How to make your online store stand out

The e-Commerce market is expanding rapidly with an estimated number of 2.64 billion people worldwide who spend their money to buy stuff online. The growing trend of online shopping leads to the establishment of thousands and millions of online businesses in order to satisfy all of the customers’ shopping demands. Clearly, in that circumstance, your store might be a drop in the ocean. However, I believe that you don’t want your e-Commerce store to be just a simple, ordinary drop that can be wiped out easily in the fierce waves.

If you want to survive in the competitive e-Commerce race and become a successful business, you must find yourself some distinctive features and some competitive advantages that can help you attract customers. Therefore, the key query is how can you make your business unique and stand out from the crowd. In this article, I will suggest 5 methods that can turn your store into a one-of-a-kind business that can steal the spotlight in the market.

1. Your website layout first impression!

There is a saying that “Don’t judge the book by its cover”. However, with online stores, the “cover” is among the most important factors that can help stores attain customers’ attention at the beginning. Imagine a potential client who visits your store and sees a messy, unorganized, and hard-to-navigate website. I’m pretty sure that they will leave right away since no one wants to have such an annoying and time-wasting experience.

Remember that the initial impression of the store will play a decisive role in business success. Therefore, having a clear, tidy, and unique web design is crucial. Some elements such as typography, font size, theme colors, product photo illustration should be carefully-chosen and well-arranged. They should be customized and designed in order to create uniqueness for your store yet still focus on your store’s objectives and target audiences. Also, a well-organized web presence can allow customers to find their interested goods with ease, and thus they are more willing to purchase.

2. Target the right segment

Achieving numerous website visitors through SEO and content strategy is significant, but the real value lies in attracting the right audience. To avoid wasting resources on uninterested visitors, leverage customer data and deep learning tools to analyze shopper behavior and intent.

Identify your ideal audience and utilize deep learning to segment and rank these buyer segments, pinpointing your most valuable customers. Focusing your efforts on this targeted audience enhances engagement, conversions, and ultimately improves your return on investment (ROI).

3. Use multiple channels to build engagement

Elevate customer engagement by adopting a multichannel marketing strategy. Implement AI and machine learning to create a comprehensive customer view, segmenting your audience based on interests and behaviors. Next, employ marketing automation tools to consistently target shoppers with relevant messages across the channels where they are most active. This proactive approach not only boosts engagement but also increases the likelihood of converting customers and fostering brand loyalty.

4. A personalized experience for customers

Every customer desires to have personalized shopping experiences. If the customers have the impression that the web page is designed just for them, they will feel being cared for and respected in an intimate relationship with the retailers. The stores’ personalization attempt is also strong proof that they understand customers’ preferences and demands, and try their best to fulfill each client’s expectation. For example, customers are free to adjust their personal information and have multiple choices of payment and shipping methods as they wish.

Related post: Personalized Gift Cards - Why not?

Stores care about each customer’s special occasions such as birthdays by sending birthday cards and promotions forin those events. The emails sent to clients will have their own name on it instead of “our beloved customer” in general. All of the settings in the frontend display will have to be for the customer’s convenience. Thanks to this personalization, customers will have better shopping experiences, whereas stores can have an insight into each buyer’s behaviors.

5. Promotion - never be obsolete

Sales, discounts, and vouchers can be so attractive to customers. Since online vendors know how to make use of them effectively in particular periods of time, this can be an advantage that drives customers to spend money. Initially, store owners need to understand which time is suitable for a sales campaign, and which types of promotion should be used. Promotion can be provided seasonally or on special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Then, it is essential to recognize the target audiences of the campaign.

Read how to motivate customers to buy more by using multiple coupons

In other words, store owners have to target who are willing to actually or potentially purchase when receiving a promotion. All of these mentioned factors will decide how to notify the promotion to customers. Whether the store shows an eye-catching banner at the top of the web page, or sends private emails, for instance. Remember that promotions are appealing, but how to attract customers with those promotions needs careful consideration.

6. From a click to all the fulfillment

Customers are more likely to do things on-the-go due to the convenience of using mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. If e-stores enable buyers to browse stuff and purchase on other mobile devices rather than just on the computer, sales can be boosted effectively. Shopping on smartphones and tablets is convenient and easy-to-use for customers since they can buy goods everywhere and every time. That’s why mobile compatibility is so crucial for every online business.

Obviously, the more channels that people can access to reach your products, the more opportunities you have to improve sales and profits. Your stores will stand out if you can make the most out of these widely-used platforms.

7. Deal with cart abandonment

With a staggering 71.24% of online shopping carts abandoned in the retail sector, addressing this issue is crucial. Beyond optimizing prices and site performance, leverage AI-driven retargeting tools.

Analyze customer data to create dynamic, personalized ads that appear at the opportune moment on their preferred channels. This targeted approach aims to entice customers back to their carts, ultimately reducing cart abandonment rates and increasing the likelihood of successful purchases

8. Trust - your last goal to customers

Trust is so vital when building the relationship between online vendors and customers. Nowadays, when privacy and security issues are getting more serious, customers seem to gradually lose trust in online stores. That’s an alarming situation since if buyers no longer want to purchase online, this e-Commerce market will collapse. Therefore, your store will definitely be outstanding if you can attain customers’ trust and loyalty.

Read about GDPR and how to get your store compliant.

To obtain this, your e-Commerce business has to show your guarantee and promise that you will protect your customers’ rights at the highest level. Besides, all of the security principles must be transparent, credible and necessarily based on a certified national/international standard. It is only when clients feel being protected with respects that they will trust in your store.

Don’t forget that even in before-sales, during-sales or after-sales period, customers should always be respected and supported timely. If you could keep your promises with customers and satisfy them, there would be no doubt that your business will be successful.

9. Display corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities

Corporate social responsibility involves a company demonstrating accountability to the community and environment in which it operates.

Source: Johnson & Johnson

In today’s socially conscious landscape, consumers prefer ethical businesses that prioritize social responsibility, even if it means higher costs for products such as conflict-free diamonds and Fairtrade agricultural products. Consequently, many e-commerce sites recognize the importance of prominently showcasing their socially responsible practices to enhance their human and appealing image.

10. Focus on the “About Us” page

The “About Us” page on websites is a popular thing for a good reason—it helps share important info about the company. Even though you can get creative with the design, don’t forget how crucial this page is. It’s a chance to make your site unique by adding a bit of personality. Despite its short name, “About Us” makes it clear what it’s all about, saving visitors from searching for important company details. Adding some personality to this page can be more powerful than you might think, so don’t forget about it!

11. Enhance credibility with press coverage

While promoting yourself is important, potential customers often rely more on information from external sources. Boost your credibility by building relationships and including links to news and review sites that have featured your company or products. This approach adds an additional layer of authenticity and trustworthiness to your brand.

12. Tell stories and add images to your stories

Stories resonate deeply with people, tapping into emotions and serving as a powerful communication tool. By conveying life lessons through stories, the audience can easily remember and connect with the message.

Source: Glico

In today’s era of widespread broadband access, it’s possible to create visually engaging websites that strike a balance between text and images. Although a story has its own influence, integrating illustrative images enhances its impact, acknowledging the wisdom that a picture is worth a thousand words.

13. Convert one-time purchases into subscriptions

Maximize the value of your marketing efforts by transforming one-time purchases into subscriptions. Encourage this shift by presenting shoppers with enticing upgrades that demonstrate immediate value. For instance, highlight a discounted member’s price alongside the regular one or offer free shipping for a three-month subscription. By providing these incentives, customers are more likely to opt for subscriptions, streamlining the process and yielding ongoing benefits for your business.

14. Invest in customer service

Thriving in today’s competitive e-commerce market relies on delivering outstanding customer experiences. Shoppers not only choose to avoid companies offering subpar experiences, but a significant 86% are also willing to pay extra for excellent customer service. Timeliness is key, as customers anticipate immediate responses to their inquiries. Integrating live chat on your e-commerce site is an effective way to meet this expectation on a larger scale.

To further enhance customer service, ensure your support options are clearly displayed on your website, leverage social media as a service channel, adopt a proactive approach, and provide self-help options like forums. These measures collectively contribute to a positive customer experience and foster loyalty in a competitive market.

15. Simplify the checkout process

A complex checkout process can lead potential buyers to abandon their purchase, and a negative experience may deter future transactions. To prevent this, streamline your checkout by eliminating mandatory sign-ups, keeping forms concise, providing multiple payment options, and displaying a progress indicator.

While enhancing engagement and sales takes time, consistent effort can transform your e-commerce store from average to a competitor’s envy. Prioritize a user-friendly checkout experience to improve conversion rates and build lasting customer satisfaction.

Final thoughts

These days, it is easy for anyone to build an online store but it is difficult to do business in this competitive world. The 5 recommendations listed above are the key methods yet not the only ways to make your eCommerce business more outstanding than others.

Only you, the store owners, can understand what your business needs the most and which mediums should be prioritized to lead it to success. Actually, you don’t have to force your store to have unique characteristics. All you need to do is to identify your own personality, objectives, and goals; then try your best to make those factors distinctive in people’s eyes.