When first creating an online store, people are always excited!
Most believe it will be a piece of cake and they will have a running business within minutes.
While it is true that creating an online store does not require “rocket science”, you are still required to organize your thoughts, have a plan, and most importantly, do the basics right!
In this article, we will talk about the basics. Let us look at 6 steps you can take to avoid common mistakes.
1. Website
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Theme
Did you choose a theme that complements your product? Jumpseller has many themes suitable for particular types of products. You can change the theme at the Theme Gallery to try something different.
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Design
Once you have decided upon the right theme, you need to make sure you have added the supporting variables such as cover photos, menus, categories and similar things that make your website experience better and navigation easier.
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Domain
Having a custom domain can greatly improve the branding and trust of your Online Store.
2. Product listing
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Images
You can have a good product, but if it does not look good in the photo, no one is going to buy it! Make sure your product images look professional and authentic! Note that there are optimized image sizes, if you input images too large, it affects the loading speed of the website.
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Descriptions
Do not make the mistake of having insufficient product details! Provide all relevant details in the product descriptions. This will also help with search engine optimization (SEO).
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Product SEO
Make sure that your Meta Descriptions and Titles are calling for the right actions. These fields define how your customers will see and find your products on search engines.
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Variants
If your product has variants for example colors and sizes, add that to the description and it is also good to add images for variants to have the best chance of making the sale.
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Pricing
Unless you are selling a product that has unique features, it is more than likely you are going to compete heavily on pricing. So make sure you set a fair price, check your competition, visitors might not buy if they find a better price elsewhere!
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Purchase Guarantee
Some customers find it very important to have the option to exchange the product or the product has a money-back guarantee. It could be a good idea to give such an offer! You can also add the terms and conditions for your offer.
3. Payment
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Options
Jumpseller has many integrated payment gateways, depending on your target audience and the country you are operating in, have the right payment gateway set!
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Checkout Process
Having too many distractions on the checkout page can also off putting! The process should be simple and seamless. Ask only for relevant information. Having pop-ups or other such features at the checkout can also be a bad idea!
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Transparency
Are you transparent in your pricing? The customer needs to know exactly how much they need to pay. So the pricing should be clear on everything, Tax, shipping etc.
4. Social Media Marketing
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Target Audience
Before selling online, it is always wise to do some market research, what is the product I want to sell and what type of person will buy that product? What is the best place to target them? For this reason, you should create a Buyer Persona for your ideal buyer.
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Facebook
A huge potential customer base can be untapped if you use Facebook correctly. Jumpseller has an integrated Facebook App that can help you set up a Facebook Shop. You can create Ads and bring people to your website via Facebook Shop.
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Instagram
For a new business, it is vital to make use of Instagram, make sure you have set up your Business Profile on Instagram. Create a marketing campaign and use creative content to drive traffic to your store!
5. Google
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Google Commerce
A relatively new but nevertheless important tool from Google is Shopping! If you can start to get your products listed here, should bring you a decent return!
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Google Ads
For any online business, big or small, new or old, Google Ads are really important. Millions of people make searches on Google every day! Figure out the most important keyword search for your products and target them on Google!
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Google Analytics
A good way to keep track of traffic and learn about your customers is by using Google Analytics. You can use the Sales Funnel Report to measure how customers behave during the purchase process and see where you can improve.
6. Customer Service
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Customer Chats
A good way to stand out from the competition is with your Customer Service, you can improve it with Customer Chats on your Online store. Jumpseller has integrated Chat Support options such as Olark and Facebook Messenger!
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Email/phone
Using a corporate email creates more trust! Learn how to configure a free corporate email with Jumpseller using Zoho mail or Google Gsuite.
If you have further questions or require more information, feel free to contact us!
