Introduction
“Google will know that you are hungry for sushi before you do.” – Ben Kunz
E-commerce and artificial intelligence has resulted in a paradigm shift in the business industry. Google will not only know about your sushi craving but also pull out all the stops to satiate the same. You will get recommendations, price comparisons, great deals and whatnot. So much so that the next thing you know, you have ordered a bowl of miso soup too!
E-commerce provides a seamless user experience that enables customers to view the products and make purchases at a click. While this is increasingly prevalent in the present time, it becomes significant for businesses to up their online retailing game in order to stay relevant.
And for this, it is prominent on Google as it is to be appreciated by the customers. A user-friendly interface is easy to navigate on the website, and optimizing the search engine goes hand in hand with designing your store to catch the customers’ eyes.
Here are 10 ways in which you can take your online store up a notch by incorporating the relevant tools:
Catchy and convenient web design
Use modern and colour-coordinated templates which bring to the forefront the best features, products and discounts of your store. Curate your online store to show what the viewer wants to see in the first instance. Here, things like choosing the appropriate fonts, authentic illustrations, and welcoming and engaging content bear importance.
Easy Approachability
Being approachable to potential customers will instill a sense of faith in them. Have the contact segment highlighted on the front page and give away all your business contact details. So that the viewer can choose whichever is convenient for them. Not being able to contact a business in case of a query or grievance leaves a poor impression.
Social Media Handles
Have provisions to lay out your social media handles on the website and encourage the viewers to engage with your business by giving offers, giveaways, or a stellar content marketing campaign.
Recommendations
Track a user’s viewing history and recommend similar products in which they might be interested. Personalize a segment based on their interests and direct them to the products that they can purchase. Tailored recommendations are more likely to result in successful purchases.
Review and Feedback Page
Having a distinct section for publishing the reviews of previous customers helps increase your authenticity and reliability, especially if you are a new business. Customers have the option to switch websites in a matter of seconds. Hence, making them aware that you run a credible business becomes essential to keep them interested and your store in the long haul.
Conspicuous Display of Offers
Whichever offer you provide, it is essential to attract user attention. Using bright and popping colours or increasing the font of the discounts and highlighting them on the conspicuous parts of the page are a few ways to catch the eyes of the users and engage them further can be a few ways to do so.
Publish Quality Content: Do not compromise the quality of the photos you publish, the videos you upload, the animations you insert or the illustrations you showcase. The quality of your content speaks volumes about the quality of your products or services. It provides a glimpse into your actual store and should be embellished just as much as the latter.
Email Marketing
Having pop-ups and asking users to sign-up through their email can help you track the viewers’ activities and provide them with a better experience. It makes it easy to be in touch with the customers and update them about any ongoing offers or any policy changes, for that matter. However, no one likes to be spammed by emails. So you may moderate the emails for actual communication, intimation of offers and special occasions.
Engage the Viewers: Apart from publishing quality content and having a social media presence, you can have a section for activities or games on your website. From spin-the-wheel to stack-the-boxes, viewers can be encouraged to play fun games that incentivize them with offers and coupons. It can be a win-win situation for both the business and the customers.
ChatBot and FAQs
Incorporating AI features in a chatbot can assist in having easy and convenient contact. It can be time-efficient and redress common grievances or address questions quickly. You may choose to have an FAQ section instead, in which you answer all the doubts that are likely to arise in the first instance.
Think of yourself as Picasso and your website as the canvass. You are free to decide on the customization. But since you are not Picasso (or are you?), consider these as your guiding lines. It is definitely a non-exhaustive list of things you may consider while designing your online store. You can add as much creativity and ideas, and give it a unique edge.
Happy designing!
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