Online stores have proliferated in recent years. Many entrepreneurs have realized their potential and have decided to adapt physical businesses to the Internet environment; many other entrepreneurs have launched online stores that have no physical location. JD Duarte, an eCommerce specialist from Costa Rica, details how eCommerce platforms can ensure their success.

eCommerce is not synonymous with assured success. There are many stores that make various mistakes that prevent them from achieving their sales objectives, even with the best product on the market, and even if their prices are competitive.

You must know your market. What are you going to sell in your eCommerce, and to whom? An exhaustive market study is necessary, with which we will know the demand that your product may have, what your competition will be, what restrictions you can find and more.

Pay for shipping costs and payment methods. Many online stores neglect such an essential aspect as this one. A large number of customers withdraw from the purchase process if they consider that the online purchase is not profitable compared to a physical acquisition, either because they have to pay too much for shipping or because platform owners are not testing all the payment methods that make life easier for the user,“ explains Duarte.

Offer speed, both on your page and in the purchase and delivery process. A page that loads slowly will not only discourage the customer from continuing with the transaction: but it will also harm your positioning. Likewise, we must take care that the number of steps to find the products on the web or to pay is as low as possible so as not to waste the user's purchase impulse.

Finally, it would be best if you offered a delivery time that is acceptable to the customer, depending on the product you sell. Good logistics and the offer of different shipping options, with varying prices for the impatient and those who can wait, will ensure the success of your shipments.

Describe your products perfectly. At the textual level, the texts must be original and on their own. It would be best if you balanced the SEO optimization of your product sheets with the consideration of the user: choose the right tone for your audience.

On the other hand, always include quality and videos of its quality so that the customer knows the product they are going to buy. Can you imagine going to a store and not being able to see what you are going to buy? The same thing applies here. In addition, multimedia content improves your search engine rankings.

Take care of your customers. It offers confidence and security from the first moment. Potential customers will look for transparency from the online store. Make sure you have a ”Who we are“ section, a Contact page with a landline and an email, and an attractive design. On the other hand, customer service is vital: the response time must be minimal, and the personalization and details in your communications and shipments will generate affection for your brand.

Rely on the digital marketing strategies that best suit your business and needs. A good SEO strategy is necessary, and we have already mentioned some aspects that will help improve your positioning. You can also rely on digital advertising or email marketing, but remember to segment and customize advertising to the maximum so as not to disturb users with products or services that do not interest them.

Finally, do not neglect the latest technological aspects: your online store must be adapted to mobile phones and integrated with social networks. Adds Duarte, ”Both the responsive design and the social character give points, both from Google, which will improve your positioning, and from users. Almost half of them make purchases directly from their mobile, and many of these transactions come from recommendations and ads on social networks."

If you get a little lost with the concepts, a good marketing agency is always a good idea to help you in the planning and execution of digital marketing strategies to increase the sales of eCommerce. Hire an eCommerce consultancy in which the current situation of your online store is studied and explained where you have to act to drive up the sales of your online business.

About Jose Daniel Duarte

JD Duarte is originally from Heredia, Costa Rica. He has been an entrepreneur and business owner for more than 20 years, and divides his time between his existing operations and researching new possibilities in which to invest. When he's not dedicating time to his businesses, he spends time with his supporting wife and two children.

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