If you own a business, or you’re looking to start one, there’s simply no way you can ignore the power of the internet and what it can do for your business and customers. Ecommerce keeps getting bigger and bigger as customers turn to the web for their every need, from more niche items to their daily groceries.
Launching an online store has been made easier by the plethora of tools and hosting services that are available today, but there are still some fundamentals you should plan out before you launch your online store. Here are five tips for a successful launch.
Take Visual Design Seriously
There are a few studies available online that make reference to how powerful an online store’s design is in a potential customer choosing to buy from your store. This study from PowerReviews considers visual design and visual content to be incredibly important to consumers seeking to make a purchasing decision.
They claim more than 81% of web users between the ages of 18 and 29 actively seek out visual content to help them with a purchasing decision. For you, this means that you want to ensure you have high-quality photos and video content – either from your product manufacturer or produced in-house. They should also get a prominent position in your item listings and store to ensure this need is met and drive those potential customers to make that purchase.
Your Contact Us and About Us Section
You’ll no doubt know why e-commerce is here to stay and why consumers are so enamored by it. Whatever they want is at their fingertips without having to leave their home. This opens up a new need for you as an online store owner and something that consumers want from you – trust. They’re parting with their hard-earned money and not immediately receiving their goods, so they need to be able to trust your online store.
You can do a lot to earn this trust with the Contact Us and About Us sections of your online store website. In your contact page (or even on the front page) list your physical address, contact number, and details of how people could physically visit or find you if they needed, and on the about page, tell your company’s story and make your brand personality to your potential customer.
Have a Solid Launch Plan
Your online store’s launch is a big occasion and should be handled like one. Don’t just make a post on social media and call it a day. Make the announcement attract customers to your site. Offering huge discounts on specific products or even site-wide can work, as can launch competitions that you can start before the store even opens.
Use the power of social media to market your competition and your online store launch before it happens. The aim here is to get your message out and get followers on your social media profiles. Diversify your launch plans across several avenues and marketing strategies to really get your name out there. You might need to spend some money, but it will be worth it.
There are countless online stores on the web today and you need to work hard to make yours stand out from the crowd. Good design, a trustworthy brand, and a well-planned and executed launch are just three of many ways you can get your online store out there.
Don’t forget to consider areas like payment gateways, search engine optimization, and a good review system to build even more trust. Your online store shouldn’t be something that you think about starting today and launching tomorrow – it should be very well thought out.
