How to Make Your First Ecommerce Sale

Everybody wants to make money online. But remember it’s easy to mess up as much as it is easy to do. So, you need to have identified your objectives and how you intend to achieve them before you set foot. In this article, we look at the different ways to attract the attention of consumers when they’re shopping online and the strategy to convert them into your customers.

As ecommerce grows, so do the opportunities for new business. Learn to turn your passion into a first ecommerce sale for your new business.

Step 1. Make friends via Facebook

• Network via a personal account, but don't overdo it.
• Once in a day, connect to your online store with a link or info.
• Share press shout-outs, ask friends, or even hand them a survey to know what they are thinking.
  
  

Step 2. Inspire with Pinterest

• Include a ‘pin’ button on your website. Share product information and reach up to 62% of your business.
• Create both a personal and a business Pinterest account.
• Use smart boards to categorize pins easily and inspire users with how to use products, not just descriptions.
• Pin your products with prices for regularly stocked items.
  
  

Step 3. Get Search Engine Optimized

Factors to get started on SEO

• Natural links to your website from other sites
• Authority of website in that niche
• Trustworthiness of the website
• Age of the domain
• Site structure 
   

Other factors that matter are the number of quality backlinks, keywords in titles and body text and activity on social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Step 4. Create a Youtube channel

Brand your channel and promote it. You can do it by attaching videos to your email signature and by promoting it on your business site and blog.

The range of video content must include:

• Educational videos that speak to your niche
• Customer testimonials and
• Product reviews

How to Win The Customer – 7 Crucial Ecommerce Mantras

Customer service is critical in the ongoing relationship between retailers and customers. With the rise if social media, ecommerce companies need to understand and embrace these new social customers, and respond to them in a personal and timely manner.

So, how can you support the ecommerce customer?

1. Offer multichannel support

Today, many customers regularly use more than one support channel. In fact, 9 out of 10 customers expect to receive a consistent experience over multiple customer contact channels.

2. Listen on social media 

Why is this important for ecommerce companies? Because customers are craving for human interaction and they are basing their buying decisions on the fact that companies care about their customers. 

 

This is borne out by the statistic that 78% of the customers believe that social media will be the next tier of customer service. And 46% of online customers expect brands to provide customers service on Facebook.

3. Track all customer interactions

Tracking all customer interactions eliminates wasted time and confusion for both your agents and your customers. Since you interact on multiple channels, you build a rapport with the customer and that builds trust.

4. Create a support centre for the customers 

 

90% of customers go to a company’s website before calling or emailing you. Create a support centre for customers to self serve.

5. Provide online chat

 77% of customers agreed that online chat positively influenced their attitude about the retailer.

5. Focus on timely responses

Customer support response times dictate how the customer perceives the company. This is very important as customers who do not get a response are very much likely to generate bad reviews for you.

6. Deliver a wow experience 

 

This is done by combining empathy and understanding for the challenge the customer is facing. You need to identify and resolve the issue with skill and drive and make sure you scale that learning back into the organization. 

 

Altogether, experience, attention and resourcefulness are needed to ensure that you can meet the customer’s expectations and retain him in the future as well. This would take time, but with patience it can be achieved.

 

8 Steps to Build an Ecommerce Website

This article is for starters. It’s specifically intended for those who look to build an ecommerce website. We look at some of the basics that you should keep in mind(in a nutshell) before you start and also, plan and strategies your ideas before you begin. 

 

1. Create a business plan

• Meet your partners
• Brainstorm together
• Setup overall expense
• Plan your events
• Keep up timeline with key deadlines 
  
  

2. Choose a catchy website address

This is important as did is what enables customers to find you. Select a domain name for the site that accurately represents what you are selling and helps brand your business.

3. Select the right ecommerce software 

• Upload product images
• Upload product description
• Give your customers the information they need
• Hire a content writer if you can’t write yourself
  
  

4. Apply for a merchant account for processing credit cards

Make sure you give customers multiple payment options. Also remember that most customers are accustomed to paying for goods and services online using their credit cards. You’will need to have the following info:

• Tax number
• Business bank account
• Balance Sheet
• Description of service
• Documented refund policy
  
  

5. Design a user friendly website

The important of this can’t be overstated. If you are to retain your customers, you better make sure your site dies not trouble him or make him search for the obvious. Improve the site’s appearance and ensure usability as it’s the key to earning sales.
 

6. Secure your site

Let customers know it’s safe. Purchase an SSL certificate. 61% of cardholders said they would shop online if they knew their credit card information was secure.

7. Test your site

• Tweak your site before going live
• Fix all broken links and images
• Double check phone numbers
• Create a ‘Frequently asked Questions’ page
  
  

8. Promote your site online

• Advertise your site in the search engines
• Take advantage of search engine behaviour to drive targeted traffic
• Optimize your site using Search Engine Optimization
  
  
  

  

How to Avoid Shopping Cart Abandonment

You’ve designed an ecommerce platform that looks very good and does the job. But still, you don’t generate revenue. Why? The answer could be shopping cart abandonment. Shopping cart abandonment remains a major ecommerce concern. To help manage this problem, here are some tips to help significantly lower it and see your business grow at the rate it should.

To understand why shopping cart abandonment occurs, it is important that we understand what a perfect checkout page is and then try to avoid our mistakes. What a perfect checkout page has:

• Calls to action(BOOK -> ADD -> COMPLETE) - These are key. It is essential that you keep them concise, consistent, prominent and colour contrasted. Never place the ‘checkout’ button next to the ‘remove from cart’ button.
  
  
• Progress indicators – Customers like knowing where they are in the process. Number steps to track progress.
  
  
• Thumbnails – Include thumbnails so that customers know they are buying the right item – you don’t want them to have to start the whole process over again.
  
  
• Allow changes – Making moves easy for your customer is the key. It is also important to keep in mind to make ‘changing details’ on the checkout page easy and more intuitive.
  
  
• Diversify payment options –Allowing customers to choose different payment options will go a long way in improving the flexibility and ease-of-use of your shopping cart. 
   
• Save the cart – Many customers use their shopping cart as an idea collector for the future. Allow them the option of reviewing at a later time, or emailing goods they’re interested into themselves.
  
  
• Dedicated toll free hotline – Some customers may be uncomfortable using their cards online. Allow them the option to pay on delivery. Always provide contact information during checkout to alleviate any concerns the customer might have.
  
  
• Backlinks & Checkouts – Including a backlink allows the customer freedom. Don’t make them feel cloistered.
  
  
• Finally, be careful not to make registration compulsory for customers. This is the greatest irritant for customers looking to make a quick buy. Not only do you lose revenue but also incur wrathful reviews that result in negative publicity for your site.

If you can ensure the above with a bit of style and purpose, then you can rest assured the visitor is satisfied with you. Just make sure you have advertise though!