With the rise of technology, the number of people shopping online has significantly increased which consequently influences the popularity of the online retail business. Running only brick and mortar today means partly losing clients who make purchases exceptionally from their phones or computers. The good news is that modern platforms designed for building eCommerce websites allow establishing merchandise online and trading products or services on the spot.
Based on the experience of developing retail software solutions here at zoolatech.com, we’ve decided on sharing some secrets of creating a successful online store in no time. So, let’s get started.
Set the Stage for a Future Retail Business
Before establishing a retail website, take care of some details.
- Buy a domain name.
- Find an e-commerce platform to host the site. Consider Shopify, Wix, Weebly, BigCommerce, etc. Make sure the platform responds to your purposes.
- Put together all the essential legal papers. Having an experienced lawyer on hand will protect you from making mistakes that may later cost you a lot.
Know Your Target Audience
Knowing the target audience, their pains and gains will let you create and offer products or services that would cater to their needs. With viable goods and distinctive value proposition, you can:
- capture new consumers;
- enhance their shopping experience;
- make them more satisfied;
- encourage repeat purchases;
- increase revenue consequently.
Set Up Payments
Provide for accepting multiple payment methods to gain as many prospective clients as possible. For this, you may need to have third-party payment systems integrated into the store. Meanwhile, some eCommerce platforms, like Shopify, come already bundled with multiple payment processors, so you don’t have to waste time finding them separately.
Learn Basic SEO Concept
Before jumping into eCommerce site creation, make certain that you’ve learned the basics of SEO. This knowledge will help you to accurately structure the site and web pages for multiple search servers.
Start Designing the Site
At this stage, consider what you want to include to the site except for Contact and About pages. While the latter will help potential clients get in touch with you, other components, such as store name, logo, and photographs will let them recognize your brand. Make sure to add trust seals and payment logo illustrations to sound trustworthy and let consumers feel comfortable while purchasing at your store.
Ensure Hassle-Free Checkout Experience
Shopping cart abandonment is an issue retailers often experience on their way. In 2019, the number of people leaving their carts without completing the transaction has reached 60-70% according to different studies. Fortunately, this is not a problem that cannot be resolved. Here’s what you can do to provide the ideal checkout experience and encourage people to have the orders paid.
- Allow for the guest checkout option.
- Provide for detailed order brief.
- Include transparent delivery and return policy.
- Allows for changing the size and product quantity and delete items without leaving the cart.
- Showcase the estimated delivery time.
- Have the checkout page optimized for mobile devices?
- Set up abandonment cart emails sent as soon as the customer leaves the cart.
Market the Store
Come up with an advertising plan to promote the site, drive traffic, and increase sales.