If you lost most of your customer base due to the pandemic, moving your store online could be your best bet. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that transitioning into e-commerce could end up making you more profit than before. With an online store, you can reach more customers. According to studies, more than 255 million people in the US shop online, including about 88 percent of adults. Here are some tips for moving your store online and finding customers.

Strengthen Your Business Skills

Continuing your education by enrolling in an online MBA program could help you sharpen your business skills. You’ll learn more about how to run your business and develop a business strategy for growing your customer base. As you move your business online, you will likely need to hire employees like photographers and SEO specialists, so it’s important to have the right leadership skills to manage employees. Enrolling in an MBA program will also teach you how to be self-aware. An online program is flexible, and you can learn at your own pace while you tackle other responsibilities.

Take Advantage of Social Media

Social media is essential to any developing business. With a social media account, you can find new customers and interact with your current customer base. According to Campaign Monitor, some of the most popular social media platforms for brand marketing are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and Pinterest. Choose whichever platform or platforms work best for your business, but make sure your content and brand voice is similar across all platforms. You want to be consistent and provide reliable, quality content.

With sites like Instagram and Twitter, you can use hashtags for more customers to find you. Having a social media account or accounts will also make it easier for you to announce new products, ask for feedback from your customers, and share reviews sent to you by customers.

Make It Easy for People to Find Your Products

If you want to be successful selling your products online, consumers need to be able to find them. Start by boosting your search engine optimization through meta tags and keyword research. SEO can get complicated, so consider hiring an expert in SEO unless you already have the skills to do it yourself. While you’re working on your SEO, make sure your website is easy to navigate. For example, you should include a search bar so customers can search for specific items. Products should be organized into easy to identify categories, as well.

You might also consider other advertising methods, like pay-per-click. Pay-per-click advertising is the easiest way to get traffic to a new website. PPC ads show up on search pages immediately, and allow you to test different approaches like headlines, prices, and keywords. You can then analyze which keywords were best and put them throughout your website to increase SEO.

Use Professional Photographs

If you are starting an online store, professional photography is essential. According to studies, 75 percent of online shoppers rely on product photos when deciding whether they want to make a purchase. While a good description of the product is important, a professional photo can help bring it to life. A high-quality photo will make them feel like they’re there in the store.

Consider investing in a professional photographer. They have the right equipment and an understanding of lighting and background. Another thing to keep in mind is that one of the biggest mistakes online stores make is tweaking photos so the item looks too perfect. Your products should stand out, but make sure the photos aren’t overedited or customers will be disappointed. If you hire a professional photographer, you can also use the professional photos both for your product listings and for your social media feed. Having professional photos will increase your overall engagement and sales.

To improve your online presence, strengthen your business skills, embrace social media, make your products visible on the internet, and use quality photographs. Soon, you’ll be enjoying the profits.

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