What is e-Commerce? As google defines it, “Commercial transactions conducted electronically on the Internet.” To define it more, e-Commerce, also known as e-Business or electronic business, is simply the sale and purchase of services and goods over an electronic medium, like the Internet. It also involves electronically transferring data between two or more parties. It is simply the online shopping that we currently know of. Nowadays, you can almost find anything for sale on the web.
The First Sale
According to Shopify, the history of ecommerce began with the first ever online sale: on August 11, 1994 a man sold a CD by the band Sting to his friend through his website NetMarket, an American retail platform. This is the first example of a consumer purchasing a product from a business through the World Wide Web—or “ecommerce” as we know it today. E-Commerce websites act as a virtual storefront where commerce takes place. They cover a range of different types of businesses, from consumer-based retail sites, through auction or music sites, to business exchanges trading goods and services between corporations. Whether you are starting your own e-commerce site or looking to improve an existing one, here are four tips that could help you reach your business goals:
Targeting Your Audience
One of the main aspects when building your e-commerce site is targeting your audience with the correct methods and messages. First you have to find and define your target market. You have to take into consideration the demographics and psychographics. Demographics are the statistical factors like age, gender, and occupation that affect buying decisions. Psychographics are more in-depth factors that influence how people think when they make a purchase. Both are extremely important when trying to reach a target market and gain more customers. Surveys help you learn more about your target or current audience and you will have an understanding of how to get them to come back again and again. You have to get to know more about them.
Reviews and Testimonials
When putting reviews and testimonials on the website, make them look as legitimate as they are. People don’t want to read what a faceless and nameless person has to say. It is hard to trust them. There have been many articles arising on the web about fake reviews and how it lures people to buy products while being dishonest. You need real feedback to publish. Real, honest, and good feedback not only “get” customers, but continues to “get them.” Adding a photo and including the person’s real name makes a big difference and makes it more relatable for other customers.
Customer Service
With e-commerce it is important to have customer service available at all times. This entails having someone available, usually 24/7, to answer customers’ questions and assist them. Customer service is crucial for any business. Customers want answers and want them fast. Customers will easily run away if they were not answered fast enough or answered properly. Today, there are also live chat bots which aren’t real people behind screens, but are still able to assist with many questions that they have been familiarized with and been programmed to answer. Your customer service has a significant impact on their perception of your brand, including whether they choose to shop with you again, and whether they’ll be willing to recommend you to friends and family.
A Friendly Site
Last but not least, you need to have what I would call a friendly site. This means the site is easy to use and feels super intuitive in its layout. For instance, it is important to show customers your top selling items, because it gives them direction and makes it more likely that they’ll purchase. It should be obvious to them how to navigate and find what they are looking for, and along the way make sure to help them explore new product categories that they may not have considered before. Work with your website developer to tweak your site to be the best it can be. Or if you’re using one of the many inexpensive website-makers out there, see what tools are already available to you. Chances are there are features you aren’t taking advantage of yet that can help make your site appealing and efficient for your target audience.
Launching a successful e-commerce site takes a lot of work, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t take off immediately. It’ll take time to learn your audience and understand their needs better. The four tips we listed here should help you along the way, but never stop educating yourself on new and exciting approach to e-commerce. In the end, you have to believe that your hard work will pay off – and it will!