Although this area requires the most effort, it allows you to customize your online store design. If you’re serious about building an online sales business, this is the way to do it.
The best way to get a unique, fully customized e-commerce website is to work with a web designer to create what you have in mind. But there are also many template sites and website builders (like WIX, Shopify, and Squarespace) that allow you to build a website without any programming experience. But keep in mind that the templates available are limited in customization, and you may not get exactly what you want. Fortunately, many website builders allow you to hire a designer to create a custom look for your website.
Pros:
- Customizable and customizable (although some platforms have their own limitations)
- Easy to track and market to repeat customers
- Great way to showcase your brand
Cons:
- More difficult to set up than social media stores or online marketplaces
- There are often fees for domain name registration and website hosting
- You may need to Update your website frequently
If you have a larger budget to work with and are confident about starting your own business, starting an online business through your own website may be the right choice for you.
Mark your path to success (branding)
No matter where you decide to sell online, having a well-developed brand will get you more sales than selling without a brand.
By creating a brand, your customers will be able to quickly identify your business in Recognize across platforms. A brand includes everything from logo design to product packaging to the types of imagery you use on your website.
When creating a brand for your online business, it’s important that it has the right look and feel for your target audience. For example, sophisticated, neutral tones may not be appropriate for a kids’ gym, but they may be perfect for a high-end fashion company. Create a brand style guide for your business to ensure your brand is always portrayed consistently online. Also, be sure to check out this complete guide to e-commerce to learn about the specifics of branding an e-commerce business.
The Importance of Impactful Marketing and Great UX Design
Online sales don’t stop at the checkout. It’s important to know how to attract your customers to your store, as well as how to retain them and keep them coming back in the future! Here are some important things to consider when running an e-commerce store:
Online Advertising
According to a 2019 study, 51% of shoppers said they use Google to research online shopping. Once your customers have done this search, you can use this opportunity to market to them online through Google, and then re-target them through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. This is retargeting, or remarketing, and it works when someone interacts with your business online. Even if that person doesn’t immediately convert into a paying customer, they will see an ad for your product or service when they log into Instagram or Facebook. This builds your brand awareness and increases the likelihood that they will convert into paying customers. Online advertising is a great way to get your audience’s attention, or get found. You can read more about Google Ads on our site.
Email Marketing
Did you know that the number of global users using email is approximately 3.9 billion? Plus, email marketing has the highest return on investment for small businesses. If you’re looking for a great way to drive traffic to your online store, email marketing is for you. Email marketing allows you to showcase your current promotions and special sales, share relevant news with your customers, introduce new products, and ask your audience for feedback on your brand and products. Check out some of the best email marketing designs here. Think of email as looking at platforms like HubSpot, Campaign Monitor, and Mailchimp to launch simple yet effective newsletters that you can track.
Great UX Design
UX, or user experience, is crucial to your e-commerce website. It’s how users interact with your website and can often make or break your sale. For example, the meditation app Calm keeps its users healthier and calmer through a minimalist UX design. Their UX design helps users navigate the website easily and find the information they’re looking for. Users can even choose an app environment like a jungle or the ocean to experience a personalized app experience with Calm. If you want to have repeat customers, it’s important to consider things like having navigation menus in the right places and making the user’s flow intuitive. Remember to always check for broken links and other technical features that might be annoying to your audience when testing the UX design of your e-commerce site. For a deeper look at UX and how to make your website easy and fun for users, check out our guide to creating great UX design.
What types of products can you sell online? Basically, there are two types of products you can sell online.
- Primary products (when a product or service has almost the same quality characteristics throughout its market)
- Niche products (a small, specific segment of the market where we focus our product or service to meet the needs of the customers in that segment)
Primary products are essential and basic goods or services. In fact, they are products that everyone needs. The majority of online purchases worldwide are of primary goods. For example: clothing, makeup, food.
While, niche products are products or services that are for a specific, or niche, audience. They are usually made to order or in limited quantities. For example: handmade jewelry, a unique type of plant, homemade candy.
Only selling niche products in your online store (especially if they are already sold on major online marketplaces like Amazon) will make it very difficult to succeed, as you will be competing with the big sites. We recommend using a combination of selling both niche and niche products to provide the best value for your customers. For example, if you sell candy, think about products that you can sell in bulk (like a well-known candy brand) and then add a niche to your e-commerce website by selling handmade candy that no other store can offer.
Finally, tangible products aren’t the only things you can sell online. Don’t forget to sell online services too, like online courses. If you’re in a service business, you might also consider selling things like marketing services, custom videos, template designs, coaching sessions, and even online review sharing, which can be a combination of selling products and services, depending on the type of sharing you do. Digital products are a unique niche that you might want to sell online. This can include things like skins for game characters, digital art and e-books, and themes for websites.