While the pandemic has fundamentally changed the way many companies operate, setting up an ecommerce business or expanding a physical store online can be quite a daunting challenge.

Although there are lots of aspects to consider when launching an online store, such as which payment system to use and how to design your website, making the transition onto the internet provides businesses with lots of great opportunities.

To give companies a helping hand as they expand into the world of online selling, Josh Guthrie, UK country manager at payment processor Mollie, discusses four key priorities to boost your online presence.

1) Invest in your website - and don’t forget SEO! 

A website is the backbone of any successful ecommerce business. A good website makes a brand instantly recognisable, builds trust with consumers, and ultimately persuades them to convert. Most people’s first impression of a site comes from its design, and with 94% of consumers citing design as the main reason for mistrusting a website, businesses must get this aspect of their website right. Although there are lots of great website builders available on the market, for most people, hiring a website designer is the most sensible option. 

If you do decide to go it alone, common issues you should look out for once the site goes live are key pages being filled with too much content and consumers being unable to navigate through the checkout process. 

The design is only one element of a great website though and equally as important is ensuring it is visible in the search engine results pages (SERPs) for target keywords. Ultimately, if consumers can’t easily find a website through searching on platforms like Google and Bing then it’ll be missing out on huge volumes of traffic, and in turn, conversions. 

To ensure a website maximises its online visibility, businesses must implement an effective search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy. This will involve a variety of tactics from analysing search intent and consumer queries to optimising on-page content and carrying out keyword research. 

If you have the knowledge and expertise within your team then it is possible to make improvements to keyword rankings yourself. Those needing the support of an expert should consider hiring an SEO specialist or even a digital marketing agency; although this will require an initial investment the pay off will be worth it in the long-run.

2) Incorporate location-based marketing 

One of the major advantages of having an online store is that you can incorporate new technology and use it to your advantage. Geotargeting is a great example of this and is particularly beneficial for those with a physical store and an online presence. Geotargeting works by pushing a notification to a user’s phone, laptop or tablet based on their location. This means businesses can set up ads to be sent to consumers once they get within a certain distance of their shop, tempting them to visit.

Geotargeting is also beneficial for businesses that solely trade online. For example, if your products are suited to a particular age demographic, you can use research to determine the locations with the optimum age profiles of your target audience and therefore prioritise these places with your marketing.

3) Make payment effortless 

With recent research revealing consumers abandon 90% of online orders, it is clear many businesses overlook one of the most crucial aspects of an online website - the checkout. Having lots of traffic on a site is great, but if the checkout process isn’t optimised for sales then you’re going to end up losing lots of potential customers. 

Thankfully, creating an effective checkout process is fairly straightforward. The first step you should take surrounds the payment options you provide. By ensuring you offer all of the most popular payment methods such as PayPal, credit cards and Apple Pay, you’re increasing the trust consumers have in your site - ultimately making them more likely to convert. 

Remember, if you’re attracting international shoppers you might need to consider additional payment options that are popular in different countries - like iDEAL in the Netherlands or Sofort in Germany. 

Implementing a security symbol such as a ‘lock’ when people submit their payment information is also an excellent way to build trust as it demonstrates to shoppers that you are handling their payments with care.

4) Meet your customers on social media 

Social media is a must for all online businesses and there are a whole host of different platforms companies can use to grow their audiences, engage with their customers and sell. The key to businesses maximising the effectiveness of their social media presence is to make sure they understand their audience and the kind of content and offers they're most likely to engage with whilst on social media.

The mistake businesses owners often make with social media is thinking that all their posts have to result in a lead, and so their posts become too promotional and their audience loses interest. Instead, companies should think about creating content which will spark conversation amongst their followers as well as building their authority in the industry. 

Conversely, by not thinking commercially you can miss opportunities for social selling - made easy with integrating products into Instagram and other channels with integrations. Tagging products in posts enables a quick, embedded sale for someone ready to convert.

It is also worth considering influencer marketing as part of your social media strategy. Influencers are a great way for businesses to increase trust and popularity in their products while helping them to grow their social media following. Before hiring an influencer it’s important to research which personalities will resonate with and inspire your audience the most to ensure your posts have the desired impact. 

In closing, while there are lots of elements businesses must take into consideration when building their online presence - the opportunity for growth is huge. There’s never been a better time to launch an ecommerce business and by using the insight our research into the online shopping hotspots of the UK has provided, business owners can maximise the effectiveness of their marketing efforts by targeting the locations where customers are most likely to buy online. The four key priorities identified above also provide businesses with the opportunity to build a strong platform to thrive in an ever competitive landscape. Now is the time to make the transition online!