For small and medium-sized businesses, ecommerce opens doors to remarkable growth opportunities, allowing you to connect with customers well beyond your local market and generate sales around the clock.
However, achieving this potential requires thoughtful optimization of your online presence.
Focusing on creating an effective online store can help your business thrive in the digital marketplace. This article explores steps that small business owners can take to improve their customers' shopping experience, attract more visitors to their site, and maintain a competitive edge.
Why ecommerce matters for small businesses
The importance of ecommerce has only ramped up in recent years as shopping habits continue to shift toward digital-first experiences. For small businesses, though, this shift presents both opportunities and challenges.
Many small businesses face an uphill battle when first setting up their ecommerce business. Resource constraints often force owners to wear multiple hats, juggling website management alongside their regular business responsibilities.
However, the flexibility that ecommerce offers to small business owners shouldn’t be overlooked. Ecommerce provides small business owners with a store that essentially never closes. And this flexibility extends to customers as well. An online store allows customers to browse and buy at their own convenience.
Another opportunity that ecommerce provides is insights into customer behavior and preferences. With a digital storefront, you’re able to see what customers looked at or purchased on your site. Small business owners are able to use that information to better refine their product offerings and tailor their marketing efforts to meet their customers’ needs.
Scalability for ecommerce stores is another major benefit for small business owners. With less overhead involved than physical stores, scaling your business is much more efficient online.
Optimizing your ecommerce website
Your ecommerce website is often the first impression customers have of your brand. A well-designed, easy-to-navigate site can mean the difference between a visitor browsing your products and a customer completing a purchase. Optimizing the design, user experience, and product presentation on your site is important for maximizing conversions.
Design and user experience tips to increase conversions
When visitors arrive at your online store, they should find it intuitive and pleasant to navigate. Here’s how to improve the user experience (UX) for higher conversions:
Streamline your navigation
Keep your menu simple and intuitive. Categorize products clearly and limit the number of main menu options to reduce overwhelm. For instance, a pet supply store might have categories like “Food,” “Toys,” and “Grooming” with sub-categories, allowing users to find products easily.
Optimize for mobile
Mobile devices account for over half of online shopping traffic. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, with responsive design, touch-friendly buttons, and fast loading times on smartphones and tablets. Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can help evaluate your site’s mobile compatibility.
Speed up your website
Slow-loading websites lead to higher bounce rates, as customers are likely to abandon a site that takes more than a few seconds to load. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check your loading speed, and compress images or minimize code to improve performance.
Craft clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
Guide visitors to take action with strong, clear CTAs such as “Add to Cart,” “Buy Now,” or “Get 10% Off Today.” Make these buttons stand out visually, and keep language concise to avoid confusion.
How to optimize your product pages
Product pages serve as the online equivalent of your in-store sales staff and display cases combined. When customers can't physically interact with your merchandise, well-crafted product pages become important conversion tools.
Here's how small business owners can optimize these crucial elements:
Write detailed product descriptions
Write clear, detailed descriptions that include essential information like size, color, materials, and benefits. Avoid generic phrases like “high-quality” and instead focus on specifics. For example, a sustainable clothing brand might describe a sweater as “crafted from 100% organic cotton, designed for warmth and breathability.”
Include high-quality product images
Images are the closest thing customers have to “touching” your products online, so invest in clear, high-resolution photos. Show products from multiple angles, and consider including lifestyle images (showing the product in use) to give context. For instance, a furniture store might show a chair in a staged living room setting to help customers envision it in their own space.
Use reviews and testimonials to build trust
Online shoppers can’t physically interact with products, so they rely on customer reviews and testimonials as a proxy for quality and reliability. Positive feedback builds trust and can significantly influence purchasing decisions.
- Showcase customer reviews: Display reviews on product pages, preferably near the product description. Authentic reviews provide social proof, showing potential buyers that others have had positive experiences with your brand.
- Feature testimonials: Highlight a few glowing testimonials to build credibility instantly. For example, a wellness brand might include a review saying, “I’ve seen a noticeable improvement in my energy levels since using these supplements,” which resonates with health-conscious visitors.
- Encourage reviews: Send follow-up emails to customers after a purchase, inviting them to share their feedback. Small incentives, like a discount on a future purchase, can encourage more customers to leave reviews.
Enhance the user experience
Other features that will help to optimize your product pages include:
- Size guides and fit information: Having clear, detailed product sizing/measurements can help reduce both return rates and customer frustration.
- Clear inventory status: Showing your inventory status helps to manage customer expectations.
- Cross-selling/related products: This can increase your average order values, as well as help customers find complementary items more easily.
How to optimize your shopping cart
The shopping cart and overall checkout process can often determine whether a potential customer completes a purchase or abandons their cart.
What is cart abandonment?
Cart abandonment happens when shoppers have added products to their shopping cart but leave the site without completing their purchase. With abandonment rates reaching over 70%, optimizing your shopping cart can help boost your ecommerce sales.
What causes cart abandonment?
There are several common causes of shopping cart abandonment:
- Unexpected costs: Costs that catch the customer by surprise are one significant factor that can lead to cart abandonment.
- Complex checkout process: A confusing or extensive checkout process can also drive customers away.
- Account creation requirements: Another common friction point is requiring the customer to set up an account to complete checkout.
These factors can be mitigated in a few different ways:
- Address shipping costs early: Whether you’re charging for shipping or shipping is free, make sure to call out shipping prices elsewhere on your online store.
- Streamline the checkout process: Offer a progress indicator showing how many steps are left in the checkout process and keep the required fields to a minimum.
- Allow guest checkout: Not all customers want to set up an account when they make a purchase, so offering a guest checkout option will avoid unnecessary complexity.
Checkout flow best practices
There are quite a few best practices for avoiding cart abandonment and optimizing your shopping cart. Here of some of the more important ones:
Minimize distractions in the shopping cart
Remove navigation menus, sidebars, and unnecessary elements that might lead customers away from completing their purchase. Do offer an option to take the customer back to your store, just in case they forgot something before reaching the checkout page.
Make sure your cart loads on mobile devices
Test your checkout process thoroughly on multiple devices to be sure that buttons are appropriately sized, forms are easy to complete, and the entire process functions smoothly.
Offer a wide range of payment options
Payment options can significantly impact conversion rates. Beyond standard credit card processing, consider offering digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal, which offer a streamlined payment experience. For higher-priced items, offering financing options or "buy now, pay later" services can help overcome purchase hesitation.
Build trust in your online store
Trust indicators are visual elements and information that reassure customers about the security and reliability of your business. Trust is important when asking a customer to complete a purchase with your company.
Here are a few ways to add trust indicators for customers:
- Security badges from recognized providers should be prominently displayed near checkout buttons. Similarly, payment processor logos (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) can also show legitimacy.
- Clear return and refund policies accessible during checkout help address last-minute hesitation. A simple statement like "Easy 30-day returns" with a link to your detailed policy can provide the reassurance needed to complete a purchase.
- Contact information displayed during checkout — including phone numbers and chat options — lets customers know that help is available if needed.
Drive traffic to your online store
Once your website is optimized, the next challenge is attracting visitors. Both organic and paid strategies can help SMBs bring traffic to their online store and convert visitors into customers.
Here are some effective ways to drive traffic to your online store:
- SEO for ecommerce: Optimize your website and product pages for relevant keywords. A small jewelry shop might target keywords like “handmade silver earrings” or “eco-friendly bracelets” to attract customers searching for those specific items. Incorporate these keywords into product titles, descriptions, and meta tags.
- Social media marketing: Share your products on social platforms where your audience is active. Use a mix of product highlights, customer testimonials, and behind-the-scenes content to keep followers engaged. For example, an artisan soap brand might post short videos showing the soap-making process to build interest.
- Email marketing: Retarget previous customers or subscribers with special promotions, new product launches, or personalized recommendations. For instance, a pet supplies store might send monthly emails featuring seasonal pet care tips and product recommendations for each season.
- Paid advertising: Use Google Ads to target specific keywords or leverage Facebook and Instagram Ads for highly targeted social campaigns. These ads can drive immediate traffic to your site, and you can narrow your audience based on interests, behaviors, and location for more efficient ad spend.
Future-proofing your online store
Ecommerce is constantly evolving, with new technologies and consumer expectations reshaping the landscape. Staying up-to-date with these trends helps small business owners remain competitive and meet shifting customer preferences.
Trends shaping the future of ecommerce
- Personalization: Personalized experiences, such as product recommendations or dynamic homepage content, are becoming the standard. Tools like Klaviyo and Segment can help SMBs deliver personalized recommendations based on browsing history and purchase behavior, making customers feel more valued.
- Sustainable shopping: Today’s consumers are increasingly eco-conscious and value sustainable and ethical brands. Highlighting sustainable practices on your website (e.g., eco-friendly packaging or ethical sourcing) can resonate with this growing demographic. For example, an SMB selling eco-friendly skincare might spotlight its recyclable packaging or carbon-neutral shipping options.
- Mobile commerce (M-commerce): Mobile shopping continues to rise, making it essential for ecommerce sites to offer a smooth mobile experience. Investing in mobile-friendly design, touch-optimized elements, and fast loading speeds ensures you capture mobile shoppers effectively.
- Voice search optimization: With more consumers using voice-activated devices like Alexa or Google Home, optimizing for voice search can help capture new traffic. Voice search keywords tend to be longer and more conversational, so focus on “natural language” phrases like “best organic coffee near me” for SEO.
Adapt your strategy to stay competitive
As trends evolve, so should your approach to ecommerce. Keep an eye on competitor activity and listen to customer feedback to identify areas for improvement. Here’s how to stay adaptable:
- Monitor customer feedback: Regularly review customer comments, questions, and reviews to gauge shifts in preferences or recurring pain points. Use this feedback to inform product updates, new features, or customer service enhancements.
- Test and optimize continuously: Regularly experiment with different website features, such as product page layouts or checkout flows, and track their impact on conversion rates. A/B testing can help you make data-driven adjustments to your site.
- Stay educated: Follow industry blogs, webinars, and newsletters to stay informed on emerging ecommerce trends. This awareness can give you a competitive edge by enabling you to adopt new practices before they become widespread.
By optimizing your ecommerce website, driving targeted traffic, and keeping up with trends, your business can tap into the growing online shopping market effectively. Implementing these strategies can help you attract customers, boost sales, and position your brand to thrive.
