The store looks expensive, but it is possible to start or run an online shopping store with a very low price tag compared to the traditional store. A novice e-commerce entrepreneur has enough options to successfully start and operate an online shopping store, and these options also guarantee the success of his business.
Raya Al Rowad introduces its readers to this article with the aim of deciphering the mysteries related to online stores in relation to online marketing.
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Electronic stores:
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Online store concept:
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An electronic store (E-shop) is an online business that sells a variety of goods and services. E-stores are business-oriented to consumers. It can also be defined as the “place” where the company can sell its products or services using digital networks, meaning that it is the company’s store and address on the Internet where customers can “visit” from anywhere and at any time using a web browser on a mobile phone or laptop. It could also represent a retail store but instead of having a physical location, a website. Electronic stores are also referred to as “E-store” or “E-tailer”. In this type of store, customers can shop at any time they want without having to move from one place to another.
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Types of electronic stores:
- EBay store:
If you want to have a full-time or part-time business on eBay, the eBay Store can help you get the sales volume you want. According to the eBay website, 75% of sellers said opening a store increased their sales.
Opening an eBay store lets shoppers search for your products in two ways: Items continue to appear in category searches on the public auction page, and customers can search for you specifically on the Stores page to see all of your products in one place.
Among the advantages of launching an eBay store:
- Instant access to a global audience of online shoppers.
- Increased sense of security for shoppers because PayPal must be verified to qualify for a store, and customers can read reviews from past customers.
- Shoppers can see everything you have to offer in one place instead of searching every category for your items.
- When ordering a store, you get access to a dashboard with a set of tools that guide you through the process of designing and managing your store. All you need is your logo and products for listing on your store.
However, this is only a good solution if your target audience is the same as eBay. But if you’re looking for a different niche, consider launching a template-based or custom-built e-commerce store.
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Template Based Online Store:
If you want to get your e-commerce website up and running quickly with a professional inexpensive design, a template-based store is the answer. There are thousands of high-quality templates available, so you can find one that exactly fits your business.
Pioneer banner hosting offers the tools to build your own online template-based store. The program usually includes a picture library, a payment gateway, inventory tracking, and other features to help you design and manage your store.
This is the least expensive option because it is included in your web hosting plan. It is also the fastest. You can get your store up and running in just a few hours.
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Professional template customization:
Another inexpensive and relatively quick option is to hire a professional to customize a template for your store. When you hire a professional, you usually have access to a larger template library than your plan, and you can purchase additional features or services for your site such as calculators, audio, video, or copywriting.
When you hire professionals to customize your template-based website, you provide them with your logo, images, and copy (unless you also ask to write ads). You can also choose the model you want. Then the design team will build your site according to your specifications. Most companies give you an opportunity to review the site and make changes before launching it.
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Tailored online store:
If you are looking for a brand new design and have little money to spend, then a specially designed online store might be a better option for you.
The all-new e-commerce design is a good choice for sellers who have a large store and strong branding or identity. This is the most expensive and time-consuming option, but when done correctly, it gives you the best results.
Can be customized to match your entire business identity, from color palette to overall look and feel. Enhances your brand image and meets or exceeds the expectations of your customers.
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E-store profits:
Investing in electronic stores will benefit sooner or later, for example, in 2017, the e-commerce and cloud computing site Amazon (founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in Washington) achieved profits by the end of September estimated at $ 1.177 billion, and the company also reported that it achieved net profits. It reached $ 724 million in the first quarter of 2017.
The value of the Chinese site Alibaba (which was established by Jack Ma in 1999 with 17 friends) was estimated at 153 billion dollars. Alibaba also managed during the first two minutes of Singles’ Day (November 11 of each year) to achieve sales of one billion dollars. .
Good marketing and choosing the right agencies therefore play an important role in the success of this type of project, and this is exactly what we will address in the next paragraph of this article.
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The role of marketing in the success of electronic stores:
It will take constant work and promotion if you want to get regular customers, and part of that will be the desire to try new tactics, some of which may be out of your comfort zone. Below you will find some easy and effective ways to promote your online store through various methods. You won’t know what works for you until you try it, and just like the actual site, customers won’t show up if they don’t know you are there.
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Marketing methods for an online store:
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View deals on regular basis:
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Most online marketplaces will give you the option to suspend sales and / or use promotional codes to help attract shoppers. Make sure to do this on a regular basis. From taking advantage of your holiday shopping (get 15% off Father’s Day, 50% off select items on Black Friday, etc.) to offering great deals for no reason at all, this will help you ensure they have regular web traffic
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Branch with social media:
Social media is essential if you want to effectively promote your online store. But, as with anything, it takes effort and time to build a following. Depending on how much time you have (or if you can delegate tasks to anyone else to help you), you’ll want to check out the most popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to help market your store: (And constantly try new sites to see what works best for your business.)
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Print your URL on shopping bags:
Try to print your store URL on shopping bags. As customers carry bags, your store will get some good promotion. Better yet: If you have your budget, get some reusable shopping bags printed with your company name, logo, and store URL on them and hand them over to customers who spend the “X” of money. You can also do this with online orders by including them in the packages.
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View behind-the-scenes video tutorials:
People love a good video and it is easy to share and by doing this they can add depth and clarity to your products, as well as help them gain popularity among your target market and gain the trust of potential customers. For example, if you sell baby headbands, show parents the different ways their children can wear. If there was only one way, only show adorable kids wearing your headbands in the videos. Share these videos on YouTube (create your own account for your business) and also share them on all other social networking sites that you use. Now that Facebook Live is so popular, Instagram has entered the new IGTV platform. You can also consider live video product demos or showcase some fun behind the scenes.
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Use email marketing to remind customers to shop:
When you first open the web store, you will need to send an email advertisement for it to your database. Make sure it links directly from the email to your store.
Once you do, start sending out weekly newsletters (if applicable) that highlight your products with great visuals and compelling, but succinct, content that links directly to each product to facilitate the buying process.
When you have sales, be sure to announce and promote them via email so that customers can benefit from your exclusive rates right away.
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Start a blog:
Blogging is more than a great way to establish yourself as a leader in your industry, and it is also an indirect way to help promote your store online. Include one relevant link to your store on every blog post (either link to your store’s homepage or link directly to a product) and make sure each blog is informative and rich in reliable information. If the content is not strong, it will not do you any benefit. High-quality blog posts will help you grow your business online, so if you have the time, this is a great project to invest in. If not, then charge someone to do it for you, just don’t waste the positive impact of the blog on your store.
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Improve your product names and descriptions:
Creativity has its place – but it’s not in your product names. You have to be clear and direct with the product names or else customers won’t be able to find your product when they’re looking for exactly what you’re selling. Use keywords in product names and descriptions to help your store find it in search engines.
Note. The place where you are most creative and descriptive is your product description.
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Include your store URL in your email signature:
This is quick and easy. Regardless of which email provider you use, you need to have a custom email signature that includes your store’s URL.
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Highlight products on social media:
For social media marketing to work, you need to post regularly. For most businesses, this will be at least once a day, if not 2-3 times, depending on how many followers you have.
Post tempting photos of the products you offer, along with any deals you make. Always include a direct link to a specific product for quick purchase on your online store. Ask your followers to post pictures of themselves wearing or using your products in their homes, depending on what you sell, to encourage engagement and help increase your reach online.
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Try paid ads on social media:
Sites like Facebook and Twitter (and now Pinterest too!) Offer the ability to use paid ads to target the right customers.
On Twitter, you can try to use ‘Promoted Tweets’ to market your store. Make sure to include concise and engaging content along with the URL to help increase your traffic.
For example, if you create outfits, your promoted tweets might look something like this, “What are # hottest summer fashion trends? Find out here: (Enter the short URL).”
How to design an online store:
All starts are difficult as they represent an exit from the comfort zone. However, some help and advice makes it easier. As we indicated to him above, the technological methods adopted in establishing electronic stores are times less than in establishing traditional stores, and they also guarantee unlimited success and profit.
So what remains is how to design the appropriate online store for the service you provide. Here our team intervenes to prevent your loss and hesitation, hurry now to write to one of our consultants for consultation or ask any question that comes to your mind about what we offer in terms of e-marketing services, designing electronic stores, and any type that may fit your idea or project.