A few years ago, e-commerce was something that only some dared to undertake, and that differentiated them from others. Today, selling online is nothing new, and not being present on the internet is almost equivalent to not existing in the market.
Most companies can no longer afford to sell only in physical stores, as they would lose customers outside their geographic area. The internet is a world open to everyone and makes everything seem closer. The physical situation of the store, which previously played a very important role, is no longer as relevant.
The market in which you are developing your business is expanding and your competitor is no longer just the store that sells similar products on the same street. Now your competitors are all those who sell online, regardless of their geographical location. And since the competition is now quite tough, it has become a priority to differentiate your online store from other competitors, but for this, you need more and more ingenuity. That’s why we want to introduce you to the key elements that will make your business stand out among others.
Be unique
First of all, you have to think about what makes you unique, and then hold on tight to this idea. Think that you are the only one who can offer it in the market. It can be an exclusive product or an after-sales service that nobody else offers. Think about it very seriously, since this is going to be the element that will attract customers to you. But, remember, don’t promise things you can’t keep. Building trust with customers is one of the fundamental tasks of every entrepreneur and there is nothing that can break trust more than an unfulfilled promise. For example, if you agree to make delivery within one day, you must do so at all costs. Otherwise, the customer will not buy again on your website.
Read Why You Should Run Your eCommerce Site as an Agile Project
Take care of social media
Being present online means being present in social networks. It is a great tool to make yourself known on the Internet, and if you do it correctly you can get a high conversion rate without paying a penny.
However, this does not mean that all existing networks should be used. You need to know your target audience well to know which networks to use. For example, if your clients are 50 years old, using Instagram as a means of communication will be a waste of time. You should not think only of demographic characteristics. Think about what they like, the topics that may interest them and from there decide what content you will publish. It makes no sense to publish just to fill in your profile. If you only publish the products you offer, your followers will get bored quickly.
Offer something new, useful, that makes them react. And if you can get users to post comments on your profile, respond to them. The best Social Network for an activity is the proximity that can be created between you and your customers. Interacting with them will help you gain their trust and create a more human image.
Be mobile-friendly
This may seem obvious, but there are still countless online stores that are neglecting mobile users. And this is a big mistake! Do a little experiment: when you are on the bus, in the cafeteria or in any public place, count the number of people using their portable terminals. Probably the majority. Therefore, the mobile user experience must be good. Most people for whom the purchase of these devices will seem complicated, will leave the site and go to the competition.
The first thing we have to do is check that our website is sensitive, that is, that it adapts to different screen sizes. Programs such as WordPress allow you to view websites in mobile or tablet size so that, when creating a web page, we know how it will look on smaller screens. We must ensure that everything is clearly visible, each button, each photo, each product. We can even create our own application that will help us differentiate ourselves from the competition.
Contact us
We will never tire of saying it: building trust among your customers is the most important task, and being in touch with them is the key. To do this, you should make contact with your website and after-sales service as easy as possible. It is a good idea to add a chat on your website that allows you to respond instantly to the doubts of Internet users or create a Click to Call button where the customer only has to enter his phone number to make a call.
But not everything is the ease of contact visibility on the website, but there must be someone behind who is available to serve customers. The call center software is a clear example of a service that facilitates unified communication.
It consists of a virtual call center that facilitates internal and external communication of the company, that is, both between the workers themselves and between workers and customers. And with virtual, we mean that it is a fully integrated system in the cloud, which uses a VoIP telephone system to route and manage calls, which significantly reduces the communication costs of the company.
Nor should we forget that with electronic commerce we can easily sell abroad. If we want to be in contact with our foreign clients, it is a good idea to offer an international virtual number. In fact, it creates an image of proximity and makes customers ready to call us. Once you contact us, we will be closer to getting the sale. To do this, we must ensure that all employees are experts in what they sell, in order to provide the customer with the best possible assistance.
Differentiating your e-commerce from the competition is a difficult but not impossible task. If you follow these tips you will have taken the first step. However, remember that this is not a unique event and that you must continue to improve and innovate so as not to be left behind.
