The opportunities being provided by eCommerce to businesses today is unprecedented. There is a huge potential for startups that are capable of leveraging eCommerce platforms. But the pertinent question that emerges here is: How to tap this potential properly?
If you have just started an eCommerce business, there are several tactics at your disposal for achieving success in this domain. However, there is no particular roadmap for doing this since eCommerce differs from conventional selling quite a lot. Therefore what finally matters for making it big in eCommerce business is summed up in the following important points.
#1. Optimize for mobile and maintain a strong desktop presence
Although mobile revolution has swept the world, the desktop still leads smartphone organic search traffic, which accounts for 57% of total eCommerce traffic. This just because consumers still want to collect information with regards to products and services on their desktop computers; which is why website owners have to maintain a profound presence in this market. However, you cannot underrate the smartphone phenomenon since it is extremely desirable to understand searcher’s requirements. Therefore Google is preferring mobile-first indexing for continuously improving the user experience.
The fact is today mobile is receiving the same number of clicks as desktops and tablets. This was possible because of the improvement in mobile technology along with users’ familiarity of using them. According to Deloitte, 58% of consumers owning a smartphone have already used it for store-related shopping. More and more people are downloading mobile apps to receive a discount. Hence, personalization and optimization of mobile becomes imperative for you. Thus, failing to anticipate and adapt to these changes could mark the beginning of the downfall of eCommerce. At the same time you should not forget to have a good desktop-oriented website also, which will always be better than a poorly performing or broken mobile site.
#2. Use powerful emotional triggers in your ads
A strategic use of psychology can be extremely helpful for you in increasing eCommerce conversions. For that, you should use the right triggers in your ads that will create a strong appeal to your target audiences. But how should you choose the right phrases as well as calls to action?
As a matter of fact, highly successful eCommerce websites incorporate certain campaigns in order to attract the attention of their customers. For example, they tend to point out free delivery options in their ads. It turned out that companies use guarantee related phrases because guarantee provided by online stores is highly valued by shoppers.
Also, if your phrases create a sense of urgency, you are more able to compel your customers to perform the desired action. To make your calls to action more catchy and persuasive, you should use the terms like “Now” and “Today”. The most frequently used CTA, therefore, is “Shop Now”. Hence, while creating your next ad campaign, try to act on peoples’ feelings and strengthen your message with proper terms and phrases.
For eCommerce businesses, social media is a formidable avenue for advertising. Therefore, you should also take advantage of the reach of social media for finding potential customers. The emergence and expansion of influencer marketing have also allowed eCommerce companies to start their buyers’ journey on popular social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Companies are using massive advertising budgets on videos that demand viewers’ attention. Thus, with this, they are able to generate significant revenue.
Social media is all about building a relationship with your customer first and then selling them on your product or service. To do this, you need to focus on sharing helpful information and establishing trust before you even try to make a sale.
The platforms like Twitters, Facebook and YouTube are increasingly becoming crucial for interacting with followers and customers. These platforms help you monitor their posts to engage with them on a daily basis. You can use tools like Narrow.io, Hootsuite, Buffer that will help you increase followers and manage social media posts and engagements. Thus, if you have successfully increased your followers to thousands, you can also sell them your products or services.
#4. Use POS software for sales
The manner in which point of sale software is being used today is quite significant. Once you are in the business of eCommerce, it becomes all the more important to track usage and analyze inventory levels on an item-by-item basis. Gone are the days of using old cash registers; eCommerce retailers are moving toward leaner systems that operate on tablets and smartphones, where cashiers are enabled to input your products, tally the cost, and conduct the financial transaction. That is why you need an inexpensive and easy-to-use point of sale solution. Good POS software allows you to improve pricing accuracy by integrating bar-code scanners and credit card authorizations.
There are many POS software systems that enable you to use add-on devices at your check-out stations. Many smaller retailers are moving away from traditional POS systems toward cloud based point of sale solutions. Furthermore, POS packages come with integrated accounting modules including general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, purchasing, and inventory control systems. Hence, it can be concluded that a POS system is an all-in-one way to keep track of your business’s cash flow.
#5. Extraordinary website design and enhanced security
Having a trustworthy website is very important today; with the increased rates of phishing scams, or even a poor customer service, consumers are much more wary of their clicks. Since you are running an online store where a transaction is taking place, you should be actively aware of how your business and websites are perceived.
To begin with, having a strong design makes a big difference. Consider this: you are walking down a street and looking for a place to eat something. Would you go into a restaurant with cracked windows? Or would you like to go into one that has attractive décor? The same principle is applicable to your online storefront, and there is no excuse for having a poorly designed website as far as eCommerce is concerned.
You need to also make sure that your website is up-to-date. Be sure that all of the information on your website in regards to shipping, contact information, product information and more is all up to date. Furthermore, your website should be safe with increased privacy and security. For that, you need a profound cloud hosting service that will add an element of trust to your business.
Conclusion
There is an overwhelming competition in the eCommerce landscape today. Setting up an online storefront is not the biggest challenge, but achieving a growth curve is. The above important points will help you achieve and sustain growth.
