8 Proven Ways To Improve Your eCommerce Business
Whether you’re an eCommerce expert or just getting into the game, there are many ways that you can improve your business. You don’t need to spend millions of dollars on consultants or new software to gain a competitive advantage.
The following tips will help lower operational costs and create a better customer experience, which leads to greater sales and more satisfied customers.
Here Are 8 Tips On How You Can Improve Your eCommerce Business: Improve Your Technology Platform
The way businesses function has changed dramatically over the past few decades due to technological advancements. As a result, customers have increasingly high expectations for online shopping websites because they are used to convenient features such as one-click ordering, wish lists, online chat support, product reviews, content feeds, personalized recommendations, and interactive search options.
The best way to keep up with these changing expectations is to seek expert advice from an eCommerce consultant and select a technology platform that offers you the ability to add new features to your eCommerce website easily.
Improve Your Search Engine Ranking
SEO is one of the most cost-effective ways to build your business because it’s repeatable and scalable (currently free). SEO involves optimizing your website, metadata, content, social profiles, etc., ranking higher for keywords related to your business. Once you improve your ranking for a specific keyword, you can expect a steady flow of organic traffic that turns into customers if they’re looking for a product/service you offer!
Test Your Website in Multiple Browsers
If there’s one thing you should always do before launching, then it’s testing your website across different browsers! The last thing you want is for people to go to the trouble of typing in your URL but get an error message due to browser compatibility issues.
If you’re using WordPress, install the free Browser Shots plugin, which gives you screenshots of your page across different browsers and operating systems. You can also avoid compatibility issues by having a fallback solution if they can’t access the content they were looking for on your website (for example, link to an alternative page or simply an error message).
Improve Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are essential because they help potential buyers make better buying decisions and lead to higher conversion rates from visitors to customers.
In addition, Google now gives preference in its ranking algorithm to websites with customer reviews. Many eCommerce platforms provide tools for capturing customer reviews from multiple sources, including your website’s shopping cart, emails after the purchase are made, and social media sites like Facebook and Instagram.
Use these tools to gain more content for your site that builds trust among consumers. Customers tend to trust other customers more than a business’ own marketing claims.
Offer Multiple Payment Options
In addition to the apparent credit card options, some of your best customers might prefer alternative payment methods such as PayPal Express Checkout or Bill Me Later.
In fact, some customer segments are so comfortable with these payment alternatives that you won’t compete without them. For example, using PayPal can help you gain sales from international buyers since they have a strong acceptance in these markets and charge lower transaction costs than traditional credit cards.
On the other hand, if you target a young demographic, appealing to social media will work more effectively than accepting traditional payments. Some of the most successful eCommerce companies offer financial services on top of their online shopping solutions. For example, PayPal now offers financing to merchants as well as a payment gateway.
Offer Multiple Shipping Options
Even if you use free shipping as an incentive or one of your pricing models, be sure to offer multiple shipping options for different time frames and costs.
Some people prefer speed over cost, so that they might pay more for overnight/express delivery. Be sure this information is clearly displayed on the product pages, your return policy, and any other important information your customers might need before purchasing from your site.
If it’s not obvious where exactly their package will come from (store vs. fulfillment center), consider having a disclaimer at the bottom of the page saying, “Shipments originate from our [store name]” or something like that.
When it’s clear where their order will ship from, customers will be less likely to give you negative comments when they receive a package (for example, if your fulfillment center ships items in bulk and this information is not specified on your website).
Post Frequently on Social Media
Many, if not all, people use social media to stay informed about industry updates, so frequently posting on social media means people will see your brand more often, which creates familiarity with your product/service.
In addition, people are more likely to buy from a company they’re familiar with so consider posting at least once every day on your social media profiles, even if it’s just a simple message, image, or link post.
Use Influencers
Influencers are typically people with large followings on social media who use their influence to promote certain products. Suppose you choose an influencer that matches well with your business. In that case, they’ll likely be more likely to recommend your offer to their audience because of complementary interests/content/brands.
In addition, influencers make it easier for new customers to find you online so maybe even consider hosting giveaways for influencers around the same size as their audience.
