It can be a fun experience to create an e-commerce website using Shopify. At the same time, it can get a bit nerve-wrecking if you are not working with an experienced Shopify developer who understands the nuances of e-commerce website development to help you create a successful website.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when you create a website is over-optimizing the things that do not make a huge difference and forgetting the essentials.
Here, we bring you 7 tips that will help you build a successful e-commerce website using Shopify.
#1 Take Advantage Of Free trial
Shopify offers you a free trial so you can explore what the platform offers before you engage a website developer to get into full-fledged web development mode.
Don’t be sucked into thinking that being an e-commerce entrepreneur is easy.
Spend plenty of time looking up the Shopify platform to see what tools it offers for you to succeed.
#2 Join Shopify community
Join Shopify community to learn how people are using Shopify before you create an e-commerce website using the platform.
Shopify puts a lot of things out there to help entrepreneurs like you succeed – all the way from tips on website design, wholesale & drop shipping to payments, shipping & fulfilment.
Use the resources provided by Shopify and actively engage with the community to get better ideas and answers to your queries.
#3 Use Custom/Premium Themes
Shopify provides you with beautiful out of the box themes which are classy, contemporary and crisp. They actually make your Shopify store look more premium & professional than what your website development has actually costed you.
That being said, you might still be better off having your Shopify developer create a custom theme for you.
You may also consider investing in a premium theme. This will make your store stand out from the pack and help you create your own unique story.
#4 Use Customised Navigation
Offering too many options may lead to analysis paralysis, making it hard for the customer to decide, eventually leading to frustration and abandonment.
Have your web developer design a custom navigation, so you can prioritize collections and products that convert efficiently.
You can also edit these custom navigations in the Shopify CMS to enable casual A/B testing.
#5 Use Appropriate Shopify Apps
Shopify App Store offers a massive collection of both free and premium apps/plugins to help you with various aspects of running your online business.
Your Shopify developer can integrate these apps on your website to help with things such as:
- Making Your Store Safe – Shop Protector
- Increasing your visibility – Smart SEO
- Giving you social proof – Product Reviews
- Increasing your sales – Easy Contact Form
- Assisting your customers – Nudgify
#6 Use Product Tags
Product tags help customers in finding similar products. They can also be internally used for creating collections.
However, you get the most benefit of tags in enhancing the search feature on your website.
Tags can be put to use in creating faceted search, which helps customers in filtering products based on a tag defining attribute such as “Green”.
#7 Optimize Checkout Process
According to research, “the site wanted me to create an account” is one of the biggest reasons that leads to customers abandoning their shopping cart during the checkout process without making any purchases.
Shopify recommends that you allow guest checkout (this is especially true for mobile customers) and to make it easier for your web developer, having the customer account disabled is the default option.
Conclusion
Shopify is a great way of making money online, but it will not solve all your e-commerce concerns. Follow the tips highlighted above to boost your chances of success.