Enhancements for E-Stores: Boost Your Online Business with These 5 Tips!
Five Awesome Upgrades for Your eCommerce Store in 2022
In the realm of eCommerce, the game has drastically evolved over the past few years, becoming an integral part of most folks' daily lives. To make the most out of this market, your store needs to be top-notch to stay ahead of the competition. Here's a list of five simple, budget-friendly, and quick improvements to level up your eCommerce business for the new year.
1. Amplify your cart and checkout
With fierce competition in the eCommerce world, every small detail counts. In 2020, eCommerce sales in the U.S. surged to a whopping $861.12 billion. Improve the functionality of your shopping cart by ensuring it travels with customers across each page and stores items for as long as possible. Combat unexpected costs by eliminating hidden fees and generating a shipping estimate within the cart.
For a streamlined checkout process, minimize and simplify the steps for users. Allow customers to sign in with other platforms like Google or Facebook, keep shipping and billing addresses the same, and reduce unnecessary form fields. If you need help achieving these options, explore the plugins and tools created specifically for your eCommerce platform.
2. Focus on One Selling Point per Page
Simplicity is key this year. Instead of splurging on visually appealing gimmicks like drone footage or auto-play background videos, simplify your approach. Create sales pages that highlight a single idea and limit the number of buttons. Refine copy and emotional appeals to resonate with your audience, ensuring a consistent message across all pages.
Highlight scarcity to create urgency. Countdowns should focus on sale timelines and product availability, and encourage immediate purchases. Minimize any extra menus, search options, and related product content to keep the audience engaged.
3. Make your values heard
Brand values matter to consumers. In the U.S., around 83% of Millennials prefer to buy from companies that share their beliefs. They're even willing to pay premium prices for ethical products or ones that contribute to charity. Look for ways to align your business with community initiatives, eco-friendly practices, or local producers.
Expressing your values can lead to customer loyalty and increase sales. Highlight these initiatives on your website and use them as marketing tools throughout the year.
4. Simplify returns
Returns are an essential aspect of eCommerce that often gets overlooked. With growing online purchases and returns, streamlining the process can give you a competitive edge. Create a dedicated warehouse area for returns and ensure they're processed quickly and efficiently. By doing so, customers will be more likely to make repeat purchases.
5. Speed up your shipping
Fast and free shipping continues to be a priority for consumers. To make it affordable, consider offering slow ground shipping as the free option or setting minimum order thresholds. Offering fast shipping can increase the average order value, making it an effective sales tactic.
With faster shipping options becoming more cost-effective, explore partnerships with reliable shipping providers to provide seamless, quick delivery across the globe.
In conclusion,
As we embark on a new year, it's crucial for eCommerce stores to prioritize improvements that cater to customers and stay competitive. By upgrading the shopping cart and checkout process, focusing on the core selling points of each page, making your values known, simplifying returns, and improving shipping options, you can create a customer-centric shopping experience that boosts sales and fosters loyalty.
Reference:
[Source] – 83% of Millennials prefer to buy from companies that share their values.[Source] – Fast and free shipping continue to be important to consumers.[Source] – ECommerce store improvements often focus on design and page elements.[Source] – In the U.S., eCommerce sales more than quintupled from 2010 to 2020.[Source] – Simplify and streamline returns to minimize requirements and clarify your needs with customers.
- To streamline the logistics and distribution of your eCommerce store, consider implementing a technology-driven, seamless, and efficient order fulfillment system that prioritizes quick, cost-effective shipping options.
- To foster positive relationships with finance and business stakeholders, focus on minimizing hidden fees in the checkout process and creating clear shipping estimates within the shopping cart.
- To align your eCommerce business with the evolving expectations of consumers in the new year, emphasize a strong brand identity centered on business values that resonate with your target market, such as eco-friendliness, community initiatives, or local sourcing.