7 Important Tips to Build an Online Store

When you build your online store, ensure your customers will enjoy the journey. A successful online store is easy to navigate, simple to use, and a pleasurable experience. We have compiled some tried-and-tested tips to help you.

It makes sense: A customer doesn’t want to be daunted by the experience when they shop online. They want to enjoy their online experience by scrolling through the different product options. They will also regularly receive emails updating them on new products, so they will be constantly going online to check out the latest items.

An online experience isn’t just about shopping: it’s about having a relationship with the brand. The customer is excited to find what’s new, what’s back on the shelves, and what’s trending. When they shop online, the products are beautifully illustrated, so the site is a pleasure to navigate.

Make Every Part of the Journey a Pleasure

The actual purchasing experience must be simple and enjoyable. The customer has various options for cards, shipping, and delivery, to personalise their experience. The result is simpler than actually going into a store and buying something. No salesperson is necessary to check what’s available in the storeroom; they know immediately if the item is available in the colour and size the customer needs. And if the product is only available on a certain date, they will be informed by phone or email the moment it’s available.

You need to consider all these important points when optimising your online store. Remember: the more you give your customers what they want, the more they will return to shop again. Here are seven important tips to consider when you build your e-commerce site.

We provide seven great tactics to ensure a successful online store.

These include:

1. Know your audience so you can give them the products and services they want.
2. Create a competitive marketing strategy.
3. Stand out from the crowd.
4. Select a variety of products  by upselling and cross-selling.
5. Offer several payment and delivery options.
6. Provide excellent customer service.
7. Make your customers part of the family – communicate regularly.

How to Grow Your Online Store

• You’re a small business owner trying to compete with global giants like Amazon and Etsy. You may not be able to compete on their scale, but you can set yourself apart from your specific competitors by building your website and business into a strong brand. This involves ecommerce marketing. For inspiration, look at our guide to the Marketing Essentials to Make Your Business a Success.
• Your marketing strategy includes quality content that will attract customers to your website and your online store. Provide customers and potential customers with information that shows you are an expert in your industry, so that they begin to trust you.
• Communicate with your customers regularly – send emails telling them about your latest products, and the trends in your industry. Link these to informative blogs you’ve written. Keep them updated on social media platforms, especially Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Offer a mix of posts, videos and images that keep them returning for more.
• Personalise your emails to customers. You want to make them feel they are special, part of the family, and that you’re treating them like VIPs.

7 Important Tips to Create a Successful Online Store

1. Know Your Target Audience

Create an avatar of your ideal customer: describe this person in detail, from who they are, where and how they live, to what they like and dislike. How do these people prefer to buy items? Where do they shop – online, in-store, or both? Only by knowing this character intimately can you give them what they want.

To help you, look at what competitors offer in your industry or niche and who they target. This will give you a good idea of your potential target audience. Check out market research and website analytics to see how websites are run and what their online stores look like. Ensure you know your customer intimately.

For more information, have a section of your website where customers can comment. Give surveys, ask them for feedback, or create online focus groups. You can always reward contributors with discounts or a gift card. This is the best way to learn what users feel about your products and online store, and how they enjoy their purchasing experience. This is also a great way to get feedback on your products and store. The more you know about your audience, the easier it is to create new products for those people.

Here's a great example to look at – global beauty brand Sephora has an extremely successful community hub that allows customers to share their views and provide product reviews. Customers talk to Sephora on the hub and show Instagram images. There are videos of customers sampling their products and a section that informs them of upcoming events and products.

2. Create a Competitive Marketing Strategy

Build a strong, unique brand so that your products stand out. A Forbes Magazine article about the power of branding says that around 80% of customers buy a product because of its brand name.

Ensure you create quality content on your website and Social Media platforms. Regularly inform customers about your brand through emails and social media. Your blogs should include how-to guides, new product details, videos demonstrating how products work, infographics, and – vital – customer testimonials so that people can see how much your people like your products.

Here’s proof that this works: The Content Marketing Institute says that 75% of businesses found content marketing successful, and 56% said it generated sales and increased profits on their online stores.

In online blogs, use SEO keywords throughout your content. Ensure you keep abreast of these invaluable tools so that you can optimise your site with them. For more information on SEO strategies, check out our guide to ecommerce marketing right here.

Remember, a customer goes through several stages when they buy something. The first stage  is when a customer learns about your brand and products. The second stage involves your customer considering whether to purchase from you. In Stage Three, the customer buys something. If you find the buyer hesitating in the first two stages, you can offer them a discount or free trial to buy something.

3. Stand Out From the Crowd

• Experiment to make your brand’s online presence stand out. You may not get it correct the first time, but you will if you try different techniques and methods.
• Track click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and traffic through analytics tools to see how people respond to your website and online store.

4. Offer Customers a Variety of Products

To keep them interested and ensure they return repeatedly, offer your customers a selection of products. You can also try upselling, which involves offering someone more expensive versions of products they have bought.

Or use cross-selling, where you suggest a product similar one the customer likes to buy. You’ve probably seen online stores like Net A Porter do this: you’ll be looking at a product, and if you scroll down, you’ll find items of clothing that would look good with the product you’re considering purchasing.

5. Provide Different Payment Options

Personalise your customer payment options so that everyone has choices. This way, customers are more likely to find one that suits them and buy. Giving them a selection of options is part of the personalisation process. You’ll find that most successful online stores provide this option. Shopify lists these as the most common payment options:

• Credit & Debit Cards:

A popular online shopping choice, these provide security and convenience. Buyers either use credit or have the amount debited from their bank account.

• Mobile Wallets:

These run on apps on mobile phones, tablets and smart watches. They link to the user’s credit or debit card, or their bank account. Sometimes these are integrated into online store checkouts. Examples of these apps include Apple Pay and Google Pay. These apps are very convenient, as all the buyer needs to do is tap to pay.

• Cash On Delivery (COD):

This is another popular choice, as the buyer hands the cash to the courier on delivery. Some stores provide this method online. Several online stores prefer this method, as they receive the money instantly and fees aren’t involved.

• Autopay:

If you use this system, your bank account, credit or debit card will be debited with the purchase amount. Many people use this for monthly or annual subscriptions and other regular payments, such as phone and electricity services.

• Bank Transfer:

With a bank transfer, the customer sends money from their account to the business’s account. This is a secure payment method. Banks have different ways of doing this, including wire transfers for expensive purchases. These can cost a lot to use, which is why they are not extremely popular.

• Cheques:

Cheques are still used for payment in the UK. The person writes a cheque linked to their account or pays with a special cashier’s cheque from the bank. These are often used to send payments by mail, as they are more secure than sending cash in an envelope.

• Cryptocurrency:

This is becoming a popular choice globally. Services such as eToro, CoinJar, Gemini and Kraken provide users with Cryptocurrency debit cards funded with currency such as Bitcoin. Some online stores allow you to you pay directly with cryptocurrency. However, cryptocurrency is quite volatile, so not every online store accepts this type of payment.

• Rewards Or Points:

Some online stores have created very successful loyalty programmes offering rewards or points. Each time a user buys something, they receive points from a percentage of the purchase. When they have enough points, they can buy something from the store using the points.

6. Provide Great Customer Service

The more you look after your customers, the more likely your online store will succeed. Follow the lead of giants like Asos, Marks & Spencer, and Boots, who provide unparalleled customer service. Customers receive regular personal emails updating them on the latest promotions and products. They have various shopping options, speedy delivery and payment choices, and good return policies.

Even if you run a small business, you can give your customers the same treatment. Make your customer service department easily accessible for buyers to reach them.

7. Personalise Your Offerings

With so much competition available, customers expect a personalised shopping experience. They want to feel special. Your email marketing needs to treat them like VIPs. Talk to them as individuals. Show them you know what their likes and dislikes are, and that you are thinking about them and value them as customers. Treat them like the Very Important People they are.

Send them emails with their names in the subject line. Keep a note of their buying history to show you are aware of exactly who they are and what they have bought from you. You can reward them with various discounts and offers.

Customer loyalty programmes can work wonders. McKinsey tells us that customers who enrol in these programmes spend 15 to 25% more, especially when they redeem loyalty points. Building loyal customers can be a dream come true. There are many ways to reward them: with free delivery or VIP access and discounts to your newest products, or previews of what’s coming before anybody else knows. The list is endless.