Many small businesses are moving away from the brick and mortar store front. This really does lower the barrier to entry for a number of startups, and allows you to reach a much wider audience. Some key things to keep in mind is your product catalog must be great, your website must be able to handle shopping functionality, and your shipping must be reliable. These factors can make or break your online store.
Product Catalog
Your catalog is the face of your product. With online shopping, customers can’t pick up and hold a product; they can’t touch it and feel it. They are relying strictly on photos to make their decision on whether or not they purchase something. It is very important that the photos of your product are high quality, and can help your customer choose to complete a purchase. It is generally recommended to use more than just one angle, so that the customer can get a better idea of what it is you are selling.
Shopping Functionality
There are a number of technical things your website must be able to do to successfully sell a product. It needs to handle your catalog, allow users to select things they are looking to purchase, and it must also handle payment options. When you go over your web development in Chicago, make sure your design team knows what you a looking to accomplish with this.
Shipping Options
Without a solid shipping solution your product will not get to your customers. Shipping expenses can also deter your customers from making a purchase. Depending on your business, you are going to want to find a way to make shipping reliable, and not cost prohibitive. You will want to look into finding a fast shipping solution as well, as time spent waiting on shipping can be a deterrent for customers. The best shipping methods may be hard to figure out, but it can improve your sales.
