The concept of shopping has changed dramatically in recent years. While there are still thousands of brick-and-mortar stores across the country, the average person is shopping online more than ever before. Due to this interest, there are also a multitude of online stores opening up every year. These stores sell everything from clothing, to fitness equipment, to professional services.
If your business has an online store, all of this competition can make things difficult to succeed. But instead of giving up and accepting your place, you need to find ways to create an online store that stands out. Here are some great ways to help ensure your online store doesn’t get lost in the pack.
Enlist the Help of Professionals
One of the keys to an online store that stands out is ensuring it is designed well. It needs to look professional, be easy to navigate and have a fairly simple, yet intuitive and attractive, design. This might seem simple to achieve, but this isn’t always the case. While you could potentially handle it in-house, it is often a better idea to rely on a professional web development agency to help you out.
These experts are experienced in the space, and know what to do to ensure your online store looks and functions well. While many visitors come to your online store with the intention to buy, most will just come to browse. You need to design a store that shows them you are a high-quality and reliable option that they can trust with their hard-earned money.
Make Sure It Is Mobile-Friendly
Without about half of all internet traffic coming from mobile devices, it is imperative to make sure your site performs well on mobile devices such as phones and tablets. A clunky mobile experience can turn away a large percentage of potential customers, so take the time to test your site out on many devices.
The store should be formatted correctly, have the right-sized images and media, and menus that are easy to find and to navigate. It should be relatively lag-free and mirror the quality of your desktop site. Even a few seconds of lag or extra loading time can push people away, so be careful and take time to ensure the mobile version of the site is optimized (learn about best responsive web design tools).
Use Color Intelligently
You also want to choose the right colors when designing your online store. While the way the site is laid out is important, it is generally the colors that will attract people and keep them engaged. The color can impact the way customers see your brand, as well as influence their decisions when it comes to purchasing. Color has long been important in branding, packaging design and selling, as it plays a major role in what customers end up buying.
Your site should be designed with colors that customers will associate with your brand, and that are also appealing to the eye. When deciding which colors to use, it is a good idea to use color psychology. This is all about matching colors with the mood (see infographic on psychology of colors) or feeling of customers.
For example, red is very aggressive and passionate, blue is peaceful and calming and orange can show off confidence and friendliness. Also, instead of using one single color, it is a good idea to have some complementary colors added in as well.
Ensuring Your Online Store Can Stand Out
An online store is a brilliant tool for your business, but there are thousands out there vying for customers. By enlisting the help of professionals, making sure it is mobile-friendly, using color effectively and keeping it simple, you can give your online store the best chance of standing out.
Cover Image by Hugo Hercer from Pixabay
