8 important facts that you need to consider when setting up a site for your small-sized online shop

In the digital era of today, having an online website for your small business has become the need of the hour. With the rapid acceleration in the trend of online shopping, an online shop is a must-have. Even when you have a brick-and-mortar shop for your business, leveraging the online platform can take your business to the next level. According to statistics, the online sales of goods increased by 24% in 2020, while store-based sales lowered by 7%. If you are willing to set up a website for your small-sized online shop, here is a list of 8 important factors that you must consider. Let’s take a look. 

1. eCommerce Platform

When you want to deliver an exceptional user experience and enhance your conversion rates, choosing an appropriate eCommerce platform is a must. There are a number of eCommerce platforms available for your online shop, such as WooCommerce, Squarespace, Shopify, and more. However, the selection of the right platform will depend on the product you are selling. For instance, if you are looking for greater scalability and rich capabilities, WooCommerce can be the right option for you. On the other hand, if you want more customizations for your online store, Shopify is a better option.

2. Website Hosting

The second important thing to conder is the website hosting. Purchasing scalable and secure website hosting is important in order to avail all the essential services and technologies to allow your users to easily view your website. If you are looking for quality web hosting services, be sure to learn a brief overview of such tools on this site and drive more traffic for your website. When it comes to website hostings, different service providers offer different plans. Make sure to choose the best hosting plan that can benefit your business the best.

3. Website Design

When your potential customers visit the site of your online shop, the first thing they notice is the website design. A classy yet professional design that is visually appealing can help in attracting more customers and ensuring higher conversions. It is important to have a simple and clutter-free design in order to ensure that your target audience can easily find what they are looking for. Having a user-friendly site that is easy to navigate can help in significantly increasing the sales of your business.

4. Product Showcasing

The main aim of every business is to sell their products to the target customers. When you are setting up a dedicated site for your small-sized online shop, it is important to ensure that your products are well showcased. Only when your products are showcased in an organized and comprehensive way, your customers can gain clarity about the products and purchase the right ones. Make sure to add detailed product descriptions, product images, and relevant videos to your site. This can help in effectively capturing the attention of your users and growing your sales.

5. Mobile Compatibility

While setting up your site, it is important to ensure that it is compatible with mobile devices. About 52.94 percent of global internet users operate through mobile as well as tablet devices. As a significant amount of web traffic comes through mobile devices, developing a mobile-friendly website is vital. Make sure to check that the user interface, functionalities, and all features are designed to work optimally on mobile devices. This will allow users to easily access your site using their mobile devices and significantly contribute towards the increase of your sales.

6. SEO

The importance of SEO cannot be ignored when building a site for your small-sized online shop. When you want to connect with more customers and increase the visibility of your business, having an SEO-friendly website is crucial. Moreover, optimizing your website will allow you to acquire a top position on the first page of Google search results and stay ahead of your competitors. You can use various SEO strategies such as content optimization, image optimization, keyword research, metadata optimization, and analytics.

7. Easy Checkout and Payment Options

In the fast-paced world, customers do not like waiting for long. If your checkout process is complicated and takes up a significant amount of time to complete, your potential customers are likely to abandon your site without purchasing anything. Make sure that the site you set up has easy checkout options and allows customers to place orders successfully in much less time. Having guest checkout options can be an added advantage for driving more sales to your online shop.

Moreover, you also need to ensure that your site has a number of payment options. Different customers use different payment systems. Some customers even have their favorite payment methods and are reluctant to use any other payment option. When such customers do not find their preferred option on your site, they are likely to exit your sales funnel. In order to avoid such a situation, make sure to add all the commonly used payment options to your website.

8. Privacy and Security for your small-sized online shop

With the increase in cybersecurity attacks that results in significant losses for individuals and businesses, security is an important factor to consider. Your potential customers will require the assurance that their personal information and money are secure with your business. Installing the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate can help in encrypting all the vital data and establishing a secure connection to your online shop site. This will ensure that all your customer data are safe. Also, make sure to have a transparent privacy policy to assure the customers of enhanced privacy of their personal information.

Conclusion

When developing a site for your small-sized online shop, make sure to consider all these 8 factors for greater success. While most businesses focus only on the pleasing appearance of the site, it is also important to ensure a stress-free shopping experience for the users. Keeping in mind all the vital factors will help you easily attract new customers while retaining the existing ones.