If you're interested in getting started online with an eCommerce website you're already ahead of the pack: only 46% of small business owners even have an online store despite Americans' preference for online shopping (approximately 51% of Americans shop online, with 30% of those surveyed buying at least once a week).
It's the holidays when eCommerce truly takes off. According to Internet Retailer, American shoppers are on target to spend close to $120 billion online this month and next, up 15.5% over the same period in 2017. How can you prepare for the coming rush? Make sure your eCommerce platform can help you to easily implement these six strategies.
1. Update your product catalog
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday fast approaching, there's no better time to rethink the design of your store. And to sell more, you need to show more. Using an all-in-one eCommerce platform that allows for easy display of a wide number of product shots in a range of formats is essential. In fact, 78% of shoppers surveyed said having images helped them make a purchase decisions.
If you need updated product photos, you can shoot them yourself fairly inexpensively with a borrowed DSLR camera or a smartphone. Youâll want to begin with photos on a white background, which is the standard for eCommerce sellers. Remember, the goal of your photos should be to show shoppers why they should buy your product. If you donât want to do it yourself and have a larger budget, you can hire a professional photography service. Once you have beautiful product images, you can build a storefront that will bring your business to life.
2. Encourage reviews
Shoppers like company, so when they see reviews from people they can identify with, they're more likely to buy â 69% more likely, to be specific. The key? Vary reviews to include both positive and negative (if you can) and highlight different products or offerings. At Female Idea Tank, life and business strategist Tammy K. Johnson has a "social proof" page that provides a closer look at how she helps her clients overcome a range of challenges.
3. Offer free shipping
Amazon Prime made cheap or even free shipping the standard for many eCommerce retailers. Fortunately, there are excellent tools for managing shipping, no matter the stage of your business. Using the Weebly and Shippo integration you can save up to 40% on shipping rates and hours of work with an easy shipping solution. Plus, shipping rates are calculated in real time and determined by the carrier.
4. Start using video now, if you haven't already
Just as customers want reviews, they also want to see what it is they're buying. Embedding video with product demonstrations can be especially powerful, but so can highlighting videos or customer testimonials. Overall, 30% of customers say they prefer videos. To leverage videos for your small business consider embedding a story video on your homepage, so shoppers can learn about your business. You can also add a looping header video to certain pages to make your website more dynamic. StayJax demonstrates how their product works using a video on their homepage.
5. Upgrade your mobile experience
Nearly 1 in 4 dollars spent on eCommerce in last year's third quarter was done so from a mobile device. By 2021, that share is expected to rise to just under 54%. This means it's imperative you make sure your eCommerce site is responsive and able to deliver a positive buying experience that doesn't leave shoppers longing for their laptop.
6. Make sure your payments platform is secure and works at scale
Losing a sale because your payments platform is either overloaded or unreachable is unacceptable for any business. For an active eCommerce business like yours, it can make a significant difference for your quarterly plan. Make sure you choose the right partner and pay reasonable fees for an experience your customers will enjoy.
The holidays are almost here, so don't wait to get prepared. Update your images, publish more reviews, get started with free shipping, use video, improve your mobile experience and pick the right payments provider. Santa comes but once a year â don't make him work harder than he needs to when it comes to serving your customers.
Author Bio
Alena Courtney is a Growth Marketing Manager at Weebly, a platform for websites, eCommerce and marketing used by businesses around the world.