13 Tips for Running a Successful Ecommerce Business

Are you setting up an eCommerce site for your clothing company? Here are some tried and true tips for running a successful eCommerce business.

Retail eCommerce sales in 2018 were $501 billion. Are you interested in starting a successful eCommerce business?

In this article, you'll learn the top tips and tricks for having a successful clothing company. Read on to discover the top 13 tips for success. 

1. Website Design

93% of buyers say that a visually attractive appearance is the most important factor in buying online. For a visually attractive site, you'll want to either hire a web designer or learn to code and do it yourself. 

Another option is right on the platform. Choose an attractive template within the platform that has a clean design. Aim for full-width images and minimal text. Don't offer too many products or you can lose some potential customers, keep it clean and simple. 

Make sure your site has a display all feature so a customer doesn't have to go and load each page of products.

2. All About SEO 

Do you want to get lots of visitors and be one of the top search results on Google? Then make SEO your new best friend. If you're not sure how to do SEO, you can either learn it or hire an SEO consultant. 

3. Mobile Friendly

Many potential customers shop from their phones, not their computers. About 20-30% of online shoppers are mobile users, so make sure your site is mobile-friendly or you'll miss out on these customers. 

4. Delivery Information

Make sure to display delivery information on your site or you could lose some potential customers. You should also have the delivery times clearly defined. For some, that'll be a determining factor if they wait to order an item they need. 

5. Honest Images

Have you ever seen those online clothing fails where the item looks completely different than the picture? If you want repeat customers, make sure the pictures are an honest representation of the product. Allow zoom functions on the pictures so customers can see the item up close. 

Offer a variety of high-resolution angles for each item as well. Having honest pictures will decrease any negative feedback online that could hurt your image. 

6. Detailed Descriptions

You'll want to include information such as the measurements, sizing, and fabric used. If a customer feels that they don't have all the information they need, they could shop elsewhere. 

Write a well-written product description which could help your SEO and lead to more eyes viewing your store. Don't keep the description short and flat, tell a story where the customer can really picture themselves wearing that outfit. 

7. Free Shipping

If you want to successfully compete online, an expectation of many online shoppers is to offer free shipping. Offering free shipping might seem like a loss at first, but you'll notice bigger returns on investment. 

Always place a free shipping banner at the top of the page so customers know you offer it. 

8. Reach out to Those Within Your Industry

When you're looking to promote your products, it's about reaching out to others within your industry who can show your products to their audience. Just be aware that they'll charge a price for this service.

Reach out to bloggers within your industry who can showcase your products on their blogs. Social media influencers are great too since they have a large following and can promote your products online.

Also, like-minded entrepreneurs can get the word out about your products. Last but not least, you can reach out to traditional reporters within your industry who can create content about your different products. 

9. Use Email Marketing 

One of the best ways to get repeat customers is to set up email marketing. You can then send out targeted messages to a certain group of buyers and build a relationship with your customers. 

Offer your customer an incentive to sign up for your email list such as 20% off your purchase today. You could have a pop-up appear while they're shopping that offers them 20% off. There are free email options when first starting out. 

10. Refunds and Money-Back

When a customer is shopping, they want to know that if they change their mind or don't like the product, there's a refund or money-back guarantee policy. Create a page that clearly states the rules of refunds and money-back. 

Consider offering your customers free returns. If they know they'll have free returns, it could increase purchases. 

11. Inventory Management

Keep track and list when an item is out of stock or temporarily unavailable. If a customer goes to buy a product and it's not listed it's out of stock, they might never go back to your site again. Always be transparent with item availability. 

12. Marketing

Make sure to advertise your site on social media and also open up a free business account on Facebook and other social media platforms. And, check out Google Analytics to see what platforms your customers use most. 

13. Product Reviews

A great way to build trust and make potential customers feel more confident in your brand is to have product reviews. Have reviews and ratings available for your products. You can ask your customer to leave a review after they ordered and received your product. 

You can also offer them an incentive if they leave you a positive review. Display the average rating and number of reviews at the top of each product. You'll also want the average rating displayed at the bottom of the screen where the reviews appear.

Running a Successful eCommerce Business

After reading this article you should be well prepared and knowledgable about setting up a successful eCommerce business.

When you're ready to start your clothing business online, you can get started today on finding wholesale prices for great deals.