Managing an Affordable eCommerce Site in 2020
There are a variety of ways you can improve how affordable your online store is, while improving your customer experiences in 2020.
Keeping it affordable
Looking at the ways you can make your eCommerce investment more affordable, is a great opportunity for you to innovate the online ordering experiences you’re providing to your customers
If you’ve been involved with building or running an eCommerce website, you’ve probably noticed that the costs can escalate very quickly. Design, development, marketing, and management are all areas that require significant investments of time, energy, and capital. However, there are a variety of approaches you can take to ensure your operating costs for your store are kept in check, without taking away from your customer experiences.
Running an online store can be stressful, but it’s also a way for you to give your business more flexibility and control with how you reach your customers.
1. Choose the right web CMS
One of the first, and most important choices you can make with your eCommerce website - is picking the right website content management system (CMS) for your business. You can think of this as the toolbox you’ll be working with, and not every CMS gives you the tools needed for what you’re trying to sell or provide.
Ask yourself the following questions, and make sure that your CMS is up to the task:
- Is it easy to use?
- How much work does it take to add products?
- How much can I customize it?
- Can I run promotions?
- What are the monthly costs?
A successful 2020 eCommerce site should be built on a CMS that empowers you, and makes you feel confident about control & flexibility. You should also feel good about your monthly costs, making sure you’re not using a CMS that requires tons of expensive plugins and add-ons to deliver an eCommerce experience.
You should feel happy with the platform your online store is built on, and enjoy the control and freedom it offers you as a business owner.
2. Keep it simple
Successful eCommerce sites work because they’re easy for customers to find & order what they’re looking for. Complicated and intricate designs can be appealing to look at, but your focus should always be on ensuring your online shopping experience is straightforward.
Simple doesn’t mean boring, it means that an eCommerce website is easy to:
- Navigate
- Use & read
- Order from
Simple is king. Your online store can have complex features and options for users, but it shouldn’t appear complicated to use or browse.
3. Don’t rely on plugins and add-ons
Tepending on your web CMS, you might be required to subscribe to these services to deliver an eCommerce experience for your customers. If you’re currently using one of these CMS options, make sure you revisit your customer experience to make sure you’re only using essential plugins and add-ons.
These services typically require monthly payments, and the costs are often significantly more than the hosting & base costs of a CMS. Using a web CMS that doesn’t need plugins or add-ons, lets you keep more of your money - instead of giving it to third party applications.
Plugins can quickly creep up on your operating expenses, making it more difficult for you to generate a profit from your online store.
Big sales, with a small budget
Successful eCommerce websites don’t need expensive and elaborate customizations, designs, or add-ons. The best online customer experiences come from the sites that create seamless transitions from ’I need’ to ’I ordered’. For most business owners, affordability is an essential goal to go after with their eCommerce website, which should never affect your quality of service.
If you’re currently running an online store, take some time to review it - and consider if it’s both affordable and successful.
If you’re thinking of starting an eCommerce website, you can chat with our team, who can help you plan out & launch the perfect store for your business at this time (and going forward).
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