Online stores are a necessity. If you’re a company that has something to sell, an online store is either your sole source of revenue or another revenue stream for you. Either way, the sales of your online store are important to your business, so you need to ensure it’s always running smoothly.
You also need to manage it and tweak it so it’s working optimally for you. There are many things you can do to improve your online store. Here are some tactics you can start with.
Keep It Clean and Concise
Your online store needs to look clean on the page. The font should be easy to read and the colours shouldn’t be overwhelming. Customers should be able to get to your online store easily, and once there, they should want to spend time there look around. They won’t do that if your store is an assault on the eyes.
Easy Navigation
Ease of navigation is key for an online store. The more effort or clicks it takes for a customer to buy something, the more likely you are to lose them somewhere along the buying process. Go through your online store and see how easy it is to buy something. If it isn’t, then work to make it more streamlined.
Another way to check whether you’re losing customers along the buying process is to use your analytics. Analytics don’t lie, and they can tell you right away where people are getting bogged down on your site. Once you know where the problem lies, you’ll be able to fix it that much quicker.
Who Is Your Customer?
Knowing your customers is the fastest way to improve your online store. Your online store should reflect your audience not only in what you sell, but in the wording you use in your copy, your photos, the types of content you use, and everything else.
You customers should be able to come to your site and feel like your store is the place they want to be because you know them. You know what they’re looking for and what they want.
Have Sales
Have sales when you can afford to do so. Offering discounts will help drive traffic to your site because everyone loves a good sale. When you have a sale, ensure your copy for it sounds urgent. A sale is only for a limited amount of time so your copy should express the urgency that customers should buy while there’s still stock left.
Mobile Compatible
Each year, more people are online shopping via their mobile devices. Many online stores aren’t mobile compatible and that’s just bad for business. Every time a customer has problems using your site, then they’ll leave and find a competitor to shop from instead.
If your online store isn’t yet mobile compatible change that as quickly as you can. Your business will pick up after that.
Use Social Media and Influencers to Drive Traffic to Your Store
Take the time to use social media and social media influencers to promote your brand and products and drive traffic to your site. Among the different social media platforms, pick two that you want to invest time and energy into then promote your business on them.
There are many different ways to improve your online store, and these are only a few suggestions.
Offer Alternative Payment Solutions
Do your customers have to pay via MasterCard or PayPal? What if they don’t have a credit card or PayPal account? It’s important to offer your customers several ways to pay. You don’t want to lose out on sale at checkout because you’re forcing them to pay in one particular way. Give them options—credit card, PayPal, e-transfers, pay-later options—and you’ll see your sales rise.
