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Online stores have the largest market share in the world of e-commerce. Changing purchasing habits affected by technological development have made them the first destination for shoppers. Accordingly, online stores have added new opportunities for brands and entrepreneurs, thus multiplying their types and profit-enhancing methods. What are the most prominent of these methods and types?
table of contents:
What are online stores?
In short, an online store is a website or application that allows customers to buy and pay online, digitally viewing ordered products. The characteristics of online stores do not stop at the online purchase feature, but rather go beyond having a customized experience for users with the ability to search, browse products, and add to the wish list or cart for later reference. In addition to the presence of other competitive features, such as offers and rewards.
What is the difference between an online store and a website?
Every online store is a website, but not every website is a store. They are both a collection of pages linked to each other and stored on a particular server. However, the website does not contain online purchasing services, as it may be a news site, a company's website to highlight its identity and review its services, a social networking site, a site specialized in displaying photos, and many other examples.
Advantages of online stores
There are many advantages offered by the online store to the owners of companies and projects, the most prominent of which are the following:
1. Earning potential around the clock
By creating an online store for your business, you can get profits at any time of the day, as there are no specific working hours or specific times for purchasing. The customer can easily access and browse your online store from anywhere and at any time, whether it is during his work periods outside the home, or even before he sleeps.
2. A wide range of customers
Having your store on the web enables you to reach a wide variety of customers, without being restricted to a specific geographical area. In addition, the ways to reach your audience are diverse, so you reach them through search engines, which statistics indicate is the first source that 80% of consumers resort to before shopping, social media platforms, or through ads on websites, and so on.
3. Keep up with future trends
Did you know that studies and visions indicate that the proportion of online purchases will rise to 95% by 2040? This study shows how important it is to move towards e-commerce from now on. In order to be able to build a professional identity that attracts the largest possible base, and keeps pace with current and future customer preferences as well.
Types of online stores
In general, online stores are divided into two main classifications:
Online marketplace platforms
This type of store brings together a large group of sellers and retailers on one site, and is affiliated with a third party with a large audience, such as Amazon and eBay.
When you subscribe to the electronic market as a seller, you will not be responsible for the logistics services of shipping and delivery, nor for repairing faults that may occur on the site. You only need to pay a membership to become an official seller, add your products on the platform and receive profits whenever you achieve a sale opportunity.
Stores dedicated to one brand
In this case, the online store is for only one company or brand, such as the SHEIN store and the Adidas website, which exclusively sells various products produced by the company. Here you will need to develop a store dedicated to your brand. You may resort to a developer who will develop it for you from scratch, or create it through e-commerce platforms such as WooCommerce . In both cases, you are responsible for the periodic maintenance of the site.
Despite the multiple costs involved here, such as operational and technical costs and launch expenses, you will be able to create a unique and customized experience for your customers, so you choose the design that expresses your brand, and defines the user experience that meets the needs and preferences of your target audience . Also, this type will make you alone on the platform with your products, without many competitors offering similar products and competitive prices.
And to get a professional online store that represents your brand in particular, use one of the online store development services provided by elite Arab developers on the Fiverr platform.
7 tips to increase the profits of your online store
Launching an online store does not mean ensuring more profits for your brand. There must be several strategies that help you enhance the chance of achieving more purchase opportunities. Here are some of the most important tips to increase the profits of the online store:
1. Consider the compatibility of your store design on different screens
Your customers may prefer to buy your products on their PC, sometimes on their phone, or even on their iPad. All of these devices differ in the size of their screens, and not paying attention to the matter will lead to an imbalance in the appearance of your store, so that the details of their interfaces appear small in size on the phone screens, for example. This will inevitably affect the possibility of purchasing negatively, as the user will not be able to browse the store carefully and leave immediately.
2. Provide a unique and easy user experience
Recent studies indicate that 88% of consumers leave the site due to a poor user experience. From here, you should ensure that you provide an easy user experience that avoids the difficulty of understanding the user, so that he can shop in your store smoothly and comfortably.
To achieve a clear user experience, distribute the contents of your store well, do not put all products on one page, but rather classify them all to be added in specific sections, and add a search box to speed up the user's access to what he wants. Also take into account the clarity of the design interfaces by making the main elements prominent and easy to click and understand directly, adding guiding phrases whenever necessary to avoid any confusion in the user’s mind.
3. Adopt a strong marketing strategy
The online store, like the traditional store, needs a good marketing strategy to attract customers. This strategy includes content marketing that interests your customers and increases your store visits with SEO . In addition to other marketing strategies that include various electronic means, such as e-mail and social networking sites that increase user interaction.
In this regard, you will find a wide range of e-marketing services on Fiverr, choose what suits you best. To ensure the development of a strong strategy with the help of the necessary expertise.
4. Understand shoppers' behavior
Sometimes cart abandonment rates reach 80%, which means it's important to understand shoppers' behavior and the reasons why they leave your store and leave the products they've chosen without completing the purchase. The types of online shoppers fall into three main types:
- The first type: is price-sensitive shoppers
There is no doubt that most shoppers tend to bargain, so the possibility of switching from your store to another increases because of a better price. Price is usually the deciding factor when buying here, then free shipping or discount and promotions. Accordingly, try to provide these strategies in your store from time to time to create an attractive competitive advantage .
- The second type: those looking forward to everything new
This type of shopper looks for everything new to buy first before friends and acquaintances. You can gain this segment by constantly updating your store with new products, then telling them directly about what's new via email or by posting on social media, and placing new products at the beginning of the main interface.
- The third type: the researcher shopper
The research shopper is characterized by scrutiny of everything, as he collects information and reviews about each product before making a purchase decision. Therefore, provide your store with adequate information about each product, in terms of features, details, and mechanism of use, and add the reviews feature to obtain a realistic visualization. It is also important to provide continuous technical support or live chat to answer any questions that come to mind.
5. Take advantage of the data
Customer data helps you understand their preferences, analyzing their purchase times and the products they prefer and search for. Take advantage of this valuable information in creating a customized experience, by displaying products that are compatible with the customer's requirements in his main interface, and giving him recommendations similar to products he previously purchased, and sending him to him via e-mail to browse them directly. This will increase the chance of making a purchase.
6. Add the interactive chat feature
The live and interactive chat has become like an actual sales representative in virtual reality, answering user inquiries within seconds, and interacting directly with them to enhance their desire to buy.
7. Explain the method of delivery and return
The customer needs to feel confident and reassured to make a purchase on the online stores. In this case, he will have a clear and integrated policy on the shipping method and how long it will take for the product to arrive. In addition to the return policy, some customers may decline the idea of purchasing for fear that the product is not suitable.
Conclusion
In conclusion, online stores have become a trend for many commercial activities, due to their advantages and promising profit opportunities. So take care of the professionalism of your store, as the competition is fierce, and with the right planning and provision of the necessary and best resources, you will be able to launch a distinguished online store.
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