To make an online store successful, you have to get people to keep coming back to it. Most ecommerce businesses are going to work on the principle of having return customers. Some customers might make a one-time purchase, but you also really want to create loyal customers who come back multiple times. There are plenty of things you can do to make this happen, including some essentials that pretty much all online stores should have. If you want to stop people from leaving and never coming back or encourage more visitors to return after their first purchase, take a look at these must-haves.
Image from Pixabay – CC0 License
A Fast and Functional Site
It might seem like a no-brainer, but an online store that’s fast and functional is the key to giving your customers what they want. If you don’t get this right, you can forget about anything else. Your site needs to be speedy to load and help your customers find what they’re looking for. Working with professional web designs like those at Baldwin Digital is essential if you want a quality site – view website design services and advice here. Remember that mobile usability is now crucial for any online store and don’t neglect responsive design.
A Newsletter/Mailing List
Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies your business can use. It has a great return on investment and an email campaign can often be pretty affordable to run. Having the option of signing up for your mailing list will help you start creating returning customers. You can use your mailing list to send out regular newsletters or to promote certain offers. Give people an incentive to sign up, such as a discount on their first (or next) purchase. You can then send them emails that tempt them to come back and spend more money with you.
Remarketing Ads
Remarketing is when you serve ads to people who have already visited your site. It involves placing a cookie on their device, which allows you to identify who to serve the ads to. It can be used to tempt people to come back to your site and continue browsing or complete a purchase. You can show them products they’ve already looked at or related products that they might be interested in. The more they see these ads and come back to your site, the more likely they are to actually complete an order.
Useful Information
People appreciate a brand that does more than just sell to them. They also find it helpful when they can access useful information, not just about the products you sell but also related topics. Providing content about how to use your products is a good start, but you can also consider covering other subjects your customers would be interested in learning about. If you run a store selling clothes, you might publish blog posts giving fashion advice, for example.
Keep your customers coming back to your store with these essential features. The more they come back to your website, the more your sales could grow.
