During the second quarter of 2016, Shopify's gross merchandise volume grew 106% year-over-year, totaling $3.4 billion. More than 275,000 online merchants use Shopify’s platform for their ecommerce business, and those numbers will only increase in 2017. To stay ahead of the growing competition on Shopify, you should know these 8 Shopify tips to sell more on ecommerce. We also recommend consulting a Shopify ecommerce development company to ensure that you're staying ahead.
Shopify Tip 1. Follow the KISS Principle
KISS stands for “Keep it Simple Stupid.” Keep your site as lean and simple as possible, especially in the beginning. Just because there are a lot of features you could add to your Shopify site, doesn’t mean that you should. It should be as easy as possible for your site visitors to buy your products from your ecommerce business. Don’t distract them with extraneous information, or annoy them with a site that loads slowly because it’s bogged down with unnecessary features. You can always add features later if you discover that they’re necessary.
Shopify Tip 2. Be Consistent and Authentic
Your online store should match the message and overall image of your brand across all channels. This includes your business website, advertisements, published content, marketing campaigns, and other channels where you engage with your audience (e.g., Facebook, email, etc.). A good Shopify tip is to share your brand’s story and personally connect with customers and prospects. Show them that you have a personality and differentiate yourself from the competition in a positive way by presenting great copy on your homepage. You want to come across as approachable and authentic.
Shopify Tip 3. Measure Everything
If you measure your ecommerce business results, the decision process behind deciding which products to sell or feature, as well as how to display and advertise them, becomes much easier. You’ll be equipped to optimize your site for maximum profitability. You should measure and test the following on a continual basis:
- Page Layout
- Navigation
- Leads by Channel
- Conversions by Channel
- Messaging
- Content Copy
- Images
- Landing Pages
Shopify Tip 4. Use Your Site to Test Product Demand
If you’re not sure a product will be successful for your ecommerce business, launch a prototype or beta version on your Shopify site to see if there is enough demand for it, before spending a lot of money on overhead, research and development, inventory holding costs, and more. Be sure to have enough supply in stock in case it sells, but let your customers know there is a limited supply ahead of time. You’ll collect data about what customers want and how much they will spend on newer products. You could even use this as a marketing maneuver or competition where you ask customers what they think, as they help you develop your product.
Shopify Tip 5. Continually Evolve Your Online Store
If you measure and test everything, you will collect valuable data about your customers and what they want. Use the data you collect to make relevant changes to your online store. Your ecommerce business and Shopify ecommerce development should never be static, especially if you rotate your inventory often or offer seasonal items. On a regular basis (about once a week or more) you should:
- Improve your site’s SEO
- Update the copy on your homepage
- Include seasonal or special promotions
- Display featured products
Shopify Tip 6. Offer High Quality Images or Videos When Displaying Products
Here’s a good Shopify tip: You want to have high quality images available for all your products, and 360 degree views whenever possible. Customers want to know exactly what they are buying. Images or demo videos are the only real way to bring your products to life online. The photos you display should have consistent quality and representation across channels as well. They should accurately represent your brand in an appealing way.
Shopify Tip 7. Provide Personalized and Efficient Customer Service
Send personalized “Thank You” notes to new customers. And never neglect your existing customers. Ship all products in appropriate packaging, within the time specified, and then follow up with old and new customers to ask them about their experience. Be clear and upfront about your policies and procedures (especially for refunds and returns). Respond to all concerns empathetically and in a timely manner. And be accessible by having a phone number that customers can call with questions or concerns.
Shopify Tip 8. Listen to Your Customers
Above all else, listen to what your customers want so that you can both scale your ecommerce business and retain current customers. Ask for feedback from them often. Don’t follow trends for building and marketing online stores if they aren’t relevant to what your customers need or want. Always ensure that you are providing a product that meets your customers’ expectations and demands. Without them, your online store will not be successful.
