It’s not new for everyone that eCommerce started booming since the pandemic as more stores had to switch online. Nowadays, it has become easier than ever to create an online store and start selling. The best part is that you don’t need to invest a lot of money to start growing your brand.
With amazing eCommerce platforms such as Shopify or WooCommerce, you can design a stunning website in a few hours. However, running an online store is a full-time job and takes a lot of work to make your website successful and profitable.
In this article, we will talk about 5 proven tips that can help you to create a successful e-commerce website.
Let’s dive in!
Choose the right platform and tool-stack
One of the first choices you’ll have to make when launching an eCommerce business is which platform to use. If you’re trying to create your website from scratch, purchase or use a pre-made template, or use an online shop builder, there are many eCommerce platforms with a variety of choices to select from.
You should also think of the platform’s range of functionality. An SSL certification, whether or not the pages will be responsive, and how the website will be hosted are all crucial factors. For newcomers, choosing a platform with as many of these features as possible would give you a leg up on the competition right away. Some of the popular choices are Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Wix, and BigCommerce.
To make your online store one step ahead of the competition and bring sales, you should consider installing apps or plugins. There are various tools for marketing, upselling, push notifications, automated emails, reviews, loyalty programs, and many more. Some apps are available for free and some require a monthly fee to use features.
Focus on good user experience
Just think about it, your homepage is the face of your brand and it is the first thing your customers see when they land on your website. According to Toptal, 88% of users are less likely to return to a website after a bad user experience. This is why designing a website that provides a good user experience (UX) is essential.
Your shoppers won’t be able to directly see and experience the items you’re selling in your physical store. You’ll want to make up for that by making your website simple and convenient to use. There are many ways to make your online store responsive and intuitive. Choose a fast and appealing theme, optimize for mobile, increase page load speed, and add easy navigation to your site.
Display social proof
When users visit your website, they should feel that your brand is trustworthy to proceed with a purchase. Customer reviews can be a powerful tool in the marketing strategy. According to Podium, 97% of shoppers say that reviews impact their buying decision. By displaying reviews on your website and products, your potential shoppers will have more trust in your brand and the products that you are offering. Moreover, positive reviews will bring you miles ahead of your competitors.
There are numerous tools that you can use to display reviews on your website. To encourage your shoppers to leave a review, you can send out review request emails and offer a coupon code for the next purchase.
High-quality visuals
If you like it or not, customers can only give you 10 seconds of their time while visiting your website. As a result, you must get right to the point, catch their attention, and hold them on the website so you can show them what your brand has to offer. Images are a fantastic way to attract customers’ attention, and video is a great way to maintain it. The secret to success is integrating one or both of these elements into your website and product pages.
If you are just starting your website and looking for high-quality visuals to make your website more appealing, you can get them from stock image websites. For instance, JumpStory offers millions of high-quality stock images that you can use to create a top-notch website.
Outstanding customer support
Once you completed creating a website on a platform of your choice, it is time to think about how you will build a customer base and retain your shoppers. Marketing your online store is easier than ever, thanks to social media and sponsored ads. However, a customer service strategy is something that can ensure that your customers will come back.
Having responsive customer support is a crucial part of running a successful business. You will have to focus on providing an outstanding customer experience once your customers land on your homepage. You need to implement many elements to have excellent customer support, such as safe payment gateways, chatbots, live chats, FAQs, personalized product recommendations, and logistics and delivery solutions.
Conclusion
Starting an online store can help you open up your brand to wider audiences and generate more profits. Despite the fierce rivalry in online marketplaces, it may be worthwhile to take the risk. We hope with these tips it will be a little easier for you to start a successful online store and become a part of the fastest-growing eCommerce kitchen.
About the author
Polina Kulikova is a digital marketeer at Growave, and she is passionate about creating content for e-commerce businesses to help them succeed.
Growave is the all-in-one marketing platform for small and medium-sized Shopify stores. Growave helps to drive conversions, boost sales, and build brand loyalty. Some of Growave’s features are Reviews, Loyalty and Rewards, Wishlist, Social Login, Instagram and UGC.
