Proven Strategies to Make Your Online Store Stand Out and Boost Sales

Is your online store blending in with the masses rather than standing out as the prime choice? Do you feel lost in a sea of competition? We’ve prepared an informative and useful guide to help you differentiate your store, increase your online visibility, and make a lasting impression on your customers. 

Ready to take your online store to the next level? 

Developing a Mobile-Friendly and Responsive Design

Your website’s look and feel can make or break the customer’s shopping experience. Adopting a mobile-friendly and responsive design is key to achieving a pleasant experience. With the rapid growth of global mobile internet traffic, Google now predominantly uses the mobile version of a website for indexing and ranking. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you might be losing out on a massive chunk of potential customers. 

If you are using Shopify, you’re in luck. The platform understands this necessity, and to make your life easier, they’ve made all their themes responsive. This means that no matter what device your customer is using—a smartphone, tablet, or enlarged desktop screen—your store will automatically adjust to fit. You also don’t need to worry about any obstacles in the purchase journey, either. Shopify streamlines its checkout processes to be fully mobile-optimised. 

Site speed is another important factor, as it significantly impacts the user’s patience levels and, consequently, their willingness to complete a purchase. We’ve all experienced the frustration of waiting for a slow page to load.  

Stepping Up Your Game with SEO

Running a successful ecommerce website extends beyond attractive layouts and enticing product descriptions. To make your store stand out in today’s highly competitive e-commerce world, you need to leverage the power of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). 

First and foremost, remember that some SEO features are already available from the get-go. But you must go the extra mile to make your store rise above the rest. Consider using SEO plugins and tools available in the Shopify app store, like Shopify Finder or Schema Plus for SEO, as these tools can help streamline and automate your SEO processes, enabling you to reach even more potential customers. 

Next, think about starting a blog for your store. A regularly updated blog filled with relevant, keyword-rich content can drive tremendous traffic to your store. Plus, it’s been proven to improve your SEO ranking. Key tactics to remember when blog writing include generating interesting titles, using relevant keywords in the post, and promoting your content on social media platforms. 

Don’t forget, SEO is an ongoing process, it’s not a one-time deal. So, stick to your strategy and watch your online visibility grow over time.

Creating a Smooth Navigation and Purchasing Journey

Imagine being in a huge physical store with no clear signs or instructions for finding what you need. It sounds a bit frustrating, right? The same applies to your online store.

Good navigation is like a well-organised map—it helps your customers reach their buying destination easily and quickly. It’s the difference between driving with a GPS and without any directions at all. 

There are several ways you can create a smooth navigation journey for your website: 

• Implement BreadCrumbs: Adding breadcrumbs to your pages can significantly enhance your customers’ shopping experience. Breadcrumbs are essentially navigational aids that show users their location within your store’s hierarchy, making it easy for customers to navigate back and forth.
• Keyword Intent: Understanding keyword intent can improve your store’s navigation and overall SEO. Keywords can be categorisational (navigational), educational (informational), or promotional (transactional). Knowing what your users are searching for can help you shape your content and navigation around their needs.
• Streamline Your Site Hierarchy: A clear, logical site structure is not only user-friendly, but also SEO-friendly. It allows search engines like Google to easily crawl and index your store, thereby improving your visibility. Aim for a simple navigation trail that leads customers directly from your homepage to the product pages.
• Use Internal Linking: Internal linking involves creating links within your site to other pages on your site. This can encourage customers to explore more products and pages, ultimately keeping them engaged and increasing the chance of a sale.

The goal is to help your customers find exactly what they’re looking for with minimum effort, and in return, you’ll see this positively reflected in your store’s performance and revenue.

Elevating Your Product Images and Descriptions

Ecommerce store owners must pay attention to the visual appeal of their products. Images represent your products – they are the first impression and an immediate draw for your potential customers. Just as in brick-and-mortar stores, customers want to inspect a product before purchasing. High-quality, well-optimised images recreate that experience by providing a clear view of your offering. 

Optimised images support your website’s SEO, too, enabling potential customers to find your product through Google Images or other search platforms. You can do this by giving your image files relevant, keyword-inclusive names. Also, remember to tailor the alt text for your images, describing them in clear and simple language. This way, both users and search engines will understand what your image is about, which boosts your visibility. 

Providing clear, concise, and engaging product descriptions enhances your customers’ shopping experience. Shopify’s dashboard allows you to input both collection and product descriptions, making it easier to manage your SEO efforts. As a rule of thumb, avoid using the same description for all products within a category. This can lead to what professionals call ‘duplicate content’, which hampers your Google rankings. Instead, make sure each product has a unique description, answering potential questions that customers might have and creating a picture in their minds.

It’s like you’re telling a short, captivating story that makes your customer want to purchase the product. And remember, keep your language simple, and focus on things your visitors care about. 

Boosting Sales with Customer Reviews and Testimonials

Nothing speaks louder than word of mouth in business. Customer reviews and testimonials build trust and provide real value to potential customers. They generate social proof that your products are as good as you claim. 

As part of your online store, encourage your customers to leave feedback after their purchase. The simplest way to get customer reviews is by sending them a follow-up email asking for their opinion about the product. Also, establish a testimonials section on your product pages where you can display what your satisfied customers have to say. Make sure you moderate this section and respond to any negative reviews professionally and on time.

Remember, positive feedback can significantly boost your credibility and sales. Even negative reviews, if handled well, can present an opportunity to show off your excellent customer service and commitment to customer satisfaction.

Moreover, testimonials are a great way to engage with customers effectively. Hearing the word from real customers can create an emotional connection with potential buyers and significantly influence their purchasing decisions. 

Furthermore, be responsive on your social media platforms, forums, blogs, and discussion boards to make it easy for your customers to find you, discuss their needs, and even leave reviews. Show them you value their feedback and build a reputation that reflects your dedication and commitment. 

Conclusion

In closing, making your Shopify store stand out in such a crowded market may require effort and cost, but with diligent application of the steps discussed here, it’s absolutely achievable. Above all, bear in mind that every element of your online store, from mobile-friendliness to customer testimonials, has a quantifiable impact on your sales success. There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ route to this, but ensuring your store is accessible, attractive, and user-friendly across all devices would definitely give you an edge in the highly competitive e-commerce world.