E-Commerce is the future of business. In fact, in 2023, we can expect e-commerce to account for 20.4% of retail sales worldwide. That’s significant, and as it becomes easier and easier to shop online, we can expect this figure to grow in the future.
As a company owner or administrator seeking to keep your team updated on best online business practices, you may be wondering how you can benefit from the digitization of the global market with an online store. If so, keep reading. Let’s explore some best practices for designing a highly visible online store that actually sells.
1. Create a Visually Appealing Site to Draw Positive Attention
Most consumers buy with their eyes. For this reason, creating a visually appealing online store will give you a significant advantage. How can you achieve that? The principles of design revolve around white space, emphasis, balance, contrast, proportion, repetition, and movement. It’s important to be familiar with these principles and play with them to maximize your store’s visual interest. Of course, colour, typography, and space should be used effectively as well. Excellent product photography is a must, and most experts suggest placing images on a white background for emphasis. That being said, when it comes to design, there is no one size fits all solution, and the best layout for your store will depend heavily on a variety of factors: your target audience, your industry, and your brand identity.
2. Prioritize Easy Navigation After Corporate E-Commerce Training
When you start designing your online store after corporate ecommerce training, be sure to make your products easy to find and purchase. Try to keep your site simple with a browse page, an about page, a highlight reel of bestsellers, and a contact page. That’s all buyers will need to make final decisions about your products or services and take the plunge. Good navigation comes in handy for so many other reasons, like improving your SEO and user experience (UX), both components of a successful online store that will be discussed in the following sections.
3. Be Sure to Optimize the User Experience
Gone are the days of slow dial-up internet. Most web surfers are accustomed to speedy, responsive sites. As an online seller, you want your site to measure up by providing a noticeably smooth and pleasant user experience. How can you do that?
Well, there are many components of UX design to consider–so much so that there are UX specialists out there for hire. That being said, optimizing speed, getting rid of broken links, and organizing content well are some best practices that will take you a long way when it comes to creating an outstanding user experience.
4. Work on SEO to Drive Traffic to Your E-Commerce Site
SEO stands for search engine optimization. Following SEO best practices will help you ensure that your online store ranks on search engines like Google. No matter how reliable your product is or how effective the design of your store is, you need the traffic to generate leads and sales. By implementing keyword research, creating highly targeted content, and maximizing UX and navigation, you’ll be off to a great start.
If you want to go even further and prepare to launch a successful online store with your team, consider our corporate ecommerce certification at Cumberland College. It will teach you and your company all the ins and outs of e-commerce, including some of the hidden logistics like business law, marketing data analysis, and the financial management of an online store.
Ready to get your team started with our corporate training?
Contact Cumberland College for more information!
