7 Strategies for Building a Successful Online Store
The online market can be a competitive space, and it’s important to find ways to stand out from the competition. This can be done by conducting keyword research and creating unique, valuable content that engages customers.
Online stores are not constrained by geographic locations, and they can reach a global audience. Additionally, online retailers can offer a wider selection of products than a traditional brick-and-mortar store.
1. Optimize Your Site for Search Engines
Whether your company sells the best dog food on the market or high-end eyeglasses, an online store allows you to reach a global audience. Optimizing your site for search engines will help you attract qualified buyers and boost sales.
To optimize your site for search engines, focus on content and keywords. Include keyword-rich titles and descriptions, and ensure that your pages are properly tagged.
2. Optimize Your Products for Search Engines
Online shoppers typically research products before making a purchase. This can be done by looking at best-selling products on marketplaces like Amazon or eBay, reading reviews, or searching for terms that relate to the product.
Knowing your audience helps you create an effective marketing strategy that will encourage buyers to choose your brand. Creating a compelling About page that connects personally with customers or a FAQ page can also help.
3. Optimize Your Content for Search Engines
Optimizing content for search engines means creating relevant, compelling and high-quality copy that lines up with your audience’s search intent. This can include product pages that are optimized for conversions and informative blog posts that keep people on your site longer and encourage them to return.
Avoid keyword stuffing (the practice of over-using keywords in your content). Search engine spiders can spot this and penalize your site accordingly.
4. Create a Mobile-Friendly Website
An online store needs to be mobile-friendly in order to attract and engage buyers. This can be achieved by using a responsive web design and by using a mobile-friendly ecommerce platform.
Merchants should also consider including assistive features to help customers with disabilities shop online. These can include text-to-speech programs and hearing devices.
Finally, merchants should use a powerful ecommerce software platform that provides flexible reporting on selling metrics. For example, Shopify can provide reports in a variety of formats and can be easily integrated with Google Analytics for data-driven insights.
5. Create a Mobile-Friendly Shopping Cart
Online shoppers are looking for the best deals and the most convenient shopping experiences. Sellers who understand their audience’s preferences can better attract buyers to their stores and increase sales.
Additionally, sellers should offer a variety of popular payment options in order to cater to their audiences’ needs. Continually tracking selling metrics with Analytics can also help merchants form data-driven insights to encourage conversions over time.
6. Create a Mobile-Friendly Checkout
Online shoppers are often on the move, so it’s important for merchants to have a mobile-friendly checkout that eliminates friction and encourages purchases. Additionally, it’s crucial to offer multiple payment methods like PayPal, traditional debit/credit cards, and digital wallets.
Understanding your target audience is also critical to building a successful online store. Aim to personalize products and marketing strategies based on their unique needs, interests, and buying habits.
7. Create a Mobile-Friendly Shipping Process
Online shopping is increasingly mobile-driven, so a mobile-friendly shipping process is essential to keep buyers engaged. This can be done by offering flexible shipping options and providing detailed delivery information on product pages.
Adding a generous return policy and free shipping can also encourage buyers to shop with you. Highlight these incentives on your home page and throughout your site to attract shoppers.
8. Create a Mobile-Friendly Return Policy
A clear, easy-to-understand return policy can help customers feel confident in your business. It can also reduce the number of returns and refunds you have to process.
A flexible return policy can also encourage loyalty from customers, especially if you offer store credit instead of a full refund. Be sure to research the return policies of your competitors and seek legal advice before setting yours.
9. Create a Mobile-Friendly Customer Service
A buyer-friendly return policy is an essential element of your online store to help you attract and retain buyers. Make sure you include clear ways to contact customer support and a FAQ page that can answer common questions. Providing customer support helps buyers feel confident in your brand and encourages them to continue shopping with you. A friendly chat feature is also a great way to increase sales.
10. Create a Mobile-Friendly Customer Feedback Form
Online shoppers are increasingly discerning about which merchants they buy from. Sellers can encourage conversion by ensuring that every aspect of their store aligns with key buyers’ wants and motivations.
To do so, merchants should choose an ecommerce platform that offers customizable, professional-looking store templates. These platforms also provide accessible customer support. This support is vital to helping new buyers get started with their purchases and encouraging returning customers to keep buying.
