Shopping & eCommerce

eCommerce offers brick and mortar businesses the ability to do business online. Doing business online is easy and convenient for most. Many businesses are quite pleased to discover that the internet connects them with even more customers than ever before

When you want a website that customers can shop from, this is a specific type of website and you need an expert to build it. Just as we’ve mentioned the importance of SEO and how critical this is for your business, you’ll want an internet marketing company that can enhance your SEO and add an SEO friendly shopping cart, making it easy for your customers to shop safely and securely from your store. A non-search engine friendly shopping cart is like having a store with no cash register – or one that doesn’t accept credit cards!

Common eCommerce Mistakes

Want to have a website that customers can shop from? Then you’d better have products or services they can purchase. Some companies actually haven’t thought this entirely through before jumping on the World Wide Web. Remember, you’ll have to ship products out to customers, and be prepared to ship things quickly and you may have to frequently ship to international customers.

A good way to start is to offer some of your inventory that you know is popular in your brick and mortar store and is easy for your staff to ship. Start with a moderate amount and get used to the “flow” from your eCommerce store; then you can add more products to your eCommerce store.

If you sell services like a beauty salon, pet grooming boutique or an accountant, then list your services and prices (or approximate price ranges). It is also a good idea to list the methods of payments you accept and state whether customers can pre-pay at the site. Some service businesses like their customers setting up appointments from their websites and others prefer to do this over the telephone. If you have to ask a number of questions before an appointment, it may be easier for everyone if you do this over the telephone – it’s your choice.

A big mistake small eCommerce stores make is to sell the exact same goods anyone can find in the “big box” stores. Online, you have so much competition at the click of a mouse. This does not serve your business strategy well. Often the “big box” stores can offer things a small store can’t, like free shipping or discounts. Look for a specific niche of products you can offer, and let an internet marketing company work on your SEO to draw those hungry customers to you. No matter the niche you choose, customers are looking for those products – and on the internet they’ll find you with high-quality SEO. A top mistake businesses make with eCommerce sites is not planning their budgets well. Always remember to leave room in your budget for SEO and other marketing needs to help attract customers to your site, not simply the web design. You can have a beautiful site – and no customers!

Building a profitable eCommerce strategy

MarkTheGlobe audits your current eCommerce strategy to understand where you need to focus efforts for success. Our eCommerce approach includes the use of the best eCommerce platform for your business, usability, affiliate marketing, online channel and partner selection. During our evaluation, we will also suggest a number of eCommerce strategies proven to be successful, including discount coupons, coupon sites, bargain forums and online sales channels.