1. Engaging Web Design
It doesn’t matter if you have the best product possible in your niche and the best customer service on top of that. According to a Kiss metrics study, 93% of buyers consider visual appearance to be the most important factor when making a purchase.
To create a profitable online store, you can either pay a pretty penny to a web designer or take it upon yourself to learn to code. Alternatively, you can just get a ready-made template and customize it to your needs. Design elements should captivate visitors, such as using full-width images and avoiding distraction with minimal text.
Demo templates for your online store:
Here are a few actionable tips for improving your web design:
- Your online store can be designed by a professional, by yourself if you know how to code, or with an ecommerce store template.
- Web design should captivate site visitors’ attention. Engage customers with full-width images and minimal text.
2. An Awesome “About Us” Page
If a visitor goes to your “About Us” page, that means they are already interested in you and are giving you a chance to prove to him or her that your product is the best. What you need to do is clearly spell out what you are, what you do, and, most importantly, what you offer to the clients. All testimonials, achievements, and any kind of social proof is welcome there.
Your contact information should be clear and easy to find on your about page and throughout your website as well. “Contact Us” information is usually placed at the bottom of a website, and users are used to finding it there.
Here are a few actionable tips for creating your “About Us” page:
- Include basic information about your business on the page, such as your contact information, address, and social media accounts.
- Avoid cluttering the “About Us” page with too much information. Keep visitors engaged with a minimal design.
3. Offer Excellent Online Support
Your consumers need to know they will have support after they make a purchase, if needed. The most comprehensive, helpful type of support is a live-chat feature that works 24/7. If you don’t have the resources to offer round-the-clock support, you should still provide some type of service to help people during working hours. The support should be offered through all stages of the shopping experience to encourage new buyers to make their first purchase and returning customers to continue making purchases. Make your customer support features, whether that’s a phone line or a chat box, visible from the homepage so that buyers are aware of those services.
4. Provide Popular Payment Options
No online store can exist without payments. Offer a wide variety of popular payment options for your customers so they can always easily make a purchase.
5. Ensure Your Store is Mobile-Responsive
With the growing use of phones for online shopping, merchants have to ensure that their site design is mobile-friendly to make sure buyers can make purchases, no matter what device they’re using. Opt for vertical designs over horizontal designs for easier scrolling and viewing your content on phone screens. Test out your store’s mobile responsiveness by loading it onto a phone and browsing through to check for errors.
6. Make Your Site SEO-Friendly
Your online store has to receive traffic in order for purchases to happen. The key to generating traffic is Search engine optimization. By incorporating SEO keywords into your product titles and descriptions, your site is more likely to rank higher in search engine results. The increased visibility is the key ingredient for greater site visits and more conversions. Use SEO tools. Type in SEO keywords you’re considering adding to your product pages to see which results you’ll be competing with. If the results are major sites, consider changing your term to something less competitive.
7. Use High-Res Photos
Humans are visual creatures. We process images in 1/10 of a second and understand visual information 60,000 times faster than words. With this natural tendency towards visuals, product images make a strong, immediate impression on buyers. It’s critical to use clear, high-resolution photos that highlight the products’ details to quickly attract buyers without losing their attention. Show multiple angles of your product with photos so buyers can fully imagine the item and are aware of all of its details. Unable to see the product in-person, buyers will feel more secure with their online purchase if they have a complete visual understanding of the item.
8. Advertise on Social Media
Advertising on social media channels is a powerful way to connect with lots of potential customers in creative, fun ways. Use tools, like Google Analytics, to track which channels your target customers are using most, and focus your marketing efforts on these platforms.
