How do you ensure your online store is set up for success?

There are a variety of details to consider when setting up your online store, all in service of the ultimate goal: helping your customers find what they’re looking for and complete checkout smoothly. 

Get a head start by brainstorming tags, categories, and subcategories so customers can quickly find what they are looking for and browse related items. Think early on about which shipping options and potential discount codes might serve you best. These kinds of  decisions can have a direct impact on performance.

How do you make sure your online store is set up for success? Share in the comments below!

For Basic Commerce, is it only flat rate shipping that is an option or do you know of any integrations or options for custom shipping pricing without Advanced Commerce? I have a client shipping primarily in Canada and uses Shiptime for calculating right now, but it doesn't integrate with SqSp. 

Thoughts?

Generally, I'd agree with the usual aforementioned suggestions like diversifying your ad strategy, spreading out your content, SEO, and etc–but with the current trend overtaking the market, the number one tip I can suggest to every aspiring online entrepreneur out there is softwares and apps are your best friends.

The pace at how much the world of e-commerce is changing is subtle, but astronomical. One quick look at job ads and you'll see what I mean–you'll see ton of job postings and ads saying something along the line "looking for [insert name of app/software] expert to join our team etc etc" this is because tech-companies and everyone within the digital realm is realizing the income potential there is to automating what an entire department (marketing / finance) does by using a piece of software, and just having one person oversee that app.

Leading apps in the automation game are Zapier, customer.io, and mailchimp–to list a few. But there are a plethora of other options that you can explore that suits your needs. It's all about recreating a system that you already have (manual stuff) by using these tools to make it faster, more efficient, and best of all–automatic.

So case and point: the best way to position your online store for success with the current market, is by making the business run itself. I highly suggest reading up on sales automation guides and tips like this one to fully understand the potential this technique has in ensuring a smooth flow for your business.

Overall, I'd really invest your resources into two things 1) big picture planning and 2) testing everything. You can have all the assumptions in the world but until you get your product out in front of people both IRL and via ads / posts, you'll have no idea how you're perceived or understood.

Happy to dig deeper on this topic and enjoy working with brands starting out.

I do have successes but one thing that's killing me is that the shipping default is auto-selected to "instore pick up."  It's almost always over looked by the customer causing extra emails, extra days, and usually ends in me eating the shipping.  How do you people handle this?  Has anyone asked SS to simply un-auto select it?  I've asked them for this easy fix a few times.  No dice.

On 7/21/2021 at 5:37 PM, JeremiahWisco said:

I do have successes but one thing that's killing me is that the shipping default is auto-selected to "instore pick up."  It's almost always over looked by the customer causing extra emails, extra days, and usually ends in me eating the shipping.  How do you people handle this?  Has anyone asked SS to simply un-auto select it?  I've asked them for this easy fix a few times.  No dice.

it sure would be nice if a shipping option is un-selected by default, right? this would force customers to really pay attention to shipping, especially if there are several options. it's ironic that the commerce part of Squarespace has so many limitations that those limitations can significantly affect the success of one's Squarespace store.

I feel the way to immediately differentiate my online store from the rest is to proactively engage my customers in a conversation as soon as they land on my website. 

It's just like how we visit a brick-and-mortar shop. We are greeted by a sales staff and they would assist us whenever required. 

For my online business to succeed, I will not wait for website visitors to initiate conversation. That's wasted opportunity. I would guide them through the purchase journey. How do I do that?

Install a smart, more comprehensive chat widget that allows me to pre-set a prompt that pops up when a shopper lands on my website. Guide them through the buying journey. Take the opportunity to welcome them, direct them to an exclusive catalogue that would enhance their experience.

The basics I kept in mind, and what I would generally recommend: 

1. Easy to navigate, and user-friendly store. (People should be able to easily find the products they're looking for.)

2. High-quality images of the products. (People want to see what they're buying before they buy it.)

3. Competitive prices. (People will shop around and compare prices before making a purchase.)

4. Free shipping on orders over a certain amount. (This will encourage people to buy more items.)

5. Shipping the orders promptly and using high-quality packaging materials so that the products arrive in good condition.