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Is it Easy to Open my Online Store?

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Open Online Store|Is it Easy to Open my Online Store?There’s a lot happening online; from the purchase of clothes, accessories and groceries, buying and sending of gift items, flowers and audiobooks to booking plumbing services and many more, the eCommerce industry is taking over brick-and-mortar business models.

If you are hoping to tap into the many benefits of eCommerce by setting up an online store but don’t know where to begin, then you are in luck, as this article proves that setting up an eCommerce website is not as difficult as you were made to believe.

What Is an Online Store?

An eCommerce website or online store is a site that allows people to buy and sell digital or physical products and services over the internet. Rather than use a physical location, business transactions occur over the internet. Online stores accept payments and manage orders, logistics, shipping, and another aspect that enable efficient buying and selling.

Types of Online Stores

While the sole purpose of every eCommerce website is to buy and sell products and services, the type of eCommerce website varies and is dependent on the site’s business model. These models include:

  • Business-to-business (B2B): This involves the purchase and sales of goods and services between two businesses. It could involve selling to a retailer, distributor, or wholesaler.
  • Business-to-consumer (B2C): Businesses sell their products andservices directly to consumers.
  • Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C): This is also known as a marketplace and involves buying and selling from other consumers.
  • Consumer-to-Business (C2B): Here, a consumer sells directly to a business

How to Open an eCommerce Website in 5 Easy Steps

The steps outlined below will help you set up your online store:

1. Determine your Target Audience

Your target audience is those your products will interest. Knowing who your ideal customers are is important for every business as it helps you discover new customers and attract them to your site, thus leading to a higher conversion rate and increased sales.
While various attributions can help determine your ideal audience, here are three main categories every new eCommerce business should focus on:

  • Location: If your product is location specific, you want to focus your marketing strategies on that location. Focusing your website on geographic location will help serve a particular location better.
  • Interests: Build your website around the attitude and psychographics, opinions, personality, and lifestyle of your target audience.
  • Demographics: When building your website, include characteristics such as occupation, education, income, age, and gender.

Determining your target audience is much easier if you already have a product. You only need to ask pertinent questions such as, who my products are for? What’s their age range? What are their interests? The answers to these and more will help you create the right online store.

2. Choose an Ecommerce Platform

An eCommerce platform is more than a website builder where you list products and accept payments. It’s the control center for the business as it controls everything from inventory to marketing. It also provides the required tool for online sales and client support.

Some features to consider when choosing an eCommerce platform include:

  • Web hosting: This stores data and content in a server database. With a web host, your customers can access your online store. While some eCommerce software comes inbuilt, some require the services of a third-party solution.
  • Usability: Your eCommerce website should be easy to use. Search for an intuitive tool that features a drop-down and drag builder, as this will enhance the efficiency and navigation of the eCommerce site. Also, you can schedule a free trial to test the features before going live.
  • Great Customer Support: Consider an eCommerce platform with excellent customer support. Great customer support will offer round-the-clock services, including 24/7 live chat, phone, and email, and should be available in several languages.
  • Easy Checkout: Look for a platform with streamlined checkout, as this will make it easy for the customer to purchase your products and make payments.

In setting up an online store, consider your future and present needs. Although some platforms are best suited for the present day, more is needed for the future.

3. Determine what to sell

Carefully consider the products to sell. This requires thinking beyond what your customers will like. It requires you to do more competitive critical thinking and ask questions. For instance, what are the popular brands doing? What’s your unique selling point? What solution are you providing?

In determining what to sell, here are some tips to consider:

  • Leverage your popular products
  • Delve into an untapped market
  • Follow the trends
  • Provide easy-to-ship goods and products
  • Consider the choice of location
  • Consider the profitability of the product
  • Consider how the product will be manufactured
  • Consider if there are regulations or restrictions around the products

4. Design your website

In designing your website, aim for an online store optimized for conversions and well-rounded branding. Your website should be fun, have a great look and feel, and should enable users locate products, place orders and make payments easily.
Here are tips for designing a perfect website:

  • Make use of an eCommerce template
  • Think through the structure of your online store
  • Design a website that meets the three-click rule (easy to access within three clicks or less)
  • The site should communicate the products available
  • Create clear-cut calls-to-action (CTAs)
  • Write a detailed product description
  • Upload intentional pictures and images

5. Link a Payment Provider

Now that you have designed the perfect website, it’s time to decide how you get paid. One way to offer efficient services to your customers is to provide multiple payment options, including:
Debit/credit cards

6. Bank transfers

You can also choose from the various payment gateways available. These ensure a safe, secure, and successful transfer of funds from the customer to the merchant’s account. However, some gateways are better than others, depending on your location. However, your gate provider will confirm the payment before crediting you whatever option is chosen.

Final Thought

While a challenging feat, creating an online store is not impossible and can be easily achieved within days. The best eCommerce platform will provide you with the tools, including navigation, inventory management, purchase, payment, and more.
With these, your online store can be up and running in no time, and you can provide those great products and services that will elevate your business.

What Reviews Tell The World About Web Accessibility Programs

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, What Reviews Tell The World About Web Accessibility Programs

In March 2022, the U.S. Justice Department issued a fresh guidance for web accessibility in accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. The brief establishes and reiterates how state and local governments, as well as businesses that are open to the public, ensure that people with disabilities have complete and undeterred access to websites and programs.

Covered under Title II and Title III of the law, these guidelines also help agencies and businesses understand why ADA-compliant web accessibility is not only legal but also vital. Programs like accessiBe are already ahead of that learning curve and are constantly striving to improve the process.

Heralded as a cost-effective option that is easy to use, readers searching through accessiBe reviews will see common denominators in how users rate the solution. Quite simply, it works and it works well. However, if you look more closely, you’ll understand why people are so relieved that a solution  like this finally exists.

ADA-Compliant Web Accessibility Is Improving

The mere development of these programs is a great sign that ADA-compliant software is on its way to becoming what it should have been a long time ago. As web access expanded throughout the world, people with disabilities were left behind in the dust. What is widely known as the “digital divide” has long been a pain point for people with disabilities. In fact, these struggles have caused basic accessibility issues, such as access to computers.

While various government programs helped increase access to virtual devices, the software and programs that people also needed were not accessible. In fact, for many companies and websites, ADA-compliant accessibility is still far from where it needs to be or doesn’t exist at all.

Larger Strides Toward ADA-Compliant Web Accessibility Are Needed

While improvements are being made, the world still has a long way to go toward creating barrier-free web accessibility. One of the web accessibility issues for people with disabilities comes from how the world regards the very nature of the disability.

One study from Sweden attempted to “measure” digital divides in the country, including those for people with disabilities. One of the prevalent issues was the sheer disregard that many companies and websites had for that population. On top of that, different disabilities were regarded, well, differently. Some disabilities were seen as being more important than others. While obviously not true, misconceptions such as these widen the gap instead of providing a bridge.

ADA-compliant web accessibility is necessary for people of all abilities. Technology is increasingly web-based. For many, unfettered virtual access is a means to survive, whether that means getting the things that they need or even making a living. People with disabilities are often excluded from free access to many things, including programs and websites. These programs help to make sure that access is there for everyone.

Reviews Tell The Real Story

Many of the reviews for these programs draw quick attention to how affordable they’ve become. ADA-compliant web accessibility is a serious game-changer that can substantially improve a person’s quality of life. That’s one of the reasons why the price is so impressive. A reasonably priced solution that can have priceless results is a sweet deal.

The program uses two different applications for effectiveness: AI and its interface., They thread through different programs, recognize the need for ADA-compliant usability and accessibility, and then give the user a version of that software that they can effectively use.

Real-life users get web accessibility that is ADA-compliant and actually useful. Companies cut down on potential liabilities by not being ADA-compliant. For most, it’s a win-win solution that companies like accessiBe are helping expand to companies and people alike.

5 Steps To Modernize Your Company’s Online Presence

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Company Online Presence|5 Steps To Modernize Your Company's Online PresenceNo matter who you are, you need to find ways to increase your brand’s online reach, and you can choose things like promotions and content. But, if you haven’t focused on the impact of your online image for a while, you might find that it is outdated. This could mean that many competing companies have passed you by, making it difficult to gain a foothold in your industry. If your online presence feels outdated, now is the best time to make crucial changes, so consider these five steps to modernize your company’s online presence.

Work With Design Agencies

You may have plenty of knowledge about your industry. But if this doesn’t revolve around web design, you are better off working with external design agencies who can visit office locations to get an idea of the type of vibe you want to present. From here, these agencies will be able to discuss your needs for your website and other platforms so they can create an easily recognizable image for your brand, clean up your website and social media pages, and make sure your company looks like one that belongs in the modern world.

Check Your Information Is Accurate

All companies must ensure their contact information is up-to-date on their website and search engines. However, these changes are often a low priority, especially when considering other essentials. This can mean that office hours and other details are ignored. But, customers will lose faith in your brand if they cannot locate you, so quickly checking that all your information is accurate (and changing it if it isn’t) is an easy step to help modernize your brand.

Keep Styles Consistent

Consistent styles across all platforms will make your company immediately noticeable. This means using the same font and color scheme. You can also use the right tone with your written content. If you prefer to engage customers through excitement, big and bold words and images are vital. If you prefer a more sophisticated approach, look for understated yet classy images and fonts that will garner interest from your desired customer base.

Maximize Online Resources

There are plenty of online spaces you can occupy, and ignoring the potential of these means your company could fall behind. Social media is the most obvious resource, and you need to make sure you spread your influence across as many areas as possible. This means regular posts on all popular platforms to maximize your chance to reach the right people.

Match Your Audience’s Needs

Creating relevant content that meets your audience’s needs is a fantastic way to drive engagement and prove that you have successfully modernized your approach. You need to understand current content trends, as this makes it easier for you to adapt and stay in the conversation because if you aren’t saying something, you could be forgotten about quickly.

Modernized

A modern business will always be more appealing to the latest generation of consumers. By ensuring your online presence is clean and contemporary, you can make your company stand out as one worth looking at and frequenting. In doing so, you’ll boost your profits and your reputation to make your company one of the leaders in your industry.

Simple Ways To Increase Your Brands Reach Online Today

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article|Brand Reach|Simple Ways To Increase Your Brands Reach Online TodayWhen you build your own brand, such a large amount of time, energy and money are at stake. You have to ensure that you push your brand to the top of the market, attracting enough customers while making enough profit to warrant your constant dedication.

Fortunately, figuring out how to increase your brands reach so that you can attain the attention you deserve doesn’t have to be a difficult task. This guide contains some of the simplest steps that you can utilize to ensure that your organization can make a name for itself and develop a strong, positive reputation in no time at all.

So, what are you waiting for? If you are interested in finding out more, then simply read on to uncover a wealth of brand building concepts that you can utilize now.

Create A Brilliant Website

A great way to develop your online presence and reach out to a larger audience is by creating your own brilliant business website.

A business website provides you with the chance to establish yourselves on a market that is open 24/7, 365 days a year in every location across the globe. When you build a website you essentially declare a corner of the internet to be your own, providing you with the opportunity to advertise and sell your products or services on a worldwide scale.

If you are not technologically inclined then do not stress, as there are so many web development agency teams that can offer tailor made services that bring your ideas to life in no time at all. Just make sure that no matter which way you choose to design your business website, you always need to use SEO! SEO is absolutely key for all kinds of websites and online platforms seeking to build a wide audience.

Get On Social Media & Sponsor An Influencer

Getting on social media can be a brilliant way to increase your reach online, as one new method of increasing your brands reach online is sponsorship of an ‘influencer’. Influencers are social media users who have a large number of fans or followers, and when you sponsor these people all of their followers will all get to see your product or services.

Social media influencers exist on many social media sites, as well as on their own blogs and other platforms. Finding an influencer in your industry doesn’t have to be a tricky task, as you will likely begin to notice them on your feeds and explore pages as you create your own social media business profiles. Utilize the opportunity to reach out to them so they can advertise your brand for a fee, as they will be more than willing to do so.

Whether they post a picture of themselves using your product or service or write some content that speaks highly of your brand, you’ll be surprised at the amount of new customers you receive once you get the backing of one or more influencers. You can even get in contact with famous faces and celebrities to represent your brand on social media, but of course this will come with a particularly hefty price tag!

The Web’s Best Strategies To Implement In Your Dining Business

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article, The Web's Best Strategies To Implement In Your Dining Business

Running a successful restaurant business is not easy. Such an enterprise has many moving parts. And without the right tools, you may struggle to keep your business afloat. Having great food is good. But that alone is not enough to keep you in the game. Incorporating modern digital tools and some of the web’s best strategies will help you thrive. Here are digital techniques you can implement to see your restaurant flourish.

Use Social Listening Tools

The restaurant business is competitive. And if you’re not unique, losing clients to your competitors becomes inevitable. You can have great food. But if the customer service is not up to par, customers will leave. You need to know what people are saying about your business. It’s also critical to find out what they’re saying about your competition. It helps to know if clients complain about a different restaurant. Moreover, you should also be aware when customers are unhappy with the food and service you offer.

Most clients won’t be brave enough to tell you directly that they are unhappy. But be sure they will take to social media and other forums to discuss their displeasure. With Social listening tools, you can take advantage of this knowledge. It helps you improve your services and avoid getting your reputation destroyed online.

Restaurant Management Software

Keeping your business going involves how well you can manage your staff. Managing a restaurant the analog way is difficult. You require software that will get the job done faster and more efficiently than you. For instance, with scheduling software for restaurants, you can manage rosters hassle-free. Such tools also make it easy to handle overtime arrangements. That way, you have a more efficient team.

Work With Influencers

You need to be digitally savvy if you want your restaurant to succeed in today’s world. Managing your restaurant requires more than just knowing about the food. Try to keep up with trends in digital marketing. Today, many businesses get an excellent ROI by working with social influencers. Thanks to social media, the restaurant business is flourishing. For those who know how to work it, this can bring your business many customers. Today, people feel they must show their followers where and what they ate using a picture or a video.

Instagram is one of the most popular platforms for finding popular influencers. Working with influencers is an excellent way to get your restaurant noticed. If you pick the right influencer, you might not have to run digital ads for a while. Such a strategy works because people feel the need to be like those they admire. Your business can take advantage of this psychology. You can even take it a step further to make an influencer one of your brand ambassadors. If they come to the restaurant often and post it online, you can bet you’ll be attracting more clients in no time.

Capitalize On Social Proof

Today, people want proof that they can trust you before they buy from you. As such, most people look through reviews and ratings before buying. Others go to platforms like Facebook to find recommendations for a good restaurant.

New clients may shy away from trying your food if you lack testimonials and ratings. They may know nothing about the quality of food or experience you have to offer them without good testimonials. You need to have customer reviews on your website. And using Google Business, you can have clients leave testimonials too. Moreover, you can have user-generated content (UGC) on platforms like TikTok. Doing this helps you attract new clients without much of a hassle.

Run Social Media Advertising

When you launch your restaurant for the first time, you must get the word out to as many people as possible. Social media advertising is an excellent way of getting people to know you exist. And the best part is that you can target specific audiences. For example, if you have a vegan restaurant, it’s easy to direct your ads to people who love vegan food. You can target your clients by age, location, interest, and more. Ads are also an excellent way to get people to learn about any offers available. If you have a website, it’s easy to retarget all your website visitors with a promotional advert. Doing this is better than traditional advertising, especially in a big city or town.

Include Video Marketing

Short-form video content is taking the world by storm. And your restaurant shouldn’t miss out on the potential. TikTok, YouTube shorts, Instagram reels, and Facebook reels can get you a lot of exposure. You can show people what happens at the restaurant at different times. It’s also an excellent way of allowing the public to have a closer relationship with you. The more video content you create, the easier it is for your restaurant to acquire more loyal clients.

Digital Loyalty Program

Speaking of loyalty, you should find a way of incentivizing clients that return to you. As long as you have a database of your clients, you can create a loyalty program for those who order online or offline.

Content Marketing

The more people see your content, the more they think about you. If something is out of sight, it’s likely out of mind. Creating content for your social media isn’t only about getting active clients. It helps to build relationships with old clients. And it allows you to nurture potential customers that might want to try your food. Use a content strategy that enables you to grow consistently. That way, when people think about eating out, going on a date, or ordering in, you come to mind first.

Streamline Local SEO

Most people go to Google when trying to find a restaurant. If you work on local SEO, it will be easy to get discovered online. You can use Google for business to help you acquire more customers. But Facebook and Instagram are also excellent tools for SEO. Creating a profile with the right keywords will make it easy for you to feature at the top of a search result.

The restaurant business is among the most common for people to start. If you want to stand out and thrive, incorporating these digital strategies will help you do that.