Anna Maria Richards
There’s no denying it: online shopping changed the world. Today, most people prefer the convenience of shopping online compared to braving the stores to find the products they need. In fact, a study conducted by Pew Research Center found that eight out of ten Americans shop online; a massive increase from just 22% of Americans twenty years ago.
Because of online shopping’s popularity, it’s no surprise that more and more eCommerce websites are cropping up every day. From basic needs like clothes and food to luxury items and expensive cars, you can get pretty much anything you want online.
If you’re running an eCommerce store, this means you’ve got to work extra hard to make sure that your website stands out from the crowd. And it’s a big crowd. There are an estimated 12-24 million eCommerce sites worldwide, with more being created every single day. You’ve got a lot of competition. So, what do you do?
Be Bold and Daring:
There are already millions of eCommerce websites out there; you don’t want yours to look like a hundred of them. Finding the cheapest website builder is a problem. DIY website builders and eCommerce platforms like Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace have made it easier than ever for anyone to start selling online but there’s one problem: they all use the same templates and themes. And even though you can customize them to some degree, most business owners don’t have the know-how or skills to go even further and make it look like something completely different. So, your website ends up looking like a cookie-cutter version of everybody else’s. It’s definitely worth paying for custom eCommerce web design to make sure that your site is unique. If you’d rather do it yourself, check out these dos and don’ts.
Make Your Products Pop:
Let’s face it; when shopping online, the main thing we’re usually going off is the pictures. There’s a reason why eBay listings that use a stock photo rather than a photo of the actual item don’t tend to get many bids. People like to at least have an idea of what they’re going to get when they buy online. The fact that you can’t see the item with your own eyes before spending your money is perhaps the one and only downside to online shopping – along with the fact you have to wait for it to be delivered. So, don’t take chances with product photography. If your products are photographed packaged, head on over to The Package Lab and get some attractive packaging designed with your branding.
Be Available:
It’s not enough to just build a great eCommerce website, fill it with stunning products, and just leave it there. Maybe ten years ago you could get away with it but today, there’s so many free live chat apps and widgets you can embed into the site, there’s really no excuse. And good customer service is definitely expected from eCommerce stores. After all, if you went out to shop, you’d have a store assistant at your service, so why should you have to wait days for a reply when shopping online? Being responsive and available creates a good impression of your brand and builds trust – and it’s free; simply embed Facebook Messenger into your website and customers can send a message directly to your business page if they have a question.
With millions of eCommerce websites out there and then some, making sure that yours stands out for the right reasons is key to success.
