If you have a product or service to sell, it’s imperative to have an online store these days. Even if you already have a brick-and-mortar retail spot up and running, you can really expand your customer base and your sales by operating an online store as well. Maybe you already have an online store but aren’t seeing as much traffic or sales as you were hoping for. Whether you’re new to the scene or are just looking for ways to expand your sales online, there are certain things you can do to operate your online store more effectively. Read on to find out how.
Upload Product Videos
People love videos, especially where online shopping is concerned. When you film a product, you’re giving viewers a chance to see what it really looks like. It’s easier to determine the size and quality of a product by watching a video rather than viewing a still photo. Product videos also give you a chance as the seller to engage the audience with a description of the product so they don’t have to spend extra time reading about it. JJsHouse is an online clothing retailer that’s working on adding more videos to their online stores after seeing such positive responses from customers.
Build a Friendly Customer Service Team
A friendly customer service team is the backbone of any successful business. If you’re operating an online store, customers will inevitably have questions about the products you’re selling. They’ll also need to return or exchange products and some may have payment issues or other queries. It’s so important to have a friendly and knowledgeable team of customer service representatives who can answer questions and solve problems. Just one incompetent or rude customer service representative can drive away many customers, and no business wants that.
Operate an SNS Platform
Getting your brand out on social networking platforms is imperative to expanding your customer base. VeryVoga is an online clothing retailer that has been very successful in managing their social networking campaigns. Since the brand’s inception in 2010, they’ve built a base of more than 185,000 followers on Facebook. This can be a very effective way of marketing your brand and increasing your sales.
Offer Customization Service
Whether it’s customizing the product or the service, people love it when they can get things exactly the way they want them. For example, clothing retailers can offer tailoring services while products can come with the option to be engraved or personalized. Any online business can offer customization with shipping services by offering different shipping speeds or scheduled deliveries. The more ways you can afford to allow your customers to customize their orders, the better. Just remember to consider the cost effectiveness from a business perspective as well so you don’t end up losing money on these services.
Follow the advice above to start engaging more customers and you’ll be sure to see an increase in your sales. Operating an online store can be simple once you take the time to understand how to expand that customer base and keep people coming back for more.
