Creating an online store is now easy and within everyone’s reach. However, before you start, know that it is not enough to be satisfied with an online store to be successful. You will need to know the consumption habits of your target audience, their preferred communication channels, their motivations and their obstacles. To start your e-commerce successfully, here are 6 things to know before launching your activity.
1. The differences in purchasing between men and women
Men and women, same buying habits? No, not really! And you have to take this into account in your e-commerce. According to an infographic from the e-commerce-platforms website, women expect an authentic shopping experience with beautiful visuals, advice, emailing.
They are also susceptible to discounts and other vouchers: 74% of women tend to buy a product in promotion, against 54% of men. The female Internet user is easily interested in a product that she does not necessarily need immediately but which could be useful to her one day (you never know!).
On the other hand, men are looking for a simple shopping experience and are not really interested in discounts. They are attracted to accurate item descriptions and consumer reviews. They won’t buy an item they don’t need.
2. Multi-device search
Consumers are increasingly using their phones and tablets to search for products online. This does not mean the end of desktops or laptops, quite the contrary. These devices are still useful to finalize the purchase.
Indeed, more than 65% of consumers start their research on a smartphone and validate their purchases on a laptop. Therefore, your site must be mobile-friendly but don’t forget that it must also offer a pleasant browsing experience to computer users.
3. Pre-purchase research habits
85% of consumers do research before they buy. They are interested in user reviews and ratings and testimonials, and sites that allow them to compare products and prices. Other people’s opinions about a company or product help them determine a brand’s credibility.
Discounts are always a hit with millennials (people born between 1980 and 1995). Instead of offering low-priced, limited-time specials, provide customers with opportunities to save money through slash prices, sales or promo codes.
4. Analyze the competition
Once you have defined your business sector, you need to do a market study. Identify the competitors, their marketing positioning, their communication methods, determine their market share. From this, you will have to choose your communication axis in order to stand out from them. Identify your competitive advantages. Are there products that you sell and they don’t? If not, imagine a striking and differentiating communication. Also, define your customer target: gender, age range, consumption habits.
5. Choose the means of payment
Another mandatory step when creating an e-commerce site: choose the payment methods. These are to be defined beforehand to set them up on the site and configure them. The implementation of a payment method by a provider can take time, so think about it in advance.
Depending on the type of customers you are targeting, one payment method may be more popular than another. On average, offering 3 different payment methods satisfies 99% of Internet users. See our article on payment methods for e-commerce sites for more information.
6. Choose the delivery methods
The last element to consider: is the delivery method. What delivery methods will you offer for your items? Home delivery? Delivery in a relay point? To decide this, you need to take into account the type of product you sell, the prices of your competitors and the final invoice of the order. Too high shipping costs will drive customers away!
In e-commerce, customers take the time to compare offers, and the delivery rate is a criterion not to be taken lightly. In fact, it is the first choice criterion of Internet users! If you offer products that are cheaper than your competitors, but your shipping rates do not make you competitive, Internet users may go elsewhere.
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