If you are running a successful brick and mortar retail outlet, it has probably occurred to you that adding an ecommerce store would be a good way to increase your profit without incurring too much in the way of overheads.
And, it is true – there are a lot fewer overheads when running an online store. But it is not just the overheads that you need to consider. Marketing an ecommerce store is very different from marketing a brick and mortar one, and customer behavior online is different to their behavior offline.
To make your online venture a success, you would have to understand what drives people to purchase online. The infographic below will give you a basic introduction so that you can get started. We are sure that many of the statistics are going to surprise you.
For example, while most people compare prices and try to get deals online, they might still want to be able to see the item in person before buying it. They might also not want to wait in order to get it.
Then, there are other factors to consider. Take, for example, the cost of paying for shipping versus the convenience of being able to collect the item immediately. This could become an issue. How can you sweeten the deal for the online shopper who now has to wait for her item and pay for shipping as well?
The first step would be to ensure that the shopping process is as painless as possible. The convenience of being able to shop whenever and wherever you like is one of the big benefits of online stores. Capitalize on that by choosing web design that operates flawlessly and that is easy to navigate.
Most people are not going to have the patience to search endlessly for details on ordering or shipping methods. Make it easy to add things to the cart and simple for them to pay as well. If you can do this, you are already ahead of a lot of online stores.
The next step is to ensure that people know exactly what they are getting. Use pictures that show details and also a good description of what they are getting. In this case, though, the idea of show versus tell is a lot more important – make sure that what they see is what they get.
Once you have the site design sorted out, the next thing to do is to come up with a great marketing strategy for your website. Your marketing message will need to be adjusted for your online store because the motivations of those shopping there will be different to your offline shoppers.
Capitalizing on new channels in this respect could also be helpful for you and taking full advantage of social commerce will pay great dividends. Consider incorporating “Buy” buttons when posting photos to your social media pages and work at building a community of followers.
Finally, be willing to work at it. An online business is rarely successful overnight, but if you are willing to learn as you go along and adjust as necessary, it should prove a success in the end.
