If you are selling any kind of goods or services, but you do not have an online store, it’s safe to say that you are missing out on a significant piece of revenue. Almost everyone has an online store nowadays; however, simply creating one does not mean that money will start to pour in all of a sudden. You need to invest in your online store the same way you are investing in your physical store.
The point is to make the shopping experience more convenient for your potential customers, and to make a store that online shoppers can easily find. So, if you want to open an online store and have many successful business transactions with online users, then follow the tips provided below.
Choosing an eCommerce vendor
The first thing you need is an eCommerce software solution that meets the needs of you as a provider. In other words, do not solely focus on what your store will look like, but on its functionality and your customer’s needs. As long as your shop gives the shoppers a satisfying user experience, you will do just fine. There are many providers to choose from, like Shopify, Bigcommerce, Jumpseller, Goodsie, etc. They allow you to upload your catalog, install customer shopping carts and successfully handle payments.
However, in order to adequately ascertain which software solution you should use for your store, you should read what other people have to say about particular tools. In other words, go over user feedback on eCommerce tools, and find the one that seems perfect for the job. User feedback on eCommerce tools is the most secure way to find the platform that suits your needs and that is up to the task.
Customer service, payment and appearance
As far as looks go, your online store should have the same logo and color schemes as your actual store. When it comes to payment, it’s perfectly clear that PayPal is a must, since it’s widely used and is one of the safest ways of accepting online payments. Bear in mind that a lot of online users prefer to pay with their credit cards, so make sure your shop supports several different payment portals, so that your products are more accessible to potential buyers. Moreover, when you are choosing your eCommerce vendor, see if they offer reliable CRM tools, because you will need it for a better customer experience.
Another thing you might worry about is shipping costs, but it’s better to stay out of those calculations; it would be for the best to leave this to your carrier. All major carriers can calculate the shipping costs for you, free of charge. Additionally, if your competitors provide free shipping, then it is advised that you do the same, because users will most likely opt for them instead of you.
Product pages
You need to know a few things related to product pages. First, you need to upload high quality pictures of your products so that viewers can zoom in to get a better view. Also, do not spam the viewers with other products that are in stock; they are on one page because they are interested in a particular product. No need to advertise everything else, since it is only obnoxious. Remember to have good product specifications, good product descriptions with adequate keywords and meta tags, and remember to make the “Add to Cart” button clearly visible.
Optimize your shop
Lastly, if you want your store to be discovered, you need to optimize it. So, for starters, find someone who can do local SEO for you, and then you can go global. It would be good to have a blog section, filled with relevant and useful content, since it can make the whole link building process much smoother. This is a long process, so do not expect any significant changes during the first three months, and do not expect that you can finish it.
Optimization for a website is a never ending job. However, you will enjoy numerous benefits and the most important ones are an increased customer base and increased income.
These are some basic tips to look out for when starting your online store. There are a lot of more specific details you will need to tweak, but if you are still new to the whole online shop thing, then these tips will come in handy.
from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/ivandseo/4-tips-for-starting-your-online-store/
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