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Ecommerce is here to stay, and whether you have a budding business or are just considering a startup venture, building your customer base offers obvious benefits. But how do you catch the eyes of potential customers, and then ensure their faithful return? Read on for some best-kept secrets for how you can not only spark new interest but keep shoppers coming back for more. You can also check with an Amazon marketing agency, if the business you wish to undertake is related to the Amazon company.
Leaps and Bounds
If there was still speculation about whether ecommerce was here to stay, some recent statistics erase all doubt. With several years reflecting a steady foothold in the retail market, online shopping is drawing even with brick-and-mortar businesses in certain sectors, and mega-retailers have leveled the playing field. What is the secret to their success? It all starts with an outstanding, engaging website.
Start with Simplicity
What makes an ecommerce website outstanding? At the core, it goes beyond aesthetics and straight to functionality. One of the biggest turn offs to shoppers is a clunky website. If customers can’t easily find the information or product they want, they will move on to a more user-friendly experience. Poor design, lack of information, and challenging navigation send the wrong message, so offer an engaging shopping experience with a simple, easy-to-use format.
Thankfully, you don’t need to be a capable web designer yourself, since these days it’s easy to hire someone on a short-term, recurring, or full-time basis. The right freelance web designer, as noted by Upwork, has mastered web fundamentals (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), has strong UI design (including layout and dropdown menus) and has basic UX design capabilities (including wireframes and storyboards).
GET OUR EBOOK: How to Sell More Online: 40 Tips for the Small Online Entrepreneur
You’ll want to do a little thinking before you contact a designer. Be prepared with ideas of how the site should look and various features to incorporate, and as SFGate suggests, prepare a list of questions for your candidates. Ask things like what research they will do to ensure your website is competitive, what kind of websites they have created in the past, and who will retain rights to the code once the website is finished. Hire someone you communicate with well, especially if you’re new to the world of ecommerce.
Just Like Being There
Ecommerce offers shoppers a lot of conveniences. They can hop online at any time, from any place, and search for the items they want. However, there are some big drawbacks to online shopping. Business.com points to surveys indicating the brick-and-mortar experience is still winning customers’ interest for a couple of reasons, the biggest of which is being able to physically investigate items. The experience of touching, trying on for size, and so forth is seen as a significant plus. Also, customers like the idea of instant gratification.
It’s clear that customers can’t physically examine online items, but it brings home the point that your website must offer excellent information about the products and services you provide. Highly detailed item descriptions, excellent photography, and the ability to show details and see items from different angles can help convince shoppers whether a product is right for their needs or if they should move on to the next item in your lineup.
The other conundrum is instant gratification, and while you can’t offer that through the web, you can compete by offering the quickest turnaround time possible. Aim for two-day shipping, and invite customers to pay for upgrades. To ease your workload, consider investing in appropriate software to streamline this important process.
At Your Service
While it seems customer service is relatively inconsequential to drawing brick and mortar shoppers, Chron explains it can make or break the ecommerce experience. If customers have questions about products or services, or if they experience problems, it’s important to be available for them to connect. Offering chat boxes, a phone number, customer service hours, and email is easy with some of the tools available these days, and you can reassure shoppers with a customer satisfaction policy the indicates you stand behind what you sell.
GET OUR EBOOK: How to Sell More Online: 40 Tips for the Small Online Entrepreneur
With ecommerce thriving, it makes sense to carve out your own niche. Whether you have an online store or are considering jumping in, ensure you offer the best possible shopping experience. It’s the smart way to attract customers and keep them coming back for more.
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