Confused? How To Run a Business with 100% Remote Customers
The days of the brick and mortar business are in the past. Now, more and more online businesses are popping up every day. It’s no wonder so many business owners are jumping on this trend with so many shoppers opting to make purchases online instead of in store. Statista.com claims just about 40% of American shoppers choose to shop online several times per month. These numbers are hard to ignore!
Running a business entirely online is harder than it looks! With big-name brands like Amazon leading the way, it might seem impossible for smaller businesses to make a splash in this internet boom. While it might be a little confusing at first, it’s easier than you think to get noticed online. Keep reading to explore how to run a business with 100% remote customers.
Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
Mobile shoppers make up an increasing percentage of all online customers. Your website needs to be prepared to meet this demand with a mobile-friendly design! Having a mobile-friendly website is easy in 2018. Most big content management systems (CMS) are already optimized for mobile devices.
It’s up to you to check your website regularly to make sure it’s easy to access no matter the screen size! For a free check, visit the Google Search Console to try their analysis tool. Not sure how to make your website more mobile-friendly? Try these easy tips:
Keep your navigation simple.
A lot of new web designers are tempted to choose designs that are based more on aesthetics than accessibility. If it takes more than a few clicks to get to important pages, you’re probably overcomplicating things. Prioritize the content users are more likely to need and make sure those are easy to access first.
Cut unnecessary content.
Your page content needs to be clear and to the point. Too much clutter and unnecessary text will only confuse the reader and keep them from staying on your page. If your users can’t figure out within a few seconds what a given post or page is about, they’ll click away.
Readability is important.
Having a script font for all your headers might look nice on desktop screens, but these fonts are hard to read on smaller screens. You need the average user to be able to easily seen the text on the page without having to zoom. Font sizes should be at least 14 points to be clear and use simple, unstyled text that’s easy to read.
Use strong images.
A picture really is worth a thousand words. Having strong imagery can keep users on your page longer, and it also increases engagement. When choosing images, make sure they’re actually worth using. Whether you take your own photos or you use stock photos, make certain they are both high-quality and relevant.
If you follow these tips above, your page will display seamlessly across devices! Always look for ways to improve your mobile optimization. As technology continues to develop, who knows what kind of screens we’ll see in the future?
Easy Payment System
If you’re appealing to 100% remote customers, you need a payment system that makes it easy for customers to pay securely over the internet. The more steps between shopping and entering card information, the more likely a customer will abandon their cart and move on. To fight this, make sure your checkout process is simple and functioning.
According to ExpertSure, the right merchant account is essential to running a business smoothly online. Review merchant account options to ensure you’ve chosen something secure for your online business. Here are a few things to consider when optimizing your payment system:
A/B test your payment process.
The best way to understand which process is the most effective is to simply test several options. A/B testing can help demonstrate a particular weakness in your checkout process so you can see just where you’re losing the most customers. Testing your payment process will help you discover the best way to complete your sales.
Reduce unnecessary fees.
Amazon Prime changed the game of e-commerce when it offered free two-day shipping to all members. This practice showed just how valuable it can be for businesses to reduce unnecessary fees. Nobody likes being caught off guard during the checkout process. Having a high number of unexpected fees like shipping and handling can lead to more abandoned carts. Instead, try to offer a flat shipping rate or free shipping for orders over $50.
Secure your checkout process.
Online buyers are hesitant to enter their credit card info in unfamiliar locations. They need to know their transaction is 100% secure. If they aren’t confident, they’ll likely leave the transaction. Using a payment provider with a high level of security can help ease the minds of your customers while also protecting their information.
These tips above are just the tip of the iceberg. Security and ease of transaction should be your number one priority when your customers are 100% remote. Remember, you can’t be there to ease your customer’s minds, so your website has to do that work for you.
Listen to Feedback
Feedback is one of the most valuable resources for any online business. Unlike an in-person store where customers can give feedback in real time, you’ll need to pay close attention to customer feedback. Some feedback is digital in the form of analytical information. How long are users staying on your website? What pages are they visiting, and what are they more interested in? This feedback is easy to review regularly, and it will help you make the best decisions for your business.
The other type of feedback comes directly from customers. Encourage users to complete surveys after they purchase something from your website. Were they satisfied with their purchase? Is there something that didn’t run smoothly? Include an easy to access contact page on your website for customers to use if they encounter a problem. This kind of feedback really shows you how your website can improve directly. Need more ways to get genuine customer feedback?
Entrepreneur.com shares 7 simple tips for getting honest customer feedback that includes ideas like offering a prize and building a community. It’s okay to get creative with how you look for the feedback! Your customers have opinions that are worth listening to if you want to grow your online business. How can you keep your customers open with you throughout the process? More importantly, how can you keep them shopping with you again in the future? The first step is to value their input and show your business is all about your customers.
Boost Your Online Business
Running an online business gets easier every day, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t take work. Despite the growing competition in e-commerce, there is still a disconnect between businesses and customers. Customers feel they’re interacting with a machine behind the screen. How can you add the humanity back to this digital shopping experience?
As an online business owner, you don’t interact with customers on a daily basis. This makes it easy to separate yourself from the customer experience and you might even be tempted to ignore feedback since you don’t deal with it directly. Instead, get serious about your online business with the tips above! Optimize your website so it’s easy for everyone to use, and be proactive about improving the customer experience for online shoppers.
