How to Get More Sales for Online Business

If you’re running an online business (whether you’re selling products, generating leads, or offering services) you already know one thing: getting traffic is only half the battle. Turning that traffic into paying customers is where growth happens.

Many New Zealand SMEs spend a lot of time and money trying to “do more marketing”—launching ads, updating websites, or investing in social. But more activity doesn’t always mean more sales. What drives real, sustainable growth is a system. One that connects your website, your data, and your marketing into a flywheel that gets sharper over time.

So, how do you actually grow online sales in a measurable and repeatable way? Here are six key principles.

1. Focus on Customer Value, Not Just Volume

It’s tempting to chase more clicks, more impressions, more eyeballs. But the best-performing online businesses focus on attracting the right visitors—those most likely to convert, stay loyal, and refer others.

That starts with understanding your best customer types. Look at who’s already converting well. What channels did they come from? What problems were they trying to solve? What content or offers pushed them over the line?

Whether you’re selling heat pumps or business coaching, customer lifetime value is a smarter goal than just “more leads.”

2. Reduce Friction on the Path to Purchase

If your website makes it hard for someone to take the next step, you’re leaving money on the table.

• Is your CTA clear and visible?
• Is your form asking for too much too soon?
• Can someone understand your offer within five seconds?
• Is the mobile experience clean and fast?

One of the most common barriers we see—especially for NZ companies selling internationally—is shipping cost sensitivity. If customers can’t get a clear estimate early in the journey, they’ll often abandon the process before ever seeing the value of your product. The same goes for unclear pricing in foreign currencies or lack of trust signals for international buyers.

3. Connect the Dots Between Channels

Your ads, email, SEO, landing pages and CRM shouldn’t operate in silos. When they do, it’s hard to know what’s working—or scale what’s working best.

To drive online growth, you need to see how a Facebook campaign influences Google searches. Or how a blog post builds trust before someone clicks on a retargeting ad. This isn’t about running every channel—it’s about making sure your activity is integrated and mutually reinforcing.

4. Build Repeatable Wins, Not One-Off Hacks

One strong quarter doesn’t build a business. What makes a difference is identifying what's working and turning it into a repeatable play.

If a particular offer, funnel, or email sequence is generating leads at a strong cost per acquisition—double down, refine it, and apply it to similar customer segments. Great online businesses aren’t just testing—they’re systemising what works.

This is especially important when expanding into overseas markets. What works in NZ might not resonate the same in Australia or the US. Different messaging, payment expectations, or customer objections can shift conversion outcomes significantly. A repeatable testing and optimisation loop becomes critical.

5. Use Your Data to Make Smarter Moves

Your website is a goldmine of insight—if you know where to look.

Use tools like GA4, Hotjar, and Meta Pixel to understand:

• Where people are dropping off
• Which pages are driving action
• What audiences are converting best

These insights should directly shape your next campaign, next landing page update, or next product bundling strategy.

6. Don't Try to Scale Without a Repeatable System

Growth isn’t about guessing. It’s about building a flywheel that uses data, insights, and learnings to get stronger over time. That’s where a structured framework comes in.

“In an every-changing environment, we know we can rely on Web Antler’s system to keep us ahead of the game. Over the last year we’ve seen phenomenal growth from our paid media, while always improving our ROAS.”
— Josh Cragg, Group Digital Manager, Barkers & MAX

If your online business is busy but not growing—or growing but not predictably—it might be time to stop guessing and start systemising.

Web Antler’s Supercharge is a proven, systematic approach to accelerating new customer growth by harnessing your data, marketing, and website performance. Developed over 10 years, it combines the most powerful growth strategies used by top NZ brands.

This holistic framework consistently delivers measurable, repeatable results for SMEs—whether you’re focused on ecommerce, leads, or international expansion.

Learn more about Web Antler’s Supercharge Strategy System and how it can unlock smarter growth for your online business.