The Bottom Line: 5 BoFu Tactics eCommerce Companies Can Take On

When it comes to eCommerce marketing, you need to take stock of your sales funnel from the top... through the middle... and last but not least, the bottom. If you’ve been following along with our blog series, you’ve made it to the final installment of our eCommerce Sales Funnel series. And if you missed it, head over to our posts on ToFu tactics and MoFu strategies to explore the rest. 

The bottom of the funnel, or BoFu, is (believe it or not) the last stage of the sales funnel. It’s the part of the journey where your prospect decides to BUY. It’s the final push... and it all comes down to giving prospects well-timed incentives that convince them to take the plunge. Here are five surefire strategies to help you clinch that conversion.   

Use Social Proof 

Coined by Robert Cialdini in the book Influence (1984), “social proof” is a psychological phenomenon where people tend to follow suit of the people around them. A popular coffee shop gives the impression that it’s high quality, right? After all, why else would so many people go there? Looking at this idea through the lens of marketing, prospects are likely to trust the word of other customers. 

And customer testimonials can seal the deal when it comes to social proof. Many eCommerce sites display reviews on their website... so if a customer is at the BoFu stage, they may have already scrolled past these.  

But you can repurpose customer testimonials in your email marketing to prospects who have engaged with your brand. Testimonials can take the place of product copy. After all, happy customers can really sell. Include star ratings, too. It’s a powerful visual representation of customer satisfaction.  

And get creative with where to use these testimonials. Some brands use them in an email subject line or even a text follow-up. Here’s an example: Send out a cart-abandoner email to someone who added a sweater to their bag with the subject line: “’This sweater feels like a cloud’ - Jen, Portland.” Then include more reviews of the sweater in the body of the email and display it’s 4 ½ star rating. Don’t make your prospect go digging for reviews... provide the social proof they need to feel convinced to buy.  

Conquer Obstacles for On-the-Fence Prospects  

At the bottom of the funnel, you need to beat back any remaining obstacles for prospect who are still on the fence. Identify those common obstacles and build a strategy against them. 

The Obstacle: Price 

The Strategy: Utilize services like Klarna or Afterpay to give people the option to split up payments without interest. These short-term loans allow people to split up their payments over multiple weeks or months, easing the burden of one big purchase. Make sure to promote this option at checkout with a dollar value (example: four payments of $20). That’s an easier pill to swallow than an $80 purchase all at once. 

The Obstacle: Quality 

The Strategy: At checkout, consider programming a pop-up window that promotes a satisfaction guarantee. This can put new buyers at ease, knowing they have an option to return for a full refund if it’s not up to their expectations. Continue to highlight the guarantee in email marketing and throughout each stage of adding to the cart or checkout. And if your product is great... well, new customers will be convinced and come back to purchase something again. 

Convert Sold-Out Items  

A sold-out item can feel like a dead end to a prospect. They had their eyes set on that perfect product... and now it’s too late.  

But as a marketer, sold-out items can be a goldmine. You can understand exactly what people are looking for and generate new options for this prospect to consider. They might even find something they like more. Furthermore, you can tap into the prospect’s “fear of missing out.” Use language that evokes limited supply, like “selling fast” or “limited stock.” If they’ve seen a product slip through their fingers, it can motivate them to jump on the opportunity to snag something else. 

Fashion retailer ASOS does an excellent job of this on their website and mobile app. When items saved to a customer’s wishlist sell out, a button below it says “see similar items.” They can scroll through options that are a similar style and add those to their wishlist or their cart instead.  

If you expect to restock the product, make sure to include a button or link that says “remind me when this item becomes available.” That way, you collect their email... and have a good reason to get in touch once the item is back in stock.  

Incentivize Referrals at the Right Time  

If you successfully reach a sales conversion, you can use your BoFu leads to generate ToFu leads.  

Here’s how to do that: Send out a referral email a few days after a customer gets their order. Make them an enticing offer: a gift card for them, a discount for a friend. If your customer is satisfied, they’re more likely to recommend it to a friend... and with a benefit added, well, that’s the nudge they need to recommend it. When your referral benefits both parties, it can create a new customer AND a repeat purchaser. Talk about the best of both worlds.  

As experts in the science and art of customer engagement, J&C understands the impact of effective eCommerce marketing. From microsites to retargeting, trigger emails to cart abandonment strategies and beyond, J&C creates campaigns that get results. If you need help building a successful campaign, contact J&C today.