Seven Signs Your Online Shop Needs a Makeover
Whether you're selling crafts on Etsy or curating an e-commerce flash site there's a point where you can be a dream come true, but what happens if your dream fails to get off the runway? Here are seven signals you might have missed that are keeping your store from launching into the stars.
1. An Unclear Brand Vision
You opened your shop selling jewelry, but now you're also selling imported oven mitts and baby clothing. Confusing? Yes, and probably more confusing for your customer. Many people wrongly assume that because an online shop can sell anything you should sell everything. Instead of treating your shop like a flea market, try curating your shop like a high-end boutique that is selling to one customer.
2. More Effort But Less Profit
You've been working on your shop for months (even years) but now your once successful shop is returning fewer results despite putting in more effort. Even your top sellers aren't receiving as many views and fewer sales. You may not know it yet, but your shop is dying a slow death.
3. Your SEO is an S-E-Don't
Your shop is getting plenty of traffic, but it isn't translating into sales. It's no secret that words like "vintage" and "retro" are the equivalent to SPAM on craft sales sites like Artfire and Etsy. Stuffing non-relevant keywords into your product descriptions is an easy way to annoy your customers and lower your ranking on search engines.
4. Too Many (or Too Few) Product Choices
Not every product is going to be a home run, but recognizing and identifying your products and turning them over effectively will add to the longevity of your shop. Products can be split into three categories. The first, "evergreen" should make up the bulk of your online shop or 60 percent of your offerings. These are items that can be sold all year round and have no expiration date. The second category seasonal, making up 30 percent of your offerings and are great way to mark your shop for gifting. On trend are the third category and should make up no more than 10 percent of your offerings. If cement or gold is on trend on for summer, make sure that you include 2-3 products in your shop.
5. Unclear or Expensive Shipping
Using just one carrier or having too few shipping options can spell death to your online business. Today's customer expects to have express or two-day shipping offered as an option. Additionally, many successful small shop owners choose two or three shipping containers that will fit all of their products to better control costs.
6. Poor Photography
Nothing spells death for a good product like blurry and dark photos. Imagine yourself paying full retail price for goods fished out of a bargain bin. Bad photography is like wrapping a two-carat Tiffany engagement ring in a brown paper sack rather than a lovely blue box. At a minimum your products should be photographed on a plain white background from at least two angles. By standardizing your product, photography you don't have to retake your photos when they fall out of trend. Use a rotating third photo with lifestyle photography to attract new buyers through social media sites like Pinterest, Tumblr, and Facebook.
7. Ignoring Customer Service
Adding free gifts or discounts on your products will never take the place of excellent customer service. Make a commitment to answer your customer questions within 24 hours of receiving a message. When a customer asks questions, they're making buying decisions so waiting two or three days to answer could mean that the moment (and your sales window) has passed.
Nicole Porter is a marketing communications professional with a background in technology, e-commerce, and media. A former print and broadcast journalist, Nicole is a published cookbook author who has been published in The Hollywood Reporter, Back Stage, and the Chicago-Sun Times. A homewares entrepreneur, her products have been featured in over 60 international magazines including Martha Stewart Living, Elle Décor, Red Book, Food Network Magazine, Everyday with Rachel Ray, and Entrepreneur Magazine.
