E-commerce is the business model of the moment, needless to deny, especially in such a time of crisis, supply and demand seek convenience.
For those selling the on.line solution is a viable alternative to the roadside store And a way to expand one's customer base.
For shoppers, in addition to the convenience of choosing and having goods shipped to their homes, there is the opportunity to compare and find great deals.
Venturing into a new online business in the realization of a evolved and competitive e-commerce site is not easy. Large companies offering DIY on.line products, they put it down a little too easy, and marketplaces like Amazon and Ebay are very competitive and expensive.
If you want to realize a successful e-commerce site you need to start off on the right foot. Here are my tips, or rather 4 things to stay away from, to keep your customers distracted and get more consistent conversions.
E-COMMERCE: DON'T JUST THINK ABOUT SELLING
This may seem like a contradiction in my statement, but if you think about it, a potential buyer's behavior is not always just about impulse buying.
There are many who wander around the stores without being clear yet what to buy, a bit like when you go for a walk in a shopping mall, see something that catches your attention and go in, here the distraction has worked in your favor but it is a positive distraction, or as the Americans say it is a magnet, a magnet. It can be a product, a song in the background, an advertising sign.
This is the first hook. Then the difference is made by the specific situation you are in and experiencing at that moment: the store staff, how the items are arranged, the selection, the offerings. In other words: the environment. Your e-commerce site should be geared toward that as well, to offer an experience that is not just about selling.
This argument applies whether you are selling a standard product that is already known about (e.g., an iPhone) or a handcrafted, unique, or little-known product.
If your entire e-commerce site is focused only on selling, you risk not offering entertainment alternatives to your passing visitor, who does not want to buy at the moment.
YOUR E-COMMERCE SITE IS NOT A PORTAL TO THE WORLD
But it is toward your world. Just don't overdo it.
This means you won't have to crowd the pages (especially the home page) with dozens of options, links, menu items, and 100 other distractions.
Focus on a few things. A good practice would be to install a Visits tracking device on your e-commerce site, just like the one I have presented here.
In any case, avoid putting everything in right away.
Do this: put 1 featured product, 3 main products, 3 to 6 rotating products.
Then focus, according to what I said above, on giving outline but important information about your business and the benefits of buying from you, a few examples: free shipping, ease of return, toll-free customer service number, a behind-the-scenes video of your production...
E-COMMERCE: UP-SELLING AND CROSS-SELLING
Everybody knows that if you sell a belt you should also offer the matching tie, that if you sell the printer you need the paper and cartridges, and so on...
These up-selling and cross-selling operations are great and can increase your revenue, the important thing is to do them well and at the right time, otherwise they are real distractions.
First you have to be ready with the right pairings; you cannot offer the same type of product but a complementary product.
Then you have to make sure the matching is right: for taste, usage, compatibility--these are important parameters. Imagine if you were offered the wrong cable for your printer in a match, or the tie-tie in an unreasonable color. Finally, you have to calculate well the right time to place the second sale, depending on the possibilities of your platform you could do it when the cart is being purchased or when the customer is still browsing.
There are also those who offer you cross-selling after the customer has already entered credit card information or those, like Amazon, who continue the sale via e-mail even after 24-48 hours.
FOCUS YOUR EFFORTS ON A FEW PAGES OF YOUR E-COMMERCE SITE
It takes only 4 pages to sell a product: the home page, the product detail page, the shopping cart page, and the actual purchase page. While for the home page of your e-commerce site you play it all out in less than 3 seconds, which is the average time a person spends deciding whether to stay or leave, too often not focusing enough on the other 3 pages.
The product page for example is crucial, this is where your visitor accrues a choice, and this page must be perfect: sharp, high-definition photos, clear and complete information, and clearly visible variants and availability.
Everything must lead to the product, without distractions, so it is important that you focus on the design and content of this page.
In conclusion I can tell you that in my experience, even simple small changes sometimes make a big difference. The on.line world is not so different from the real world when it comes to choices that have to be made by people looking for something or coming for others, on your online store.
For manage an e-commerce site you basically follow the same rules as any other high street store, with the only difference being that on the Net people choose much faster, have more options and never feel embarrassed to leave without saying goodbye or worse, badmouthing you.