Using an Online Store Builder

Online store builder software enables you to rapidly create a website to sell goods. As Julian Barkat,

the director of e-commerce and online marketing of the Philadelphia-based marketing agency, Eggs

to Apples, put it: "They can take the hassle and headache of hard coding, hosting and doing

maintenance on a server of your own out of the online store equation.”

The new kid on this particular block www.yourdreamstores.com which costs a whole dollar a month

with no set-up, transaction, hosting or bandwidth fees. The template designs are responsive, the

system is easy-to-use and the company is passionate about problem-solving and committed to

excellence. Product development is ongoing. The company claims to purvey the most efficient

online store builder on the market. You can upload your product catalogue, set up customer

shopping carts, accept payments securely and handle order fulfilment. No knowledge of HTML or

CSS is required.

You choose a storefront layout from a selection of templates and customise the fonts, colour scheme

and product image sizes. You can upload brand logos and backgrounds of your own.

You can promote your online store on social media, principally Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, Twitter

and Pinterest. Updating these several times a day drives traffic to your door, so you may wish to

provide daily deals. Search Engine Optimisation improves your Google ranking.

The better online store builders, of which yourdreamstores is one, offer customer relationship

management services. You could even establish a live chat facility, but only if you're able to

maintain it on a 24/7 basis.

As Barkat pointed out, "Online shoppers don't get to see, touch, feel or smell your product.” As a

result, product images must be crisp and clear. There's no need for a professional, but as Barkat

advised, you will have need of a 16-megapixel DSLR camera and a light box to illuminate your

products.

Product description need to be short yet sufficiently rich – containing details so interesting that they

pique customer interest. Use compelling adjectives and phrases that evoke an emotion. Beyond the

price, you should mention the product's uses, dimensions and other relevant features. Don't just use

the descriptions provided by the original manufacturer, or you'll be the same as hundreds of other

online stores.

An added incentive for customers is free shipping for orders over a certain amount. This becomes

an urgent requirement if direct competitors provide free shipping.

Allowing customers to comment on your products and give ratings can improve people's confidence

in your enterprise. Negative comments can be deleted, although you should take heed of them.

The provider of your online store builder should offer free self-service analytics to track your store's

performance. This will include the URLs that brought traffic to your store and the locations of

buyers.

Getting an online store off the ground grows ever tougher, but these tips will help you on the path to

sales success.