The internet is much more than funny cat videos and a place to check the weather. Thanks to global trends and the rise of mobile internet use, eCommerce has exploded over the past decade as 1/5th of all retail purchases are expected to be made online by the year 2023.

With such a booming sector, many people are turning towards starting their own eCommerce store in order to run a successful business or even just make some passive income on the side.

Starting an eCommerce business is tough but it doesn’t have to be impossible. Below, we have some of the most important things you need to remember when starting an eCommerce business and getting your website up and running.

 

Build Your Website Around the User

You can’t sell anything online if you don’t have a website, right?

When starting an eCommerce website, it’s important to choose the right eCommerce website builder that will help give you the tools you need to get started.

Don’t be intimidated by website building, as you won’t have to be punching in lines of code. Of course, it helps to have a little tech knowledge, but it’s far from necessary.

But what do we mean by “building it around the user”?

You need to make a website that’s appealing and easy to navigate. That includes everything from them landing on your homepage to checkout.

Make sure your website loads quickly, include a search feature, use high-quality images, and make it look professional.

Try to think of your website from the visitor’s point of view instead of your own. You can always go through something called A/B testing, where you compare two versions of a web page against each other or even get a group of 10 friends and family members to give you honest feedback.

Be Optimized for Mobile

Estimates range from 40 to 50% of eCommerce purchases are made from a mobile device. What does that mean for you?

That means your website, above all, needs to be ready for the mobile user.

Google switched to mobile-first indexing a few years ago, meaning that they’re ranking sites based on their mobile optimization and SEO. Having a website optimized for mobile is vital you ranking on the front page of Google.

This means making buttons and text large enough for people’s fingers and compressing any images so you don’t slow down your load time.

Does this mean that you should not worry so much about the desktop version?

Not at all. Even though mobile purchases account for around 50% of total purchases, that’s still a hefty chunk of people that can visit your desktop website.

Be Honest About Prices

Going on a vacation is fun, searching for airline tickets is not.

One of the worst parts about purchasing an airline ticket is when you go to finally checkout. Some websites will show the price to be $500 before taxes and fees. That adds on another chunk of change.

Want to add a bag? An extra $50.

Wanting to choose your seat now? $25 more, please.

In fact, not being honest about prices is a huge reason why consumers may abandon their carts.

Source; https://www.barilliance.com/10-reasons-shopping-cart-abandonment/

With eCommerce, this mainly applies to shipping. Be upfront and honest about shipping costs. If you’re offering free shipping, be upfront and honest about that too!

Not being honest about prices is a great way to have dissatisfied customers and a high rate of abandoned carts.

Don’t Forget About Reviews

Around 97% of consumers check reviews before making a purchase. If you don’t have an option for customers to leave reviews, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.

An easy way to encourage reviews is to simply follow up with an email after their product has arrived or a few weeks after the product has shipped.

While it may seem like a nice idea to offer incentives for reviews, Google says that’s a big no-no. The same goes for having friends and family spam your website with reviews early on.

Instead, offer occasional reminders and make sure and earn them through your top-quality products.

For those offering services, testimonials are just as great as reviews. People love to hear from other people and a small quote with a photo can go a long way for helping your website and business.