Set up your Shopify Store to Convert

Shopify makes setting up an online store simple

Globally, there are over 1 million merchants using Shopify to sell their products (both physical and digital). Thanks to business models like dropshipping, you don’t even have to be the manufacturer of a product, or you can use a combination of goods you produce yourself, and goods produced by others. Consider your customer and product niche, and really think about what will make a good customer experience. We can take some strategies from our traditional bricks and mortar friends, and even a tour around your local supermarket can reveal some hints as to how to set up and market your Shopify store.

Here are a few tips on Setting up your Shopify to help your store convert

1. SIMPLIFY YOUR STORE LAYOUT

The layout of a digital store is just as important as a brick and mortar store.   Too much clutter on your pages makes it confusing for customers, they get overwhelmed by choice and click away….. Keep the layout simple. Start with your core category pages (this helps with SEO), and then get a little deeper.

2. MAKE SEGMENTATION PART OF YOUR WEB DESIGN

Depending on what, and who you are selling to, there are a few ways that you can segment your products.  Think about your customer, and how they would make a purchasing decision.  Once you have decided on your segmentation strategy, stick with it. You may wish to segment your store based on customer demographic, brand, occasion, personality style, or something functional.  Say you decide to start a store specialising in sports goods. Segmentation options may look like this. Category pages:  Shoes, Workout Wear, Equipment Category page 1:  Shoes

Product page 1: Men’s Shoes

Product page 2: Women’s Shoes

Or, we may design this way: Category pages:  Running, Hiking, Tennis  (based on customer interest) Category page 1: Running

Product page 1: Asics (based on brand)

Product page 2: Nike

Remember the goal is to make it as easy as possible for your customer, so make sure your product layout is simple and easy to understand.

3. CUSTOMERS LIKE CONSISTENCY

When it comes to how to set up your Shopify store and web design (or for any other customer touchpoint), customers like consistency.   From a design perspective, this means executing your brand style guide (our in house design team can help you with this) across all your pages.   Here are some key branding elements where consistency counts:

• Imagery -  this helps in terms of your product story - are you choosing an on white practice, or are you featuring your products styled as part of an outfit, or both?
• Brand Colours - be sure that all buttons, links and headings are the same colour
• Brand Fonts - make sure they are both easy to read, consistent in size for text components such as Headings and body copy and also “google friendly”
• Tone  - make sure the tone of your website copy matches your brand personality, and that you balance creativity with google-ability.  Rule of thumb - personality is important; making it plain and simple is the key.
• Service - FAQ pages, and simple to understand customer service experiences all help customers know what to expect when they transact with you.

4. UTILISE SHOPIFY APPS TO ENHANCE THEIR WEB EXPERIENCE 

We love that Shopify allows you to add on apps to enhance both the customer experience and the commerce experience for business owners.   Here are a few of our favourites that can help you convert your ideal customers from  “just browsing” to “just buying” that additional item. Sales Badge Apps The use of a sales badge enables you to signal to customers the status of a product, such as a best-seller, whether it is almost sold out, or if it is part of an offer such as free shipping.  This helps customers with their buying experience before they even get to the checkout. Bold Upsell We’ve all heard the catchcry “would you like fries with that” - a famous sales strategy associated with burgers.    When you are designing your Shopify store, think about how you can replicate awesome real-life customer sales experiences that also help your bank balance. Enter bold upsell.  It involves showcasing a product that may complement an existing purchase at checkout. Shopify reports that 10 to 30% of all e-commerce purchases are from upsell or cross-selling products. Pop up notifications Pop-ups can be used to advise customers of stock levels, how many people are currently browsing their item, or who else is purchasing.   This is a great way to spark social proof, drive scarcity, and get those sales happening.   That’s right, FOMO can be your online business buddy. Google Shopping Feed Getting you found by the grandmaster of search means you may at some stage consider Adwords, or how your store and your products will be found when a customer types in “men’s’ brown Italian loafers size 42”.  With features such as being able to show your products to multiple countries in multiple currencies, opportunities to go global from your Perth digs are real. Even better news - we have a team of peeps here at Dilate who are experts with Shopify and Google, so you can focus on deciding product ranges, while we set up your Shopify store. Pre Order Manager Sharing a new release with your existing loyal customer database? Want to test a new concept or design before you commit to full-on manufacturing? The Pre Order Manager app helps you deal with customer demand and stock levels.    Product Reviews Build confidence for your customers with product reviews.  They create social proof, and can even help you update your own product descriptions based on the experience customers have (example, if sizing runs a little large or small, you can mention this at check out to ensure that buyers get it right the first time). Stock Inventory Sayonara, spreadsheets and double handling of data!  When we get into setting up your Shopify store and web design, we are thinking about the customer and the business. Shopify’s free stocky app can help you manage stock levels, including forecasts for when you are moving into seasons with best sellers.  If you do have physical stores and online stores, you can even manage stock between locations.

5. CLARITY COMES BEFORE CREATIVITY

A fatal mistake many business owners make when communicating what they have to offer their customers is forgetting to put boundaries around creativity.  Without them, customers become confused and don't understand what you want them to do.   The impact on business here can be an increase in customer service requests or a loss of revenue. The great news is, our in house creative team can help you balance your creative urges to say something like “beautification awaits” on your shopping cart button with the simpler, yet still creative  “ add to cart, darling”. Check it’s easy for people in these core areas:

• Call to actions (like shopping cart buttons, VIP newsletter sign up etc)
• Shipping options (make it simple, including how returns are handled)
• Payment options (think the use of logos and symbols)

6. BUILD PAYMENT PLANS INTO YOUR SHOPIFY STORE DESIGN

The rise of platforms like Afterpay and Zippay has given customers an alternative to credit cards, where they can get their goods and enter into a payment plan.  These help conversion rates on your store.

7. KEEP THE RIGHT CUSTOMERS COMING BACK

Did someone say “Hey, Big spender?” Your Shopify customer database can help you to understand your current customers and market to more of the ones who just can’t get enough of you. Thanks to a little marketing analytics, we can craft a lookalike customer audience and find you more of the people likely to buy from you.  Sweet, right?  If you’d like less guesswork in how to set up your Shopify store and more success work in designing your site to win, retain and grow an audience of customers that generates more sales, reach out to our team of Shopify experts here at Dilate.