Getting Started with E-Commerce—Tips for Crafting a Successful Web-Based Business
E-commerce allows people to turn their passions into thriving businesses, giving them a way to connect with customers from around the world. E-commerce also allows entrepreneurs to scale their businesses as needed, because they don’t have to invest in a brick-and-mortar storefront and the logistics that come with it.
If you’re ready to launch your own web-based business, Advanced Payment Solutions can help you with online payment services, including the ability to accept checks and credit cards from your customers. We’ve worked with entrepreneurs just like you and here are some tips for creating a successful e-commerce presence:
- Unless you are pretty web-savvy, consult with a designer to help you build your site and maintain it. This is well worth the investment, because you want your site to launch easily and seamlessly.
- You need to make it clear how long it will take you to fulfill orders. In the era of Amazon, customers are used to fast shipping, so if it will take a few days to fulfill an order, be up front about that on the product page.
- Enabling customers to leave reviews will help boost your credibility, and may make the difference between the customer who is on the fence about a purchase, and one who clicks “Add to Cart.”
- You can increase click traffic by enabling product pages to showcase similar products or “bought together” type links. That way, if a customer likes a product but is unsure, they can see a preview of the similar products you offer.
- Build in one-click utilities that allow your customers to instantly share your site or products on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. A social media presence is essential for e-commerce.
- Include a blog, and learn more about how to use SEO keywords in it. You’ll be able to share news and information while embedding target words that will drive your business higher on search engine results.
More than anything, your passion and commitment make all the difference in your e-commerce success. AVPS can provide you with the internet merchant account for your business so that you have all the payment processing utilities you need. As you begin your journey, contact us to learn more about how we can help you and your customers with effortless payment solutions