Did you know that you can enhance your WordPress website by selling your products and services online? It’s true. It’s easy to create an online store using an Ecommerce website with WordPress!
8 Step Process to Sell Products or Services Online
Let’s talk about the process to create a product or service for sale online. Don’t let the process scare you. Keep in mind that the RVT Solutions Team can set everything up for you, and help you work through the process. Work with us to create your unique Ecommerce website, and we'll follow these 8 steps.
1. Determine Products Customers Want to Buy Online
Take a few minutes to think about which of your products and services are mostly likely something that your customers would feel comfortable purchasing online. This would include products that can be easily described with words and pictures. Products or services that might not require as much of an in-person process. Keep in mind you can always add more products and service as things move along and as you analyze your success.
2. Determine Product Categories
Once you have determined what products you want to sell, you will want to set your product categories. This is a way to organize your products or services so that they are easy to find for your website visitors. Ease of use is a very important factor to a successful website. For example, if you are a clothing boutique your categories might be: tops, bottoms, dresses, shoes, and accessories.
Create Your Product or Service Pages
Your product or service pages are SO important. Spend the time and effort needed to make them the best they can be! It will pay off BIG in the end, because product pages have a huge impact on how many of your website visitors end up converting to customers.
3. Optimize Product Names
Likely you already have a name for each of your products or services, unless they are brand new. But are these names optimized for your E-commerce site? If not, maybe they could be optimized a bit. Follow these tips for creating or optimizing your product names. Names should:
- Be easy to remember. It needs to stick in the minds of your customers.
- Instantly communicate the product benefit. Customers want to know what’s in it for them!
- Resonate with your market. Reach your target audience in your industry.
- Be clear and concise. Avoid names that are too unique…yes, there is such a thing.
- Be easy to understand. Make it quickly clear to the customer what you are offering.
4. Write Product Descriptions
Now that you have clear, descriptive names for each of the products or services that you want to offer online, it’s time to write your product descriptions. This is where you get the chance to talk about what makes your product awesome. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you write.
- Start by describing how your product fills a need or solves a problem. Again, what’s in it for them! This may not be easy for every product, be creative…but don’t force it.
- Go into detail about how certain product features help solve this problem, fill the need or achieve a goal. Pitch your product or service, but without the sell, sell, sell mentality.
- Do what works best for your product. Depending on what you’re selling, you should tweak things a bit to fit your industry best.
- Use keywords and keyword phrases that your target audience will be searching for. This will help your products and category pages do well with SEO.
5. Snap Great Product Photos
Great photos sell products! Your customers expect high-quality photos. Here are some tips to follow during your product photo shoots.
- Use a high-quality camera.
- Take photos of the product in action. Highlight the features.
- Snap photos from different, flattering angles.
- Take photos of someone using the product or service.
Remember, a picture is worth one-thousand words. Use them wisely.
Optimize Your Company Pages
If you have a current WordPress website, you probably already have a homepage, about us page and contact us page. If not, you will need to create content for these pages. If these pages are already in place, it is good to review them and optimize them as needed to promote your product or service pages.
6. Create a Homepage Product Section
Not that you have an e-commerce section on your website. You will want to feature it on your homepage. Grab your visitor’s attention right away. Think about what would be the best way to feature your products or services. Maybe it is creating a featured product section that rotates different products each month based your marketing plan, the season, new products, etc. Or it could be simply featuring your most popular products and reviewing and updating them bi-weekly. You'll certainly want to make it easy for people to find your online store and products, so be sure to use a "buy now" button that stands out.
Whatever you choose as the best option, be sure to change products or services regularly for search engine optimization (SEO). Search Engines like Google rank website that continually update their content higher than websites who do not. More website traffic is always a WIN!
7. Review About Us Page
Go back and review your About Us page. Is it just a collection of facts or does it tell a story? Does it pull your readers in and make them want to read on? Of not, give it a quick revision. Again, consistently updating pages is great for SEO.
One important factor of your About Us page now that you have an Ecommerce website is clearly defining your target audience. Describe the type of person that would benefit from your product or service. Speak to them. This is an important addition to make to this page if you have not already done so. You could also add a call to action with a link to your or services.
8. Evaluate Contact Us Page
Take a quick minute to review all of the contact info on your page and edit as needed. Now that you have an Ecommerce website, you may get more product question. Make sure that you have or create a form on your Contact Us page, check that is it working correctly, and ensure that it is monitored consistently.
Start by filling out a test form. Check to make sure that your test comes through properly. Finally, assign someone in your business to monitor and answer questions and requests coming in.
Interested in an Ecommerce Website?
Start selling your products and services online. We are happy to help you from start to finish, just reach out! Thank you.
