Ecommerce is a growing industry. Worldwide sales are increasing at over 20 percent per year. As more and more people use the Internet to purchase goods, business owners will be able to take advantage of this macro trend. But you can’t expect to do this without learning the essentials of starting and running an online store.
Here are 12 things every new ecommerce company needs.
- Social Media Presence
Interacting with family and friends is often considered the underlying function of social media. However, 40 percent of people using social media follow brands. This is just under the number of people who say they use social media to keep in touch with friends. You’ll generate a lot more sales when your ecommerce company effectively uses social media platforms.
- Mobile Compatibility
Ecommerce stores need to be compatible with mobile devices. This might not seem like a huge deal on the entrepreneurial side, but an ever-growing number of searches and sales happen via mobile. It’s estimated more than half of all ecommerce conversions will be conducted on a smartphone by 2021.
- Good Analytics
When it comes to a digital economy, data is power. This is especially true in ecommerce, where everything can be quantified. Strong analytics can mean the difference between success and failure when running an e-store. You need to think about collecting data, then figure out your most crucial metrics or KPIs. Get an ecommerce platform with a lot of analytics features in order to take advantage of all possible information.
- A Highly Intuitive Website
People like to harp on the importance of website design in terms of its aesthetic appeal. But this isn’t the only thing you need to consider when building an ecommerce business. Your website should be easy to use, with intuitive search functions and drop-down menus.
- An SEO Strategy
Search engine optimization is critical to new ecommerce stores. People aren’t going to find your website in organic search results unless you build up some SEO power. This includes creating relevant, useful content, as well as intelligently integrating keywords into pages and metadata. Following these tips will help people find your site.
- Authentic Branding
What is ecommerce if you’re not doing something different? Distinctive brands are the ones that find the most success. People are looking for a reason to identify with brands on a deeper level. While having great products is important, you also need to find ways to develop emotional appeal.
- Retargeting
Not everyone is going to complete their purchase when visiting your online store. It’s estimated that $4 trillion in goods were abandoned in shopping carts in 2017.. Retargeting users with emails and ads can inspire them to resume the checkout process.
- Accurate and Appealing Product Photos and Descriptions
Perhaps best thought of as the “salesclerks” of your online store, crisp photography and well-written product descriptions are a must. You’ll want to feature images form every conceivable angle of the product—taking specific care to provide close-ups of key details. Product descriptions should highlight benefits over features and inspire shoppers to see themselves using the product.
- Automated Customer Service
Chat bots are becoming more and more popular in the world of online shopping. Extremely useful for certain tasks—such as tracking orders or answering FAQs—they can reduce your customer service costs significantly. You just have to be careful to deploy them in a manner with which your customers will be comfortable. Always disclose these are machines rather than people. Make it clear what they can and cannot do and be prepared to hand calls off to live human beings when customers request it.
- User Reviews
Reviews are the ultimate seal of approval. You can hype your products all you want; but at the end of the day, what satisfied customers say will be considered much more important. Encourage reviews and highlight them on your website. These will inspire confidence in your brand.
- Security
Online security has been a major theme over the past few years. Major brands have fallen victim to egregious data breaches—calling their integrity into question. You want to avoid this kind of catastrophe at all costs. Make sure you get an SSL certificate, and continually update your site for bugs in order to keep your customers safe. You should also make sure your hosting service is running a tight ship with PCI DSS compliance and rigorous security protocols.
- A Clear Return Policy
People can get passionate in the wrong ways when they need to return something. Make sure you outline the specifics of your return policy. Catching people off guard in this area can inspire them to leave negative reviews and move on to your competitors.
As you can see, there are a lot of boxes to check when starting an ecommerce company. But don’t let this overwhelm you. Take it one step at a time, you’ll build a successful online brand.