So, you’ve launched an online store – congrats!
What you might have quickly realized, though, is that simply having the right product isn’t enough. Just like shoppers in the real world won’t enter a store if it looks unpresentable, your online visitors will quickly click away from an unprofessional website. Conversions and sales will be down, and your bounce rate will be high.
Don’t fall into this trap. Small retailers enjoy 30% higher mobile conversion rates as compared to large retailers. If you choose to build your eCommerce store so it is a converting machine, you may even beat the big guys.
Let’s take a look at 6 super easy ways to make your eCommerce store look more professional and convert like wildfire.
1. Choose a Reputable Website Builder
It’s impossible to have a professional-looking store if you choose the wrong website builder.
WordPress has a track record that speaks for itself: at least 25% of all websites in the world are maintained by WordPress. It’s arguably the most popular and best CMS available, and it’s one of the absolute best options if you want your eCommerce store to look as professional as possible.
It’s important that you choose the right WordPress page builder, too. I recommend Elementor because it’s free, intuitive and really user friendly. It’s also open source, and you don’t need to be a coder to use it.
2. Add a Point of Sale Card Reader
A point of sales card reader shows your customers that your store is truly embracing the modern way of shopping. It helps you to bridge the gap between offline and online sales, offering your customers a seamless omnichannel shopping experience.
A point of sales card reader lets you accept payments across various devices, anywhere and at any time. It’s efficient, reduces admin time, and makes the whole shopping and buying process so much easier.
eCommerce success hinges on giving your customers what they want. In 2018, they want to be able to switch devices easily during the buying journey, and they want the option of making a purchase wherever, whenever.
So if you ever decide to host a pop-up shop to increase brand awareness for your store, make sure you have a point of sales card reader available to your customers.
3. Add a Logo
In today’s highly competitive online environment, it’s getting harder and harder to stand out from our rivals. One of the easiest ways to stand out is with a logo.
There are millions of online stores in 2018, but many of them don’t have a logo, and therefore they don’t have a brand identity. As such, they’re neither recognizable, memorable — nor professional.
A simple way to add a touch of professionalism to your store and business is by adding a logo to your website and social platforms. A logo gives customers something to remember you by, distinguishes you from your rivals, and helps to build trust and long-term relationships with your customers.
We recommend starting off by using a free logo maker. There is no reason to waste your resources on hiring an expensive graphic designer when you can make the logo yourself in your early days of operating the business.
4. Add Customer Reviews
Adding customer reviews to your store is such a simple tactic that can totally change how prospective customers perceive you.
Imagine there are two online stores, both selling the same exact products. Both are brand new to you — you’ve never heard of either of them before.
The difference is that Store A has customer reviews, while Store B has zero. Which one do you trust more?
A few customer reviews supporting your website instantly makes you look more professional and can increase conversions. Add them to your landing pages and product pages from now on, and don’t shy away from negative reviews, too. Remember, customers like to see if there are any issues with a product, they want to see how you handle problems, and they like balanced reviews.
5. Have a Live Chat Feature
Nothing says “professional” in 2018 more than a live chat feature – and nothing says “unprofessional” than taking a week to reply to a customer query.
According to research from Convince and Convert, customers don’t want to wait longer than an hour for a response to their question.
However, now that your rivals are adding live chat features to their stores, customers probably expect their questions to be answered even quicker.
Make your online store look and feel more professional by installing a live chat feature that’s easy for your customers to find and use. It doesn’t have to be expensive either – LiveChat starts from $16 a month.
6. Keep It Simple
Lastly, remember to keep things simple when it comes to the design and layout of your website. Make it easy to use and navigate.
Customers want the buying process to be easy, whether this be how they search for items or how they pay for them.
Take a look at some of the best online stores and see how they look. Get a feel for how easy it is to use them and essentially mimic their design and user experience.
Conclusion
These are 6 really easy ways to make your eCommerce store look more professional. Remember to start by using a good page builder before adding a logo, reviews, a point of sales card reader, and a chatbot. But above all else, keep things simple.
Feature Image Credit: CC 0; Public Domain. Feature image sourced from Pixabay.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions stated in this post are that of the author, and Return On Now may or may not agree with any or all of the commentary.
Michelle Deery
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- 6 Simple Ways To Make Your eCommerce Store Look More Professional - December 11, 2018
