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Seven Components of an Elegant Website

Author: Eleanor Hecks

Creating an elegant website helps people see the value of a product or service. Whether a brand wants a more traditional look or something refined, there are specific elements to include for a sophisticated tone.  

What Are the Characteristics of an Elegant Website?

With around 2.3 million active websites around the globe. Around three new sites are created every second of every day. Sites range from funny to serious and everything in between. Designs can range from vintage to grunge to the elegant websites discussed in this article. 

Although people often know elegance when they see it, defining it is a bit more challenging. Fortunately, scouring the internet for examples turns up some patterns in the things included in a site to make it look luxurious and traditional. 

Here are the top seven components that make an elegant website appealing.

1. Luxurious Colors

The color palette a brand chooses can make it seem more elegant. Hues such as pink and purple may seem more modern. Blue offers a serious feel used often by banks and financial institutions. Luxurious color options include soft cream colors, grays, taupes and gold. 

Source: https://www.emmemobili.it

Emmemobili offers beautiful wood furnishings that are the height of Italian luxury. To show their more elegant side, they offer photos of staged rooms showcasing their furniture. Note the use of creams, earth tones and gold centerpieces to pull it all together. When used in a way that balances the color palette, gold can add a touch of elegance to almost any website. 

2. Words

The words chosen for a website design make an impact on how users view the page. Elegance is often associated with soft sounding words and traditional language. Stay away from slang or harsh sounding words. 

For example, instead of describing a food product as bold, look for a different word such as spirited. Finding a softer or more traditional phrase can add elegance to a design. 

3. Beautiful Photos

Images bring so much to any website design. They can tell a story, set a tone and create consistency. Using big, beautiful pictures grabs the user’s interest and engages their imagination. 

Source: https://www.schonbek.com

Schonbek offers beautiful crystal chandeliers. To highlight their beautiful designs, they share photos on their website where the focal point is the product. However, the images themselves are of elegant rooms and simple backgrounds. The product descriptions feature the chandelier on a plain background so the only focus is on the beauty of the piece.

4. Typography

Choose the right typography for your design. Elegance is often associated with events and weddings. Choose beautiful calligraphy-style fonts for headings. Stick with a serif font, which has a more traditional look than sans-serif. 

Limit the options to two or three typefaces and stick with the same one throughout for a consistent look. When in doubt about whether or not to use a font, check out how it appears on both desktop and mobile devices. Is it still readable in smaller sizes? Will there be any confusion over which letters form which words? If anything is unclear, choose a different option for your typeface. 

5. Background

The right background color can make or break your elegant website. If you want a regal look, stick with golds. Purple also adds a royal touch to any site and can offset the gold. Whatever your brand’s color palette is, look for ways to incorporate at least a few luxury hues. 

Source: https://www.brownhotel.com

The Brown Hotel is known as a luxury hotel. Notice the elegance of the images shared in the hero image. Their design features a dark background with hints of gold throughout the design. A gold call to action (CTA) button appears in a side slide. 

Brands wanting to add a bit more elegance to their websites can add in hints of gold or other luxury colors without having to do a complete redesign. Popups and CTA buttons are a good place to add a bit of elegance without having to do a complete redesign. 

6. Whitespace

Elegant designs often have ample whitespace within the design. Don’t crowd too many elements together as it can reduce the luxurious look of the page. Most people associate elegance with spaciousness and airiness. Keep things light and well balanced so the user’s eye goes to the key features on the page. 

7. Timelessness

Choose elements that aren’t trendy. Adding things that go in and out of style is a sure way to not have an elegant website. Instead, stick to the looks, fonts and features used repeatedly for decades. Embrace the basics of good design such as clear navigational structure, beautiful imagery and classic color palettes. 

Source: https://www.godiva.com

Godiva does a good job keeping things timeless. The chocolate display features butterflies and florals–themes that repeat every spring. The CTA button is gold. The background for the header is black. One won’t see bold pops of accent colors on this site other than in a few images. The main elements stick to a tried and true palette and the accents are from nature. 

How to Build and Maintain Elegant Website

To keep a site on the luxurious side, consider every feature on the page. The colors should be classic, the fonts serif and scripts and the images ones people could see ten years ago, today and ten years from today. Stick with what is tried and true and the site will develop a natural elegance people will recognize. 

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.

7 B2C Websites We Are Completely Entranced By

Author: Eleanor Hecks

Most small businesses who sell to consumers (B2C) have a website today. Finding the best ones to use as examples requires narrowing down options to various categories and then comparing a variety of options. Amazon is often considered the gold standard in e-commerce B2C websites, but there are many other examples that help with the best design elements as well.

Top Examples of B2C Websites

The United States Small Business Administration estimates there are around 33.2 million small businesses in the country. Although not all are B2C companies, millions of small businesses cater to consumers and have an online presence.

Whether a brand always has a site and wants to improve it or is looking to create a new design, there are a few things that make the top ones stand out from the rest. Here are some favorite elements to include:

1. Crumbl Cookies

Source: https://crumblcookies.com

Crumbl Cookies uses a video hero image to immediately engage site visitors. B2C websites should keep the consumer interacting from the moment they land on the page. Since most people have faster streaming than in the past and reliable internet connectivity, utilizing videos within designs can ramp up the success of any site.

2. Brighter Lights Media

Source: https://brighterlightsmedia.com

Brighter Lights Media uses a perfect mix of white space on their site. Since they offer a service where they film events, such as weddings, they already include video clips and beautiful images. However, creating the symmetrical balance between text, images and white space is challenging.

The site is a good one to study to fully understand the ample amounts of negative space needed to draw the user’s attention to specific elements on a B2C website and help them navigate the buyer’s journey.

3. Praxxis Pro

Source: https://praxxispro.com

Praxxis Pro does an excellent job of including a brightly colored call to action (CTA) button. Consider the best location for a CTA. Some sites include it on multiple pages or mainly on the home page. The sales model for a B2C website will determine where the CTA gets the best traction.

Businesses can also use some A/B testing and see which locations, colors and wording users respond best to for the CTA.

4. Zappos

Source: https://www.zappos.com

Zappos is one of the top shoe e-tailers today. One thing the site does particularly well is choosing categories most likely to be items people are looking for. B2C website owners should thinkthrough the most likely things people who land on the site seek. Hunting through top keywords is a good indicator.

Narrow the options down to five to seven categories and create a navigational hierarchy that makes the most sense for the business’s potential customers.

5. Max & Lily

Source: https://maxandlily.com

Max & Lily pulls in the help of a countdown timer. When companies put a time limit on a sale, it drives customers to go ahead and make a purchase. Once the user bounces away from a website to “think it over,” the chances of them returning are greatly reduced. Entice them to stay with a discount valid for a limited time.

Another option is to use the scarcity rule to make something seem more enticing. One study used two cookie jars to prove people want what they think others prefer. With two cookie jars, the scientists left one with only a couple cookies left and placed 10 in the other jar. People almost always selected a cookie from the almost empty jar.

Show how many of a popular item are left to entice site visitors to order immediately. Add a timer to put on even more pressure and encourage them to buy now rather than later.

6. Grovemade

Source: https://grovemade.com

Grovemade features a highly intuitive shopping experience. Users can easily add an item to their cart and take it back out with single clicks. The system suggests items usually purchased together or sends you to the next step of checking out with some simple CTAs.

Test out any shopping cart system and go with the one that integrates with other systems, such as inventory management. However, make sure it is user friendly and mobile responsive at the same time.

7. Skullcandy

Source: https://www.skullcandy.com

Skullcandy uses a gorgeous color palette to pull customers into their design and make them want to purchase their items. Don’t underestimate the power of color to engage users and create specific emotions.

Why does a business choose a specific color palette? Hopefully it’s created to cater to the company’s target audience and reach them on a deeper level. CTA buttons should pop against the background but also grab the user and make them want to take action.

Look for ways to try various colors and pay attention to contrast between background and text.

Find Success With B2C Websites

Whether one designs B2C websites or owns a company and wants a do it yourself option, adding in the elements above creates more opportunities for success. Spend a bit of time checking to see if the business’ website matches the needs and expectations of users.

Find ways to entice them from the second they land on the page and keep them moving forward throughout their journey on the site. The better a brand understands its users, the more successful a website will be.

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.


Starting an Ecommerce Business from Scratch: The Do’s and The Don’ts

Author: Eleanor Hecks

In recent years, the world has witnessed a growing surge in the popularity of e-commerce businesses. As more people turn to online shopping for convenience and accessibility, the opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs to tap into this market have never been greater. Yet, for those looking to start their e-commerce business from scratch, it is crucial they launch it the right way.

Numerous challenges can come with establishing a new business venture, as the online world is highly competitive. However, every decision you make will significantly impact your venture’s growth and profitability.

Consider the do’s and don’ts of starting an e-commerce business from scratch, as they will ensure you build a solid foundation for success.

The Do’s of Starting an E-Commerce Business

Explore the essential do’s for launching a successful e-commerce business, as they will guide you through the key steps in building an online store.

1. Conduct Thorough Market Research

Market research is a vital first step in starting your e-commerce business. By conducting research thoroughly, you will gain valuable insights into your target audience, industry trends and potential opportunities. 

Additionally, a deep understanding of your niche allows you to tailor your products, marketing strategies and overall approach to cater to your customers’ needs and preferences. To ensure you conduct the right amount of research, invest time studying your competitors, identifying gaps in the market and analyzing consumer behavior. 

Utilize tools like Google Trends and social media platforms to capture current demands and emerging trends. Staying informed and adapting to market shifts will enable you to make well-informed decisions to get your business started.

2. Use the Right Packaging for Shipment

The right packaging for shipping plays a vital role in delivering exceptional customer experiences, as it impacts the product’s presentation and protection during transit. Research shows that businesses with high customer satisfaction have 5.7 times more revenue than their competitors. Therefore, investing in high-quality packaging that reflects your brand’s commitment to excellence is essential.

The best types of packaging should be lightweight, durable and water resistant, as these make an ideal choice for shipping various products. Your packaging should also be able to protect your items during transit while reducing shipping costs. 

Additionally, consider incorporating eco-friendly packaging materials and visually appealing designs that resonate with your audience. When you use the right packaging, you create memorable unboxing experiences. As a result, you bolster your customers’ satisfaction, encourage repeat purchases and enhance your company’s brand reputation. 

3. Focus on User-Friendly Web Design

A website’s design in e-commerce greatly impacts your customer’s shopping experience and conversion rate. Ensuring your website is clean, professional and easy to navigate will be more crucial than ever — as it allows customers to find products quickly and seamlessly.

Additionally, a user-friendly design lets customers complete their purchases with minimal friction. Consider prioritizing usability and aesthetics to create a positive first impression. For example, suppose you create a website banner to promote a sale. The right size can determine whether it will capture your users’ attention.

For instance, many consumers shop on their mobile devices, so it would be crucial to maintain 320×100 pixels for a responsive design.

Moreover, it is important to implement reduced page load times and streamlined checkout processes to accommodate mobile users. With a user-friendly web design for your online store, you will improve search engine rankings and customer satisfaction.

4. Choose the Right Products to Sell

The right products can directly affect your ability to attract customers and generate revenue. When selecting products to sell, consider aligning them with your passion and expertise. Doing so will make it easier to create compelling marketing campaigns and provide exceptional customer service. 

Additionally, it is essential to evaluate market demand, profit margins and the level of competition. That way, you can determine whether they will have any potential to yield a sustainable income for your business.

It is also important to strike a balance between following your interests and catering to your customers. Consider conducting extensive product research by analyzing the best-selling items in your niche. It also helps to keep seasonal demands in mind while exploring untapped markets.

Remember, the right product mix can be the key differentiating factor that sets your e-commerce business apart. Therefore, investing time in product research will be the greatest step in driving its growth.

The Don’ts of Starting an E-Commerce Business

Consider the don’ts of starting an e-commerce business, as they highlight the common pitfalls to avoid in building a thriving online store.

1. Neglect Customer Service

While it is easy to focus on the tangible aspects of your e-commerce business, neglecting customer service can harm your brand’s reputation. Exceptional customer support fosters customer loyalty, improves retention, and promotes positive word-of-mouth referrals.

Avoid this pitfall by prioritizing responsive and helpful customer service. Consider offering multiple channels for communication, such as email, live chat and social media. Train your support team to resolve issues effectively and empathetically, ensuring each customer interaction leaves a positive impression.

When you value customer service and consistently go the extra mile, you create a loyal customer base that may become your biggest brand advocate.

2. Ignore Marketing and Promotion

Avoiding marketing and promotion altogether is a common mistake that new e-commerce owners make, and it can especially hinder the growth and visibility of their business. With tons of noise and activity in the online world, actively promoting your brand and offers is highly crucial. Doing so will help you establish a strong online presence while reaching a wide consumer base.

Without marketing and promotion, your business may get lost in a sea of competitors. Therefore, ensuring your e-commerce store receives the attention it deserves is important.

Consider investing time and effort in developing a robust marketing strategy. Use social media, content marketing, email campaigns and influencer marketing to generate awareness and interest in your offers. 

Additionally, paying close attention to search engine optimization (SEO) to improve your website’s visibility in search engine results is essential. In turn, this tactic will drive traffic to your store and increase the likelihood of converting visitors into loyal customers.

3. Underestimate the Power of Customer Reviews

Today’s online shoppers rely heavily on reviews and testimonials to make purchasing decisions. It is part of their decision-making process, as positive reviews instill trust and serve as social proof to show customers why they should choose your products over competitors. 

Take advantage of the power of customer reviews by encouraging satisfied customers to leave feedback. Provide incentives, such as discounts or exclusive offers to persuade them to share their experiences. 

If you get negative feedback, consider addressing these customers to show that you are listening and are committed to resolving their issues proactively. Valuing customer feedback can create a strong foundation of trust and credibility, which can take your e-commerce business to new heights.

Start Your E-Commerce Business on the Right Foot

After exploring these do’s and don’ts of starting an e-commerce business, it is evident that a strategic approach with diligent execution creates a path to success. Focus on the right way to start your online business while avoiding the pitfalls.

The journey of building a successful e-commerce business may be challenging. Yet, hard work and the right guidance will help you land better results.

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.

A Beginner’s Guide to eCommerce SEO to Get More Sales

Author: Oliver Thyra

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of managing a website in such a way that it ranks high on search engines. SEO for eCommerce websites revolves around getting organic traffic for product pages.

The ultimate goal of any eCommerce website is to sell more products. But, before people buy products, they search for them. That is why SEO is crucial for eCommerce businesses.

Why SEO is important for eCommerce Businesses

Organic searches are the second highest source of traffic for eCommerce websites. If you want your website to rank high for relevant searches, you need to focus on SEO.

Source

The higher your eCommerce website ranks for audience searches, the better traffic you can drive to your website. Higher traffic brings more customers to your website resulting in more purchases and better revenue.

The benefits of SEO are not limited to search traffic. It also helps improve your website’s structure, performance, content, and user interface. 

It is a long and complex process. But, the following guide will help you understand the fundamentals of SEO.

Step-by-Step Beginner’s Guide to eCommerce SEO

If you are just starting out, you need to focus on the fundamental aspects of SEO. The following 5 steps will help you prepare the groundwork to receive organic traffic on your eCommerce website.

Step 1: Technical SEO Review

Before a website can rank on a search engine, it needs to fulfil certain criteria. The search engines should be able to crawl the website and index its pages.

Source

This review helps you identify the problem areas in your eCommerce website that might prevent it from ranking.  At this stage, you need to analyze the website’s architecture, loading speed, sitemap, broken links, user interface, security measures, and so on.

You need to make sure that:

  1. Search engines can crawl your eCommerce website.
  2. You have defined crawling instructions for crawl bots.
  3. The website has TLS certification for HTTPS.
  4. Your website does not take too long to load.
  5. There are no broken links on the website.
  6. Your website has a well-defined URL structure

This audit will tell you exactly how much work is to be done before you begin your SEO activities.

Step 2: Keyword Research

The term “keyword” refers to the words or phrases people use to search for something. The purpose of this research is to find the search terms relevant to your products. 

Each keyword has a different search intent behind it. Different keywords also come from different types of audiences. You will need to find the keywords that are relevant to your website and its pages. 

For example, if your eCommerce website sells sports shoes. Then keywords like “shoes for sports” and “comfortable sports shoes” are relevant for you. At the same time, you should ignore keywords like “office shoes” and “sell second-hand shoes”.

Some of the most common methods for eCommerce keyword research include

  1. Google Search Suggestions
  2. Google Related Searches Section
  3. Amazon Search Suggestions
  4. Google Keyword Planner

Step 3: On-Site SEO

Once you have the list of relevant keywords, you need to incorporate them into the website’s structure. The first order of business is to include the keywords in the website’s metadata 

You will have to put the right keywords in the title tags, headings, meta descriptions, and  alt text. Here you only focus on the most important keywords. You can use other keywords in the content. Page headings, titles, product descriptions, image captions, etc. give ample opportunities to place relevant keywords.

Source

Next you have to focus on the URLs of your web pages. You should create descriptive URLs that also include your targetted keywords. If you have several product categories, you should implement them in URLs also.

For example, if you are selling different types of sports shoes. Then you should create categories and subcategories for product pages. In this example, your URL structure would look something like this:

  • yourwebsite.com/sports-shoes/football
  • yourwebsite.com/sports-shoes/running
  • yourwebsite.com/sports-shoes/tennis
  • yourwebsite.com/sports-shoes/basketball

Each category and sub-category will help you target different keywords. You can further structure the URLs based on brands and product specifications. Such descriptive URLs are also helpful for the audience as they are more readable.

Step 4: Content Creation

After the architecture of the eCommerce website, you should focus on the content. You will need to evenly distribute the keywords throughout the content. Using a combination of long and short keyword phrases will help you break the monotony in the content. 

Content for product descriptions should be as detailed as possible. You can include information about the product’s features, advantages, uses, reviews, and so on.

Aside from product descriptions, you can also create detailed content for different aspects of your eCommerce brand. If you are using professional courier services for same-day delivery, you can create a blog to highlight this USP. 

You will not be able to fit in all the keywords on product and service pages. That’s why you also need to write blogs. Based on the keyword research you can create different blogs to target different searches.

With relevant blog content, you can attract a variety of audiences, improve internal linking, incorporate different keywords, and engage website visitors. Your blogs need to be informative, entertaining, and engaging.

The more content you have on your website, the more keywords you can target. As you start developing more content, you will also find more opportunities for link building.

Step 5: Link Building

Link-Building is an off-page SEO practice where-in you get other websites to link back to you. The links of your website on other websites are called backlinks. They are an important factor in search engine ranking as they are considered a sign of authority.

Source

There are numerous methods to improve the backlink authority of your website. You can write guest blogs for other websites and include a link to one of your pages in that blog. 

Another popular method for backlink building is through mentions on news websites. As press websites have high authority, their backlinks are very valuable. But, you will need something newsworthy to receive backlinks from the press. Otherwise, you will have to pay a hefty amount.

You can also create backlinks through product review websites and social media mentions. Although such backlinks do not carry much weight. You should also avoid backlinks that may have a negative impact on your website’s authority.

Customize the SEO Strategy for your eCommerce Goals

As each eCommerce business is unique, so is its SEO strategy. The ideal strategy for your eCommerce depends on a variety of factors. This guide has laid out the fundamentals for you. But, you will need to create an SEO strategy unique to your business.

You will have to consider your products, target audience, USPs, and so on. Each factor requires you to target different types of people. You will need to develop a different SEO strategy for the website and individual pages.

The most important thing to remember about SEO is that it is a marathon. Results may take time. But if you are making efforts in the right direction, you will surely increase organic traffic. 

Author Bio
Oliver Thyra is the head SaaS copywriter and content strategist at Your Marketing Digest. His intense passion for marketing and his engineering background in software engineering has made him a guy who understands how to sell software subscriptions with words. In his free time, Oliver enjoys quality time with his pets (he has got 4 golden retrievers!).

Packaging Options Your E-Commerce Business Should Consider

Author: Eleanor Hecks

The packaging needs of an e-commerce store vary from those of a brick-and-mortar one. Product packaging might help something catch user attention while sitting on a shelf, but you must think about the boxes used to ship e-commerce orders, the packaging inside and the other inclusions you place in the box.

When people receive an order from your online store, is unboxing it an experience? You have an opportunity to make a positive impression. Make people want to order from you again or send others gifts from your digital inventory.

What Should Be Included in an E-Commerce Package?

According to etailinsights, there are approximately 9.1 million online retailers globally, with 2.5 million in the United States. Over time, consumers have come to expect a certain experience when they order from e-commerce stores.

The pandemic forced many people to start ordering online who otherwise would not have. Growth in the e-commerce industry between 2020 and 2022 outpaced what experts previously predicated. The International Trade Commission reported a boost to 18% of market share–up from 13%–in 2020 with an upward trajectory for through at least 2024.

If you want to stand out from the other retailers in your industry, you must pay attention to small details such as packaging options. Here is how to create a positive experience for your customers:

1. Choose a Strong Shipping Container

Think about the items you sell. If they are fragile, you’ll want the strongest container possible. Items such as clothing can go in poly mailers, but don’t go cheap there either. You don’t want to send something in a package that will gather moisture or rip too easily.

Poly mailers are lightweight, reducing your shipping costs. They are also durable enough to withstand the abuses of shipping carriers while still protecting nonperishables and non fragile items.

2. Brand Your Outer Packaging

Adding a brand logo or using a particular color package can make your shipments instantly recognizable to others. People get excited when they receive a black box with pink writing, because they know it’s from BoxyCharm. Fans of Marie Nicole Clothing get excited when the dusty rose poly mailer with their brand name on it arrives.

How can you make your packages stand out for users? The customer experience starts as soon as the item is in hand. Does your outer packaging create a positive first impression?

3. Consider Inner Wrapping

Depending on what you sell, you should make the inside of your package look beautiful, too. For example, you might wrap clothing in pretty tissue paper. If something is breakable or perishable, you’ll use other methods.

Brands such as Hello Fresh utilize frozen pads to keep food fresh en route. If you sell fragile items, you might wrap them carefully in multiple layers of bubble wrap and air pockets. Think through how the user unwraps the box when they open it.

4. Create Workable Outside Labels

The label on the outside of your package must be readable to machines and humans. You want to make sure the order arrives in a timely fashion. Many small businesses try to reduce their carbon footprints, so using a thermal label printer may reduce waste of paper postage where parts of the sheet aren’t used.

Around 70% of companies have carbon reduction goals and want to be more eco-friendly. People care about sustainability and keeping the environment green, so even small steps to reduce the amount of waste can make a difference and create a green-friendly image for your brand.

5. Include Promotional Materials

One of the best ways to bring customers back for follow-up orders is offering them incentives. Include some flyers about upcoming products the user might be interested in purchasing. Offer a discount coupon or free shipping on their next order.

Place promotional items on top of the product but inside any wrapping. This keeps them secure but makes them the first thing the user sees after unboxing.

6. Place the Invoice on Top

People often want to check over their invoice and make sure they were charged correctly and all items arrived. With the supply chain issues of the last few years, people have had many items backordered or not arrive at all. People feel comfortable knowing what is and isn’t in the box.

It’s your choice if you place the invoice at the very top of your box or inside the wrapping. Placing it on top shows who the item came from, if it isn’t already clear from the shipping container. It also reiterates what the person ordered and prevents any misunderstandings.

7. Add Extras

Did someone place a larger order than normal? Include a note thanking them and letting them know how much you appreciate their business. For new customers, you might include a note that welcomes them to your company family and ask if they’d like to learn more. Include a QR code or a few links they can visit to learn about your products.

As an e-commerce company, you probably don’t want to put too much paper into the packaging. You may be trying to reduce the amount of paper you use. A small card with a QR code is the perfect solution that lets you get the message out without using as much paper.

Balance Costs and Experience

Ideally, every time a customer opens a box you shipped to them, they’ll be excited and remember the event. Unfortunately, getting too fancy is also expensive. You may need to balance costs with packaging options. Can you use stickers rather than custom-printed boxes, for example? Maybe you can go with generic tissue paper or cut costs by going with lighter packing materials.

Look for ways to balance the cost of shipping items but still making the entire unboxing as exciting as possible. You want your customers to tell others about your products. The happier they are, the more likely they’ll share their finds with others. Packaging should be functional, exciting and cost-effective all at the same time.

Author Bio

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.

Knowing When to Upgrade to Shopify Plus is Important to Continue Business Growth: How to Know You’re Ready

Author: Sean Richards

If you’re familiar with Shopify, you’re probably considering upgrading to Shopify Plus. When it comes to ecommerce platforms, it doesn’t get much better than Shopify. But at some point, you may need more support for your business than the standard plans offer.

Shopify Plus is a comprehensive and scalable plan to support a growing ecommerce store. There are numerous features that come along with it, including a customizable checkout, advanced analytics, and virtually limitless educational resources.

All of that comes at a high price, however. Shopify Plus plans start at $2,000 per month, so it’s important to evaluate whether your business is ready for the upgrade.

What Is Shopify Plus?

Shopify Plus is the highest tier of the Shopify plans and the home of some of the most prominent brands in the world, including Allbirds, Eyewear by David Beckham, and Gymshark.

These major brands use Shopify Plus because of its exceptional and exclusive features that are purpose-built to help a store scale quickly. Store owners have the flexibility to customize and tailor their entire ecommerce storefront to support omnichannel, international, and B2B shopping.

When Should You Upgrade?

If you’re ready to scale and you think you’ve outgrown what Shopify has to offer, it may be time for Shopify Plus. There’s a lot to consider, however:

Shopify Plus Price

Price matters with every business decision. The price you pay for something needs to have a return on investment for it to be worthwhile. Shopify Plus starts at $2,000 per month, which is a considerable difference from the $29, $79, and $299 Shopify plans. If your business isn’t quite there yet, it may not be worth the money.

That said, ecommerce stores that make more than $800,000 annually have a revenue-based fee of 0.25%. You may have fees for applications, maintenance, and credit card processing as well.

When you reach the level of an enterprise business, the Shopify Plus fees will likely pay off in features and functionality. But until then, $2,000 a month is a lot of money for features you may not need yet. With this in mind, the current recommendation for ecommerce stores is to consider upgrading when they have an annual revenue of $1 million or more.

Benefits of Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus has plenty of features that pay off for enterprise businesses, such as:

  • Omnichannel marketing capabilities
  • International storefronts with independent currencies and events, all from a unified dashboard
  • Advanced analytics for customers, transactions, and performance from prominent analytics partners
  • Workflow automation
  • Optimization across platforms and devices, including desktop, mobile, and third-party apps
  • A fully customizable checkout experience with tools for discount triggers and VIP customers
  • 24/7 support
  • Script Editor to run custom code
  • Cross-channel selling
  • Lower transaction fees
  • Full customization for product launches, pricing, promotions, etc.

Shopify Plus has a lot more to offer, including exclusive educational and support resources to ensure ecommerce store owners maximize the plan’s features, such as Shopify Plus Academy. This resource has a full library of learning tools and resources like videos and workshops that you can access at your convenience. Store owners also have Shopify Plus Experts for more in-depth support.

If you have high-volume sales during busy periods like the holidays, Shopify Plus is a must to support the transactions and avoid a site crash that frustrates customers. The plan can support up to 10,000 transactions per minute, allowing an influx of customers to complete purchases quickly and seamlessly.

Questions to Ask Before Upgrading

Here are some questions to ask before upgrading to Shopify Plus:

Are you making over $1 million in annual revenue? As mentioned, this is important to ensure you’re not overpaying for features you don’t yet need.

Are you bogged down by mundane tasks? Growing companies are demanding, and you may struggle to manage the mundane tasks like order fulfillment and processing. Shopify Plus has automation tools to relieve the burden and free your time to focus on growing a successful business.

Do you need more support for your ecommerce store? There’s a lot to manage with your ecommerce store, and if you don’t feel like you can learn it all on your own, Shopify Plus offers expert guidance. You have the Shopify Plus Experts, the Shopify Plus Academy, and a dedicated Facebook community of similar sellers to learn from.

Are you expanding into the international market? International sales expand your market, but they also add to the workload. Shopify Plus makes this easy and simple with up to nine international storefronts that all operate from a centralized dashboard. You still have the flexibility to use different languages and currencies in each store, however.

Do you want to offer wholesale products? Like the international storefronts, Shopify Plus has an exclusive wholesale channel that you can set up and integrate with your existing storefront in a snap.

Do you need more staff accounts? At some point, you may need more staff accounts to manage your Shopify store. Advanced Shopify tops out at 15, however, which means you may need to upgrade to accommodate your whole team. Shopify Plus offers unlimited staff accounts with access control for each staff member.

Do you want to customize the checkout experience? The customizable checkout is one of Shopify Plus’s most desirable features. You can tailor the experience to your brand and change different aspects to improve the customer experience, such as offering different shipping methods or payment methods.

How to Upgrade to Shopify Plus

If you think it’s time to move up to Shopify Plus, it’s a quick and painless process. You will need to request a quote from Shopify to know exactly what you’ll pay, however.

Once you upgrade, the platform promises a full migration in 90 days, but it may take even less. It’s also free to migrate, so you can rest assured that you won’t lose business while you prepare your operations for the new plan. Shopify takes care of the setup, testing, and hosting via the Launch Engineer.

Shopify Plus has other features that are helpful, such as upgrades, security features, hosting, patches, and more. All of your data will be transferred to Shopify Plus seamlessly, including your product details.

Upgrade to Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is a top-tier Shopify plan designed for scaling enterprise-level businesses. Upgrading is a big decision that you should consider, but if you’re bringing in $1 million annually in sales and finding the lower Shopify plans limited for your business needs, Shopify Plus may be the perfect choice. 

Author Bio: Sean Richards
Sean Richards is the VP of Strategy & Partnerships for Vincit. Richards provided business development, React-Native Consulting, digital marketing strategy and partnership development at several reputable companies and marketing agencies in both California and Arizona. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Design Management from Arizona State University.

How to Boost E-Commerce Sales with Data Analytics?

Author: Ryan Erwin

According to the research conducted in 2019, the ecommerce industry is expected to grow to a $6.54 trillion in terms of retail sales by the end of the year 2022. Within the past few years, ecommerce shops have been popping up, intending to grow into international brands. However, the goal is not only to have a shop but also to generate significant revenues.

You need to adopt a unique business strategy that will make you stand out among your competitors and acquire as many customers as possible. E-commerce sales data analytics plays a fundamental role when you plan to elevate the number of sales that you record within a particular duration.

To be in a better position to elevate your ecommerce brand to the world, you need to secure more customers who will enable you to skyrocket the number of sales that you record. When talking about data analytics, you need to reflect on a specific kind of data mainly generated from your daily business operations.

Do you know that you can boost your ecommerce sale using data analytics? This sounds like magic, right? That is not magic since it is doable! Let’s check out the actionable insights shared below to give you a concise picture of how this aspect can be converted into reality.

Collect Data from Multiple Sources

To secure a more competitive position in business, companies have heavily invested in collecting data from different sources. Apart from ensuring that the data they collect is reliable, the organization ensures that customers from different domains have been factored in within the collected data report.

However, the problem is not with the collected data; the main issue is how to analyze the data from different platforms. Once you have the data in your hands, you need to incorporate the power of data visualization to analyze the findings. Try to create simple visualization such as Sankey diagram, Donut chart or a Dot plot chart to make it easy to understand for both your client and managers.

The data is used to evaluate different customer needs and preferences. Organizations use the information in tailoring their products and services depending on the nature of their customers. In return, this increases their chances of recording more sales, thus impacting the continued growth of the business brand.

Generating Data-Driven products

The current ecommerce world gives consumers more choices compared to the past days. Besides, business brands have a huge role in creating a better customer experience, and generating and delivering quality products to consumers. Data analytics has made the entire process easier since organizations can easily understand what customers want.

Using the data gathered from your customers, you get a chance to visualize the information and generate insights that offer guidance during the journey of product development. This means that you get a chance to involve your customers in creating particular products and services.

Also, the data gives you a good source of information that you can utilize when targeting a specific market audience. You will be better positioned to sell most of the generated products using data insights, recording a considerable revenue at the end of the day.

Elevate the Returns on Ad Spend

Data analytics can enable you to maximize the ad spend. By doing in-depth data analysis, you will be able to limit the chances of spending huge sums of money on ads that do not convert. Note that ads play a key role in ecommerce marketing. The problem is that if you do not rely on the available data, you may choose the wrong keywords.

Ecommerce data analytics digs deep into different customer sources, generating insight into choosing the most appropriate keywords that you can use in creating ads that convert. Even though applying the wrong ads to the wrong audience increases your chances of getting more clicks although you will also record an increased bounce rate.

This is likely to affect your search engine rankings and the general performance of your business. The only secrete is to do proper analytics, and you will have your needs sorted.

Invest in Smarter Inventory Management

The most common challenge across the ecommerce world matters to do with inventory management. When you invest in data analytics, the inventory management process becomes simple and consumes less time. Proper inventory management enables you to have an accurate stock record and identify where various products are stored.

If you have a smart system put in place, you will limit the issues of various items going out of stock without your consent. Also, you will identify some of the products that last in the stock for a longer duration and reduce the rate at which they are produced. However, it will take a while before you collect the amount of data that can help you make such moves.

You need to be more creative, think outside the box, and identify some of the products you can stock depending on your customer preference. This will make your choices unique, increasing your chances of recording more sales than usual.

Create a Better Customer Experience

Many entrepreneurs within the ecommerce world are struggling with the issue of creating a better a customer experience. Note that customers only go to organizations where they feel like their presence is much appreciated. It doesn’t matter how good your products are; if you do not offer a good customer experience, you won’t manage to retain any customers in the long run.

This is a common issue with many ecommerce sites that are heavily cluttered and difficult to navigate. After collecting data from your business operations, you need to incorporate the power of data visualization tool such as AnyChart, ChartExpo, Tableau, and Power BI in the process to generate insights and evaluate what your customers want. Even though this sounds like a difficult task, you need to read through all the customer reviews.

Note that the customers’ reviews give you a clear picture of what your customers like and dislike within your business. Focus on your areas of weakness to ensure that customers have something good to talk about your brand. This will place you on a better end and increase the number of sales you record after a given duration.

Final Verdict

Research has revealed that 49% of ecommerce managers believe that data analytics plays a crucial role in effective decision-making. When it comes to skyrocketing the number of sales recorded, you need to be mindful of your business data since it is a rich source of information that you can use to make decisions that propel the business to the next level.

Author Bio:

I have more than 12 years of experience in the field of Digital Marketing and Data Analysis, currently working as a Digital Marketing Specialist at ChartExpo.