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Sell More with an Online Store

Online here, online there, online everywhere. Not a day goes by where we do not access the Internet for something; in fact, most of us are constantly connected. We watch movies, we research, and we shop. We do it all online, and there are no signs of slowing the momentum it’s already generated. eCommerce is hot. It’s hot because it’s easy, convenient, and you can buy/sell anything in the world with just a couple of clicks. The ability to buy/sell products and services online gives any business an opportunity to substantially boost its revenue, and make their customer experience better than ever.  

A recent study done by eMarketer says,

“E-commerce spending in the United States will increase about 15.1% year over year in November and December—prime holiday shopping time—Spending during those two months will total $61.8 billion, up from $53.7 billion in 2012.”

Don’t you want a piece of that? Why wouldn’t you?  So, how do you go from offline to online? Or, if you are already online, but want to boost sales, what are the key components of any ecommerce storefront?  Well, here is a little cheat sheet on what every ecommerce site should include:

1. Great design. Create a store that is visually appealing in both in color and in layout. The store should be consistent with the rest of your website, and always avoid clutter. You wouldn’t want to shop around a brick and mortar store that was a mess and completely disorganized, and the same goes for online shopping. Organize and keep it clean.

The way your store looks is going to say a lot about your brand. From the layout to the images you use. It is like shopping in a thrift shop hodgepodge experience vs. a crisp Apple store. So, why not show your customers you care about them by giving them a pleasant online shopping experience.

2. Product selection and organization. Choose your products wisely, and organize them in a way that makes sense.  Make sure customers can easily find what they are looking for, and do not have too many options.

Include images with each of your products so they are easily recognizable. If you have a lot of inventory, categorize your products so that they are easy to find.

3. Product pages and descriptions. This is where you have just a few seconds to pitch your product to the consumer. What makes this product worth buying? Instead of a simple description, include why the purchaser wants this product. You will want to put your product description before the price. Why? Give them the value of the product before they see the price. That way they are more inclined to see its worth before the price distracts them.

4. No hassle purchasing Shopping online is supposed to be easy, so make sure that your checkout does not take more than a few clicks. A few ways to ensure easy checkout:

- Accept multiple payment options

- Don’t make users create an account before purchasing

- Keep shipping costs low

5. Follow up, after the fact. Make sure that a receipt and a thank you note is automatically sent to the purchaser within minutes of their purchase. This leaves the purchaser confident that their order went through and that their purchased product is going to be on its merry way. You may also want to include any content from your website that relates to the product they just purchased.

You will also want to setup a drip campaign or a series of follow up emails after the purchase, to find out best follow up practices. Stay tuned for our Wednesday blog post outlining effective follow up protocol.

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