Photo Credit: Andrea Piacquadio via www.pexels.com

Running a business online is not only exciting, but also challenging. There will be days when you can’t get your products out the door fast enough, such is the demand. Then there will be others when you wonder if there’s anyone out there at all.  Ideally, you’ll experience more of the former type than the latter. Here are five tips to help make that happen

Create good product pages

Be honest with yourself: how good are the product pages on your website? They should do everything they can to highlight your products and make them appeal to your customers. You should provide clear descriptions that compel your customers to buy them. Say what the product is, what it does and why your customers should buy it. Make sure the photography on your page is good, too, so that people can see clearly what they’re buying.

Change your internet provider

You need a reliable internet connection to run a successful online business and serve your customers well. A good average broadband speed is 10 to 11 Mbps, but since you’ll be working a lot with your website, you may prefer fibre optic broadband, which is faster and can offer you speeds of up to as much as 1 Mbps.

Don’t forget that you’ll probably have to speak to suppliers and clients by phone, so you may want to check out the different broadband and phone deals, especially if you’re not happy with your current broadband provider. Calling people is quicker than emailing them and if you get a deal that combines broadband service and landline calls, you could save some money.

Proofread your website

Taking a few minutes each day to proofread your website will be the most valuable task you’ll ever do. Read the copy like your customers would read it and see what you think. Are there any sloppy spelling errors? Is it easy to read?

Search for your business on the internet and see if you can find it. When you click on a search result does it take you where you want to go? Can a customer do easily whatever they need to do to buy from you? Making these small checks and any necessary changes could make a big difference to your business.

Use video demonstrations

If you can offer a product demonstration on your website — and if it makes sense to do so — film one and upload it. This works well for products that are unique or creative. Videos are a terrific way to demonstrate a product’s functionality and show the customer how it fits into their lives (and improves them).

Add photos to testimonials

Testimonials are an excellent way to get someone to vouch for your business. Happy customers are often willing to recommend you to others. If you want a testimonial to be more convincing, however, add a picture to the testimonial, as well as the person’s full name and job title. This allows potential customers to put a face to the name and see that the testimonial is genuine.

If you want to boost your e-business, the tips above will work towards that. Some simple tweaks could make all the difference between a busy day with lots of sales and a quiet day with no sales. Why not give them a try?