By Laurence Cardin, Digital Marketing Coordinator
Starting an eCommerce website? Here are the 8 things to consider when beginning your design.
The very first step is to choose your domain name. Even if you have a great idea for a business name, it won’t be convenient if the domain name ending in .com already exists with another company. This is one of the first things to check before registering your new business. You want to ensure you’re unique.
Take the example of one of our customers who wanted to launch a new online store. They had found the ideal name, Root & Bloom. Everyone loved the idea until a quick Google search was done where a long list of companies bearing the same name was found.
Let’s be honest for a minute. The first way to judge the reliability of a site and a company, before handing out our credit card number, is by the appearance of their website. While appearances are important in person, they are just as important on the web!
Your site must look reliable, be easy to navigate and be adaptable to mobile devices. In addition, since March 2016, Google lists websites according to their mobile version. If you don’t want to find yourself in a black hole known as the second page of a Google Search, pay attention to the adaptability of your site ;)
Pictures bought off the internet are beautiful, but your visitors will know that they do not come from you. In some areas, especially while starting, this is the only option, but try to keep it to a minimum. Original photos are much more effective, but they must be of quality!
Your product descriptions must be relevant, not empty sale pitches. Describe the product precisely how it is, its attributes and how it can be useful in the customer’s life. Use meaningful words to connect with the viewer.
Take a look at our latest article on How to Write Convincing Product Descriptions to Increase your Sales and Grow your Business.
During an in-store shopping experience, clients can physically touch a product and get a good look at it from every angle. The merchant is usually close by to answer questions and offer products that meet the needs of the customer. It is possible to replicate this experience online through live chat tools. Therefore, when a customer has questions about a product, they can commence a conversation with a sales representative through a chat window at the bottom of the web page, increasing the chances for the company to close a sale.
There are a number of existing chat options on the market to choose from. On our side, we often use Tawk.to, but Facebook Messenger Bots are gaining a lot of popularity today as well.
To gain the confidence of a customer before they make a transaction, make sure you have a tab that addresses your returns and refunds policy. This is a necessary page to have if you want to advertise on Google Shopping.
Your payment page must be secure. In addition, offering payment through PayPal can reassure the client that his payment is safe. These are small details that can help convince the customer to move forward with their transaction.
Have an incentive to collect email addresses. Emails are not dead, it is one of the only ways to contact your leads for free making it worth the effort of collecting them.
From here, this list of tips could continue on, but ensure you know how to prioritize in order to launch your online boutique and optimize it later on. At Adeo, we already have 10 years of experience in web marketing and eCommerce. We are here to help you start your online business and increase your sales every step of the way.
