With the right idea, an online store can become a profitable success
The emphasis here is on “can”. Because although the right idea forms the basis for the development of the online store, it alone does not mean success. Contrary to the expectation of many that the store will automatically run reliably and make a profit after a long period of preparation and launch, there is so much more to the ongoing operation of the store. You can find the questions you should ask yourself and tips and tricks here.
How do customers get to the store?
Without an answer to this question, your online store stands like one tree among many in the vast forest of the World Wide Web and receives no attention. And no attention is the death of an online store. The following tips will give you a good idea.
Tip 1: Search engine optimization
Website operators, regardless of their type, cannot avoid this term. Search engine optimization, or SEO for short, is about optimizing your website so that it appears as high up as possible in the list of search engine results. The good thing about this is that it can increase visitor numbers in the long term while keeping your marketing costs low, as the relevance of your website grows organically thanks to SEO. There are now many experts in this field and it is worth seeking advice. However, there are also small tricks that you can implement yourself. For example, you can start a blog on the store’s website where you appear as an expert and provide information on your specialist area. It is also important to adapt the product descriptions to the customers’ search terms.
Thanks to SEO, you can influence the Google ranking of your online store.
Tip 2: Paid advertising
Another traditional type of marketing that brings visitors to your store is paid advertising. Today, potential customers are primarily reached via advertisements on popular social media channels, i.e. Facebook and Instagram. Google Ads, which are ads directly on Google, are another way to advertise and attract people to your website. By the way: Ads are of course incredibly important, especially after the launch, but should still be used again and again. And even customers who have already made a purchase can be encouraged to buy again through remarketing. This can be done, for example, with the help of an intelligent newsletter that suggests similar products or other products from a product range, such as washing powder for the washing machine, in the style of Amazon.
How do people buy when they are in the store?
Store visitors are not automatically customers. This is because the store must also fulfill certain criteria in order to persuade the visitor to buy.
Tip 1: Product presentation
The presentation of the products plays a very decisive role here. The pictures should be professionally taken. The product descriptions must contain all the information that is important for potential buyers. It is essential to focus on the target group. To do this, analyze the common search terms: What do people type into the search engine when they are looking for the product? Customer reviews of a similar product in other online stores can also provide information about what the target group wants to know. In a virtual store, the product page must also take on the role of advisor. Comprehensive advice and good customer service contribute to the trust of potential buyers and turn them into customers. Seals, guarantees and tolerant returns policies can also contribute to trust.
Tip 2: Usability
Usability is another term for user-friendliness, which is essential in an online store. Can new customers navigate the store intuitively and find what they are looking for without having to know their way around? If it is not intuitive, visitors will leave the store immediately. For one thing, nobody wants to feel like they can’t use something, and for another, everyone wants to reach their destination, such as a product, as quickly as possible. You can find out how user-friendly the store is by carrying out tests.
If customers find their way around easily, they are more likely to make a purchase in the store.
Tip 3: Interaction
Mass customization tools can be helpful in encouraging customers to click more and stay longer in the store. This is a configurator, for example. Being able to customize products is particularly popular with a generation that wants to realize their own ideas and go their own way. By using this option, customers stay on the site longer, make many clicks and are much more likely to make a purchase. This interaction on the website is in turn registered as positive by Google, which in turn increases the ranking.
Tip 4: Conversion rate
The conversion rate shows the number of purchases. The aim is of course to maximize this figure. Unfortunately, however, it still often receives too little attention. The first step towards maximization can be to test which product presentation or which price works better. Such a test is called an A/B test. It involves running two variants simultaneously and then comparing the number of purchases. However, this test is only representative if a high total number of visitors has already been achieved.
Continuous optimization of the online store
In general, the online store must be constantly monitored, reflected on and optimized after the launch. Why? Because Google regularly changes its algorithm, new payment systems are introduced or new trends simply influence user behavior. Optimization includes the analysis of visitor numbers and sources, user behaviour and customer reviews, the maintenance of customer service and the testing of new functions and payment systems. The system behind the store must therefore be designed for optimization and a monthly budget must be planned.
If you want to run a successful online store, you shouldn’t sit back and relax after the launch and a few successful purchases, but rather make sure at all times that the target group is addressed and satisfied and that the online store meets all current standards. However, this is not complicated if you implement the tips mentioned and follow a strategy. With this in mind: Good luck!
