Shopify is one of the biggest names in the e-commerce platforms, allowing everyone ranging from drop-shippers to freelancers to set up their stores or sites and start selling. It has all the tools and apps (paid and free) which helps tremendously in setting up beautiful and high-converting stores. But there's a catch here. What's that?
Not all Shopify stores are profitable. There's so much competition here that you have to stand out.
There are numerous factors involved regarding its success. Just to list a few:
- NICHE: The number one factor which revolves around nearly all Shopify stores. Either you sell unique products or bestsellers. Do some prior research on shopping trends, people's tastes and preferences, and top-selling notches. Then select your niche accordingly followed by your product(s) or service(s).
- THEME AND DESIGN: The first impression is the last impression. If you are looking out on making it big, you need to invest in a high converting theme. Free themes offered by Shopify aren't as great. They may look beautiful but they lack all the basic apps and features. This, in turn, may result in heavy footfalls but near to none conversions. Customer retention and conversion are achievable through different apps but they are too costly, nearly all of them offering monthly plans. The best way to proceed with this is through Paid Themes. One such theme, Debutify, offers up to 26 integrated apps useful in creating a high converting store.
- SEO: Short for Search Engine Optimization. As the name suggests, having an SEO optimized site helps you get organic traffic through search engines. Use targeted Keywords. Write your title and meta description carefully, for they are the ultimate determinants of Search Engine Rankings. Each page and post title should be perfectly drafted, should contain relevant keywords, and be textually appealing. Don't forget to add an alt text to all the images. This helps in better accessibility. There are numerous free resources available on the internet to help you check your SEO scores and identify critical site errors.
- BRANDING: Being a brand increases your store's overall worth. It's the ultimate way to preserve customers. A brand is something that a customer can identify and personally relate to. It increases trustworthiness, value, and physical presence. It also helps in the indirect advertisement of your products as when a buyer wears or uses your product, he is passively promoting it. Thus, focus on creating a brand.
- POLICIES: Draft your policy pages carefully and make sure you include each and every piece of information so that you and your customer may be aware of legal and financial implications. Your site must include 4 basic policies: Refund, Privacy, TOS, and Shipping policies. For more information on this, please consult a professional.
- Social Media Presence and Social Media Marketing: Effective marketing techniques may skyrocket your store's revenue. If you haven't yet created Facebook or Instagram pages what are you waiting for? Go and create them now. Join appropriate groups and market your brand there. Use stories, hashtags, mentions, and comments. Make effective use of Social Media Ads and campaigns.
- Affiliate Programs and User rewards: Referral and affiliate programs are a win-win process. You benefit, your affiliates/ buyers benefit and even your customers benefit. Run referral coupons. Smile.io offers free and paid referral and points programs. Do check them out on Shopify.
- FOMO: Last but not the least, FOMO (Fear of missing out), delivers a great deal in improving conversion rate. Running coupons, cart abandonment notifications, inventory tracking, product upsells, countdown timers and all creates a sense of urgency amongst your customers. Debutify and Booster have them in their themes itself.
Do check out my Shopify E-com store: TheKartistic - A trendsetter in funky designer apparels
Feel free to drop by any questions or comments. You can even contact me on my store page.
