Today, it would be impossible for many businesses to stay afloat if they did not sell online. When you set up a small business, you quickly begin to realise the benefits of having an e-commerce store, as they are usually quite cheap to set up and can quickly maximise your profits and even help your business to go global. You might even be able to get your product in stores to really boost your sales (if you’re interested how, then have a look at https://tradebeyond.com/how-to-get-your-product-in-stores/). However, first you need to set up your e-commerce store. This is a crucial process that requires a lot of thinking, planning and research in order to be successful. We’ve listed some of the main things that you’ll need to think about when setting up an online store for your business.
Choosing an E-Commerce Platform:
Firstly, perhaps the most important decision that you will need to make is choosing an e-commerce platform on which to build and host your online store. Many CMS offer e-commerce features, for example WordPress, however, for the best experience, it’s a good idea to use an e-commerce platform with a good track record, for example by working with this Shopify Agency.
Marketing Your Store:
Secondly, marketing your store and deciding how you are going to spread the word to your customers is also important. If you currently operate out of a bricks and mortar store and are setting up an online store as well, you can use your store as a platform for handing out marketing materials such as flyers, business cards, or displaying posters. Offering a ‘click and collect’ service from your store will encourage more customers to buy online. You will also need to have a solid plan in place for digital marketing, for example social media marketing strategies.
Customer Service:
If you have experience in running a retail business, then you will know exactly how important the customer experience is. Many customers will quickly forgive a faulty product or being overcharged if their complaint is dealt with in a kind and friendly manner and their overall shopping experience was otherwise excellent. Although selling online is different in that you won’t speak to customers face to face, it’s vital to have a customer service team on hand via telephone, email or webchat to help customers with anything that they need.
User Interface:
Lastly, it’s important to ensure that your online store is easy and enjoyable to use for customers. When working with your web designer, it’s important to ensure that you put together a simple and easy to follow navigation system and a site layout that is easy to follow and understand. Product photos, videos and descriptions are also important to give customers a good idea of what they’re about to buy. Along with this, you should also ensure that customers don’t get frustrated with a slow site loading time, which can also be dangerous for your bottom line by adversely affecting SEO.
There are lots of different things to think about when setting up an e-commerce store. These are just some of the main factors to consider when it comes to successfully selling online. Would you like to add to this list? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.