![\"Ecommerce-Shopping-Infographics.png](\"https:\/\/www.cloudways.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ecommerce-Shopping-Infographics.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
1. Find your unique selling proposition
\nWant to sell clothes, electronics, paint, books, or some kind of professional services? Gear up, because no matter what you\u2019re selling, you\u2019re going to have competition.<\/p>\n
The best way to stand out from competitors is to think strategically about your niche. Is it geographical and based on the region where you live? How are you going to cater to or speak to your target market?<\/p>\n
Once you figure out what defines your business and makes you different from everyone else, you can develop a business plan with clear milestones to execute your goals.<\/p>\n
2. Optimize your website\u2019s user experience<\/p>\n
ColourPop Cosmetics homepage is stunning and functional for website visitors.
\nIt takes an internet user less than half a second to generate an opinion on an organization from its website.<\/p>\n
Even if you want your website to be more beautiful or have more functionality than your resources allow, put in the effort to make it clean, functional, and presentable.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t have to be fancy, but it does need to be clear and easy for a user to navigate so they can make their purchase.<\/p>\n
3. Create an FAQ page for your \u201cwhy\u201d<\/p>\n
Sustainable swag brand Roody provides quick answers to common questions on its FAQ page.
\nAs you plan out or update your website, include a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page.<\/p>\n
Depending on the product or service you\u2019re selling or providing to a customer, this is where your \u201cwhy\u201d\u2014as in, the reason you started your business in the first place\u2014comes in.<\/p>\n
For example, if you sell fair trade scarves made by women in rural communities across the globe, this can be a space where you explain why you do what you do and what the larger context is around your business.<\/p>\n
An FAQ page can help automate the education behind the goods or services sold and save you time in the long run. Your FAQ page can answer basic customer inquiries so you don\u2019t always have to.<\/p>\n
4. Be thoughtful in your email marketing strategies
\nSend out a weekly newsletter with information on sales, new content, or product drops. Your email marketing strategy doesn\u2019t have to be fancy\u2014and you can find freelance writing support if you\u2019re not great at the task.<\/p>\n
Repeated emails to customers keeps you on their radar and may sway them to return for a purchase. Effective strategies include:<\/p>\n
Building your email marketing list
\nData can equal dollars, so create a landing pop-up offering customers a discount if they sign up for your email newsletter. If selling products or services in your local community, ask in-person customers to sign up for your newsletter for a discount.<\/p>\n
Being authentic
\nIf you want to have creative control over your email marketing, use your own voice (or your brand\u2019s voice) with your customers. Your business should have a personality to it, and that personality starts with you.<\/p>\n
Keeping an eye on open rates
\nAs you start to send out email newsletters, pay attention to your open rates. Open rates show how many people on your mailing list are actually opening your marketing emails. You can easily compare open rates for different kinds of messages to get a sense of what people want to read\u2014and what they don\u2019t.<\/p>\n
5. Build an ecommerce funnel<\/p>\n
An ecommerce funnel represents the many stages of a customer\u2019s journey on your website.
\nAn ecommerce funnel represents the many stages of a customer\u2019s journey on your website\u2014how a customer goes from Point A to Point B, or comes into contact with your site to make a purchase. It is typically divided into three stages, top, middle and bottom. There are strategies applied at each stage to help customers build awareness and consideration, and then purchase from your brand.<\/p>\n
In a typical funnel, a customer lands on your website, maybe as a result of social media or search engine optimization (SEO). They then sign up for your newsletter to get a discount. They visit the website, build a cart, then abandon their cart.<\/p>\n
You have an automatic alert sent to them if they abandon their cart. Then they place an order, and you email them that an order has been received and shipped. Finally, you send them a survey about their experience.<\/p>\n
This sales funnel guides a casual browser toward their final purchase through small nudges that you can automate on your website. A sales funnel has become the norm because it intertwines a solid user experience with consistent communication. Start your own by creating nudges for browsers and buyers alike, like abandoned cart notifications and final customer surveys.<\/p>\n
![\"C2C-Model.png](\"https:\/\/www.cloudways.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/C2C-Model.png\")
<\/p>\n
6. Experiment with social media platforms<\/p>\n
Shopify Burst
\nSome ecommerce businesses naturally take off on one social media platform over another. A business may have a lot of followers and engagement on Instagram and TikTok, but not much presence on Facebook.<\/p>\n
Still, a comprehensive social media strategy should be active on three or four platforms. This can be challenging, especially if you\u2019re an avid user of Instagram and the platform results in more sales. You need to be active on several platforms, because a competitor in your space may be researching their competition\u2014like you.<\/p>\n
If you leave one channel open, they could swoop in and dominate your market on the platform you\u2019re ignoring. When your business lives across a handful of digital spaces, customers can find you easily, and you\u2019re still top of mind compared to competitors.<\/p>\n
7. Organically grow ad spend
\nAd spend is the amount of money you spend on digital advertising each month.<\/p>\n
The pro of ads is they can capture the eyeballs of many different customers you may not otherwise be able to reach. However, just because you invest in ads doesn\u2019t mean you will always get a return on your investment.<\/p>\n
Focus on increasing your ad spend organically by investing more cash over time. That way, you can track what\u2019s working and what isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
8. Take notes on competitors
\nAssessing the competitive landscape doesn\u2019t stop after launch. To understand other ecommerce brands, block out time on your calendar to study their websites, social media channels, and sales funnels.<\/p>\n
What are they doing that you appreciate from a user perspective? What strategies could you adopt for your own website? No one is barred from using similar\u2014or the same\u2014marketing strategies.<\/p>\n
9. Tap alternative marketing tools
\nDid you know that one of the go-to tips for growing a YouTube following is to showcase expertise (in writing) through online forums like Quora and Reddit?<\/p>\n
Branching out to share specialized knowledge on forums could help connect you to users who share your interests and passions\u2014plus, they may become potential customers.<\/p>\n
Influencer culture has shown us that once people develop trust in your expertise, they\u2019re more likely to spend their dollars with you.<\/p>\n
10. Schedule product drops
\nIf new products tend to arrive midweek and you typically add them to your website on Saturdays, build drops into your social media calendar.<\/p>\n
Write a blog post, create video content, promote on your social media platforms for 24 to 48 hours leading up to the drop or special release. From there, keep your drops on a schedule to build anticipation with customers.<\/p>\n
You want your customers to keep returning to your account page each Saturday, for example, when they know new products are released. This can help increase your overall sales and build consistent revenue.<\/p>\n
11. Play with promotion<\/p>\n
Clothing brand ModCloth uses a soft green countdown bar to promote its limited-time sale.
\nNo matter what type of promotion or discount you\u2019re looking to run, create a sense of urgency around it.<\/p>\n
Add a timer to the banner of your website to alert customers your sale is only happening for a limited time, or launch a sale where the first hundred customers receive a special perk along with their discount.<\/p>\n
Be prepared for potential trial and error along the way. It\u2019s important to piece together different combinations of discounts, social media platforms, and drops to see which times and dates customers bite.<\/p>\n
12. Partner with a 3PL
\nCustomers expect quick and accurate delivery. Small and medium ecommerce businesses often find it hard to meet these expectations while also focusing on growth.<\/p>\n
Many partner with a third-party logistics (3PL) provider. These are external companies that take over your supply chain and logistics operations. They include warehousing, inventory management, order fulfillment, and more.<\/p>\n
Say your artisanal soap and beauty brand is growing. You find it challenging to manage inventory, pack orders, and negotiate with shipping carriers while developing new products and marketing your business.<\/p>\n
By partnering with a 3PL, you can hand off the physical handling of products to the experts. You benefit from automated order picking and packing, lower shipping rates, and the ability to scale without worrying about shipping logistics. Popular 3PLs include ShipBob and Red Stag Fulfillment.<\/p>\n
Ecommerce businesses can see all their orders in one place with ShipBob. Shopify App Store
\n13. Make returns easy<\/p>\n
Customers can easily return and exchange items with AfterShip. Shopify App Store.
\nA straightforward, hassle-free ecommerce returns process is beneficial for any business. It builds trust with customers and can be a competitive advantage because many customers compare return policies before buying.<\/p>\n
Include clear instructions on your website for returns. Make sure your returns policy is fair and easily understood. For example, you can offer a 30-day return window and eliminate fees for returns. Instead, customers can get instant store credit they can use to find another product.<\/p>\n
To make returns easier, use the AfterShip Shopfiy App. With AfterShip, you can create a branded self-service returns portal that makes the process simple and keeps customers happy.<\/p>\n
14. Add live chat<\/p>\n
Customers can easily return and exchange items with AfterShip. Shopify App Store.
\nLive chat is a customer service tool that lets shoppers interact with customer support reps or chatbots in real time. It usually appears as a chat bubble on your website where customers can type their questions and get immediate responses.<\/p>\n
Gymshark, for example, lets customers search for help, read the latest news, and even send messages to its support team.<\/p>\n
By adding a live chat app like Shopify Inbox, you can create a more interactive and satisfying customer experience, which can lead to more sales.<\/p>\n
15. Reward customer loyalty<\/p>\n
Customers can easily return and exchange items with AfterShip. Shopify App Store.
\nThere\u2019s an old saying in business that it\u2019s more cost-effective to retain an existing customer than to acquire a new one. That\u2019s especially true in ecommerce, which is why you want to reward loyal customers who are more likely to continue doing business with you.<\/p>\n
There are many different types of loyalty programs. You could run a points-based program, where customers accumulate reward points and redeem them for free products or discounts.<\/p>\n
There are also tiered loyalty programs, where the more a customer spends, the more perks they get. For members of the GEM Bite Club, for example, the more GEM Bucks they earn through various activities, the more benefits they get from the loyalty program.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a smart idea to create a loyalty program for your brand. That way, you can improve customer retention and create brand advocates that recommend your products to others.<\/p>\n
To build a loyalty program, you\u2019ll need a good app, and the Shopify App Store has plenty. Two top recommendations are Smile and BON \u2014 both have free plans available.
\nReference: https:\/\/www.shopify.com\/blog\/ecommerce-tips<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
1. Find your unique selling proposition Want to sell clothes, electronics, paint, books, or some kind of professional services? Gear up, because no matter what you\u2019re selling, you\u2019re going to have competition. The best way to stand out from competitors is to think strategically about your niche. Is it geographical and based on the region […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":82,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.benencanto.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.benencanto.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.benencanto.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.benencanto.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.benencanto.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=81"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/test.benencanto.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83,"href":"https:\/\/test.benencanto.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81\/revisions\/83"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.benencanto.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/82"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.benencanto.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=81"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.benencanto.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=81"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.benencanto.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=81"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}