Retail is moving online. Most brick-and-mortar stores now have an online component to keep up with where customers expect them to be. While there is so much opportunity for business to be done online, there is also a ton of competition. So what sets the successful businesses apart?
- Consider the User Experience
To be a business owner, you need to think about your return on investment and what you get out of this. But to appeal to your customers, you need to always come back to their user experience. Does this website flow naturally? How did the user get to this page? When they reach your sales page, what are the hurdles you might need to overcome to get them to buy?
For example, they may have never purchased from you before. Do they trust you? If not, how can you help them to trust you? Things like customer testimonials, payment methods they’re familiar with, and easy contact information will build trust with your customers.
- Choose a Trustworthy Payment Method
You need an online payment platform that both you and your customers can trust. Your customers need to know their personal financial information will not be sold to any other companies or accessed by hackers. You need to know that you will be able to successfully receive payment for orders. Finding a trustworthy online payment platform you can stick with is a top priority for successfully selling products online, one such example is Blue Snap.
- An Easy to Understand Return Policy
When you are writing your return policy, make sure that it is easy for your customers to understand. Don’t over-complicate things; if it confuses your customers, they will feel like you may be pulling one over on them, and that ruins the trust you’re working hard to build with your customers.
Make sure you think ahead. Are there products you can accept returns on and others you can’t? How long do your customers have to make a return? Does that date start from the day of purchase, shipment, or the day they receive? Should they contact you for returns or ship them directly back to a specific address? Should they submit photos of defaults?
Knowing these things ahead of time will not only make things clear for your customers, but make it easier for you to have a process to go through when problems arise.
- Stand Out With Amazing Customer Service
Trust is everything for selling online. Customers want to know they can shop with confidence. It’s why so many online shoppers find they can trust one major e-commerce site and then stick to purchasing from them whenever they can. When you think about customer service, think about turning this customer into a loyal shopper that will stick with you for years to come. Why would they buy from anyone else once they know you took such good care of them in the past?
The more methods you can reliably use for your customers to contact you by, the better. If you are comfortable with online chat, a phone number, and Facebook messenger, these are all great ways to allow your customers to contact you and deliver the customer service that will keep them coming back.
- Consider Dropshipping
Dropshipping is a business model where you create your own store and brand, but sell products manufactured by another company. In this business model, you never handle products yourself, the manufacturer ships them to the customer. Your job is to build your store, create an amazing brand, market your products, stand out with amazing customer service, and then place the orders with the supplier as they come in.
All you need to run a dropshipping site is a computer, a strong work ethic, and an understanding of digital marketing.
Always Remember It Comes Back to Trust
When you’re looking at the user experience, your method for procuring products to sell, or how you will handle payments and returns, everything comes back to needing your customers’ trust. They have to trust you to make that first purchase, and once successfully earned, it can turn them into a loyal customer who will make repeat purchases from you for years to come. The better you become at building and keeping that trust, the more successful your online business will be.
