The online market has exploded since the internet has become more and more accessible worldwide. Studies show that Americans spend 24 hours a week online and that most Americans would prefer to visit the online version of a store rather than go to the store in person. Needless to say, e-commerce opportunities are expanding at an unheard of rate. The only issue is that with so many people taking advantage of this opportunity, it’s becoming harder to stand out and get attention from new customers. What you need is to make your site stand out amongst the crowd. And here’s how you can do it.

1. Create a Quality Website

The very first thing that you should look at is the quality of your website. Start by going through this checklist:

Is your website easy to understand?

Is it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for?

Are the product pictures high quality?

Does the site look professional/match the style you’re advertising?

If the answer is “yes” to all of these questions, then you’re ready to go. You have a great website already, and you should just look for things to improve. If you answered “no” to any of those, then we need to talk. For example, if your website isn’t easy to understand, then what is the point of having the website? Your customers will become frustrated and move onto a better site. The same goes for any item on the checklist. Before you fix anything else about your site or your promotion, make sure that your website is exactly where you need it to be.

2. Make the Items Easy to Search

Once you’ve fixed up the website, move on to the specific items. When a customer searches a specific item on their search engine, how can you make sure that yours comes up? Your first option is to enlist the help of an SEO agency. What they will do is make your site to come up higher on searches which helps you to get more publicity. Next, you should make sure that the name of the product includes the brand name, style, size or color, and a keyword search term. If you are selling “t-shirts” and you write the product name as “horseback riding” to describe the graphic, you won’t get many hits in the search bar.

3. Get Good Product Reviews

How do you make it in the e-commerce world? You get great reviews. No one is going to buy from your site if every review rants about how the shipping took 5 months or how the product fell apart as soon as it was opened. So, if you want to stand out, make exceptional products. Actually, believe in what you’re doing rather than just trying to make a quick profit.

4. Utilize Social Media

The next thing you need to do is use social media. There over 2 million people who use Facebook and over 100 million on Instagram. If you’re not on social media already, then you’re making a mistake. Make accounts on both Instagram and Facebook for your company and then start advertising there. You’ll start getting followers who then become loyal customers to your product. Best of all, if you’re on social media, it authenticates your company in a world of fraud. Your customers will feel comfortable on your site and will be more willing to trust you.

5. Be Honest and Provide a Secure Checkout

Even if your customers trust you, you want to make sure that they feel secure. If a customer has a concern with your site, resolve it as efficiently as possible. You should also take the time to provide a safe and secure checkout process with dedicated SSL. If a customer is wary about a transaction, they are extremely likely to cancel the order. This means that you should make sure that the return policy is in plain sight, your contact information is clear, and your privacy policy protects the customer.

Conclusion

You can take your e-commerce site to the “next level” by being professional in every aspect of the word. Make sure that you focus on the customer’s experience so that they continue to come back whenever they are looking for a product that you can offer them.