Yes, there’s a huge potential in the ecommerce market. And yes, launching an online store is easier than ever. But with 40% of the population shopping online and 30.7 million online stores currently existing, competition won’t go easy on you. So, you better make every detail count.
The truth is that the most successful digital stores don’t rely only on the quality of their products but on the shopping experience as a whole. That is, from when a customer lands on the website and starts browsing to when they add items to the cart and make a purchase.
Is this your goal? Let’s make a checklist and make sure you have what it takes to succeed!
Setting up Your Online Store to Fit with Consumer Trends
Customers used to go out and shop for what they needed in the closest store without having too many expectations. Well, Online customers aren’t that easy to satisfy. They like to be pampered.
So, if you’re looking to attract customers, you need to be in line with the latest consumer retail trends regarding website design. And in order to achieve this, you have to take into account:
i. User-Friendliness
A successful online store is a user-friendly online store. So, forget about cluttered pages and overloaded information. Keep it simple. Go straight to the point. A clean website with clear calls to action will keep your customers happy and will leave them wanting to come back for more.
But what will also keep them scrolling are fast loading times. Yes, we used to wait for a couple of seconds for a page to open, but this is when we had no other option. Customers are now impatient and want to scroll through hundreds of product pages on their work break.
This goes without saying, but don’t forget to add the essential pages:
- A homepage is usually the first thing your customers see. So the homepage needs to be welcoming and easy to navigate.
- A contact page with all the ways customers can reach out to you.
- An About Us page that will help you connect to potential customers.
While a website cannot go without these, a shipping and return policy page, as well as terms and conditions and privacy policy page are equally important to put an accent on transparency.
The design of your site is important because it’s the first thing customers notice. It’s how we’re all programmed. When something is pleasant to look at, we cannot keep our eyes off of it. So, take care of your ecommerce shop and your customers won’t be able to keep their wallets off of it.
ii. Quality Visuals and Clear Product Descriptions
Since they’re not able to check out the item in person, your customers need all the details they can get. So, make sure to provide quality images that show the item from every angle. If you have a video, even better. As for the product description, no need to go all out. Simply focus on what sets your product apart and pack it nicely with clear and concise information.
iii. Brand Image
Branding is much more than just a catchy slogan. Your logo represents your company and everything it stands for. Think about it. What is the first thing that goes through your mind when you stumble upon the Coca-Cola logo? That’s right. Trustworthiness and tastiness. It’s so recognizable and yet so simple – no complex design, just a clear memorable text.
The same goes for the Nike logo. It’s only a swoosh but one of the most recognizable logos out there. Interestingly, only 25% of business owners would pay more than $100 for a logo design, which tells you a lot. And do you know how much Nike paid for theirs? Only $35.
But besides the logo, the domain name you choose also plays a huge role in your brand image and helps build credibility. This is exactly why you should consider going for a custom domain name. Your customers will find it easier to remember than some boring, generic URL.
Make Sure Your Website is Secure and Compliant
Nothing beats a secure ecommerce store. We have witnessed so many cyber attacks, so customers have learned to think twice before disclosing their personal information online.
That said, securing your website isn’t only important for keeping your business and customers secure. A secure website is more appealing to customers. A secure website will also help you stay compliant with safety regulations. For example, complying with GDPR for sales and marketing means that you’re giving your customers more control over their data (they decide how it will be used), which will get them to trust you and potentially buy your product.
This is what you need to stay safe and compliant:
- An SSL certificate to keep your online store secure by encrypting your customers’ sensitive data. This means that even if someone manages to get their hands on sensitive information, such as credit card information, they won’t be able to read it.
- A business license to ensure that you’re working legally. This is not an option. It’s a must because, without a business license, your website will probably be shut down.
- Trusted payment processors so that your customers can make safe purchases and so that you stay compliant with PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard).
And trust me, you want to stay safe, as with more and more transactions being processed online by the day, the risk of cyberattacks will be even bigger. So, it’s best not to leave anything to chance and to take those necessary steps to protect your business and your customers.
Think of a Marketing Strategy
While a sleek design is sure to attract customers, nobody will get to see it if you don’t promote your website. And you don’t want your time and money to go to waste, so think marketing.
Let’s start with SEO, which stands for search engine optimization and helps your content get out there and your website rank higher on search engines. You can do this by optimizing your content with the right keywords and backlinks and making sure your store is easy to navigate.
Then, we have social media marketing. Using powerful eCommerce marketing tools, don’t stay in a bubble. Instead, share insights and promotions, as well as interact with customers all over social media platforms, such as Instagram and LinkedIn. Reach out to your audience instead of just waiting for it to reach out to you. E-Commerce is all about making things happen instead of waiting for them to happen.
And lastly, you must not forget about email marketing. Next time you send an email to a customer, why not try to personalize it? For example, you can maybe send warm wishes for their birthday by offering them a promotional code. Or you can try sending them product recommendations based on their previous purchases. After all, it’s the small details that count.
Set up Analytics
Your struggle doesn’t end with setting up your website. The e-commerce world keeps you on your toes, so you must strive to adapt. You must constantly improve the shopping experience.
And the best way to do this is by:
- Track how visitors use your site: If you’re not paying attention to how customers experience your digital store, how will you ever know what to fix? Analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, can help you get your hands on such information, that is, which pages your visitors spend the most time on and on which pages they tend to drop off.
- Monitoring sales trends: You can also go deeper into understanding which products sell well when customers are most likely to buy, and if your promotions yield fruit.
Analyzing your website’s performance can help you a great deal. If you know what’s working, you’ll leave it as it is. If you know what’s not working, you’ll be able to fix it quickly – it’s that simple.
Create a Successful E-commerce Store
The potential is huge, but success doesn’t come by chance in the ecommerce world. Every decision you make matters, so make sure to stay on your toes and continue improving.
A successful online store isn’t just about great design and marketing—it’s also about maintaining a secure IT infrastructure that protects both business data and customer information.
Put simply, a successful online store is one that’s well-designed, easy to navigate, secure, but most importantly, one that’s in line with consumer trends. I wish I could say that this is the recipe to succeed, but nothing in this life is certain. Just keep trying and you’ll get there.
Read More : Exploring Alaya AI: Innovations That Shape Tomorrow
