E-Commerce Tips for Small Businesses
For small businesses and entrepreneurs, the Internet is not only an effective tool but a necessary one for growth. Customers and clients turn to the Internet not only for information about a business, but also for shopping. Gone are the days when “brick and mortar” businesses dominated the landscape; e-commerce is the wave of the future.
Setting up an e-commerce platform is easier than ever, but succeeding in a sea of competition has never been more difficult. You’ve got to set yourself apart from your competitors, which means learning the secrets of successful e-commerce and putting them into practice.
Focus on Product Descriptions
One of the most difficult aspects of succeeding in e-commerce is portraying products effectively. It’s not enough to simply list your products; you’ve got to put them in the best light possible if you intend to convert a fair amount of sales. Since most e-commerce platforms allow you to add descriptions for each of your products, you should take full advantage of this and craft the best messaging possible. Think about why your audience might want to purchase a specific product and how it can benefit them, pointing out each and every selling point.
The photos you use to display your products can also have a huge psychological impact, and should always be Hi-Res. Products typically look best against a blank, white background, although there are plenty of different techniques you can utilize. For best results, you should always hire a professional photographer to shoot your products.
Offer Lucrative Deals
E-commerce should be viewed as the digital equivalent of a traditional selling platform, which means deals and weekly specials still matter. One of the reasons why many people turn to the Internet for their shopping needs is because they expect to find better pricing than what is available locally, and you’ve got to deliver the goods. Since overhead tends to be far lower with an e-commerce platform, offering significant discounts should be easier than it would be in a brick and mortar scenario.
Social media can be a very effective way to not only spread word about deals you might be offering, but also to build your audience and awareness about your products. For example, you might wish to offer a deal that customers can take advantage of only if they share it on their personal Facebook timeline, as this will accomplish two things at the same time.
Allow Multiple Payment Options
Customers who shop e-commerce websites want to know that they can pay in as many different ways as possible. Ideally, your platform should accept credit cards, Paypal and – if it fits your model – check. Restricting your payment options will do nothing but turn your customers off and lower your chances of making a sale.
If you sell online, you should also consider implementing a credit card reader into your business model. Being able to accept credit cards on the fly is a highly-effective way to sell your goods when you don’t have a traditional storefront, and will open up a great deal of doors for you and your business.
Don’t Neglect SEO and Search Functionality
SEO (search engine optimization) can be very effective when properly implemented, and can help your e-commerce site to pop up at the top of some of the most popular search engines on the Internet. You can implement SEO yourself or hire a firm that specializes in this discipline, which can take a lot of pressure off of you and your business.
Another aspect of searching that you should focus on is that which is internal to your site. Customers should always be able to search for what they’re looking for without having to browse through page after page of items, and the more targeted you can make your internal search features, the more likely it is that you’ll convert a sale. After all, customers who find themselves getting frustrated when looking for specific products on your site will likely leave and choose to shop elsewhere–something that is easily avoided with a powerful search option.
There’s no use in ignoring the importance of building a strong e-commerce platform any longer. If you put in the work to ensure that your site can compete with the best of them, you’ll begin to see results in a short period of time.
Article contributed by Jenna Smith