How to convince people to buy at your online store?

With the deepening recession and the soaring unemployment rates in almost all countries, more and more people are looking to the Internet for a way to earn income from home. One of the promising business opportunities is offered by ecommerce.

This isn’t a secret, really. The appeal of malls and stores has started to decline a long time ago with the rapid increase in fuel costs. The modern world is a busy place and ecommerce have provided a relief for many people. Today, with just a click of a button, you can now purchase clothes, groceries, or any item you need!

As more and more entrepreneurs decide to setup their own online stores, the rate of competition is also increasing. Advertising and promotion has played a major role in the success of many businesses. However, aside from constant marketing efforts, there are also other factors you will need to consider to ensure that your business thrives during this difficult time.

1. Package your offers well. Do you have sections labeled “What’s Hot” and “What’s New”? These are product suggestions for your customers so they can find their way around the store easily. This also serves as an internal marketing mechanism so that people can see what their options are.
2. Ensure easy navigation on your site. Your website interface will play a big role in enhancing the customer experience. If your site is difficult to navigate and information is not readily available, then you might be losing out on your competition.
3. Provide excellent customer support. Unlike a local store, people can’t ask your clerk question about a product they intend to buy. While they can search the internet for information. Very few actually want to do that. This is why you need to provide some support to address their issues. You can hire a support team, or if you want it cheap, ensure you have a “contact us” form on your site. Also, make sure that your process for refunds is stated clearly to avoid confusion.
4. Assure your website security against hackers. With the reports of identity theft, people are now more cautious in buying online. You need to ensure that your site is secure and that your customer’s personal information is safe on your server. No matter how good your offers are if your customers cannot sleep peacefully at night knowing that their identity is secure then you cannot expect to get loyal customers.
5. You need to build a personal relationship with your clients. Ever wonder why most websites have an “about us” page? This is because people would want to know the face behind a website because they want to make sure that they are dealing with real people.
6. Give your customers several payment options. Most people would pay via credit card but there are others who would rather pay via wire transfer or direct bank transfer. Online shops were built for convenience hence; it is your duty an entrepreneur to provide this promise!