The internet is now omnipresent. What used to be the privilege of a few has now become the backbone of life. The internet, also known as the World Wide Web came into existence for the first time in 1990. Online shopping started in 1994 and the first e-commerce website (Amazon.com) was launched in 1995. We have come a long way since then. There are millions of online shopping sites now. Most of the products that you use in your everyday life are now just a click away. With more and more people now choosing to shop online, online sales have turned into lucrative mediums to increase sales. Therefore, it makes sense to get your business online and tap into the potential that ecommerce has to offer. Creating your own ecommerce website is fairly simple, provided you keep the following aspects in mind:
- Decide what you want to sell
As said before, there are millions of e-commerce sites on the web and yet not all of them are as successful as Amazon. The main reason behind this is that when Amazon was launched, it was first of its kind. They knew what they wanted to sell and they had a plan. Therefore, before you even think about launching your website, you must first think about its purpose. If you already have a website, you must question yourself -What unique proposition does your website/product has? Why should consumers buy from your website than Amazon or Flipkart? Once you have figured this out, make sure that you convey that USP to your customers.
- Gain consumers’ trust:
Online shopping is still considered risky by a lot of people. Flipkart had to battle this for long before they launched Cash on Delivery in India. That along with rather easy returns and refunds built trust in Indian consumers. Amazon has been marketing themselves as the most consumer-centric company on the Earth, and now after 22 years of excellent customer service, they has become the go-to site for anyone who wants to shop online. A large part of your website’s success depends on how much do customers trust you and the only way to build trust is to deliver excellent customer service consistently.
- Proper product showcase and description:
A major reason why a lot of online shopping sites fail is due to their inability to showcase their product properly. Most of the successful websites usually have complete description and information about the product along with reviews from consumers and frequently asked questions. Several studies indicate that customers like to read reviews before making a buying decision. Use as many pictures of the products as you can to give prospective customers a realistic image of what your product looks like and then make sure that your description matches the actual product’s design. Do not lie or put fake pictures of the product. This will harm you in the longer run.
- UI/UX:
A good user interface and user experience create a real impact on the conversions on your website. Sloppy and sluggish websites usually result in customers dropping off at various stages in buying journey.
This does not necessarily mean that a fancy website will sell more product. A good UX means that your website should be functional, easy on eyes and fast. A classic example is Amazon. While it is very plain in design, it is highly functional, personalized and easy to use.
- Personalization
Websites like Amazon or Flipkart provide a very personalized experience when you land on them. They use algorithms to figure out what products you might like and show them making it a wonderful shopping experience. They will later send you Emails asking for reviews for your product as well, making it a very immersive experience.
- Search Engine Optimisation:
This is the last yet the most important point to keep in mind. If your site is a new ecommerce site, nobody will have heard your name. So the only way for you to attract customer attention is via search engines. 45% of online shoppers rely on search engines for finding the product they want. Hence you need to make sure that your website is optimised properly so as to appear on the first page of Google search, whenever someone searches for a product. Hence, make it a point to follow the Search Engine Optimisation guidelines at every step of creating your website.
You can also hire web designers from UrbanClap to assist you in this process.