E-commerce has made our lives much easier. For the buyers, everything they need is just a click away. It has opened up infinite opportunities for sellers too. But like all opportunities, it comes with its share of challenges as well. The e-commerce industry is highly competitive. To survive here, businesses have to constantly come up with new strategies. E-commerce has made our lives much easier. For the buyers, everything they need is just a click away. It has opened up infinite opportunities for sellers too. But like all opportunities, it comes with its share of challenges as well. The e-commerce industry is highly competitive. To survive here, businesses have to constantly come up with new strategies.
In this era of e-commerce giants like Amazon, it can be tough for small retailers. Not only that, take any product or service, there are hundreds of sellers to choose from. So, how can the merchants survive this tough competition and make their businesses stand out from the crowd?
Some very useful tips are listed below.
A beautifully designed website and logo are the first things to start with. The first impression that users gather about your site is mostly design related. 75% of users will judge your brand credibility based on your website design.
Shopify has many page-builder tools that will help you create attractive web pages without coding. Create high-converting web pages and customize them according to your branding specifications using these tools. You can create a unique and professional store in minutes with Shopify page builder tools like PageFly, Shogun landing Page Builder, Gem Pages, etc.
A clutter-free website that helps the customers get what they want in very few clicks can differentiate you from your competitors. Choose from hundreds of free, professionally designed themes from the Shopify theme store.
Shopify’s latest update, Online Store 2.0, presents massive opportunities for developers to build themes and apps for stores. It is a set of features that makes themes and theme apps more flexible and also easier to build and maintain.
Users hate slow-loading sites. E-commerce sites with loading speeds between 0-2 seconds have the highest conversion rates. Page load speed also affects your ranking on search engines. It even affects the credibility of your brand.
Your web page might become slow because of the media files used, themes and plugins or because of server-side issues. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Pingdom Website Speed Test and GTmetrix help you track your page speed.
Shopify has many speed optimization apps that can increase your page load speed and enhance user experience. Some of them are listed below:
Customers these days are looking for a personalized shopping experience. It makes them feel special and increases customer retention.
Based on the browsing or purchase history, you can create custom landing pages for buyers. Also, add personalized recommendations can to your home page, product page, or even thank you page to increase average order value. Shopify apps like Glood.ai, Wiser, Omnisend, Klaviyo etc. can help you add automated personalized recommendations to your store.
Enabling live chat is another way to enhance customer experience. It is estimated that loyal customers spend 67% more than new ones.
Shopify review tool, Reviewbit, can be an ideal aid that can help you provide personalized customer experience. It sends automated personalized review requests through WhatsApp. Through these requests, brands can connect with their customers post-purchase. You can send personalized messages to both happy and unhappy customers. Through Reviewbit, you can send discount coupons to happy customers. You can also use Reviewbit to connect your dissatisfied customers directly with the customer support team.
A website that is responsive and easy to navigate on mobile devices is a prerequisite in this era of mobile commerce. Studies have shown that more than half of all website traffic comes from mobile devices. In fact, 79% of users claim that they use smartphones to make purchases. By making your store mobile-friendly you are giving the customers the freedom to shop from any location.
Create a responsive layout
Optimize website speed
Use pop-ups in a subtle manner
Incorporate viewport meta tag
Declutter your web design
Update content carefully
Make the website compatible with both portrait and landscape orientations
Brands have to integrate multiple channels, both physical and digital so that customers get a consistent and seamless experience. For example, a person who browses through your website on their desktop should be able to try out the products in the physical store and order from their mobile phone without any difficulty. The goal here is to provide a convenient shopping experience for customers so that they keep coming back for more.
Providing multiple payment options adds to the convenience of your shoppers. It prevents cart abandonment and makes sure that your shoppers complete the purchase. Offer different payment channels like app transfers, cash-on-delivery, bank transactions, etc. Having the 3 most popular payment options can increase your conversion rate by 71%.
Another way to differentiate your brand from competitors is by providing world-class customer service. Make sure your customers are able to contact you in case they have any concerns. Open up multiple channels like phone, SMS, WhatsApp, email, etc for the customers to connect with you.
And once they approach you with their concerns, be sure to provide an empathetic response. A timely response can pacify the most irritated customers and win them over.
By using the Shopify product review application, Reviewbit, you can provide instant customer support to your unhappy customers. They can be instantly directed to customer support. Timely resolution of their concerns will help brands win over negative reviewers.
A major concern of shoppers is regarding the return of goods. Shopify has many returns management apps that automate the entire return process and makes it easy for both sellers and buyers. ClickPost, ReturnGO, Returnly, Rich Returns, Exchange It are some very useful apps that can help you manage your returns.
6. Create unique content
Content in the form of product descriptions, blogs, newsletters, product photos/videos, etc play a vital role in creating a unique identity for your business.
Find out your USP and create content to promote it. Well-written product descriptions help customers find the exact products they are looking for. Through blogs, newsletters, and instructional videos, brands can provide further information about their products and answer common questions raised by customers. By creating shareable content, you can encourage your customers to promote your brand.
Content created by influencers has a huge impact on your business.
Here are some interesting influencer marketing statistics for you:
70% of teens trust influencers more than traditional celebrities
86% of women use social media for shopping advice
49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations
Influencer marketing campaigns earn $5.78 for every dollar spent
User-generated content (UGC) can act as social proof for your store. Add UGC to your store to increase your brand’s credibility. Also prompt your customers to generate content through hashtag campaigns, social media posts, customer review requests etc.
User-generated content in the form of text reviews, photos, and videos can be generated by sending product review requests to customers. Reviewbit is a great tool that can help you send review requests to your customers. What makes this tool unique is the fact that it sends review requests over the most popular messaging application – WhatsApp!
Visual content in the form of photos and videos, created by the brands themselves and also the users, has a great appeal for buyers. They help customers make shopping decisions with confidence.
People love stories. By sharing your brand’s story with your customers, you can create a connection with them.
Customers love to purchase when they feel emotionally connected to a brand. Involving in philanthropic activities will raise your brand’s stature in your customer’s view. Customer’s love to associate with a business when they see that a part of their money goes towards charity.
You can also humanize your brand by displaying your brand’s vision and mission.
Introduce loyalty programs, referral discounts, etc, for your loyal customers. Smile, Loloyal, etc are some of the Shopify apps that you can add to your store for rewards management.
Customer reviews are a great way to stay connected with your customers post-purchase and make them feel valued. This will not only promote repeat purchases but also help turn these happy customers into your brand advocates. The word-of-mouth publicity that you gain from your loyal customers would be a great asset for your business.
Make Reviewbit a part of your e-commerce store to stay connected with your customer and enhance their shopping experience.
Wrapping up
A thorough industry research will help you find out how your product is different from the existing options. You can then promote your product’s unique features. If there are products similar to yours, showcase yours as an upgraded version of the existing ones. In short, you have to come up with innovative products or innovative means of promoting commonplace products and set yourself apart from others.
A little bit of planning and strategizing will help you excel in this highly competitive e-commerce industry. By implementing the above-mentioned tips, you can make yourself seen in the overly-crowded market where merchants are all competing against each other for the attention of the buyers.
