Today’s e-commerce market is growing at a dizzying pace, and competition between online stores is becoming increasingly fierce. On the one hand, every year more and more people prefer to buy online than stationary: in June 2022, as many as 92% of Polish Internet users visited at least one online store or shopping app in that month. At the same time, the number of online stores is also growing rapidly: according to Dun & Bradstreet Poland forecasts, by the end of 2023. There may be more than 65,000 online stores in Poland. How do you quickly build a profitable online store with so much competition?

Does that mean it’s not worth getting into e-commerce? Definitely not! However, it is worthwhile to prepare well for the opening of an online store and take care of its promotion. Based on my own experience, I’ve put together tips for anyone who is thinking about opening their own online store or is already selling online, but isn’t satisfied with sales results.

What should you think about before setting up an online store?

Setting up a store is one thing, taking care of the e-commerce conversion rate is another.

Here are some key steps that can help you achieve e-commerce success quickly:

• Find your niche: finding a unique niche market is crucial to the success of an online store, although of course, with so much competition, it becomes more difficult every year. Bet on products or services that are sought after by specific customer groups, but at the same time are not too strongly competitive. Focusing on the target group will allow you to better understand your customers’ needs and meet them more effectively.
• Invest in quality: in e-commerce, quality is of paramount importance. Focus on offering quality products, attractive website design, easy navigation and responsiveness on mobile devices. A good customer impression is the key to building loyalty and increasing sales – there are already too many stores on the market offering very low-quality products and competing solely on price.
• Take care of marketing: effective marketing efforts are essential for promoting your online store. Use SEO to get high rankings in search results, use Google Ads campaigns, and show up on social media. It’s also worth investing in content marketing and creating valuable content that will grab customers’ attention. Lack of investment in marketing is a common mistake of novice online store owners.
• High quality customer service: respond quickly to customer inquiries, encourage customers to leave feedback, and respond to negative ones as well. It is worth informing the customer about the next steps of the order, and in case of problems: contact them right away.
• Offer promotions and discounts: using promotions and discounts can attract customers to the store and encourage them to buy. Well-planned promotional campaigns can increase website traffic and sales. It is better to forget about discounts of 10%, but organize promotional actions less frequently and make them attractive.

• Monitor results and adjust strategy: regularly analyze your store’s performance, such as conversion rates, abandoned shopping carts or time spent on the site. Monitoring the effectiveness of marketing activities will allow you to adjust your strategy and optimize your operations.

Remember that building a profitable online store is a process that requires patience and commitment. It is difficult to take care of everything from A to Z on your own, because it is very time-consuming. If you want someone to relieve you and take care of marketing while you take care of running your business, contact me! I provide support in web development, SEO, Google and Facebook Ads and copywriting.

What should be improved to make e-commerce conversions grow?

Here are useful tips to help you increase the success of your online store:

Optimize your website

Make sure your website is responsive, that is, adapted to different mobile devices. Customers often use cell phones and tablets to shop online, so it’s important to make it convenient and intuitive for them to use your store.

Take care of your page loading speed

Every second of page load delay can negatively affect e-commerce conversion rates. Minimize your site’s loading time by optimizing images or choosing the right hosting. If you want your store to meet the requirements of users and search engines, it is worth using the support of a web developer.

Develop content and position your store

Valuable content will greatly enhance the appeal of your online store. Add product descriptions based on keywords that customers use in search engines. It is also worth keeping a company blog , to provide customers with practical tips, product information and build an image as an expert in the industry.

Ensure security of transactions

Customers need to be assured that their personal information or payment card is safe. Therefore, it is important that you install SSL certificate on your website and use advanced data protection methods.

Offer promotions and discounts

Customers love to take advantage of opportunities, so attract them with special offers, seasonal promotions, or loyalty programs. This will not only help you gain new customers, but also motivate those who have already purchased from your store to return.

Create a friendly and intuitive shopping environment

Minimize the number of clicks required to finalize a purchase to make the process quick and easy. Add Add to Cart and Buy Now buttons in a prominent place on the page. Also use the function to remember the contents of the shopping cart, making it easier for customers to continue shopping when they return to the site.

Invest in online advertising

Use the potential of online advertising, such as Google Ads campaigns or advertising on social media. Precise targeting will allow you to reach the right audience, increasing the chances of conversions.

How to stand out from the competition in e-commerce?

Standing out from the competition in e-commerce can be a challenge, as the market is increasingly saturated. If you have an idea for your own business and are wondering how to quickly build a profitable online store, consider several factors:

• Large number of competitors: the e-commerce market is saturated with many online stores that offer similar products and services. Competition is fierce, so it is important to find a unique niche and stand out from the rest.
• Market dynamics: e-commerce is a field that is constantly growing and changing. Customer trends and preferences can change rapidly, requiring constant market monitoring and adaptation to new trends. If you don’t have the time to do this, it’s worth outsourcing marketing to an agency.
• Demanding customers: customers expect an increasingly better online shopping experience. Fast delivery, easy site navigation, attractive promotions – are just some of the expectations that need to be met to gain the trust of customers.
• Complicated marketing strategies: successful e-commerce promotion requires an understanding of online marketing principles, such as SEO, Google Ads, social media and content marketing. It is necessary to invest time and resources in appropriate advertising activities. Most entrepreneurs do not have such knowledge and experience, so they work with marketing agencies.
• The problem with logistics: delivery and order processing are key elements of e-commerce. Efficient logistics is often a challenge, especially for smaller online stores.
• Variable customer behavior: in e-commerce, a customer can compare offers from multiple stores before making a purchase decision. This means that customer loyalty may be lower, and the store must try to offer the best terms to convince the customer to buy. However, I don’t just mean the lowest price, but also customer reviews, delivery time, shipping price, availability of various payment methods, etc.

There is money to be made from e-commerce as much as possible, but the days when it was enough to set up an online store and buy products are over. Now the competition is so high that marketing is very important: I will provide you with support in building and optimizing your online store, SEO, Google and Facebook Ads and copywriting. Do you want to sell? Contact me!