Key guidelines on how to take your store from physical to online

South Africa’s retail industry holds a special place in the South African business landscape.

This sector is the source of diverse goods and services which are needed by households and businesses.

This sector has also been impacted by the digital revolution which has changed how business is done.

It’s therefore not surprising that many retail stores which boasted of huge numbers of brick-and-mortar stores have placed enhanced efforts on creating online shopping platforms.

For those who are starting their retail businesses, online retailing is proving to be very lucrative from a financial and consumer reach point of view.

What are the key steps to follow to launch an online store?

Research

Research is a key cornerstone of any business enterprise. The research aspect of establishing an online store entails finding out what your targeted consumer market looks like.

Are you targeting the youth market, adults, etc. You also need to research into what type of products are in demand by online shoppers.

Web design

It’s vitally important to remember that online shopping is about visual appeal. This means your online platform must appeal to the eye of a prospective shopper.

You therefore should consider hiring a professional web designer to assist you set up a good shopping platform.

If you are short on finances, you can also consider getting a ready-made online template and customise it to your specifications. Key in this regard is to make sure you use attractive full-width images and avoid having a text-heavy platform, let the products speak for themselves.

For credibility purposes, make sure you add your contact email, your physical address and social media pages for easy engagement.

You can then choose your domain name and hosting platform. In short, make sure your online store is responsive and interactive.

Partnerships

Good business partnerships with reputable business brands can drive your business fortunes to new heights. Not only does it improve your online credibility but you can enjoy a good amount of business from referrals.

Products

You need to make sure your online store is known for quality products. Take time to source quality products and price them correctly. Do research on market-related pricing to ensure your product is neither over nor under-priced which could negatively impact your business.

Setting a fair price ensures reasonable profit margins while adding catchy descriptions to each of your products will make it more appealing to potential buyers.

Payment options

Payment options can make or break your online business. You should consider secure and user-friendly payment platforms for consumers.

The business market offers a number of options in this regard. A good payment option must allow consumers to create their own
accounts and give them maximum security.

Some of the most popular payment platforms include Amazon Pay, Google Pay, Visa, PayPal, MasterCard, Amazon Pay, etc. Your

payment options must also be receptive to key factors such as bulk prices, discounts, taxes, etc.

Blog

Blogs provide businesses with a rare opportunity to proactively engage with consumers without making them feel like they are being forced to buy something.

Your blog can contain relevant retail developments and aspects of your business which consumers may wish to know.

You can also develop an email marketing list to directly reach your customers.

Shipping and courier

Online stores attract buyers from near and far places. You, therefore, need to consider how your products will reach the buyers. You can enlist your company with reputable shipping and courier companies.

As you do this, you need to be clear about delivery timeframes. You can choose to add in a slight mark up on the price for delivery so that buyers can buy into the idea of free delivery while you maintain your profit margins.

Launch with a bang

You can launch your online store with a bang by running effective launch campaigns such as giveaway competitions on social media, leaflets at strategic locations and generally asking those you know to like your social media pages and spread the word.

An appearance on radio and television if possible will do your retail brand lots of good.

The guidelines provided above will go a long way in helping you achieve online store success.

Guzzle Media