eCommerce has come a long way in the past few years. Now, instead of being an up-and-coming industry, it has become the ONLY way to sell competitively in the digital age. Shoppers are turning away from brick and mortar businesses and embracing eCommerce businesses as the choice of today. This means more businesses are transitioning online to meet this rising demand. As an eCommerce business, you need to step up your game to stand out in today’s crowded market. Here are 6 tips for your eCommerce game!
1. Optimize for Mobile
As an eCommerce website, you must to be prepared for a mobile world. Think about how often you use your own cell phone for internet searching and social media. Your users use their phones the same way! Your website needs to look just as great on small screens as it does on big screens. According to Statistica, almost 25% of eCommerce shopping happens on mobile devices. This percentage is only expected to grow as smartphones and other devices become more advanced.
There are a lot of ways to check if your website performs well on mobile. You can use your browser to see your website in different resolutions, or you can use a free online checker like mobiReady. Not only should your website be easy to read on smaller screen sizes, but it should be easy to navigate and access all pages.
To prepare your webpage for mobile users you can build a responsive web page or invest in a modern progressive web app with ready-to-use solution like Vue Storefront.
Checking website performance on mobile with mobiReady.
2. Simplify Checkout
Amazon changed the world of eCommerce when it introduced one-click ordering. Now, shoppers everywhere are losing patience with the checkout process. According to ExpertSure, your merchant account is more important than ever. Your merchant account includes how you process payments and how your customers sail through the checkout process. If you’re facing abandoned carts on your eCommerce website, your merchant account might be to blame.
People make their buying decisions based on emotions. Logic comes second, and if you give your shoppers enough time to think about their purchase, they’ll likely quick away. That’s why your checkout process needs to be as streamlined as possible to take advantage of these emotional buyers. Just look at the eCommerce leaders to see how you can make your checkout process as simple as possible. Made is a well-known furniture retailer in the UK with a picture-perfect checkout process. Notice below how clean, simple, and easy the process is to make a purchase. It’s only three steps to check out!
Example of picture-perfect checkout process by Made
3. Play with Video
Video is transforming the world of marketing. While blog posts and text posts were the names of the game a few years ago, a video is the next big thing in the world of online marketing. Creating videos as an eCommerce business has the added benefit of building trust with your audience. Since customers can’t see your products in person, videos help bridge this gap in this understanding since viewers can see products in a new way.
Video also does especially well on social media where it can capture user attention. Social media blog Hootsuite says the most important things to focus on when creating video for social media is the first 30 seconds of video and creating striking visuals. If you want to really get noticed on social media, video is the way to go! See below how Buzzfeed’s cooking line Tasty, shows off their line of cooking products while also demonstrating great recipes through video. This engages users with educational and fun content while also promoting a product in an authentic way.
Example of using video in social media by Tasty
4. Abandoned Cart Retargeting
No matter what you do for your eCommerce business, you’re still going to face some abandoned carts from time to time. Whether some shoppers left their cart after discovering extra shipping costs or they lost interest in the products, there are still ways to salvage that transaction. Retargeting is a way to continue your relationship with your abandoned shoppers after they’ve exited out of the sale. This can be done through Google Ads, follow-up emails, or even on the screen as the shopper exits the checkout area. One great example of this is Rejoiner, a platform that helps eCommerce websites entice shoppers back into the sale with added perks at the right time.
Example of Rejoiner – the platform that helps eCommerce websites entice shoppers back
5. Support Features
Finally, if you want to up your eCommerce game, you need to develop support features for your website. When customers shop online they don’t have someone they can quickly ask if they have questions or comments. Make it easy for customers to get their questions answered efficiently by installing a 24/7 support chat or having an easy contact button. HelpScout.com reports that 59% of Americans would try a new company based on customer support alone! That’s a statistic you can’t afford to ignore.
While many websites are building their support features, one great example is Wayfair. Wayfair is an online furniture retailer, and they know just how frustrating it can be to buy furniture online. That’s why they invest so much into their customer support features. Notice below how easy it is to navigate their support page and how to get help with just the right things quickly and easily.
Example of support features in Wayfair shop
6. Loyalty Programs
With so much competition, you need to treat your best customers wisely. Loyalty programs are a great incentive strategy for many eCommerce businesses, and they might be just the trick to keep your customers coming back again and again. An added perk of loyalty programs is being able to use them in conjunction with your email list building efforts! When it comes to creating a loyalty program, you have a lot of options. From discounts for those who shop with you again to tiered rewards, loyalty programs have shows to boost repeat business numbers by up to 67% according to Inc.
One of the most easily recognized loyalty programs is the VIP membership program through Barnes & Noble. Under this program, customers join by paying $25 a year. After joining these VIP customers receive discounts for all their purchases, free shipping, and extra benefits! These incentives will keep customers choosing Barnes & Noble over other booksellers.
Building loyalty program can be challenging, but you can find solutions (like Open Loyalty) that will help you build loyalty among your customers.
Loyalty program build by Barnes&Nobles
Success in your eCommerce
Your success as an eCommerce business falls on your ability to stand apart from the competition. As long as you keep the focus on the customer (not on your business!) and how you can stay innovative in your marketing, you’ll see results. Don’t get lost in the sea of eCommerce businesses! As the world goes more and more digital, you’ll need the right platform to reach your customers. These tips will make sure your website gets seen!
Published May 29, 2018
