, we look at our stats for the entire year. One of the things we measure is our most-read blogs. We do this so we know what you want and what you’re finding helpful.

This year, we’re back with our most popular blogs of 2021. We wanted to share this with you, just in case you missed them.

1. How to block people from commenting on your ads or posts

After discussing trolls and how to deal with them as a business owner on a podcast episode, we’ve had a few people ask us “how do I ban someone from my page?”. So in this blog, we share a detailed step-by-step guide on how to block people from engaging with your content. 

2. How to improve your abandon cart rate

Abandon Carts are a normal part of running an eCommerce store but there are things you can do on your website to minimise people leaving your site before making their purchase. In this blog, we share both on-site and off-site assists to help you improve your abandon cart rate.

3. Simple Wisdom from Decjuba’s Owner & CEO, Tania Austin

In one of our blogs, we share a little taste of Tania’s wisdom from a fireside chat hosted by Emma Isaacs as part of the Business Chicks Business Club. We’ve gotten so much from this chat and hope you will too!

4. Eco-friendly packaging options for your online store

If you run an online store, no matter what size, you need to think about the environmental impact your packaging is making. Changing to eco-friendly packaging is good for the planet and your business and every little bit helps. In this blog, we share tips and options for a more eco-friendly packaging.

5. How the iOS 14.5 Update Is Affecting Facebook Ads

This year, the Apple iOS 14.5 update started to roll out in Australia. In this blog, we give you a rundown on what this means, what to expect and what you should do for your business.

So there you have our most popular blogs of 2021 but before you go, let us share the blogs that we think slipped under the radar.

Here are some blogs you might have missed:

1. Tips for running an online store as a busy mum

Running any business, let alone an online store, with kids is tough. In this blog, we share some strategies that may help make your day easier.

2. Will Facebook Ads work for me?

In this blog, we share the non-negotiable ingredients that your business needs in order for Facebook Ads to work for you. 

3. Stop comparing your results to peak Covid

In this blog, we explain why the peak of Covid shouldn’t be a benchmark for your sales.

4. How we turned $41k into $1.3million

In one of our blogs, we break down the details on how one of our campaigns for our client generated $1.3 million in direct revenue from an expenditure of $41,000 proving that creative messaging paired with clever deliverability can indeed produce outstanding results.

5. How to turn your website visitors into email subscribers

In this blog, we share some tips on shaking up your email strategy and finding a new creative way to ask for emails. 

So there you have it, our most popular blog of 2021 + five that we think snuck under the radar and you don’t want to miss.

Comment and let us know what your favourite blog post of ours for 2021 was!

Trust. It is possibly the most important element of your entire business – and certainly the biggest barrier to online shopping. 

See, people have trust issues with online shopping.

Amazing (but false) before and after photos, misleading product photos, influencer campaigns with no integrity, the same product image being used by multiple eCommerce sites, crappy returns policies, slow fulfillment, unanswered support tickets… These are just some of the reasons why people struggle to trust.

The quote “reputation takes years to build and seconds to destroy” rings especially true when it comes to eCommerce. And this is the same with trust.

We are in the age of the skeptical buyer and trust is the number one reason why people do or don’t buy from your online store.

People need to trust that your product is as good as you say it is, that it’s worth paying money for, that it will arrive on time, and that they can return it easily if it doesn’t fit or is not right. 

It’s important to understand that trust is not a choice, it’s an underlying psychological state that can be influenced.

Trust is associated directly with perceived risk. 

The main risks with online shopping are: 

• • It’s not a real store. A scammer has built this to make money. 
  • I can’t tell what the product is really like. 
  • What if I need help with my purchase?
  • Is my information safe and secure?
  • What if it doesn’t arrive
  • What if I don’t like it 
  • What if it doesn’t fit

Trust is important throughout the entire funnel. Not only for a customer’s first purchase but even more so post-purchase. Trust post-purchase is how you create loyal customers. 

A customer is literally taking a leap of faith to purchase your product for the first time. 

Then once they have purchased it, they have the highest potential out of anyone to become a loyal, long-term buyer. And it’s what you give them besides your product that determines whether or not they come back.

How do you increase trust: 

Business essentials: 

• • Have a good product. This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many products out there are sub-par. And people have been burned. 
  • Follow through on the promises you make. 
  • Have outstanding customer service. Make sure your community management (even if it’s just you) has a quick response time. 

Social proof: 

• • Include customer reviews on every page. You can automate this process with an app such as Yotpo or Reviews.io. This shows that other people have purchased – and – loved your product. 
  • Show as “seen in media” logos
  • Show awards you’ve won
  • Show user generated content – images or videos your customers have taken with your product

eComm Ignitor student, Corbin from Three Warriors, does a great job of displaying social proof through his site. You can see here how he’s used the product images to showcase trust by including the awards his products have won: 

Human connection: 

• • Showcase real customer photos (user-generated content) throughout your social media – and even on your product pages. 
  • Show behind the scenes content, highlighting that you are a real brand. 
  • Let us get to know you as a real person. People buy from people. 

Our student, Heather from For Dignity has done such a great job of letting people get to know her on her website and throughout her socials:

Trust seals and security certificates 

• • Make sure your site has an SSL security certificate installed. 
  • Offer and display secure payment methods. 
  • Include trust icons throughout your site, especially on your product page and checkout pages. These are money back guarantee, secure payment, security verification, 5 star ratings.

Value icons 

• • Include value icons such as Australian made, vegan, natural, hand made, etc. 

Nic from Dot on a Sock, one of our eComm Ignitor students, has done a fabulous job of highlighting that she’s an Australian family owned business, sells ethically produced products and uses minimal sustainable packaging in her colourful value icons: 

Back your product: 

• • Have a really good returns policy and publicise it. 
  • Offer a guarantee. Not one with loopholes but a really good guarantee. If you don’t, you are telling people that you don’t back your product, and if you don’t back your product, why should they? 

Take this checklist and go through your online store to make sure you are giving your customers reasons to trust you and to take that leap of faith to buy from you. 

When growing your online store there are lots of things you need to start doing. But there are also things you need to stop doing, and these are just as important. 

Here are 5 things to stop doing today to sell more on your online store:

1. Stop updating your homepage with every new collection

It’s really common for online stores to feature their latest collection on their homepage as the very first thing that visitors see. 

They have put so much energy into birthing their new collection and they are so excited to tell the world about it… 

But we don’t recommend it for most online store owners. And you can read exactly why here. 

2. Stop comparing your results to peak Covid

We’re seeing online store owners who are feeling upset and frustrated by their change in results from last year to this year. They are comparing their peak-covid results to their now-results. If you are doing this, you need to stop and here’s why: click here for the full breakdown. 

3. Stop neglecting your packaging

Right now, eCommerce is booming! So while you may be running off your feet, or seeing a nice little increase it’s important to maintain your standard of quality, especially your packaging. Packaging is uber important for customer experience, to reduce returns and increase repeat purchases. Read all about this here, including 2 of Karyn’s personal experiences with packaging. 

4. Stop trying to be too tricky

Your website conversion rate is so important, it’s one of the biggest factors when it comes to your eCommerce store being successful or not. We talk a lot about how to be creative and even how to ditch the default to add your own brand and voice to your website. Sometimes, you need to stop trying to be tricky and colour between the lines and use the stock standard layouts. Read more here. 

5. Stop thinking Facebook ads are a magic bullet

Facebook Ads can get big results. But (and this is a big BUT) there are non-negotiable ingredients that your business needs in order for Facebook Ads to work for you. Facebook Ads are not, and never will be, a silver bullet or magic wand that will fix everything in your business. Facebook Ads drive more traffic to your website and the good news is that traffic exposes a business, but the bad news is that traffic exposes a business. Click here to learn what our non-negotiable ingredients are for successful Facebook Ads. 

Okie dokie, so there you have it, 5 things to actually stop doing to sell more on your online store.