I love running an online shop. It is such a rewarding experience to put something on my online shop and have it purchased by someone I do not know. While running an online shop can be rewarding, it is also quite challenging, especially when you are just getting started.

What most online shop owners do not think about is how their shop is working for them. I like to picture my shop as an actual brick and mortar. People come to my homepage or through the door and then they begin to browse. So what makes them buy? How can you encourage them to get to that checkout?

First you need to make it easy for them to shop and you need to make your online shop work for you, not against you.

Here are 5 ways your online shop is working against you:

  1. There is no easy way to click and buy from the homepage. You need to spell it out for people. Have a button that says shop or even better, highlight some products on the homepage that your customers can buy directly.
  2. You do not have your policies and procedures laid out for your customers. I can not stress enough the importance of a policies or FAQ page. Before your customers buy, they will have questions. Be sure those questions are answered in your shop.
  3. Everything is lumped together. Be sure you have your items categorized or the ability for the customer to sort them. Perhaps they are only looking for a specific type of design or color. Create sections for easier browsing.
  4. There is no contact information listed. You must have a way for customers to contact you. Email works fine, but be sure you have a contact page. Also, be sure to have other ways your customers can connect with you such as links to social media. My favorite places are in the footer and then of course on a contact page.
  5. There are not enough pictures or the pictures are too dark. Computer screens can be straining to the eyes. Don’t make it worse by horrible photos. Be sure your online shop and photos are visually appealing and easy for long term browsing.

Remember, we all have to start somewhere. My shop didn’t always run so smoothly! Making small changes will make a huge impact down the road. Take it one step at a time and your customers are sure to notice!

I created a quick checklist to guide you through the must haves for your online shop. From there, you can from an action plan to improve and totally rock your online shop.

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