Online selling seems like an easy thing to do, but it’s trickier than most people believe. Online stores have high drop-off rates, and it’s easy for customers to both shop and change their minds about ordering with you. With hundreds of options, it’s simpler than ever for consumers to buy their products from whoever offers the best deal.
That said, there are always things you can do to improve your online store. Follow these tips, which were specifically developed to improve online stores, and you will see results.
7. Get an Easier Checkout Process
Have you ever checked out using a mobile phone or tablet? Loading multiple pages can seriously slow you down, and heaven forbid you need to login. If you are in a café or at a hotel or an airport, the situation can be even more dicey: What happens if the connection drops and the page won’t load? Looks like you won’t be ordering that taxi to get to the airport and catch your flight after all!
Customers want ease and convenience, even when they’re shopping at home. Offering them a simple checkout process is one of the best things business owners can do to improve online stores. Make it simple for your customers to do business with you. They’ll be more likely to come back.
6. Accept Multiple Currencies
Your online customers could live anywhere in the world. That is especially true if you offer worldwide shipping or if you sell something travel-related, like hotel accommodations or tour packages. But plenty of other businesses have customers who live in far-flung places, and that is one good reason to offer multiple currencies in your online store.
5. Offer Free Shipping
This is a trick that the big online retailers like Amazon and Zappos employ to get customers into the online shop and keep them. It also entices customers to spend more money with you; if you offer free shipping for orders over $100 and the customer has a $95 order, chances are they will add a $10 product to hit the free shipping threshold. That, combined with an easier checkout system, can also help you reduce drop-off rates and capitalize on impulse buys.
4. Have a Pay-Later Option
Pay-later options allow your customers to do exactly that: pay later. They can finish up their transactions quickly and easily, and then pay when it’s convenient for them—such as when the invoice arrives or when the product is delivered. This also helps you avoid chargebacks on your account.
3. Have Multiple Payment Methods
Do you accept one major credit card, but not the others? You could be losing customers. Offer your customers multiple payment methods—including major credit cards and debit—in your online store. The freedom to choose how to pay makes your online store seem like a better option.
2. Get Great Security
People who shop online are also increasingly concerned about their security. Credit card fraud and identity theft cost US consumers $16 billion in 2016 alone. With that in mind, customers are looking for online retailers who will keep them safe. Do your customers—and yourself—a favour by working with a payment processing provider that offers exceptional security. You might even look into security measures that you can take yourself.
1. Work with a Great Provider
All of the above will help improve online stores. The single best thing you can do, however, is partner with a great merchant payment processing provider. A great provider can provide an e-commerce solution customized to your unique business.
Look for a plan that includes multiple currencies and payment methods, great security, a pay-later option, and an easier checkout system. Your customers will thank you—and so will your bottom line.
