When it comes to building an online store, the hardest part is starting. There are so many things that need to happen in order to have a successful shop but it's okay if you don't get them all accomplished right at first. Rushing things can cause hurtful outcomes for your business. Here are some tips on must haves when creating your first online store that most people miss out on.
Excellent Product Photos
This is the most important. What customers want is a clear view of what they are purchasing. Surprisingly, many customers don't even read the products description. I know this for a fact from selling personalized products. But one thing you accomplished is they loved the product all due to your photos. Make sure to keep them clean and not too busy. Sometimes great contrast against dark wood or even a plain white background will make what you are selling pop. You don't even need a DSLR these days. Your iPhone can take great product photos and that's one less thing you can mark off your list. High quality and eye catching product photos also makes it easy for other blogs or media websites to feature you. If they like what they see they will tell their viewers to check you out. Free advertising just because they think it looks awesome. It pays in the long run to not rush this process.
First Impressions
Make sure the first thing the customer sees is what you would want to see when shopping online. Your main shop page should tell a story and should sell itself. Anything too busy these days will effect the shopping experience. If your style is country and rustic then incorporating that style into your main page is important but be careful and not over do it. Make sure the text is readable and not to use any crazy fonts. I have been to online stores where it was just too busy and they lost my business becuase of it. You should also make a clear gateway to the 'shop' page from your main page. Making it easy to navigate is crucial.
Responsive Shop
Most website programs like wordpress, squarespace, and shopify come with themes that you can download and install. Super easy and this makes life mire simple for you and your shop. But it's very important to make sure your shop is responsive to other devices like iPhones, iPads, etc. 50% of my customers shop from their cell phone. A lot of people enjoy laying in bed at night and browsing. I am guilty of this too. So making sure your website is easy to navigate and read when viewed on a laptop as well as a cell phone is crucial. Take your time when selecting a good theme that makes sense for your online shop. Study the theme on every device you can. The worst thing is to work long hours on a great custom shop design to find out it doesn't work well on mobile devices.
These are just a few things that sometimes get rushed or over looked when starting an online shop. The best advice I can give you is to be patient and take your time. Do not try to squeeze everything into a day of work. Sometimes it takes a week or two to get a good jump start. And it will take a year or two to really get a good "lived in" feel for your online business. If you don't understand what I mean by that, you will soon enough. Good luck!
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