Taking an offline store online is a major positive step in the digitization of a business. While most businesses leave it to their ECOMMERCE WEBSITE DEVELOPERS to simply build them a glossy ecommerce website, there are many crucial points that every business owner should be aware of and remember:
Choose the right shopping cart platform: There are hundreds of ecommerce platforms out there and most often the ecommerce website developers ask the customers if they have a choice. The choice should be based on the size of your catalog, your budget and technical skills.
Invest in good product photography: Unlike in an offline/brick and mortar store, the customers cannot hold and feel your product on your website. The only thing that they can see is your product images or read description in your online catalog. Make sure that you invest in good quality product photography and put on the site different angles of the products (like from the sides, back etc.,). Use detailed, accurate and clear product descriptions to explain the product well. A good example of product photography is the way pepperfry.com use to show the exact size of their furniture products.
Keep the online catalog fresh: Customers like to see newer products when they come back to a site. Invest time everyday in updating your catalog by putting latest products, featured products, items on sales etc., In industries like the Apparel industry, clothes go out of season and the old season clothes should be placed away from the home page or at top of the catalog.
Be easily contactable: In an offline store the customers who walk in your store can come up to someone at the store to ask about the products. You can allow the customers to be able to do the same thing on your store by having an live chat or having your phone no. prominently displayed on your website.