Online shopping is a juggernaut that won’t be fading any time soon. So it’s no shocker that retailers of every variety have dipped their toes into the digital water, so to speak. However, spending undue amounts of time, energy, and resources on an online store that isn’t delivering the numbers your company needs can derail an otherwise thriving business. With that in mind, let’s take a look at three methods to ensure your online store starts churning out an ROI like never before in 2018:
Simplicity Sells
Retailers shouldn’t get bogged down with the minutiae of web design and tech innovation. Sure, it’s great to be cutting edge and to have a jaw-dropping website, but the most important thing to focus on is the functionality of your online store. Is Amazon.com a particularly pretty website? Not really. But is it super easy to use? Absolutely. Your customers will care more about being able to find and buy your product than they will your website’s color palette.
Identify your Niche
Unlike Amazon, though, most retailers can’t market themselves to a universal audience. Instead, it’s imperative to nail down your target audience and make sure you’ve placed ads in places they’re likely to see. Whether you sell 96 well microplates to labs, or customizable koozies to college students, understanding your customer base will help maximize your online store’s sales.
Everything Must Work –– All the Time
Online shopping –– for a lot of people –– is a diversion, from work, or stress at home. Many enjoy window shopping on the web for products they don’t really intend to purchase at the moment. So if they come across your site and decide to make an impulse buy, you need to be able to take advantage of that. If your site is buggy, or slow, or difficult to use in any way, you’re likely to lose an shoppers who are on the fence about your product. So make sure you do regular maintenance on your online store –– the same way you clean up and service your brick and mortar location.
The Bottom Line
Selling product online isn’t all that different to traditional retail. Captivating images, well-placed ads, and a simple, easy to understand layout are essential to both. So if your business has shied away from the digital marketplace in year’s past, it might be time to throw your hat into the ring. And remember, even if you’re online store is performing well, there are always ways to improve your product’s visibility and accessibility on the web.
