It is a significant challenge to run an online store, and it gets even harder when you embark on developing and designing one from scratch. However, if you choose Magento as your platform, you will minimize a lot of the hassle. Magento has excellent features that make it a preferred platform for many merchants across the globe. You can observe a few basic tips to help you create an awesome online store, that will propel you to online success as soon as possible. A blossoming online store grabs the attention of users, and has reliable components that make it attractive and functional for shoppers to enjoy. If you need to get the best results, your best bet is to use a Magento Developer. This article has some great Magento tips that could make all the difference.
1. Navigation and site structure
The competition in online shopping has risen to new heights. Online shoppers should not have to click more than two or three times before they reach the desired site, product, or service. If they experience any delays, they will opt for other online stores. Therefore, you will need to have a reliable site structure that is easy to navigate, if you want visitors to stay longer on your site. Frequent visitors to your site will bring in other clients who are finding different sites a less satisfying experience.
2. Dedicated cloud hosting server
Consumers choose sites that load fast. Many online merchants prefer to use cloud hosting rather than shared hosting for their e-commerce sites. This is because cloud hosting increases website performance considerably, and it is easy to manage. It is advisable to use either a dedicated server or cloud hosting if you want your clients to enjoy extraordinary site performance. If you choose Magento 2.0, it offers an exciting enterprise cloud edition that can yield a reliable, highly accessible, performance-oriented Magento store.
3. Variety of payment methods
Payment processing is a critical aspect of all online stores. If you have an e-store that rejects a certain payment method which is popular among shoppers, they will leave your site and seek preferable services elsewhere. You can only attract and retain a large online share of clients if your store accepts multiple payment methods.
4. User-friendly shopping cart
It is important to have a shopping cart in your Magento store. Keep it simple so many shoppers will choose to visit your store. A shopping cart should make it easy for a shopper to add or delete any product they choose, without complications. Your clients should not experience any difficulty using your shopping cart, otherwise they will look elsewhere for sites that have simpler and more efficient options.
5. Maximum security
With PA-DSS certification, Magento is a secure e-commerce site. Hashing and encryption add to its security, which makes it extremely reliable. The site has regular security updates to help to fix any complicated issues. This keeps Magento stores safe from widespread cyber-attacks.
6. Keep your site simple
As the old adage says, simplicity is the best policy. This should be a key element when creating your Magento store. Magento developers should be careful not make their website too complicated since this will turn users off your site. You will attract many visitors to your site if you make it simple and easy to navigate. Therefore, when developing your website, include simple extensions and Magento plugins. Make sure the site has appropriate links that do not take too long to load, in order to maximize user satisfaction and experience.
7. Functionality and clear design
When online shoppers come to your website, a design and appearance have a critical role to play in encouraging a potential customer to buy from your site. As an e-commerce store owner, it is preferable to use techniques and designs that are easy and clear to navigate. However, as time moves on and technology continues to grow, it is important to keep adding new features, improving your store with the latest features, and constantly upgrading its functionalities, layouts, and features to grab the attention of your prospective clients. Therefore, it is imperative to make your site easy and simple with regard to functionality and design as you develop the design of your Magento website. A simple design is easier to upgrade without any issues arising later. Also, since your site has many products in varying categories, make it easy to help your client find products easily. It is important to have search functionality on your e-store that offers reliable and relevant results. You may also prefer to have indexation of news, blog posts, and other items besides your products.
8. Detailed customer service
There are many e-commerce stores that are competing for the attention of online shoppers. Therefore, you need to design your Magento store so that it leaves a lasting impression with your potential customer. The only factor that will keep your store ahead of the rest is the quality of your customer service. A potential customer will always pledge loyalty to a store that offers excellent services as well as a good after sale services. Provide reliable and responsive services both before, during and after the sale if you hope to retain repeat customers on your website. It is important to respond to customer queries on time, be it product dissatisfaction, delay in delivery, damaged products, or wrong product choice. Therefore, ensure you offer excellent customer service, and let your store leave a lasting impression on your customer.
9. Automatic switch of currency
Hire a Magento Developer who understands how to incorporate an extension that can help customers switch currency depending on their geographical location. This will lead to increased revenues, and frequent and repeat customers from various parts of the world.
10. Simplified search
The search results on your store should be reliable to ensure the ultimate success of your store. If you want your potential customers to enjoy searching for various products, hire a Magento developer who will incorporate an auto-complete module.
11. Make use of blogs
Whether you like it or not, blogs are of great benefit to many online stores, and they can help you to connect more with customers. Blogs help to capture the attention of prospective customers and increase the bond with them. You can use your blogs to offer solutions for various customer issues and solve their queries. You get a chance to interact with them on a one-to-one basis. This will not only help them to know more about your business but will also help you to build a long lasting relationship with your clients. You can inform your customers about discounts and offers on the products available on your online store. An informative blog gives customers a reason to visit your site time and again.
12. Limit adverts on your store
You should not clutter your web page with too many advertisements. Even though this is a lucrative option for most businesses, a customer will see them as bothersome, and this affects the credibility of your website. Moreover, customers are often not impressed with introductory adverts on the first page of your site.
13. Easy sign-up process
Online shoppers don’t like having to go through a sign-up process before they can purchase a product from an online store. Most of the customers see this as a needless and laborious exercise. Some of them will abandon the cart and might never return. You must have an easy sign-up process that allows shoppers to sign in through their social media accounts such as Facebook.
Conclusion
An efficient website is not a one-day affair, it takes time to build and flourish. Never expect to have an overnight success. Magento is a high-end and feature-rich e-commerce platform, and you need to have a variety of shopping cart options if you want your customers to successfully make repeated purchases.
If you have more tips on how to develop a successful online store, come and share them in the comment section below.