Are you the proud owner of an online store? Do you hope to take your online presence to the next level in 2018? Are you searching for fresh ideas with the hopes of making more money in the year to come?
There are many steps you can take to improve your online store in 2018. While there is no guarantee that everything you try will work in your favor, there’s nothing wrong with formulating a plan and seeing where you end up.
According to CPC Strategy, approximately 96 percent of Americans are now shopping online. With a number like this, it goes without saying that there is a lot of opportunity for growth.
Here are five things you may want to do in an attempt to improve your online store in 2018:
- Find New Products
As you generate more and more product ideas, you’ll find that you can add a handful to your online store. Subsequently, you put yourself in position to make more sales.
While there is nothing wrong with finding and adding new products, don’t go overboard. You don’t want to clutter your online store, as this can cause more harm than good. You don’t want to chase away the customers who have been loyal to you in the past.
Note: According to Export X, Amazon sells nearly 500 million products, but you shouldn’t feel the need to keep up. Your niche store may focus on a handful of items that are perfect for your audience.
- Get Feedback from Your Customers
It can be a challenge to decide which products to add to your online store and which ones to leave on the backburner for the time being. This is why you need to consult with your customers.
For example, if you own an appliance store, you may find that people want access to a larger number of cooktop stoves.
You don’t have to take every bit of feedback to heart, but you should absolutely consider anything and everything your customers share.
Tip: According to Super Office, 72 percent of consumers will share a positive experience with others. So, while collecting positive feedback is a good thing for your personal needs, it can also help your business grow.
- Buy Traffic
It’s good to know that you are generating organic traffic to your online store. However, you don’t want to stop there. Did you know that you can also buy traffic?
With the right PPC campaign in place, you have more control over your traffic. Again, this is no guarantee of success, but it can’t hurt.
Tip: According to Clever Clicks, more than 60 percent of consumers will click on a paid ad when they’re ready to make a purchase.
- Make it Mobile Friendly
If your online store isn’t mobile-friendly, you’ve been missing the boat. According to Pew Research, approximately three quarters of adults in the United States own a smartphone. As a result, a growing number of Americans are using this device to shop online.
In addition to making life easier for mobile shoppers, this will go a long way in helping with your search engine rankings.
Go back in time five years and a mobile experience wasn’t an absolute must. But fast-forward to today and there is no way around it.
- Provide More Content
It’s not just good enough to add product images and hope for the best. You need to give your visitors a push in the right direction, and this often begins with the creation of high-quality content.
There are many ways to do this. For example, you can beef up your product descriptions. Or maybe you want to launch a company blog where you can share everything from new products to industry news (and much more).
High quality content can do wonders for your online store, so you’ll want to experiment with this in 2018. Even if it means tearing down the content that you currently have in place – and replacing it with something of higher quality – it will work in your favor in the months (and year) to come.
Note: Even if you aren’t among the 42 percent of marketers who are confident in your content marketing ability, you can learn in time.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it. If you’re seeking a way to improve your online store in 2018, you’ve come to the right place. With these five tips guiding you, it’s easier than ever to implement a plan that will work in your favor.
Once you see what is and isn’t working, you can then adjust your plan accordingly. In the end, the only thing that matters is generating more sales and profit.
What are your thoughts on these tips? Have you used any of these in the past? Do you have any others to share? Share your personal approach to running an online store in the comment section below. You never know if you’ll say something that helps another store owner make a decision that works in their favor.