If you didn’t know already, it’s been well established that eCommerce is a huge player in the international market. With many people across the west and rapidly growing into the developing world opting to shop for many things online, it’s no surprise that eCommerce generates $1.9tn globally each year – not much less than the entirety of the UK’s economy. Voice-searching and new currency options will see 2018 boost the market even further.
For the person just starting out on their eCommerce journey via WordPress, it can be a daunting experience to get your customer experience up, running and focused to the point where it’s the best it can be. Through the course of this user guide, you’ll be shown some of the best tips, tricks, and trends to follow that will turn you from an eCommerce novice into a superpowered user.
Learning From the Best
The internet has opened up a world where everyone is encouraged to share information, communicate and help each other out. Experts have the perfect portal to offer their sage advice. With minimum effort required to be able to advertise your name and domain throughout the common search engines. This is quite apart from the effort previously required with finding advertising space in classifieds, phone books and so on, which often required dedicated press teams. Every vocation can find help in the local community, with eCommerce professionals sharing many networks.
This applies to every level of your business. For example, those looking to improve Amazon ecommerce acumen can find professionals online at competitive rates. For web design, you can have consultancy without paying excessive fees; many services will test and critique your web design without requiring the full range of fees to be paid.
Marketing, Marketing, Marketing
As we’ve touched on above, the utterly open nature of the internet means that it is very easy to get your feelers out and reach out to your clients and customers with the minimum of fuss. This has led some retailers to shrink away from the necessity of getting through to your clients and investigating their individual needs. However, marketing has never been important as for having the related consumer research and advertisement.
That doesn’t mean it has to be difficult, however. WordPress is an excellent platform for your eCommerce outlet and getting through to customers. The fact that they make a point of subscribing and visiting regularly to your web page is a great starting point; it keeps them in the loop. Adding to this is the excellent email campaign functionality of WordPress which is great for performing surveys, having special offers disseminated amongst your client base and enjoying a great retailer-customer relationship.
Design and Functionality
The best thing your website can do is be user-friendly. This encompasses a number of points. Many eCommerce sites – and websites in general – make the mistake of imposing what they think would be cool upon the customers, in order to draw them in. That can be auto sound, popups, missing information or difficult navigation. Essentially, there are lots of reasons why people will leave your website.
Your eCommerce site should have a clean, easy to navigate design. With your contact details and policies easily accessible, usually in the footer. Every feature of your eCommerce and every service should be easily seen; from buying, to refunding, to complaining. An angry customer will only get angrier if they are unable to find any avenue of redress. Finally, go simple as the standard. Don’t fill your eCommerce outlet site with junk that will put people away. Sure, one customer might like it – chances are many more won’t.
Versatility and Multi-Platform Use
Customers are using more platforms than ever before. Even the simple difference between a Samsung and iPhone brings with it a slew of technical and logistical problems that can be a thorn in the side of every developer. Address these, though, and you open your market to literally everyone and can develop a reputation for being a platform-positive vendor accepting of any technical device.
This is of particular importance and several media companies, including NPR, have won awards based on cross-functionality. This is only set to increase through 2018 as we see the proliferation of technologies continue to increase. Several new brands have entered the smartphone market, and the integration of AI, augmented reality and VR into near everyday usage. See the Google Glass – means that there are even more ways for people to get online and get shopping.
Getting on Board With New Technology
Cutting-edge technology has been touched upon, but it definitely needs to be expanded. Technology has transformed lives in the past two years. In a way not since seen the advent of the internet way back in the 90s. Driverless cars, automation, voice recognition and the internet of things are bringing technology to the forefront of minds and enfranchizing generations like never before.
Voice recognition has previously been a little bit of a joke in some corners. Inaccuracies with being able to pick up accents, tones of voice and the like have made it difficult to be a serious prospect. However, as we’ve seen with home smart boxes. Voice recognition has come by leaps and bounds in 2017. It is set to make an even bigger impact in 2018.
For an eCommerce vendor, getting ahead of the trend will mean voice functionality. This might seem less important for a WordPress based website, given the inherent qualities of a blog – it also needs reading, not complete automation. However, this can be seen as an opportunity. If you can have full voice recognition and ordering support on your WordPress. You’ll be way ahead of the crowd and find your way to added orders in no time.
In conclusion, eCommerce outlet is the way forward for any modern seller, and WordPress is one of the best platforms for it. Turning yourself from an everyday seller to a supercharged, superselling expert takes hard work and dedication. But it’s straightforward and worthwhile to make the most of your talent.