Choosing to go into business online can be nerve-racking, and it's crucial to get things right. The design of your site could play a significant part in your success. Therefore, this article details some things you should keep in mind about your e-commerce site.
- Don't be in a rush to launch your site to the public
When you have a new idea for an e-commerce business, it can be tempting to go ahead and immediately launch your website. Unfortunately, it's unlikely the public will be as excited about your new business as you without knowing something about it. That's not to say you can't register a domain name and put up a landing page.
The next thing you want to do is generate some traction for your new site. So, this is the right time to start social media profiles to gain followers and provide teasers for what your e-commerce site will offer. You can use similar strategies with content marketing and paid advertising to create buzz around what is to come.
- Think about your users in website design
One of the significant problems with e-commerce is consumers can't see or feel products. There is no actual solution to this but it's certainly to your advantage to think about users in your design. The first thing is to have a simple and effective website that is easy to understand. It can be incredibly frustrating to access an e-commerce site and not find the product you are looking for.
It's also necessary to make the entire process simple and straightforward. This means having easy to understand pricing and ensure the checkout process isn't hard to understand. Many brands focus on having fancy and flashy websites and while there is nothing wrong with that, it shouldn't be at the expense of making things easy.
- Connect social media closely to your site
Most of the successful e-commerce brands can connect social media to their website. This goes back to the first point of ensuring you create traction on social media before launching your site. So, make sure on your site it's easy to find links to your social media and effectively link back to your e-commerce site from your social media accounts.
Sometimes brands struggle to develop a coherent social media plan, but the advantage of having an e-commerce site is the connection is clear. It's still crucial to get the balance right and focus on engaging your audience. A strong social media presence plays a significant part in being successful with your e-commerce site.
- Think about images and details to explain your products and services
As mentioned, customers don't have the option of seeing and feeling products when purchasing via an e-commerce site. This means that the entire process needs to be as simple as possible. However, it also means that the information provided needs to be of the highest quality possible.
Much like when you are putting an item up for sale on eBay, it's crucial to use the highest quality images. Also, you want to have a detailed description and ensure all the details are accurate and up to date. If necessary, check the details before writing up your description. Remember, customers may return products if they don't get what they want.
- Don't underestimate the role of content marketing
When thinking about your e-commerce site, it's tempting to think purely in terms of cramming as many products onto your site as possible. However, just listing products and services on your website is not going to be enough to generate sales. It's necessary to create website traffic to achieve that.
As mentioned, social media is a powerful tool to drive traffic to your website when used correctly. Social media needs fresh content, and that's where content marketing comes in. Consider having a blog and create interesting content and you can combine this with both social media and email marketing. The result is a regular amount of traffic which should see sales of your products and services increase.
Many people are now starting their own businesses as self-employment becomes more popular. One of the challenges though is to ensure your business has a solid strategy for revenue. This all makes e-commerce a popular approach. However, there is an art to making an e-commerce website work and this article has explored the subject. So, remember to take your time before launching your site, think about users in website design, connect social media closely to your website, consider images and product details and explore content marketing.
Join the conversation.