How to Grow Your E-Commerce Business and Stand Out

Increased consumer interest in e-commerce has been a boon and challenge for online businesses. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, online businesses were better equipped than their brick-and-mortar competitors to pivot in response to change. As consumer behaviors showed favor for online options, many businesses began using digital solutions, creating new competition and customer expectations for e-commerce experiences.

To help small e-commerce businesses stand out amongst growing digital competitors, I've rounded up some of the best tips that, from my experience working at Teravision Technologies, I have seen cause a greater impact.

Remain at the forefront of the digital transformation

Digital projects are a top priority for business owners, especially as many companies are still navigating digital transformation. Some of the benefits are cutting costs, and spurring growth by rejuvenating the customer experience through Digital Transformation.

Online businesses especially can continue to utilize such tools to stay relevant and competitive in their digital space. Because more businesses are utilizing digital features, online businesses must continue improving their processes to remain current and on track for growth. Strong digital strategies are valuable for customer experience, product and service quality, and revenue streams.

Prioritize customer service

Even if a company offers good products at competitive prices, buyers will most likely not stick around if the customer service is poor. In fact, a study shows that 90% of people check a brand's customer service before making a transaction with it.

Here are some easy-to-use tips for delivering the customer service people are looking for:

• Multiple methods to get in touch. Offer your potential customers multiple ways to get in touch with your business. Include a contact page on your website, a live chat feature, an email address, and even a phone number. Make sure to use social media chats as well, whenever possible.
• Respond in a timely manner. Always answer your clients' concerns as soon as they contact you. Even if it is to say that you are going to study the problem, any answer is better than none.
• Be nice. Even the best companies sometimes have to deal with unhappy customers. The important thing is to always remain calm and courteous, as well as to smooth the situation by providing the necessary guidance.
• Keep aiming to help. Whether people have a simple question or a complicated technical problem, always try to solve the problem efficiently and quickly. Never leave any problem unsolved.

Good customer service can make the difference between a successful eCommerce business and an online store with no conversions. If customers have a positive experience with your business, they are likely to leave a positive review and recommend your services and products to others, which is one of the most effective ways to grow.

Use SEO to increase traffic to your online store

SEO is key to organic traffic, the kind of traffic that is constant and doesn't cost money. It's about optimizing your website for search engines, helping you rank better and increasing your chances of appearing on the first pages of search results.

In summary, there are two types of SEO:

• On-page optimization
• Off-page optimization

On-page optimization includes the more technical adjustments that are made to a site to make it compatible with search engines, such as the inclusion of relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and alternative text for images.

Off-page optimization focuses on making your website known on the Internet, which includes tasks such as link building and outreach.

Now is the time to plan for holiday sales

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, online sales skyrocketed — a trend predicted to continue. The 2021 holiday season especially will be an opportunity for e-commerce businesses to maximize sales. If you think it's too early to strategize for holiday e-commerce sales? Think Again. By using holiday marketing plans as an impetus, entrepreneurs can strengthen their strategies for long-term growth.

Considering Nearshore Software Development Partners? Contact us at Teravision Technologies Let's talk about your business needs.