6 Ecommerce Tips For Small Businesses

E-commerce | 29-11-2021 | Simon Walker

6 ecommerce tips for small businesses

Ecommerce has grown immensely in recent years, particularly after the global pandemic. Thousands of new and old businesses rose to the occasion, went digital, and saw a massive surge in their revenues. According to eMarketer, global retail e-commerce sales are expected to grow a further 16.8% and reach $4.921 trillion in 2021. This upward trend is expected to continue as people seem more comfortable and safe shopping online.

So if you too are a small business, there is no better time than now to start offering your products and services online. But before you do that, it’s essential to know what it takes to make your online journey a successful one. In this article, we are going to share six eCommerce tips that will help you succeed in the Magento Extensions.

1. Create a Good First Impression

Your website is the core of your eCommerce business. Customers take the first impression of your business within the first 3-5 seconds of their landing on your website. This impression decides whether or not they are going to stay and do business with you, now or in the future.

For a good first impression, your website needs to look professional yet simple. It should radiate trust and authority. Customers should be able to find what they are looking for easily. The theme, colors, buttons, font, and navigation should be visually appealing and not overwhelming. Call to Actions (CTOs) should be obvious. In short, a good website is the first step to making a good name for your business.

2. Invest in SEO

Creating a great website alone is not enough. You need to bring traffic to it. A great website with no SEO is like a beautiful shop in a secluded area nobody bothers to visit. Today is the age of competition, and you will have a lot of competitors in whatever area you are serving. The best way to outdo them is to get your website to appear on top of search results.

Organic search is the most common way people will find your business. To increase visibility and traffic, it is important that your website ranks high on high-volume relevant search terms. SEO is constantly changing and it is a continuous process. This is why it is totally worthwhile, in fact, compulsory to invest in a good search engine optimization expert.

3. Share on Social Media

Social media is the most powerful tool that, if used correctly, can do wonders and take your business to new heights. Almost everyone uses social media and you can reach out to your potential customers by sharing or advertising your products/services. The key is to be consistent and target the right audience.

Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are great platforms to start with. Just use the right hashtags, attractive images, and compelling content, and you will see tons of traffic and leads rolling in your business. Quality posts will get further shares, and you will get automatic branding.

4. Never Deceive Customers

Now that your website has started getting visitors, you have to focus on converting them into repeat customers. The way you can do this is by being true and transparent in your words. Do what you say and deliver what you display. Maintain trust and you will find your business soar over time.

Put yourself in the shoes of a customer who is charged more than what was shown or a customer who is delivered a different product than what was displayed. Will you buy again from such a business or recommend them to anyone? Clearly not. Such practices may earn you a few dollars momentarily but will ruin your business in the long run.

5. Focus on Customer Service

Many online merchants neglect this aspect and consequently miss out on many sales opportunities. There may be a lot of potential customers seeking to get their questions answered and by not providing them real-time support, you give them away to your competitors. Also, there may be customers seeking after-sale support and by not tending to them, you lose them forever, along with damaging your business credibility.

Your online portal should have a 24/7 live chat with a live representative ready to answer customer questions. Also, make sure to display your contact details at a prominent place so that customers can reach you by phone or email in case of any queries or complaints.

6. Generate Positive Reviews

If you think reviews are not important, you can’t be more wrong. In fact, 91% of people read online reviews and 84% trust them as much as friends. One of the challenges in eCommerce is customer’s uncertainty about a product or service. Positive reviews remove this uncertainty and allow customers to shop with confidence.

You can generate reviews by following up with your buyers and request them to give you honest feedback. You can also offer them discounts for future purchases with a review. Another way to generate reviews is by adding a review page or widget to your website or including review links in your email signatures. You can also run a review campaign. Just remember that reviews are exceedingly important and they play a massive role in your business’s success.

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Author

Simon Walker

Simon Walker is a professional eCommerce Consultant with over 11 years of experience. He is currently working for FME Extensions, a premium Magento development company, where I have developed hundreds of online stores & extensions.