Loading...So I bet you’re pumped to get your ecommerce business up and running! But before you dive in, you need to check and make sure you have a few things handled first. Here are five of the big ones:
Good Product Photos
If you display shoddy images of your products on your ecommerce site, chances are nobody is going to find them appealing, and therefore nobody is going to even think about buying them. So invest some time in taking some professional photos. If you’ve got some skills with a camera, have a little photo-shoot for your products. Make a fun day out of it. If not, then ask a friend with a good eye or hire a professional. Presentation is everything, and your product images are going to be your potential customers’ first impression of your stuff. So make sure you show them in the best light possible. Helpful hint: Clean and simple is always better. You can get creative, but make sure the setting does not distract from what you’re actually selling.
Good Product Descriptions
After a customer sees the stellar pics and their interest is peaked, they are going to want to find out more. That’s where the product description comes in, and it is just as imperative that this part is killer as well. A product description shouldn’t just reiterate what a product literally is. People can usually tell that from the picture. A product description is an opportunity for you to tell the product’s story: How it came to be, the thought process behind it. This will give the product more depth of character per-say. Especially with art, having a little backstory goes a long way in getting a customer to invest in a product. The product description is also a place where you can share some different applications for your product that the customer may not of immediately thought of. You want to inspire your customer to use your product in fun ways. The more you expand the possibilities and their mind, the better chance you have at making a conversion.
Get Your Keywords
Speaking of product descriptions, you should try as much as possible to fit in keywords that have to do with your product. This will enable search engines to find you better when someone searches for a product you carry. For instance, if you sold luxury shoes, you want to attempt to squeeze in the keyword “luxury shoes” where it would fit appropriately. Make sure to check what keywords people type in most for a certain kind of product, and do your reattach before deciding on your keywords. SEO can be a lengthy process but its rewards are worth it.
Check Your Inventory
Now that all your products are looking very tempting and can easily be found by search engines, it’s time to make sure you have enough products in stock. For a beginner this can be more of a prediction, but you want to make sure you’re not over-stocking a product that has less chances of selling, not under-stocking a product that would sell out like hot cakes! It’s a balancing act you need to master with time.
Payment Options
So you’ve got everything else sorted, now you have to figure out how you want to get paid! A lot of ecommerce shops use PayPal. It’s safe, secure, and universal. Head over to www.paypal.com to set up an account and integrate it with your store. There are also other fine payment options out there that offer competitive rates and great customer service, so do your research on what may fit you best.
Good luck and feel free to point out some of your checklist items in the comments below.