An increasing number of people are shopping online, and it is quickly becoming the preferred method for finding all types of products. It is easy to see why so many people are now opening online stores, particularly when you consider that this is a relatively easy and affordable business operation to run, which you can do from your own home.
Recently we have shared an article related to how to Sell Your Products on Amazon and Stay Ahead of The Game, but what if you want to start your online shop to sell your products, In this article we have covered best tips to start your online shop in 2020.
Create A High-Quality Store
Much like a brick and mortar store, you need to give careful thought to the design of your store as it will be essential for converting visitors into customers. It needs to have an attractive design, a clear layout, be easy to use, and be up to date at all times.
Use A Reliable Web Host
You also need to make sure that the website has a high-quality performance as nothing will deter a visitor quicker than a slow, unreliable website. Web hosting companies like Onyx can provide high-quality, fast, and secure websites along with tools that make it easy to maintain the site. The helpful feature also allows you to view statistics.
Product Details
One of the biggest challenges facing e-commerce stores is the fact that the customer is unable to hold and examine the products physically. It means that you need to give comprehensive product details:
- Provide multiple high-quality photographs
- Include a product video
- Write unique and detailed product descriptions
- Include customer reviews
- Consider using augmented reality
Sell Trending Products & Use A Store Theme
Following this, there is not much point in having an online store if you are selling products that are not in demand. Take a look at what products are currently trending and predicted to grow ints demand over the coming years – these are the products that you should be focusing on. Additionally, you need to have a theme for your store. It will not make sense to sell a random collection of products, especially if you don’t even have a set target customer. A few good themes for online stores currently include:
- Health & fitness
- Alternative medicine
- Confectionery
- Alcohol
- Parenthood
- Cooking
- Technology
- Travel
Determine Your Target Audience
Determining a theme will help you to identify who your target audience is, and you should then keep this customer in mind when making any business decision. You need to find ways to attract this type of person to your store by thinking about their wants, needs, and common challenges that they face in their daily life.
Create Original Content
Leading on from this, an online store can stand out from the crowd and engage with its target customer by creating original content. This should be content which entertains, educates, and involves the target customer so that they will find your store to be of use and return looking for new content. This is also helpful for showing your expertise in the industry too. Using one of the above examples, if you had an online store with a theme of health and fitness, then you could create all kinds of different content, such as:
- Workout videos
- Nutritional tips
- Interviews with fitness figures
- Inspirational stores
- Industry news
Social Media Usage
You can then share this content on social media and use it to engage with your target customer. In addition to sharing related and valuable content, you should also be using this platform to respond to comments and messages so that you can develop relationships with your target customers and provide customer service at the same time.
Research The Competition
As mentioned, it is incredibly competitive online, which can make it hard to stand out. A smart e-commerce store owner will identify a few of their key competitors and keep a close eye on them, using what they learn to their advantage. Spend time looking at their store and social media channels to see areas in which they are succeeding, areas where they could make improvements and if there are any gaps in the market that you could be filling.
Digital Marketing
Using digital marketing is essential for increasing your visibility online. When you can increase your visibility online, it will direct more traffic to your online store while also improving your brand reputation, which is key for attracting and retaining customers. You can also avail Digital Marketing & SEO from MageComp to increase your online presence and sales.
Fast, Flexible & Affordable Shipping
Consumer expectations have changed drastically in recent times, and people do not want to wait for a week for their order to arrive. It is essential that you can afford fast shipping for your customers, but it should also be flexible and affordable. You should have a few different options available to your customers so that they can find one that suits them, plus it needs to be accessible as high shipping costs can lead to abandoned carts.
Make Customer Service A Priority
Many e-commerce store owners neglect customer service because it is an online business, but this is a huge misstep. Customer service is essential for e-commerce because it is likely that customers will have questions about the product and service that you provide, so it needs to be easy for them to contact you. Having a live chat option and using social media for instant communication could give you a competitive edge and help to convert more visitors into customers. You also need to be friendly yet professional, recommend products, and include thank you notes with each order. This can help you to both attract and retain customers while developing a positive reputation for your store.
Over to You!
There is potential for great success in the e-commerce industry 2020, and it is an industry that will continuously grow, but it is not as easy to succeed as you might think, mainly due to how competitive it is. These tips should help anyone setting up an online store to attract customers and build a positive reputation from the get-go.
