With so many eCommerce sites out there, the market is saturated with your competition.
You’ve got to contend with a high-density Web, many options to shop online with and even an updated Google algorithm that makes it more difficult to use standard white-hat SEO tactics.
How do you stand out from the crowd, and how do you get more traffic and get those sales booming? Where do you begin?
Here are 12 eCommerce website tips that will jump-start your sales.
1. Know your niche
Let’s kick off our eCommerce website tips with a concept that could make or break your business: niches.
Online businesses pop up every day. What makes your business different?
Do a little internet research and see what types of businesses are thriving. Are you in a niche that’s too saturated? Knowing your niche is key to finding and marketing to your ideal customer.
2. Have a strategy
A plan is necessary to map out the path you want to take. You may not end up on that same path three years down the road, but you will go nowhere fast without one.
What do you want people to do once they land on the various pages of your site? What are your short-term and long-term goals? How much do you want to make per day/week/month? Work out a figure that is enough for your hip pocket and aim towards that figure.
You might want to make double that in a year or two. What is your five-year plan? This is something that can all be worked out in your business plan. Following the law of attraction, visualise yourself making your golden amount and drawing in your customers like a magnet.
3. Solve your customer’s problem
You’ll want to make sure you’re not just going on and on about yourself on your website. Instead, make your website about your ideal customer. People are on your site to solve a problem. Help them solve it!
4. Responsive design
If your website isn’t cross-browser friendly and compatible with all devices (smartphones, tablets and computers), then you’re losing potential customers. Not everybody shops online on a big, fat, juicy computer screen — many people shop from their iPhones or tablets.
Responsive web design is getting so savvy these days that it’s even possible to turn off any elements that you don’t want to show on a mobile phone (e.g., homepage slider, flash, etc.) with a single click.
5. Automate, automate, automate
Does your website build your subscriber list for you using an opt-in form with an incentive (free eBook, video, etc.)? Does your payment process run smoothly from ‘window shopping’ to purchase?
A seamless payment process will be the difference between an easy sale and a frustrated client leaving without making a purchase. Automate as much as you can. This will be work up front, but the hours you put into creating a great system will be worth it.
6. Easy navigation
Your website should be clean and easy to navigate. Your visitors, of course, want to go from point A to B without having to click eight different buttons.
Not everyone comes to your site and lands on your homepage, so make every page easy to navigate with minimal distraction. Choose a font that is easy to read for everyone, young and old alike.
7. Professional images
Fact: Great photos will increase your sales conversions. You don’t have to have a big budget to populate your site with beautiful and professional imagery.
Think quality over quantity; a few absolutely stunning images are better than a whole site full of crap ones. (Tip: Pin your gorgeous photos from your site to pinboards in Pinterest so they can be shared around the web. Add a ‘Pin It’ button to your website too.)
8. Calls to action
Place every Call to Action (CTA) in a strategic and obvious place around your site. Let your visitor know what they should do next.
9. Social media integration
Your website should have the ability to share its information and products easily around the Web. Place social sharing icons in call-to-action hotspots.
10. A positive user experience
No list of eCommerce website tips would be complete without mentioning the most important factor: your visitors!
Run through your website as though you were a customer. What do you think: Are you having fun or are you frustrated? We definitely know that if the shopping experience is positive, your customers will be back to buy again!
11. Regular content and SEO
Maintain your blogging and search engine optimisation (SEO) efforts. Blogging helps build credibility and trust, and you want to share your information, skills and experience far and wide. By doing so, you’ll add value for readers and boost your search engine rankings with fresh content.
12. Special offers
Special offers and coupons can attract customers and keep them coming back for more. Who doesn’t love special offers!
I’ve touched on building a subscriber list above; why not make an exclusive deal only your subscribers receive? Encourage new visitors to subscribe by offering exclusivity deals. Three words: entice your shoppers.
Apply these eCommerce website tips to your own online store
Starting an online store is just the beginning; it’s important to optimise your website the best you can so you keep the focus on your customers.
If you create a great experience for your customers and set up the right systems for your website, you’re much more likely to see big growth — and bigger sales.
At Pixc, we’re passionate about helping business owners skyrocket their sales with stunning photos! See what we can do for you with a free photo edit today.
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