Products are the lifeblood of any e-commerce business. But, if you wish to make your e-commerce business healthy, you should do more than sell products. Make sure that your customers are happy and that they keep coming back for more.
Three weeks ago, I wrote five things you should avoid in your Shopify store, but this time, I want to share five do’s that will improve your e-commerce business (Shopify not required).
Do research on your target audience
People are different, and they have different needs. You should know your potential customers to create a better product and marketing strategy. Who are they? What are their interests? Where do they live? What problems do you wish to solve for them? The answers to these questions will help you create a buyer persona.
A buyer persona is a fictional character that represents your ideal customer. It is a powerful tool for creating a marketing strategy. You can use it to create a better product, write better copy, and create a better marketing strategy. To make a good buyer persona, you need to do some research.
Firstable, start building your buyer persona with your friends and family. Ask them what they think about your product idea. Take notes and look for what type of people are interested in your product. Be sure to mention them to be honest. After that, expand your research to other people. Strangers are not scary, as they can be your potential customers. You can find them on social media, forums, and other places.
Then again, if you have an already established e-commerce business and real customer data, use it to your advantage. Analyze your customers’ behavior and find out what they like and what they don’t. Many tools can help you with that, like Google Analytics, Hotjar, and others.
Do some storytelling
People love stories, but not just any stories. They love relatable, intriguing and inspiring words that make them feel good. Your store should have one. This story should be about your brand, products, values, and mission. It should be a story that your customers can relate to and say “I want to support this!”. A story that will tell them to click the “Buy Now” button.
Remember to be authentic and honest, as people can see through fake stories and reviews (remember TV infomercials?). Be yourself (or your brand) and tell your story in a interesting way. A good story will help you build a connection with your customers, and your store visitors will feel like they know you (or your brand). Having a common ground will earn your store visitors’ trust and create a loyal customer base for your e-commerce business.
On the other hand, if you are unsure what to write, try using storytelling templates. They will help you create a story that will resonate with your customers. Answer the questions like “Who are you? (either as a brand or a person)”, “Why do you do what you do?” and “What makes your product/service unique (in comparison to your competitors)?”
When writing a story, try to keep the same tone and style. That tone should be consistent with your brand. If you are a formal, non-casual brand, use formal language. Alternatively, if you are targeting a younger audience, use a more casual tone. Still, if you are unsure what tone to use, look into your customers (or people you wish to target) and see how they talk.
Do create a unique selling proposition
A unique selling proposition (USP) is a statement that describes why your product is better than your competitors. Also, it is a great way to stand out from the crowd and make your product more appealing to your customers. Furthermore, USP can help you with creating an effective marketing strategy.
So, to create a good USP, you need to do some research. Look at your competitors and see what they offer. What are their strengths and weaknesses? What do they do better than you? What do they do worse than you? When you have all the answers, utilize them to create a USP that will make your product attract new customers.
Do some testing
Store owners often assume that they know what their customers want. While this may be true, it’s always a good idea to test your assumptions. You can do this by asking your customers (or friends) to objectively review your store (be sure that these people can be a part of your target audience). Furthermore, you can also test your marketing strategies by running A/B testing. This is a method of testing your marketing strategies by running two different versions of the same marketing campaign. You can test different product images, product descriptions, product prices, and more. You can then compare the results of the two campaigns to see which one performs better.
Aside from A/B testing, you can also do some user experience (UX) testing. This is a method of testing your store’s usability. You can test your store’s navigation, checkout process, and other aspects of your store. This form of testing can be done by asking your friends or family to use your store and see how they navigate through it. More professionally, you can also use tools like Hotjar to see how your customers use your store. Are they clicking on the right buttons? Are they confused? Where do they leave your store? These are all important questions that you need to answer in order to improve your store’s UX.
Do create a community
People love to be a part of something bigger than themselves., and that is what we call community. Create a community by creating a Facebook group (not a page), a YouTube channel, a blog, or a podcast. You can also create a community by hosting events, giveaways, and contests. Additionally, try to run a loyalty or affiliate program. When communicating with your customers, try to use direct communication. In your messages, use “you” to make your customers feel like you are talking to them.
Conclusion
Improving your e-commerce (store and products) is a never-ending process. It is not just these 5 do’s, but much more. Having a good product is not enough if your store is having issues. Start with the research – every store has a unique audience. Furthermore, create a story that will resonate with your customers. Additionally, unique selling proposition is a great way to stand out from the crowd. Be sure to test your store and marketing strategies. At last (but not least), create a community and build a connection with your customers.
These are just some things you can do to get your e-commerce business to next level. What do you think? What did you do to improve your store? Let me know in the comments below.
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