People don’t spend long on web pages. A 2021 report by Contentsquare says the average time users spend on a web page is 54 seconds. That means if you want to succeed in eCommerce, you need to make every element on every page count. In this guide, we’ll give you eCommerce website tips and tricks to help you do exactly that.

Setting up an eCommerce shop looks easy because of tools like Shopify and WooCommerce, as well as sales channels like Amazon. In many ways, it is easier than before. But then again, so is getting lost in the crowd.

To really stand out, you need to be able to develop an excellent eCommerce strategy. Then you need to make sure your site is set up for optimum performance at every step of the way.

In this guide, we’ll focus on three areas: strategic excellence, website optimization, and apps to help you grow your store.

You don’t need to do everything in this guide. Just pick a few tips and really focus on doing them well!

Tips to Start Selling Online Now

Starting an online store is a multi-step process. In order to succeed, you need to define a clear target audience. Then you need to choose the right products and set up a seamless supply chain to get them shipped. Along the way, you’ll also need to configure all the bells and whistles in your chosen eCommerce software.

These tips will help you lay a strong foundation for your online business.

#1: Figure out who to sell to and what to sell

You can’t just sell anything you want. To make sales, you need to identify a target audience and research their online behavior. Every product you sell needs to meet some existing need that your target audience wants.

Ecommerce success starts with having a solid understanding of what your market wants. Not all products that sell well offline will perform equally well online.

You need to be able to understand your target audience so well that you can describe their wants and needs in your sleep. To get started, consider making a buyer persona. (Hubspot has a free tool to help with this.)

Once you do that, conduct thorough market research to determine what your target audience needs and wants. Make sure your product fills an existing demand and stands out from competitors.

#2: Validate the market

It’s tempting to design a product, order tons of units, and then start selling afterward. But this can be a huge mistake if you don’t go about it the right way.

Think about your ideal customers. Every product you sell needs to meet one of their needs. But you shouldn’t just take it on faith that what you want to sell will do that.

Before you commit to ordering a lot of inventory, try selling a small amount first. You want to see if there is a market for what you want to sell. If you can’t sell a small amount first, try collecting information with surveys or small-dollar advertising campaigns.

If you do this, it will help you avoid the mistake of ordering a lot of products that no one wants to buy.

You can apply a similar principle to your store’s branding as well. Make sure that the way your website is presented lines up with customer expectations. Show it to members of your target audience and ask them for their feedback. Then you implement that feedback as often as you can.

#3: Figure out the supply chain

According to a recent study with Voxware, of 500 surveyed consumers, almost 70% say they are “much less likely to shop with a retailer in the future if an item they purchased is not delivered within two days of the date promised.”

Translation: ship on-time or else.

To succeed in eCommerce, you need to be able to:

This is more complicated than we can cover in this article. But suffice it to say, if you plan on making it big in eCommerce, you also have to have a clear plan to ship orders to customers.

#4: Build your brand

Customer retention is incredibly important to long-term eCommerce success. According to Bain & Company, a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to a 25-95% increase in profitability.

A big part of customer retention is being memorable. For that, you need to build up a brand. It’s not just about having a good-looking logo, though that is valuable. You want to have clear brand values that line up with what your target audience cares about. Then you need to have all your brand elements – from logo and colors to brand voice – reinforce those values.

This is a far more complicated subject than we cover in this guide, so here is an additional resource to help you define your company’s brand identity.

#5: Choose your eCommerce software

When it comes to setting up an eCommerce site, you have a lot of different software options. Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce are some of the most common ones in use today.

Shopify is known for its ease of use and wide range of features. It’s a great all-purpose tool and ideal for small to medium-sized businesses. 

BigCommerce focuses on scalability and has a variety of built-in features suitable for growing businesses.

WooCommerce is an open-source solution that can be installed right on top of WordPress, a powerful advantage, given that WordPress is the most common website management software in use today.

Choosing eCommerce software is one of the most consequential decisions you’ll make in your business. It’s not easy to switch once you start with one. Think about which of these platforms – or others not listed – is going to be the best fit for your needs.

#6: Configure your eCommerce store

Don’t launch your eCommerce store until it is set up correctly. You want to make sure you’re providing a smooth shopping experience.

You need to make sure all the backend details are handled. That means setting up payment gateways, shipping options, and tax calculations, among other things.

Make several test orders. Add different things to your cart. Try inputting different addresses to see how it affects shipping prices and availability.

Do this until you feel completely comfortable in saying that your store is in working order. The last thing you want to do is spend a ton of money driving traffic to your store, only to have errors stop people from making purchases.

#7: Drive traffic to your eCommerce store

Think about how you want to get people to find your eCommerce store. Then develop a plan accordingly. There are a lot of ways you can do this, such as:

  • Search engine optimization. That includes optimizing your website for keywords to pull in organic traffic.
  • Advertising. This might include using Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Google, YouTube, or TikTok to put your products in front of people and entice them to buy.
  • Content marketing. That will mean creating blog posts, videos, or other forms of content that people will want to see and that will refer people to your store (such as gift guides).
  • Email marketing. This can be used to keep in touch with potential customers as well as repeat ones. You can also use it to educate potential customers about your products or send coupon codes.

“Use Google Search Console to see how your site performs in search results and identify issues that need to be fixed,” says SEO Consultant, Jase Rodley. “BuzzSumo is another underutilized tool that allows you to see what content performs well in your niche and create more engaging marketing materials.”

Paul DeMott at Helium SEO also mentions that “one tool I think deserves more attention is AnswerThePublic. It’s fantastic for finding questions that real people are asking, which you can then turn into content.”

Creating a marketing and promotion plan for your store is incredibly nuanced. There are so many ways that you can do this. But the most important thing is to figure out what you want to try and come up with a plan.

#8: Focus on improving user experience

You want to make sure your store is pleasant to use. Start by installing Google Analytics so you can gather data on user behavior. This will help you see where they are from, how long they spend on the site, and which pages they are interested in.

You can use data that you gather to run retargeting ads and send follow-up emails to users that abandon their shopping carts. This will encourage them to return and complete their purchases.

Beyond that, there are some aspects of user experience that are common sense and can be implemented almost immediately. For example, make sure your checkout process is easy. Eliminate surprise shipping fees and make sure you don’t have to create an account to make a purchase. These two things alone can make a huge difference!

Tips to Optimize Your eCommerce Website

Slow websites don’t make sales. Neither do difficult to use ones.

Time spent optimizing your eCommerce site for speed and usability is time well spent. Here are some specific tips on how you can do that well.

#9: Remove unused apps

It’s been years since most tech users have had to seriously think about deleting files and programs to clear up space on their devices. But this is still an issue you need to pay attention to when it comes to website management.

Unused apps can slow down your site, affecting load times and user experience. Regularly review the apps installed on your eCommerce platform and delete those that are not essential.

This simple step can significantly improve your site’s load times. You would be shocked!

#10: Optimize images

Using high-quality images is really important in eCommerce. Showing people what they are going to be buying is a great way to build trust.

But at the same time, large images can slow down your site, leading to a poor user experience. So you need to find the right balance.

To do this, use the smallest images you can without compromising quality. When in doubt, favor WEBP and JPG formats over others for faster loading times.

Compress images to reduce their file size and ensure they are optimized for the web. This will help your pages load faster, improve overall site performance, and enhance user satisfaction.

You can always use tools like Pingdom and GTMetrix to see how long it takes your web pages to load.

#11: Optimize fonts

Using fancy fonts is a great way to improve your store’s branding. But you need to make sure you use them correctly.

This point is a bit technical, but it’s important – incorrectly installed fonts can block other parts of web pages from rendering. This can slow down your overall website time, despite it seeming like a small detail.

When in doubt, use GTMetrix or PageSpeed Insights and make sure you’re not running into font-related errors.

#12: Install a lazy loader

Lazy loading helps load images and assets only when they are needed. This helps improve perceived loading times. Lazy loading helps your site appear to load faster, even if all elements are not fully loaded immediately.

Implementing a lazy loader is an easy way to create a smoother, more efficient user experience. As a result, you can more easily keep visitors engaged and cut down on bounce rates.

#13: Make sure your theme isn’t slowing you down

Most eCommerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce are, by their nature, pretty fast. But all of them use themes in order to give sellers the opportunity to customize their sites. This is where things can start to go wrong.

Not every theme is made well. Before you commit to using one, you need to make sure that your theme loads quickly. Otherwise, you might end up spending a lot of time configuring one that’s going to ultimately slow down your site in a way that you cannot easily fix.

If you’re already committed to a theme that slows down your site, you should consider swapping to another one. It’s a pain to switch, but this is one of the most valuable things you can do to speed up your site and likely increase sales.

#14: Eliminate pop-ups and lightboxes

Overuse of pop-ups and lightboxes can slow down your site and annoy users. Use these features sparingly to balance user experience and performance.

Focus on essential pop-ups that provide real value to your visitors. Eliminate those that are unnecessary. This will help you maintain a fast, smooth browsing experience.

When in doubt, keep it as simple as possible.

#15: Find a good CDN

A CDN (Content Delivery Network) distributes content delivery load across multiple servers, speeding up your site. Or, more simply, files don’t have to travel as far to get to your users. That makes your site faster.

This is an easy way to speed up your site and increase the odds of making sales. If you’re a Shopify user, Shopify has a built-in CDN as long as you are on Shopify Plus. Otherwise, look for a good CDN for your eCommerce software solution. It’s worth it to help keep your loading times in check.

#16: Use schema markup for increased search visibility

“Make use of schema markups to provide additional information to search engines,” suggests Nikola Baldikov, Founder of Inbound Blogging. “This will improve your chances of being featured in rich snippets. You can do it by using structured data tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or by adding it manually to your website’s HTML. Platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento also offer plugins that simplify this process.”

#17: Use A/B testing to improve conversion rates

“Testing different versions of landing pages, product descriptions, or promotional offers is underused by many eCommerce stores,” states Michelle Symonds, Founder & CEO of Ditto Digital. “A/B testing tools…help improve conversion rates by optimizing the user experience based on data.”

Prior to its sunset in 2023, Google Optimize was a go-to choice for many store owners to run A/B tests. Now, VWO seems to be winning the hearts of conversion optimization professionals.

#18: Submit coupons through Google Merchant Center

Google Shopping is known for its ability to drive traffic to stores, particularly smaller ones. To that end, Lana Phillips from Planet of the Vapes recommends “Google Merchant Center’s coupon submission feature, which is a powerful way to showcase deals directly in search results.”

She goes on to say that many eCommerce sites overlook it. There’s no reason for you to make the same mistake!

Apps to Add to Your Store

Adding the right apps to your eCommerce store can help you enhance functionality and improve customer experience.

Now to clarify – no amount of apps can replace smart strategic planning or basic website optimization. But they can make it a lot easier to handle certain aspects of marketing, customer retention, and store management.

Here is a list of some of our favorites.

#19: Smile

One way to retain customers is to implement a loyalty program. After all, giving one-time customers an incentive to return is a pretty good way of getting them back onto your website. The trick is finding a system that will let you do that with minimal hassle.

That’s where Smile comes in. This app lets customers earn points for actions like creating accounts, placing orders, and leaving reviews. It also features a referral program and provides analytics to monitor performance.

#20: Printful

Printful enables you to create custom products and connect directly to Shopify. This app is suitable for dropshippers and custom product creators, allowing you to design and sell items like t-shirts, posters, and more. Printful handles manufacturing and shipping, making it easier to manage your eCommerce store.

#21: ReferralCandy

If you’re looking for a way to make customer referrals easier to manage, start with ReferralCandy. This app allows you to create email and pop-up campaigns to encourage customers to refer their friends. You can reward customers with cash, coupon codes, or gifts for successful referrals.

#22: Plug in SEO

Plug In SEO makes it easier to improve your search engine rankings. This app includes tools for structured data, keyword optimization, and fixing broken links. It’s also pretty easy to use overall.

SEO is complicated. This often scares people away from focusing on it. But this tool makes it a lot easier to manage.

#23: Yotpo

Yotpo calls itself a customer retention platform, which is a pretty good summary of what it does. Describing it succinctly is tough because it simply does a lot!

Among its many features, you can collect reviews, ratings, and user-generated content. This app helps improve conversion rates by showcasing customer feedback prominently.

In short, if you’re thinking about “social proof” but don’t have a process for gathering it yet, look into Yotpo. It might make your life easier!

#24: Growave

Growave does a little bit of everything. You can use it to set up loyalty programs, incentivize referrals and reviews, and also manage social media.

If you’re looking to keep it simple with an all-in-one tool, Growave is a great option. You won’t have to juggle a whole lot of different apps. That will make it easier to handle the administrative responsibilities that would otherwise be frustratingly hard to manage.

After all – you know how important it is to encourage customer retention, gather reviews, encourage referrals, and show off user-generated content. As always, though, the real obstacle is finding a way to do this that doesn’t take up too much time!

#25: Glew.io

For data-driven insights, Brandon Schroth at Reporter Outreach recommends Glew.io, a powerful analytics tool designed for eCommerce.

About the tool, Schroth states that it is “built especially for eCommerce merchants, providing detailed reports on customer activities including how much they buy, how often they shop, and the items they buy. Thus, by centralizing information from different sources, it allows companies to develop better SEO tactics and improve marketing campaigns.”

Final Thoughts

Running a successful eCommerce store is not easy. But if you get the foundational parts right, including overall business strategy and technical website optimization, it’s a lot easier. Then, once you get the basics right, you can use the right apps to help you turbocharge your marketing efforts.

Over time, you can build up a loyal customer base and boost your sales. Just remember: eCommerce success comes down to three basic principles. Know who you’re selling to, sell something they want, and make it easy to buy.

Follow these three rules and you’ll be well on your way to lasting success.