Pretend it’s 1962, and you need to hire a plumber. What do you do first? Do you look in the phonebook and go for the very first business listed in the A section? Ask your friends for recommendations? Okay, now let’s say you need to buy some shoes. You might go shop at the two or three shoe stores in town, and whatever they have in stock that week are your only options. 

 In today’s world, the way we shop has changed dramatically. In 2017, e-store commerce accounted for 9% of sales in the U.S. By 2020, that number is expected to rise to over 12%, and this kind of rapid growth of market share does not look to be dropping off anytime soon. Retailers in today’s markets need representation online to compete, and for many small retailers, e-stores offer a much cheaper alternative with a wider reach than traditional brick and mortar stores. However, with thousands of retailers popping up every day, how can you make your online business stand out? The days of calling yourself “A1 Plumbing” are over. Today’s e-stores must implement thoughtful customer strategies and metric-oriented action plans in order to have a chance of succeeding, which can be intimidating to the uninitiated. 

This course will give the aspiring online entrepreneur a solid, easy to understand structure for setting up their own successful e-store or revamping their current one. Clear and simple step-by step instructions will help you examine areas for improvement or development and get you started on the path to rapid customer conversion. Don’t know what customer conversion means? Don’t worry, you will. By the end of this course, students will walk away with confident knowledge of e-store basics, inspired to face the competition. 

Areas This Course Will Cover:

Key Metrics

You will learn how to make an honest assessment of your site’s metrics using Google Analytics. You will also learn how to identify essential analytics and set clear metric goals, while gaining an understanding of daily conversion rates, unique purchases, visitor behavior, and how to avoid shopping cart abandonment. 

Consistent Branding

Learn how to craft a simple and consistent message that engages your target demographics. You will create a Unique Value Proposition for your business that sets you apart from the online competition. Learn how to connect with your customers, look for target markets, and spread your brand benefit. 

User Experience

Here, we will discuss and analyze the sales processes of successful online companies such as Amazon to identify the benefits and fallbacks of different point of sale strategies. You will learn how to make the sales process simple, enjoyable, and smooth by utilizing customer testing and feedback. 

Customer Conversion

In this section, we’ll discuss the benefits of professional content and copywriting for persuasive web copy. You will learn the basics of creating your own content and copy, including benefit, keywords, style, and attention-grabbing headlines. Furthermore, you will discover how to use video and graphics to increase customer conversion as well as streamline a sales process and set up a regular routine of metric monitoring that helps identify problems and apply customer feedback. We’ll also cover using alt-tags and captions, as well as testimonials and customer posts – to build a sense of brand community, keeping your e-store dynamic and engaging. 

Mobile Optimization

Many customers rely on tablets or smartphones for much of their Internet browsing, and e-stores must be adaptable, looking just as good on a phone as a laptop. Just one bad visit can turn a customer away for life. Learn how to keep copy and graphics simple, with translatable text and flexible sales processes. From building mobile-specific sites to using responsive software and multiple device testing, you'll understand how to make your site look good on a variety of devices. 

Sales Strategies

Learn the basics of up-selling, down-selling, and cross-selling. Discover how to use buyer tracking software to offer customers similar products as well as how to manage an effective email marketing campaign. Putting customers first builds relationships and strengthens a brand’s reputation, a priority in today’s social media driven world. 

Customer Service

Learn the basics of online customer service to save yourself a lot of headaches in the future. We will discuss how to speedily address issues, putting your customers’ experiences first and setting protocols in place for employees. We will cover FAQ sections and how to write them, contact avenues, refund policies, and how to use mistakes to stay constantly improving to give your customers the best possible interaction. 

Social Media

Instagram might seem like fun and games, and Twitter is just jokes, right? Not so fast. Social media brand accounts are often huge drivers of not only purchases, but customer loyalty. Social media presents a rare chance to continuously connect with target markets in a very personal way. Learn the basics of what media accounts work best, how to create shareable posts, and how much time a day should be given to social media maintenance. 

Email Marketing and Lead Generation

Discover how to create and manage a successful email marketing campaign, using analytics to craft the perfect, most effective message. We’ll cover the importance of demographic research, test and follow-up emails, and the ins and outs of offering discounts and freebies. We will also discuss how to create a growing database of leads from your online store. 

Get Serious About Your Sales

The aim of this course is to leave you feeling competent and confident in your online retail abilities by offering a broad, comprehensive view of this growing industry. As industry professionals, we understand the importance of strategy schedules, continuous testing, and identifying successes and failures. You will leave with formulated action plans and simple checklists to help you continue your journey after you have completed the course. Knowing the next actions to take, and what data to track for peak sales performance, will help you take your e-store to the next level. 

Are you ready? Then hit that enroll button and let's get started!