Scaling your eCommerce store is no small feat—and who better to guide the way than those who’ve done it themselves? We reached out to a variety of experienced eCommerce experts to find the strategies that work in the real world.

In this article, we share their insights, drawn from real-world experience. Then we turn their thoughts into clear steps you can follow so you can scale efficiently and sustainably.

This guide covers everything from streamlining operations to fostering long-term customer loyalty. Along the way, we’ll also talk about important metrics you can watch so you can make smarter decisions.

Whether you’re trying to optimize a successful business or grow your brand into something much bigger, this advice can help you as you grow.

How do I make eCommerce scalable?

Scaling an eCommerce store means you have to think like a civil engineer. Let’s say you’re building a skyscraper. You know that if the foundation isn’t rock-solid, everything is going to end up being unstable under the weight of every extra pound of girders and beams.

That means your goal is to create systems that grow with your business. That means streamlined operations, efficient logistics, and scalable technology.

Try to scale without these, and you’ll find that scaling just means multiplying problems. Efficiency is the name of the game.

Below are specific steps to make eCommerce scalable, broken down into actionable tips.

1. Tighten your backend systems.

Matthew Engelage, founder of Chin Mounts, emphasizes that “scaling a broken system just increases frustration.” Your inventory management, shipping processes, and customer support need to operate seamlessly. Without these foundations, every new order risks becoming a headache. He also warns to “keep an eye on your margins. Growing quickly doesn’t mean much if you’re not profitable.”

Tip: Either use software or make better use of existing software to manage your inventory and order fulfillment. The less manual work involved, the more room you have to grow.

2. Find your bottlenecks.

“Scaling effectively is all about efficiency,” says David Taylor, founder of Academized.com. Take time to analyze where your business slows down. Is your team underperforming? Is your customer acquisition cost (CAC) unsustainable?

Put another way, you need to focus on “solving the right problem in the right way,” to borrow words from Olivia Tapper, Co-founder & COO of PetPortraits.com.

Tip: Review your figures, not just your feelings. Taking a hard look at your key business data will help you find the actual underlying issues that are holding you back the most, whether they’re in your marketing, pricing strategy, or operations.

3. Build the right team.

At the heart of operations is people. “If they’re not performing, their role and contribution might be unclear,” says Tapper.

Keeping underperformers for too long can drag down growth. Instead, invest in talent aligned with your values and goals.

Tip: With any new hires you make, follow a checklist that you develop before interviewing begins. That way you have a better chance of making sure every role contributes directly to scalability.

4. Automate and optimize.

“Focus on automating like a pro,” advises Kumar Vaibhav Tanwar, Founder of Clickworthy Digital Marketing. Automation is your best friend when scaling. Tools for inventory, customer relationship management, and order processing will help you cut down on manual errors and free up time.

Muhammad Imran Khan of Brand Ignite highlights platforms like Shopify Plus for their scalability, stating that “improving website performance and user experience ensures that increased traffic can be managed without hiccups.”

Tip: Use platforms that grow with you. Automate repetitive tasks to handle higher volumes without sacrificing quality.

5. Strengthen supplier relationships.

Strong supplier relationships are critical, says Brandon Hartman of BeyWarehouse. “Ensuring that you have a great working and professional relationship with the suppliers you work with means that you can expect consistent high-quality items and timely delivery.”

The opposite is also true: a rocky supply chain can derail growth.

Tip: Treat suppliers like partners. Clear communication and reliability build the trust needed for scaling.

6. Master financial planning.

Andy Gartland of Fitstraps UK stresses the importance of managing overhead costs during growth. “Think new employees, expanded warehousing, and fulfillment costs. Always make double sure that these costs are factored into your scaling plan to avoid unsustainable growth.”

Tip: Track media spend efficiency holistically, not just through platform metrics. Make sure every dollar works toward sustainable revenue growth.

7. Scale marketing effectively.

Before you spend a lot of time and money building systems to scale, you need to have compelling reasons to believe your marketing systems can help you bring in leads. Otherwise, you risk ballooning operating costs and not having the revenues to make up for it.

Tapper highlights the importance of understanding your customer acquisition costs and lifetime value (LTV). “What’s your ratio between LTV and CAC? Understand if you can scale the current ads or need to improve the marketing.”

Tip: Benchmark your CAC against industry standards. Test higher price points or adjust marketing strategies to maximize ROI.

8. Optimize customer experience.

Brian Lim of iHeartRaves points out that “maintaining proper coordination between inventory, order service, and online customer service” is key to managing larger volumes without sacrificing satisfaction.

His logic makes perfect intuitive sense, too. If you win a bunch of new business and you find yourself unable to fill orders, process returns, or answer questions in a timely manner, that new business is not likely to stick around for long.

Tip: Streamline logistics and focus on a seamless customer journey. Use scalable tech to ensure consistency across every touchpoint.

What’s the formula for eCommerce business success?

The formula for success in eCommerce isn’t a one-size-fits-all recipe. Rather, it’s more useful to think of it like a balance of strategies tailored to your brand, customers, and goals.

At its core, success hinges on attracting the right audience, converting them into customers, and nurturing those relationships for the long term.

Combining sustainable channels like SEO and content marketing with high-intent strategies like paid ads and email campaigns will help you create a growth engine that’s both effective in the short run and adaptable in the long run.

Here’s how to build your formula for success.

1. Prioritize high-intent traffic.

“Focus on what brings in real customers, not just traffic,” says Matthew Engelage of Chin Mounts. He highlights the value of search ads, organic SEO, and email marketing. Social media might generate awareness, but higher intent platforms drive conversions. “Retargeting is also a must—remind people why they clicked in the first place.”

Tip: Focus ad spend on platforms where users actively search for products, like Google Ads, and combine it with retargeting campaigns to recapture interest.

2. Leverage the long-term power of SEO.

SEO is often overlooked by eCommerce businesses, but Olivia Tapper calls it the “[backbone traffic]” for sustainable growth. “When your potential customers are searching for your product or service, they find you]” SEO’s ROI grows over time as consistent investments lead to compounding results.

Tip: Conduct keyword research to target what customers are actively searching for. Optimize your site to rank higher, and let SEO reduce reliance on paid traffic.

3. Use content marketing to engage and educate.

“Creating engaging and educational content is a great way to bring in organic traffic,” says Brandon Hartman of BeyWarehouse. “Organic traffic is high-value traffic since these people [are likely searching] with intent to buy.”

Tip: Publish blog posts, tutorials, and product guides that answer customer questions and establish your brand as an authority in your niche.

4. Blend digital channels for sustainable growth.

David Taylor stresses the importance of combining “content your readers will like, SEO to boost your visibility, personalized targeted ads, and automated email campaigns.”

Muhammad Imran Khan echoes this sentiment, suggesting a mix of SEO, content, and paid campaigns, complemented by “retargeting ads and personalized product recommendations.”

Tip: Use SEO for organic visibility, email campaigns for retention, and paid ads for instant results. Layer retargeting ads and product recommendations to boost ROI.

5. Build trust with user-generated content and influencers.

For brands in beauty and personal care, Khan has seen “influencer partnerships and UGC” build trust and engagement. “It’s been a game-changer for the brands I’ve worked with.”

Tip: Encourage customers to share reviews and photos of your products on social media. Partner with influencers who resonate with your target audience for added credibility.

6. Diversify your acquisition strategies.

Andy Gartland recommends a “balanced mix between many channels” to scale effectively. “Google Ads provides high-intent traffic, SEO reduces reliance on paid channels, and email marketing helps retain customers longer.” Social media ads on Meta and TikTok drive retargeting and keep the brand top-of-mind.

Tip: Avoid over-reliance on any single channel. Use a combination of Google Ads, SEO, email, and social media for a more resilient growth strategy.

7. Balance acquisition and retention.

Brian Lim reminds us to “balance acquisition efforts with nurturing existing customers for steady growth.” Retaining loyal customers is often more cost-effective than constantly finding new ones.

Tip: Use automated email flows to keep customers engaged post-purchase. Personalized campaigns can upsell, cross-sell, or simply remind them of their next purchase.

8. Test, measure, and refine.

No formula is perfect out of the gate. “Think holistically,” says Gartland, “[because] in-platform metrics tend to be inflated.” Reviewing data from all campaigns will help you make sure your approach stays efficient.

Tip: Regularly audit your marketing efforts to identify what works best. Adjust ad spend, refine content strategies, and experiment with new tools to improve results.

What’s a good eCommerce conversion rate? And what other KPIs should I be tracking?

Scaling your eCommerce store is not just about growth—it’s about sustainable growth. To make smart decisions, you need to rely on certain specific key metrics that provide meaningful information about the health of your business.

Metrics like customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), and conversion rates reveal whether you’re attracting the right customers and converting them profitably. These metrics, paired with insights like cart abandonment rates and average order value (AOV), form the foundation of a data-driven approach to scaling.

1. Lifetime value (LTV) vs. customer acquisition cost (CAC).

The relationship between LTV and CAC is a cornerstone of scaling decisions. “If LTV is at least 3x your CAC, you’re on the right path to sustainable scaling,” says Oun Art, Founder & Chief Link Strategist at LinkEmpire.io.

“If CAC is creeping up and LTV isn’t keeping pace, you’ve got a problem,” warns Matthew Engelage. Increasing LTV ensures long-term profitability, even as you grow.

Tip: To increase LTV, focus on upselling, cross-selling, and building loyalty programs. Reduce CAC by targeting high-intent customers through optimized marketing strategies like retargeting and SEO.

2. Conversion rate optimization.

Your conversion rate indicates how effectively you’re turning visitors into customers. “Conversion rates ensure decisions are backed by actionable insights,” explains Muhammad Imran Khan. A low conversion rate can highlight issues in your product pages, checkout process, or pricing.

Tip: Use A/B testing to refine page designs and calls to action. Review your checkout process to make sure it’s easy to use, has minimal steps, and no surprise fees.

3. Cart abandonment.

A high cart abandonment rate signals potential friction in your checkout process. “Cart abandonment signals that something’s off with your checkout process or pricing,” says Engelage. Customers abandoning carts means you’re losing sales at the final step.

Tip: Simplify the checkout experience, offer incentives like free shipping, and send automated cart recovery emails to recapture lost sales.

4. Average order value (AOV).

A higher AOV allows you to generate more revenue without acquiring more customers. “I prioritize AOV and [LTV]” says Brandon Hartman. By encouraging customers to spend more per purchase, you boost profitability without increasing CAC.

Tip: Offer product bundles, volume discounts, or recommendations for complementary items at checkout to increase AOV.

5. Return on ad spend (ROAS) and marketing efficiency ratio (MER).

ROAS and MER help you measure the effectiveness of your ad spend. Return on ad spend can be calculated by sales made through ad by spending on ads. Marketing efficiency ratio, on the other hand, is calculated by dividing total revenue by spending on ads.

“MER gives a much clearer, more objective view of your growth potential,” explains Andy Gartland, especially when platform-reported metrics inflate results.

Tip: Evaluate MER to assess your total ad efficiency relative to revenue, and use ROAS to fine-tune individual campaigns.

6. SEO metrics, various.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) metrics guide decisions on organic growth potential. “[Keyword volume, competitiveness, clickthrough rates, and conversion rates] show whether SEO is a good investment,” says Olivia Tapper.

Tip: Analyze keyword data to understand market demand and prioritize ranking for terms with high intent. A well-optimized site will help reduce your reliance on paid ads.

What is the key to customer retention?

Customer loyalty is earned, not given. It’s built on a foundation of trust, consistency, and meaningful engagement.

To foster loyalty, you need to prioritize delivering value—through high-quality products, exceptional customer service, and personalized experiences.

Loyalty programs, thoughtful gestures, and consistent follow-ups go a long way in keeping your customers happy and engaged.

Ultimately, the secret to loyalty is making your customers feel valued at every touchpoint. Here is how you do that.

1. Prioritize product quality.

“All you really have to do is consistently provide great, high-quality products]” says Brandon Hartman. Customers are discerning and won’t hesitate to seek alternatives. “If you’re able to consistently release and sell high-quality products, it builds trust.”

Tip: Invest in product development to guarantee quality. Regularly survey your customers for feedback and act on it to meet their expectations.

2. Deliver exceptional customer service.

Matthew Engelage advises making returns “hassle-free” and answering questions quickly. Olivia Tapper highlights the importance of “a customer support team that really cares.” She further clarifies, saying that “our own brands have an amazing person who constantly gets praise in feedback from customers.”

Tip: Train support teams to handle issues empathetically and efficiently. Offer multiple channels for support, like live chat, email, and phone, and ensure quick response times.

3. Create personalized experiences.

“Treat customers like VIPs,” suggests Kumar Vaibhav Tanwar. “Remember their names (and their cart items), and send discounts before they wander to competitors.” Personalized interactions show customers that you see them as individuals, not just transactions.

Tip: Use CRM tools to track customer behavior and preferences. Send tailored product recommendations and exclusive offers based on their purchase history.

4. Leverage loyalty programs.

Loyalty thrives on appreciation. “[Loyalty programs, personalized email campaigns, and exclusive offers for repeat customers] work well,” says Muhammad Imran Khan. “Gamified points systems and unannounced rewards” can add a fun, engaging layer to loyalty-building, suggests Brian Lim.

Tip: Implement tiered rewards programs with benefits like discounts, early access to products, and special gifts. Use gamification elements like point challenges or badges to encourage engagement.

5. Use small gestures to build trust.

Oun Art stresses the power of “small surprises—like a thank-you note or bonus gift.” These gestures may seem minor, but they create positive emotional connections with your brand.

Tip: Include personalized thank-you notes in orders. Occasionally surprise loyal customers with bonus gifts or exclusive perks.

6. Engage through social media.

“We build loyalty through active social engagement,” says Andy Gartland. Staying visible and interactive on platforms like TikTok, Meta, and YouTube nurtures a sense of community and keeps your brand top of mind.

Tip: Respond to comments and messages promptly. Share user-generated content and highlight loyal customers in your posts to foster a stronger bond.

7. Optimize email marketing.

Targeted email campaigns are another powerful tool. “Segment your emails based on customer click rates and tailor them to each subscriber’s engagement level,” suggests Gartland. “Automated follow-ups and exclusive offers keep customers engaged.”

Tip: Use email automation tools to send personalized messages at key moments—welcome emails, post-purchase follow-ups, and re-engagement campaigns.

8. Deliver consistently.

“Consistency is key—both in product quality and communication,” emphasizes Khan. Customers stay loyal to brands that meet their expectations time and again.

Tip: Maintain reliable shipping times, and ensure your messaging aligns across channels. Consistency builds trust and reinforces your brand’s credibility.

9. Build a community.

Brian Lim highlights how “social sharing tools and gamified engagement foster stronger emotional ties to the brand.” Communities provide customers with a sense of belonging, making them more likely to return.

Tip: Create forums, Facebook groups, or branded hashtags where customers can interact with each other and your team. Foster an inclusive and supportive environment.

Final Thoughts

Success in eCommerce isn’t about doing one thing perfectly—it’s about combining the right strategies consistently. You need to try certain strategies and observe how they work, ideally with empirical metrics like CAC, LTV, and conversion rates. This test-and-observe approach will help guide you toward smart and battle-tested decisions.

You need a strong foundation of your business and a plan for fostering long-term relationships with your customers. You must focus your attention on the essentials like streamlined systems, high-quality products, and personalized customer experiences. That is how you set yourself on the path to create a business built for growth.

One of the most common bits of advice in eCommerce is to make landing pages.

But what do you put on those landing pages? And how do landing pages impact other marketing tasks you take on, such as running ads?

These are complex questions, but important ones to answer. That’s why we reached out Ro Patel from Starbound, a company that specializes in improving eCommerce conversion rates.

We sent him a bunch of questions by email, and he was kind enough to send responses back. We will now share those responses with you with only minimal editing for clarity and flow.

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Why do store owners need landing pages? 

This is a great question, and a pretty common one we hear from store owners.

As you likely know, most e-com businesses spend a ton of money on paid advertising, as it’s a critical part of most growing brands’ marketing strategy.

But most of that traffic is sent directly to templated, generic product pages or collections pages.

And that’s a real problem, because sending visitors to a simple product page is like handing them a catalog.

Sure, it lists the features, prices, and technical details to give you a general idea of what the product does.

But that’s not why visitors came to your site.

They came to your site because they want to know if your product is the solution to their problem.

And your job is to guide the visitor towards understanding that what you’re selling is for them.

And that’s where landing pages come in.

Landing pages are standalone web pages designed specifically to convert visitors towards some targeted and specific goal (like purchases or signups).

It’s like having a personal salesperson that deeply understands your visitors.

It doesn’t just show them the product, it tells them why they need it, addresses their concerns, and guides them to make a confident purchase without any distractions or confusion.

So that’s why landing pages are critical, especially for stores that are spending money on paid ads:

• Provide Clear Direction – Landing pages remove all distractions and make it extremely obvious what next step the visitor should take, making it much more likely they’ll continue down the customer journey.
• Address Objections – A landing page anticipates questions like, “Is this worth the price?” or “Will this really work for me?” and answers them right there, removing barriers that would otherwise keep the visitor from purchasing.
• They Tell the Story – Product pages list features, but landing pages frame those features as benefits that solve your customers’ problems, and give your offers context to drive more sales (i.e. landing page for a limited time holiday bundle)
• Seamless Customer Journey – A landing page aligns perfectly with the ad or email that brought them there, creating trust and consistency to leads to higher likelihood of conversion.
• They Boost Conversions – By guiding your visitors with hyper-targeted copy, engaging visuals, and a structured user experience, landing pages turn more visitors into customers.

When you’re running traffic to a product page, you’re relying on your visitors to sell themselves. A landing page gives you the ability to overcome all your visitors’ objections and get (way) more of them to actually buy.

How do conversion rates matter in the larger picture of marketing and sales? 

Your conversion rates are one of the biggest levers you can influence that have an outsized impact to your:

• ROI
• Customer Acquisition Costs
• Scalability
• Long-term Growth

Here’s a quick example of a business that gets 50,000 visitors to their site every month, with a product they sell for $50:

Notice that the only thing changing is the conversion rate, and only by a few tenths of a percentage. But it results in huge growth in revenue.

Having higher conversion rates mean you get more value out of every dollar spent on ads, emails, or any other traffic source.

And the best part? These are permanent gains, not one-time quick wins. When all this comes together, you end up with:

• lower customer acquisition costs
• higher profit margins
• revenue growth

Bottom line: improving your conversion rates is amongst the highest-ROI things you can do to dramatically grow your business in a relatively short time period.

How do the key elements of a landing page (e.g., design, copy, and CTAs) influence ad conversion rates? 

Ads will drive traffic to your website all day long, all you need to do is throw money at it.

But whether or not that traffic actually turns into paying customers is the main job for your landing pages.

There are quite a few different components that make up a conversion-optimized landing page, and each one impacts visitor behavior directly.

Site Speed 

There’s been multiple studies done that show a direct correlation between page load time and conversion rate impact.

And it should come as no surprise that the faster your page loads, the higher your conversion rate will be.

According to a recent Portent study, an e-commerce site that loads in 1 second will have conversion rates 2.5x higher than a site that loads in 5 seconds.

We’re not talking about small differences, we’re talking about double and triple revenue, just due to site speed.

Page Structure 

All landing pages don’t follow the same formula, and how they’re structured depends on the purpose of the page.

Some take the form of advertorials that blend informative, editorial-style content with promotional elements to subtly promote products.

Others take the form of hero pages that are designed to immediately capture visitors’ attention and convey the core message or value proposition, without requiring the visitor to read too far down a page.

There are many other ways to structure a landing page, and sending visitors to the right ones based on where they are in their customer journey has a direct impact to conversion rates.

Headlines & Copywriting

Without a doubt, your headlines are one of the only things that you can be reasonably sure that most page visitors will read.

We’ve seen over and over again, through using heatmaps to identify on-page behavior, that almost everything else is likely to be skimmed, or even skipped entirely.

That’s why writing engaging headlines that immediately hook visitors to continue reading down the page is the most influential component of any landing page, when it comes to conversion rate impact.

Design 

Design is not just about making things look pretty.

It’s about trust.

When your landing pages are organized and designed to engage the visitor, they’re way more likely to continue consuming the content on the page.

And the more they consume, the more “bought-in” they become to your story, your products, and their benefits. And that ultimately leads to more conversions.

Social Proof 

Social proof is one of the most important elements of any landing page, and again, comes down to trust.

Nowadays, people don’t buy anything without first reading and watching reviews.

According to Capital One Shopping, 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, with nearly 70% of online shoppers reading between 1-6 reviews before deciding to buy (Statista).

That means your landing pages must include real proof of what your customers are saying about your products.

Offer 

Most businesses think their “offer” is simply the product(s) they sell.

But the reality is, it’s actually how they package what they sell. And this matters a ton for landing pages.

Let’s use planners as an example.

The product might be a quarterly habit tracking planner.

An offer, however, would be an discounted annual subscription for the planner (where the buyer gets 4 to cover them for the year).

Notice the difference?

How you position what you sell is your offer. And the more compelling your offer is on your landing page, the better your conversion rates will be.

What common mistakes do you see on landing pages that harm conversion rates, especially for eCommerce businesses? 

While there are quite a few, I’ll limit it to the top 6 that I generally see:

1. Templated product pages as landing pages – Particularly for e-commerce businesses, so many rely on their site’s default product to do all the selling for them, which leaves a lot of money on the table
2. Slow load times – As we discussed earlier, even a 1-second delay can have huge negative impacts to conversion rates (one study shows every second results in a ~6% drop in conversion rates)
3. No social proof – Nowadays, people don’t buy without getting the opinions of others first (even from strangers on the internet). If you don’t share what your customers love about your products, you’ll have a hard time converting new customers, since they won’t trust that you can actually provide what you say you will.
4. Overwhelming information – So many landing pages try to cram as much text as possible into page section, thinking that getting as much information out as possible will help the visitor make a decision. It doesn’t, it only confuses people.
5. Lack of mobile optimization – Even in 2024, you’d be surprised to see how many businesses still have barely useable mobile landing pages, where core elements end up being covered by popups and text becomes illegible. Nowadays, the majority of many business’ traffic is mobile, so this is critical.
6. Generic copywriting – So much page copy simply describes features and technical specs, without targeting the reasons people actually buy: benefits.

How can landing pages be optimized specifically for eCommerce clients to align better with ad campaigns? 

Iteratively testing and improving any/all of the components can immediately improve conversion rates for most landing pages.

But if you want to get even more granular, you can do things like:

• Make sure your headline and visuals on your landing page mirror the ad’s promise, so visitors know they’re in the right place
• Promote ONLY the product(s) that you promote in your ads, and nothing else, to keep the landing page distraction-free
• Ensure your mobile pages are optimized, since the majority of e-commerce traffic is mobile now
• Incorporate urgency (”this offer ends in 12 hours!”) and scarcity (”Only 8 left in stock!”) into your landing pages, to drive people towards a purchase decision faster
• Build landing pages that target the specific demographics that your ad campaigns are targeting
• Write your landing page copy such that the headline references back to the copy used in the ad campaigns they are tied to
• Incorporate as many trust elements as you can, including social proof (reviews, testimonials, user generated content), certifications, security badges, and clear return policies

What metrics should eCommerce businesses track to evaluate the success of their landing pages in ad campaigns? 

While the importance of each metric listed here may differ depending on the intent of the landing page, at a high level, these are the 7 core metrics that are most important to track:

1. Conversion Rate – The percentage of visitors who complete the desired action, whether it’s a purchase, sign-up, or other goal. This is your north star.
2. Bounce Rate – The percentage of visitors who leave without interacting with anything on your page. A high bounce rate usually means that the page isn’t meeting expectations, and there’s a disconnect between your ad traffic and your landing page content.
3. Average Order Value (AOV) – Measures how much customers are spending on average per transaction, indicating whether upsells and bundles are working. While improving conversion rates alone has huge impacts, when you combine that with increasing AOV through better offers, you can truly explode your business.
4. Revenue Per Visitor (RPV) – Tracks the average revenue generated by each visitor to your landing page. This metric helps us more easily determine profitability, as we can compare this number against how much it costs to bring a visitor to the page.
5. Click-Through Rate (CTR) – CTR shows how many visitors move to the next step, which is mainly an important metric to track ad performance, but also important for landing pages if there’s multiple steps in your sales process.
6. Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) – Calculates the revenue generated from your ads relative to their cost, tying ad performance to landing page effectiveness.
7. Page Load Time – A slow page can drive visitors away, so keep an eye on this metric to avoid losing sales to technical issues.

How can A/B testing improve the performance of landing pages for eCommerce ads? 

A/B testing is an amazing way to guarantee revenue (and profit) growth.

Buying habits change over time, and the interests and behaviors of your audience will also change.

What that means is, there’s always going to be ways to increase the number of site visitors that actually become your customers.

And the only way to find those ways is by running experiments (or A/B tests) on your landing pages.

After all, you can never really be 100% sure what changes to your pages are going to result in measurable improvements to conversions.

Sure, we can make educated guesses and rely on best practices based on experience. But that still doesn’t guarantee that the changes you make will perform better than what you already have.

With A/B testing, e-commerce brands can easily split their traffic between multiple versions of a landing page, allowing you to find “winners” quickly and with less risk.

E-commerce brands with experimentation programs essentially run multiple A/B tests constantly, across their entire user experience. This allows them to consistently increase conversions, without increasing ad spend.

How do landing pages differ in their impact on paid search versus paid social ad performance? 

In general, the impact is the same to any type of traffic source. The better the conversion rates on the landing pages, the lower the cost of conversion, which ultimately means better performing ad campaigns.

There is a difference, however, in the audiences that come from search traffic vs paid social ads. And that influences how the landing page needs to be built.

You can get very specific with targeting your audience on landing pages that are tied to paid ad campaigns, because modern paid ad platforms tend to have very detailed targeting options. This makes it much easier to know exactly who will be coming to your landing pages, and tailor your copy and design to be super detailed and targeted.

For search ads, you have less knowledge about the exact characteristics of the people that are clicking through to your landing pages. They came to your page due to searching for topics that your ads show up for, so these landing pages would need to be designed to target a topic/search phrase.

Can you share any examples or case studies of how a landing page overhaul improved ad ROI for an eCommerce client? 

I can give an example from my own e-commerce brand called Code&Quill, where we sold premium planners, notebooks, and writing tools for creative professionals.

We had launched a new productivity planner on a crowdfunding platform called Kickstarter, where we taking pre-orders of the product. It ended up doing well, so we knew we wanted to start selling it directly from our own store once we got inventory.

We put up a standard product page on our Shopify store, so we could take direct orders for the new product, and filled out the information that the template asked for. We figured that the a few paragraphs describing what the product did were good enough, and that the pictures would tell the rest of the story.

So, we started running Facebook and Instagram paid ads to the product page. After a couple weeks of testing tons of ads, we ended up with a ~1.8% conversion rate.

The planners were barely profitable at that rate, so we decided to test a dedicated landing page that included:

• a big hero section with a benefit-driven headline
• social proof throughout the page
• a visual representation of end benefits
• diagrams for how the planner worked, and how it should be used
• calls-to-action to buy either 1 at full price, or a discounted annual subscription (4 planners, 30% off)
• a couple videos of user generated content walking through their planners

The results from this were crazy. Not only did conversion rates increase, but we also increased our average order value:

Conversion rate went from 1.8% → 3.3%

83% increase

Average order value went from $35 → $46

31% increase

This allowed us to have significantly more profitable ads, which meant we could spend more to get more customers, fast.

We ended up selling 4500+ of those planners within the first 9 months of their launch.

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Final Thoughts

Landing pages are a huge part of eCommerce. They don’t just convert visitors—they tell a story, answer doubts, and build trust.

Yet, their power is often overlooked. Too many brands rely on default product pages, missing out on what landing pages can do for their marketing campaigns.

Landing pages guide, persuade, and drive action with purpose. If you’re investing in ads, you can stretch your budget further by pairing them with pages designed to win.

Take the time to refine them, test them, and let data shape your approach. You’ll be glad you did!

Building an eCommerce empire requires a lot of steps. You need to sell amazing products, create a great website, and set up shop with all the right marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart Marketplace.

But even if you do all of these things well, you won’t get far without an eCommerce marketing plan. There are a million ways you can market an eCommerce store, so sometimes it helps to look at your options and pick ones that feel like the right fit.

To help you do that, we’ve compiled this list of eCommerce marketing tips. These tips will help you avoid common mistakes, build a brand, retain customers, and grow your customer base.

20 tips to avoid common eCommerce mistakes

Sometimes, the easiest way to make a great marketing plan is to consider all the ways that marketing typically goes wrong. Seemingly small mistakes can derail otherwise great marketing plans. That’s why we’ve started with these first 20 tips to help you avoid the kinds of problems that tank your sales from day 1.

#1: Sell products that meet an existing market need

You can’t sell products unless there’s a real market need. Make sure every single product you sell has real product-market fit. If you can’t tell who a given product is supposed to be targeting, don’t sell it!

#2: Develop a clear marketing funnel

Your eCommerce operation needs to be optimized from the start to turn visitors into buyers. According to the classic AIDA model, there are four steps in the marketing funnel: attention, interest, desire, and action. You need to know how your store will draw attention, create interest, build desire, and encourage action.

#3: Keep customer acquisition cost (CAC) in check

Your average customer will spend a certain amount of money on your store. That’s your average order volume (AOV). The amount of money you spend to win new customers needs to be much cheaper than that. Otherwise, high customer acquisition costs (CAC) will destroy your profits.

#4: Define your target market clearly

Who are you selling to? You need to be able to answer that question at length and in a great amount of detail. Everything you sell needs to be something that someone in your target market would plausibly want to buy.

If you’re not sure how to do this, consider creating a buyer persona. This can help you imagine your target audience as individuals and not abstractions.

#5: Use content and social media marketing

Content and social media help increase your visibility in search engines and on social media platforms. This can be a good way for people to discover your brand and start a relationship.

The trick: create valuable content on a regular basis. That way, everything you do is useful and that will help you attract and retain your audience.

If you’re looking for content ideas, SEO Consultant, Jase Rodley, suggests that “BuzzSumo is [an] underutilized tool that allows you to see what content performs well in your niche and create more engaging marketing materials.”

“Create a mix of evergreen and seasonal content to maintain steady traffic year-round while capitalizing on holiday trends,” says Paul Jozsef of Digital Practice. “This dual approach ensures you’re prepared for peak and quiet seasons.”

#6: Write effective and engaging product descriptions

Clear, specific product descriptions improve sales. Longer descriptions are generally better, since details can help handle customers’ potential objections and convince them to buy.

Highlight key features and benefits. That can help potential buyers make their decision. For apparel and similar products, provide clear sizing charts to help smooth out the buying process.

Over time, make a habit of testing different descriptions to find what works best with your audience.

This is a big topic, so check out our guide on eCommerce copywriting for even more specific tips.

#7: Organize product categories clearly

Your store needs to be easy to navigate. Clear product categories help tremendously with this. Use simple, intuitive labels to help shoppers find what they need quickly. This will increase their odds of making a purchase.

#8: Use high-quality product photos

Buying online is an act of trust. High-quality photos will boost buyer confidence, making it more likely that they click the buy button. Good photos can also help reduce returns since customers know what they’re buying.

In general, use photos that are clear, honest, and effectively show off the product. You want your customers making informed decisions.

#9: Simplify website navigation

This is a simple tip, but it’s important. Make your navigation menu simple. Every word needs to be crystal clear and you should avoid using too many submenus.

#10: Avoid a crowded website design

A clean, uncluttered website will help sales. Shoppers will be more easily able to find what they need. It will be more visually appealing. Plus, it will likely load faster as well.

When in doubt, simplify the layout to make it easy for customers to find and purchase products.

#11: Make sure your website works on phones

Responsive websites work well on all devices. This is key for setting a good user experience. More people shop on mobile devices than desktops and laptops, so you can’t skip this step.

#12: Optimize your website for search engines

SEO improves your site’s visibility in search engine results. Make sure you optimize your content, use relevant keywords, and improve site speed. This helps attract more organic traffic and increases your chances of converting visitors into customers. One free tool you can use to help with this is SEO Site Checkup.

“SEO is a constant task to be practiced 12 months a year,” says Michelle Symonds, Founder & CEO at Ditto Digital. This is the case “even if you are working on ranking keywords that will be used in holiday seasons. Outcomes are not quick or easy, so you can’t just ‘turn on’ Black Friday SEO in early October. That’s all. Your email, paid ads, and other channels should increase during peak seasons.”

#13: Simplify the shopping cart process

It needs to be easy to check out. Make sure your shopping cart allows checkout in the fewest amount of steps.

Above all, make sure users do not have to create an account in order to make a purchase. (No one wants to make an account.)

#14: Avoid surprising customers with hidden fees

Hidden fees can scare off customers and lead to cart abandonment. Be transparent about all costs upfront. If additional charges – particularly shipping charges – are necessary, clearly display them early in the checkout process to maintain trust and reduce drop-offs.

#15: Provide clear return policies and details

Clear return policies build customer trust. According to Ecommerce Fastlane, over 60% of individuals will examine the return policy before purchasing.

Make sure your return policy is clear, easy to find, and in line with customer expectations. This can help increase the amount of purchases completed.

#16: Invest in a professional logo

A professional logo enhances your brand’s credibility and memorability. Invest in a well-designed logo that reflects your brand’s identity.

A strong logo can make your site look more professional and help customers remember your store.

If nothing else, follow this tip because it’s weird when companies don’t have logos.

#17: Prioritize customer privacy and security

With data breaches becoming more common, customers are starting to worry more about their data. Preempt their concerns by keeping your store secure and personal information private.

Make sure your privacy policy is easy to find as well. This may not increase sales in the short run, but it can help reduce the risk of catastrophic problems in the long run.

#18: Offer excellent customer service

Good customer service is absolutely essential for customer retention. Be responsive to inquiries and resolve issues promptly. Remember: 89% of consumers are more likely to make another purchase after a positive customer service experience according to Salesforce Research.

This extends to the experience provided by your website as well. “User experience is at the core of eCommerce sites’ operations,” says Brandon Schroth at Reporter Outreach, “therefore, it should be a priority among eCommerce businesses, especially during peak seasons.”

#19: Showcase reviews and testimonials

When asked about SEO best practices, Paul DeMott at Helium SEO said that “I’d also recommend leveraging social proof, like reviews or user-generated content, to enhance trust [especially during the holidays].”

Reviews and testimonials provide social proof, helping potential customers trust your products. When you get a positive review, put it on your product pages to help increase the odds of customers making a purchase!

It’s also a good idea to encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews. That way, you can increase the material you have available to act as social proof.

If you want to put this into practice, set up an automated email to ask for reviews a few weeks after a purchase. It won’t be long before you have plenty of reviews to choose from.

#20: Ensure a smooth shipping and fulfillment experience

Fast and reliable shipping is key. Customers expect quick delivery times and intact products. According to Ipsos, “85% of online shoppers say that a poor delivery experience would prevent them from ordering from that online retailer again.”

Work with reliable fulfillment partners to ensure a seamless shipping process. If you can provide two-day shipping to most of your customers, even better!

6 tips to build your ecommerce brand

If you sell online, it’s easy for your brand to be overlooked. Customers might say “I bought this on Amazon” or “I bought this on eBay.”

However, if you’re proactive, you can increase the odds that people remember your brand name. A strong brand helps you stand out among your competitors. Once you do that, your commitment to consistency, quality, and real relationships will help carry customer retention.

Below are some tips on how you can build a memorable brand.

#21: Pick a consistent style and stick to it

Consistency in branding helps build recognition. Choose a style for your logo, colors, and typography, and use it across all marketing channels.

Yes, this is a simple tip. But consistency is the bedrock foundation that makes brands memorable and trustworthy. You can’t skip this part!

#22: Build real relationships with customers

Real relationships go a long way online. When possible, personalize your communication and provide great service. Show your customers that you value their business, and they will be more likely to shop with you again.

#23: Focus on product quality

It’s hard to build a brand if your products are not high quality. Make sure your regularly review and improve your products to meet or exceed customer expectations. That way, you can keep customers happy and count on their repeat business.

#24: Test and refine your brand messages

You need to regularly test your brand messages to make sure they still work with your audience. Use A/B testing, surveys, and focus groups to see what works best.

If you’re not sure how to do this, PickFu is a good tool to start with.

#25: Customize your packaging

Even if you sell on Amazon where your brand is not readily visible, you can always use packaging to your advantage. Customizing your packaging is an easy way to get customers to see your brand name and make a good impression.

Plus, if you customize your packaging, you have a chance to control the unboxing experience. That can help increase your visibility online as well.

#26: Use shipping as a branding opportunity

Fast and reliable shipping boosts your brand’s reputation. Make sure packages arrive quickly and in good condition.

If possible, you may even want to add personalized touches during the shipping process. For example, a handwritten note slipped into the box before mailing can go a long way!

13 tips to retain ecommerce customers

According to Harvard Business School, a 5% increase in customer retention can increase profits by anywhere from 25 to 95%. Customer loyalty is that important!

For this reason, much of your eCommerce marketing needs to be based on maximizing customer retention. Below are some tips on how you can do that.

#27: Develop a strong brand presence

A strong brand presence dramatically increases your odds of high customer loyalty. Reread the branding section if you haven’t already and make sure that you routinely carve out time to improve your brand messaging.

If nothing else, be consistent across all channels. You need your brand to be something people easily remember. If you do this correctly, people will remember to shop with you even without prompting.

#28: Understand the entire customer lifecycle

A customer who just found your store has different needs than a customer whose first purchase was four years ago. Think about what customers need at each stage: first contact, first purchase, one year after first purchase and so on.

This is very unique to your business and is worth thinking about so you can build a long-term strategy. To help explain this concept further, we’ve included a longer video below.

#29: Track and analyze customer behavior

Tracking customer behavior will tell you a lot about their preferences and buying habits. At a minimum, set up Google Analytics so you can gather data and understand your users’ shopping habits.

#30: Personalize the customer experience

The more personal you can make your eCommerce store, the better. You can use data to tailor recommendations and offers, as well as what kind of communication you send and when.

Personalizing eCommerce makes customers feel like you are reaching out for good reason and with their best interests in mind. And who wouldn’t want to shop with a store like that?

#31: Allow guest checkout

Guest checkout reduces friction in the purchasing process. According to Pymnts, three quarters of eCommerce shoppers pay via guest checkout. It’s better not to go against the grain on this.

#32: Roll out a loyalty program

Offer points, discounts, or exclusive deals to loyal customers. This can help reward repeat purchases and encourage customers to return. When done well, this is a neat way to increase customer retention and overall lifetime value.

#33: Offer freebies and coupons

Freebies and coupons often lead to purchases and repeat business. If you offer limited-time discounts or free gifts with purchases, you’ll find that you can motivate customers to buy more often. After all, it’s harder to procrastinate when you have a coupon that is about to expire!

#34: Cross-sell related products

Suggest related products during the shopping process. For example, recommend accessories or complementary items to enhance the customer’s main purchase. This is an easy way to increase sales.

Plus, you don’t need fancy technology to do this. You can manually set recommendations so that Product B always shows up when customers buy Product A.

#35: Use email marketing

Email marketing is an effective way to engage with customers. Send personalized emails with special offers, updates, and product recommendations. Regular communication keeps your brand top-of-mind and encourages repeat purchases.

Done properly, email marketing can have an ROI of 40 or greater. The reason is very simple. If you can send the right people the right offer at the right time, it’s very easy to make a sale. Email lets you do that and the underlying tech is not expensive to use.

If you have a large mailing list ready to go, the immediacy of email marketing, compared to longer-term efforts like SEO can be highly compelling. To that effect, Tom Jauncey of Nautilus Marketing recommends eCommerce sites balance “their long-term SEO efforts with more immediate marketing tactics like paid ads, email marketing, and social media campaigns.”

He clarifies that “SEO is crucial for organic traffic, but paid and social can give you the immediate results you need when time-sensitive promotions are running.”

#36: Implement a referral program

Referral programs encourage customers to recommend your store to others. You can offer incentives like discounts or rewards for successful referrals. This can expand your customer base and increase sales through trusted recommendations.

There’s nothing better than word of mouth. That’s because marketers can’t force word of mouth to happen. But that doesn’t mean you can’t ask politely!

#37: Consider a subscription-based model

It’s not right for every business, but it might be worth it depending on what you sell. Subscription models provide steady revenue and increase customer retention.

Consider offering products or services on a subscription basis. This will, by definition, keep customers on your books for longer.

#38: Implement a repurchase/replenish model

For consumable products, offer automatic repurchase or replenishment options. This convenience ensures customers always have what they need and encourages repeat orders, boosting sales and customer satisfaction.

#39: Exceed customer expectations consistently

It’s a simple rule, but it works – underpromise, over-deliver. If you exceed expectations on a regular basis, it will make customers more loyal.

Deliver outstanding products and exceptional service. Go the extra mile to surprise and delight your customers. That way, you can encourage positive reviews and repeat business.

9 tips to grow your eCommerce business

If you want to grow your eCommerce store, you need to be strategic. Customer retention is extremely important, so many of the following tips focus on how you can increase customer lifetime value. Other tips focus on making it easier to acquire new customers by getting rid of common obstacles.

#40: Implement a generous return policy

Most customers read return policies before they make a purchase. For that reason, you need to make sure that returns are easy and hassle-free. It’s also likely a good idea to have a long returns window. While 30 days is generally considered standard, one easy way to go above and beyond is to extend the window to 90 days.

#41: Ensure fast shipping

Fast shipping meets customer expectations and enhances satisfaction. According to Forbes, 90% expect 2- or 3-day shipping to be the standard.

Work with reliable carriers and streamline your fulfillment process to ensure quick delivery. Fast shipping can set your store apart and increase repeat purchases.

#42: Reduce the number of choices for customers

Decision fatigue is a real problem. Too many choices can lead to customers not making any choice at all!

Simplify their decision-making process by curating a selection of top products. This reduces decision fatigue and helps customers make quicker, more confident purchases.

#43: Identify and fix sources of cart abandonment

Cart abandonment is a major issue. One of the most important things you can do from a strategy standpoint is figure out why customers add items to their cart and don’t purchase.

You can use analytics to identify where customers drop off and address these pain points. When in doubt, simplify checkout, offer multiple payment options, and make sure you’re not adding surprise shipping fees late in the process.

#44: Increase payment options

Some customers want to pay by credit card, others by PayPal or Venmo. They more payment options you provide, the better. It’s a small detail but it’s so important because it improves the checkout process.

#45: Use lookalike audiences on Facebook

Lookalike audiences on Facebook help target potential customers who are similar to your existing ones. You use existing customer data to create these audiences. That will help you improve the effectiveness of your ad campaigns and increase conversions.

#46: Address customer questions and objections in your copy

The best copywriting answers questions before customers pose them. Make note of the kinds of things your customers often ask about, and see if you can proactively provide information in your copy.

Clear, informative copy helps customers feel good about their purchase. That helps ward off doubts and increase the odds of making a sale.

#47: Have real conversations on social media

This is a simple suggestion, but worth implementing. Have real conversations with your customers and your prospects on social media. Respond to comments and direct messages.

Be genuine in your interactions, and it will help build trust and true relationships.

#48: Separate your SEO and PPC focuses

“Don’t expect one approach to be able to do everything,” says John White of Complete White Label. “Make sure you’re planning in advance to see where one strategy ends and another begins. For example, plugging gaps in your SEO campaign and how that can assist your PPC landing pages, but also putting a line in the sand of where SEO is going to cover what PPC may not.”

He continues, saying “this could be your SEO strategy covering buyers’ guides and informational content, whereas PPC could be more focused on commercial keywords only (e.g. products and categories).”

7 tips to use AI in eCommerce marketing

There was a massive increase in available AI tools around late 2022 and early 2023. While much of the hype has receded, AI is still incredibly useful for cutting down on unnecessary work.

Below, you can find some tips on how to use the recent advances in AI to eliminate the grunt work associated with running an online store.

#49: Implement chatbots for customer service

Chatbots provide instant customer support, answering common queries and guiding users through the buying process. Setting up chatbots can be a simple way to improve response times and reduce workload on your team.

#50: Use AI for inventory optimization

AI can analyze past sales patterns and help predict demand and manage inventory levels effectively. Used correctly, AI-driven inventory management systems can cut down on stockouts and overstock situations, meaning you have the right products available when needed.

One example of this is Intellify’s AI-Powered Inventory Management AWS Solutions.

#51: Implement AI for fraud detection

AI can identify and prevent fraudulent activities. You can use AI tools to monitor transactions and detect suspicious behavior. Fraud detection existed prior to the explosion in available AI tools, but recent advances in AI have shown potential to further improve.

One example is NoFraud Fraud Protection for Shopify.

#52: Analyze customer feedback with AI

AI tools such as ChatGPT are good at analyzing large volumes of text and summarizing them. If you have a lot of customer feedback and want to get a feel for the general “vibe” quickly, you can copy and paste it into an AI tool of your choice and ask it for a sentiment analysis.

#53: Optimize SEO with AI tools

SEO tools such as SEMRush are starting to implement more AI. You can use these AI tools to help identify relevant keywords and analyze traffic patterns. This can help you boost your store’s search engine ranking and attract more organic traffic.

#54: Use AI for copywriting assistance

AI tools like ChatGPT are good at creating first draft copy for many types of writing. If you describe your product and provide photos, AI can create rough copy for your product descriptions. You can then take that, fact check it and change some words for tone and style. The end result will be better descriptions made in less time!

#55: Leverage AI for predictive sales and demand forecasting

Estimating your own sales can be tricky. But AI tools are getting better at this every day. AI forecasting can help you make smarter decisions about inventory, marketing strategy, cash flow, and overall profitability. For example, Salesforce has been piloting this type of AI within their CRM software.

Final Thoughts

Ecommerce success requires you to juggle a lot of different responsibilities. While that can be stressful, the positive side of this is that there are a ton of things you can do in order to improve your odds of success.

You don’t need to follow every tip in this guide. Pick a few that work for you and do your best to implement them. In doing so, you can build up your brand, improve your store’s performance, keep customers loyal, and ultimately, increase sales.

People don’t spend long on web pages. A 2021 report by Contentsquare says the average time users spend on a web page is 54 seconds. That means if you want to succeed in eCommerce, you need to make every element on every page count. In this guide, we’ll give you eCommerce website tips and tricks to help you do exactly that.

Setting up an eCommerce shop looks easy because of tools like Shopify and WooCommerce, as well as sales channels like Amazon. In many ways, it is easier than before. But then again, so is getting lost in the crowd.

To really stand out, you need to be able to develop an excellent eCommerce strategy. Then you need to make sure your site is set up for optimum performance at every step of the way.

In this guide, we’ll focus on three areas: strategic excellence, website optimization, and apps to help you grow your store.

You don’t need to do everything in this guide. Just pick a few tips and really focus on doing them well!

Tips to Start Selling Online Now

Starting an online store is a multi-step process. In order to succeed, you need to define a clear target audience. Then you need to choose the right products and set up a seamless supply chain to get them shipped. Along the way, you’ll also need to configure all the bells and whistles in your chosen eCommerce software.

These tips will help you lay a strong foundation for your online business.

#1: Figure out who to sell to and what to sell

You can’t just sell anything you want. To make sales, you need to identify a target audience and research their online behavior. Every product you sell needs to meet some existing need that your target audience wants.

Ecommerce success starts with having a solid understanding of what your market wants. Not all products that sell well offline will perform equally well online.

You need to be able to understand your target audience so well that you can describe their wants and needs in your sleep. To get started, consider making a buyer persona. (Hubspot has a free tool to help with this.)

Once you do that, conduct thorough market research to determine what your target audience needs and wants. Make sure your product fills an existing demand and stands out from competitors.

#2: Validate the market

It’s tempting to design a product, order tons of units, and then start selling afterward. But this can be a huge mistake if you don’t go about it the right way.

Think about your ideal customers. Every product you sell needs to meet one of their needs. But you shouldn’t just take it on faith that what you want to sell will do that.

Before you commit to ordering a lot of inventory, try selling a small amount first. You want to see if there is a market for what you want to sell. If you can’t sell a small amount first, try collecting information with surveys or small-dollar advertising campaigns.

If you do this, it will help you avoid the mistake of ordering a lot of products that no one wants to buy.

You can apply a similar principle to your store’s branding as well. Make sure that the way your website is presented lines up with customer expectations. Show it to members of your target audience and ask them for their feedback. Then you implement that feedback as often as you can.

#3: Figure out the supply chain

According to a recent study with Voxware, of 500 surveyed consumers, almost 70% say they are “much less likely to shop with a retailer in the future if an item they purchased is not delivered within two days of the date promised.”

Translation: ship on-time or else.

To succeed in eCommerce, you need to be able to:

• Plan for demand
• Manage materials, inventory, and manufacturing
• Set up efficient warehousing and order fulfillment
• Process returns quickly

This is more complicated than we can cover in this article. But suffice it to say, if you plan on making it big in eCommerce, you also have to have a clear plan to ship orders to customers.

#4: Build your brand

Customer retention is incredibly important to long-term eCommerce success. According to Bain & Company, a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to a 25-95% increase in profitability.

A big part of customer retention is being memorable. For that, you need to build up a brand. It’s not just about having a good-looking logo, though that is valuable. You want to have clear brand values that line up with what your target audience cares about. Then you need to have all your brand elements – from logo and colors to brand voice – reinforce those values.

This is a far more complicated subject than we cover in this guide, so here is an additional resource to help you define your company’s brand identity.

#5: Choose your eCommerce software

When it comes to setting up an eCommerce site, you have a lot of different software options. Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce are some of the most common ones in use today.

Shopify is known for its ease of use and wide range of features. It’s a great all-purpose tool and ideal for small to medium-sized businesses. 

BigCommerce focuses on scalability and has a variety of built-in features suitable for growing businesses.

WooCommerce is an open-source solution that can be installed right on top of WordPress, a powerful advantage, given that WordPress is the most common website management software in use today.

Choosing eCommerce software is one of the most consequential decisions you’ll make in your business. It’s not easy to switch once you start with one. Think about which of these platforms – or others not listed – is going to be the best fit for your needs.

#6: Configure your eCommerce store

Don’t launch your eCommerce store until it is set up correctly. You want to make sure you’re providing a smooth shopping experience.

You need to make sure all the backend details are handled. That means setting up payment gateways, shipping options, and tax calculations, among other things.

Make several test orders. Add different things to your cart. Try inputting different addresses to see how it affects shipping prices and availability.

Do this until you feel completely comfortable in saying that your store is in working order. The last thing you want to do is spend a ton of money driving traffic to your store, only to have errors stop people from making purchases.

#7: Drive traffic to your eCommerce store

Think about how you want to get people to find your eCommerce store. Then develop a plan accordingly. There are a lot of ways you can do this, such as:

• Search engine optimization. That includes optimizing your website for keywords to pull in organic traffic.
• Advertising. This might include using Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Google, YouTube, or TikTok to put your products in front of people and entice them to buy.
• Content marketing. That will mean creating blog posts, videos, or other forms of content that people will want to see and that will refer people to your store (such as gift guides).
• Email marketing. This can be used to keep in touch with potential customers as well as repeat ones. You can also use it to educate potential customers about your products or send coupon codes.

“Use Google Search Console to see how your site performs in search results and identify issues that need to be fixed,” says SEO Consultant, Jase Rodley. “BuzzSumo is another underutilized tool that allows you to see what content performs well in your niche and create more engaging marketing materials.”

Paul DeMott at Helium SEO also mentions that “one tool I think deserves more attention is AnswerThePublic. It’s fantastic for finding questions that real people are asking, which you can then turn into content.”

Creating a marketing and promotion plan for your store is incredibly nuanced. There are so many ways that you can do this. But the most important thing is to figure out what you want to try and come up with a plan.

#8: Focus on improving user experience

You want to make sure your store is pleasant to use. Start by installing Google Analytics so you can gather data on user behavior. This will help you see where they are from, how long they spend on the site, and which pages they are interested in.

You can use data that you gather to run retargeting ads and send follow-up emails to users that abandon their shopping carts. This will encourage them to return and complete their purchases.

Beyond that, there are some aspects of user experience that are common sense and can be implemented almost immediately. For example, make sure your checkout process is easy. Eliminate surprise shipping fees and make sure you don’t have to create an account to make a purchase. These two things alone can make a huge difference!

Tips to Optimize Your eCommerce Website

Slow websites don’t make sales. Neither do difficult to use ones.

Time spent optimizing your eCommerce site for speed and usability is time well spent. Here are some specific tips on how you can do that well.

#9: Remove unused apps

It’s been years since most tech users have had to seriously think about deleting files and programs to clear up space on their devices. But this is still an issue you need to pay attention to when it comes to website management.

Unused apps can slow down your site, affecting load times and user experience. Regularly review the apps installed on your eCommerce platform and delete those that are not essential.

This simple step can significantly improve your site’s load times. You would be shocked!

#10: Optimize images

Using high-quality images is really important in eCommerce. Showing people what they are going to be buying is a great way to build trust.

But at the same time, large images can slow down your site, leading to a poor user experience. So you need to find the right balance.

To do this, use the smallest images you can without compromising quality. When in doubt, favor WEBP and JPG formats over others for faster loading times.

Compress images to reduce their file size and ensure they are optimized for the web. This will help your pages load faster, improve overall site performance, and enhance user satisfaction.

You can always use tools like Pingdom and GTMetrix to see how long it takes your web pages to load.

#11: Optimize fonts

Using fancy fonts is a great way to improve your store’s branding. But you need to make sure you use them correctly.

This point is a bit technical, but it’s important – incorrectly installed fonts can block other parts of web pages from rendering. This can slow down your overall website time, despite it seeming like a small detail.

When in doubt, use GTMetrix or PageSpeed Insights and make sure you’re not running into font-related errors.

#12: Install a lazy loader

Lazy loading helps load images and assets only when they are needed. This helps improve perceived loading times. Lazy loading helps your site appear to load faster, even if all elements are not fully loaded immediately.

Implementing a lazy loader is an easy way to create a smoother, more efficient user experience. As a result, you can more easily keep visitors engaged and cut down on bounce rates.

#13: Make sure your theme isn’t slowing you down

Most eCommerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce are, by their nature, pretty fast. But all of them use themes in order to give sellers the opportunity to customize their sites. This is where things can start to go wrong.

Not every theme is made well. Before you commit to using one, you need to make sure that your theme loads quickly. Otherwise, you might end up spending a lot of time configuring one that’s going to ultimately slow down your site in a way that you cannot easily fix.

If you’re already committed to a theme that slows down your site, you should consider swapping to another one. It’s a pain to switch, but this is one of the most valuable things you can do to speed up your site and likely increase sales.

#14: Eliminate pop-ups and lightboxes

Overuse of pop-ups and lightboxes can slow down your site and annoy users. Use these features sparingly to balance user experience and performance.

Focus on essential pop-ups that provide real value to your visitors. Eliminate those that are unnecessary. This will help you maintain a fast, smooth browsing experience.

When in doubt, keep it as simple as possible.

#15: Find a good CDN

A CDN (Content Delivery Network) distributes content delivery load across multiple servers, speeding up your site. Or, more simply, files don’t have to travel as far to get to your users. That makes your site faster.

This is an easy way to speed up your site and increase the odds of making sales. If you’re a Shopify user, Shopify has a built-in CDN as long as you are on Shopify Plus. Otherwise, look for a good CDN for your eCommerce software solution. It’s worth it to help keep your loading times in check.

#16: Use schema markup for increased search visibility

“Make use of schema markups to provide additional information to search engines,” suggests Nikola Baldikov, Founder of Inbound Blogging. “This will improve your chances of being featured in rich snippets. You can do it by using structured data tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or by adding it manually to your website’s HTML. Platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento also offer plugins that simplify this process.”

#17: Use A/B testing to improve conversion rates

“Testing different versions of landing pages, product descriptions, or promotional offers is underused by many eCommerce stores,” states Michelle Symonds, Founder & CEO of Ditto Digital. “A/B testing tools…help improve conversion rates by optimizing the user experience based on data.”

Prior to its sunset in 2023, Google Optimize was a go-to choice for many store owners to run A/B tests. Now, VWO seems to be winning the hearts of conversion optimization professionals.

#18: Submit coupons through Google Merchant Center

Google Shopping is known for its ability to drive traffic to stores, particularly smaller ones. To that end, Lana Phillips from Planet of the Vapes recommends “Google Merchant Center’s coupon submission feature, which is a powerful way to showcase deals directly in search results.”

She goes on to say that many eCommerce sites overlook it. There’s no reason for you to make the same mistake!

Apps to Add to Your Store

Adding the right apps to your eCommerce store can help you enhance functionality and improve customer experience.

Now to clarify – no amount of apps can replace smart strategic planning or basic website optimization. But they can make it a lot easier to handle certain aspects of marketing, customer retention, and store management.

Here is a list of some of our favorites.

#19: Smile

One way to retain customers is to implement a loyalty program. After all, giving one-time customers an incentive to return is a pretty good way of getting them back onto your website. The trick is finding a system that will let you do that with minimal hassle.

That’s where Smile comes in. This app lets customers earn points for actions like creating accounts, placing orders, and leaving reviews. It also features a referral program and provides analytics to monitor performance.

#20: Printful

Printful enables you to create custom products and connect directly to Shopify. This app is suitable for dropshippers and custom product creators, allowing you to design and sell items like t-shirts, posters, and more. Printful handles manufacturing and shipping, making it easier to manage your eCommerce store.

#21: ReferralCandy

If you’re looking for a way to make customer referrals easier to manage, start with ReferralCandy. This app allows you to create email and pop-up campaigns to encourage customers to refer their friends. You can reward customers with cash, coupon codes, or gifts for successful referrals.

#22: Plug in SEO

Plug In SEO makes it easier to improve your search engine rankings. This app includes tools for structured data, keyword optimization, and fixing broken links. It’s also pretty easy to use overall.

SEO is complicated. This often scares people away from focusing on it. But this tool makes it a lot easier to manage.

#23: Yotpo

Yotpo calls itself a customer retention platform, which is a pretty good summary of what it does. Describing it succinctly is tough because it simply does a lot!

Among its many features, you can collect reviews, ratings, and user-generated content. This app helps improve conversion rates by showcasing customer feedback prominently.

In short, if you’re thinking about “social proof” but don’t have a process for gathering it yet, look into Yotpo. It might make your life easier!

#24: Growave

Growave does a little bit of everything. You can use it to set up loyalty programs, incentivize referrals and reviews, and also manage social media.

If you’re looking to keep it simple with an all-in-one tool, Growave is a great option. You won’t have to juggle a whole lot of different apps. That will make it easier to handle the administrative responsibilities that would otherwise be frustratingly hard to manage.

After all – you know how important it is to encourage customer retention, gather reviews, encourage referrals, and show off user-generated content. As always, though, the real obstacle is finding a way to do this that doesn’t take up too much time!

#25: Glew.io

For data-driven insights, Brandon Schroth at Reporter Outreach recommends Glew.io, a powerful analytics tool designed for eCommerce.

About the tool, Schroth states that it is “built especially for eCommerce merchants, providing detailed reports on customer activities including how much they buy, how often they shop, and the items they buy. Thus, by centralizing information from different sources, it allows companies to develop better SEO tactics and improve marketing campaigns.”

Final Thoughts

Running a successful eCommerce store is not easy. But if you get the foundational parts right, including overall business strategy and technical website optimization, it’s a lot easier. Then, once you get the basics right, you can use the right apps to help you turbocharge your marketing efforts.

Over time, you can build up a loyal customer base and boost your sales. Just remember: eCommerce success comes down to three basic principles. Know who you’re selling to, sell something they want, and make it easy to buy.

Follow these three rules and you’ll be well on your way to lasting success.

The holidays are a great time to acquire new eCommerce customers. They’re also a great time to ship late, run out of stock, and generally derail your eCommerce business. The key difference between the two outcomes: making sure your eCommerce store is holiday-ready.

But how do you do that? There are a lot of things that you need to consider. There is planning and preparation and supply chain management. There’s marketing, promotion, and sales. Then you need to have a plan for after the holidays too!

It’s a lot to take in. So in this guide, we’ve covered every single way we can think of to get your store ready for the holidays. That way, you can plan and prepare your business and have happier holidays as a result!

Planning and Preparation

Effective planning and preparation are the backbone of a successful holiday season. So here is a list of all the things you need to plan out while it’s still warm outside.

#1: Know the holiday shipping deadlines

Get a handle on the shipping deadlines for different carriers to guarantee deliveries land before December 25. Each carrier and shipping method has its own cut-off dates, so staying in the loop on these deadlines helps you plan your shipping schedule. You can then pass this information along to your customers and set accurate delivery expectations.

#2: Review your supply chain

Dissect every part of your supply chain to avoid bottlenecks during the holiday rush. Make sure you have enough inventory on hand and dependable suppliers in case you need more. Your logistics need to be efficient as well, including order fulfillment and replenishment.

Here’s a quick list of what this entails:

• Planning for demand
• Managing materials
• Optimizing inventory
• Lining up transportation
• Coordinating with your warehouse team

Preparing in advance can make your supply chain run like clockwork. That way, you’re not awake three days before Black Friday wondering when your shipment is coming in.

#3: Identify your customers’ pain points

Think about common issues that customers face during the holidays and tackle them head-on. Typical pain points include late shipping, out-of-stock products, and slow customer service response times.

If you spot and smooth out these issues earlier, you’ll keep your customers satisfied and cut down on potential Grinchiness.

#4: Identify your business’s pain points

Think about your business as a whole before you head into the busy season. Are there problems in marketing, accounting, and other departments? It’s easier to deal with problems in August and September than it is in Q4.

The holiday season can stretch every part of your business thin. Solve problems ahead of time so you can stay focused when it counts. It’s easier to run a marathon if you take pebbles out of your shoes first.

#5: Map your returns process

Plan your reverse logistics to handle the uptick in returns during the holidays. You need to have:

• Clear return policies
• Simple return procedures
• A plan to handle those returns when they come in

Doing this helps you plan for returns, which you’ll probably see a lot of in January. But this also helps keep customer trust and satisfaction high, even when returns are necessary.

#6: Plan link exchanges

“It baffles me every year that more eCom businesses don’t participate in link exchanges with non-competitive but similarly ranked websites,” says Joy Youell at Winsome Marketing.

She goes on to explain her logic, saying that “by late October it’s way too late to be posting SEO content that will support much holiday traffic, but link exchanges start working immediately. Site owners should tap into their business networks, as well as a shortlist of good sites, and get their teams to do the outreach and earn this reciprocally beneficial link juice.”

Inventory and Order Management

You don’t want to run out of inventory during peak sales season. You also don’t want to find yourself unable to fulfill those orders when it counts.

Here are some things you need to make sure you take care of before the holidays.

#7: Estimate your order volume

It’s hard to know how much you will sell during the holidays, but you still need to make your best guess. If you can manage to come up with an accurate prediction, you can dodge both stockouts and overstock scenarios. That way, you can meet customer demand without having a warehouse full of clearance items you’re still trying to get rid of in March.

#8: Stock up on critical supplies

Stockpile packing materials, shipping supplies, and other essentials. Running out of crucial supplies during the holiday frenzy can spell disaster, causing delays and frustration. Prep in advance to avoid last-minute panic trips to overcrowded Costcos.

#9: Hire seasonal workers for holiday shipping

Increase your workforce to handle the higher volume of orders. Seasonal hires can help manage the increased demand without the long-term commitment of permanent staff. Many hands makes light work, after all!

#10: Automate and outsource before you need to

Roll out automation tools and consider outsourcing fulfillment to handle the holiday spike.

You can start with inventory management software like Quickbooks Commerce or Cin7 to automatically track stock levels and reorder supplies. If you ship your own orders, consider using tools such as ShipStation to automate the printing of shipping labels and updating of order statuses.

Outsourcing can also help a ton. Partner with third-party logistics providers like Fulfillrite for warehousing and shipping needs. You can also outsource customer support to agencies like Zendesk to manage inquiries and returns efficiently.

#11: Check all your timetables

Verify all shipment schedules to avoid delays and ensure timely delivery. If you double-check your logistics schedules, then you can rest easy knowing your products will reach customers as expected. That means one less thing to stress about.

Marketing and Promotion

Strategic marketing can skyrocket your visibility and sales. Smartly crafted marketing and promotion plans can help you acquire customers during the holidays while people are open to shopping new places. Then that means you have a whole new base of customers to potentially retain in the new year!

With that in mind, here are some tips on how to handle marketing and promotion.

#12: Ramp up your marketing efforts

“[Run] early campaigns to build buzz,” advises Deepak Shukla at Digital Marketing Group, “along with offering limited-time promotions.”

The holidays are a good time to increase brand awareness, acquire customers, and encourage repeat purchases. Whatever your standard marketing priorities are, give them extra attention during the holidays.

“Revisit your past campaigns for what has worked well and build on these wins,” says Colton De Vos from Resolute Technology Solutions. “Engage your audience on social media, email newsletters, and wherever else you have an online presence. Ask what they want to see this most this holiday season. Then, when your holiday promotion is ready, send it to customers thanking them for their contribution!”

As a rule, you should expect to generally spend more time and money on marketing during the holidays. And when in doubt, start early!

#13: Plan for gift shipping

Offer gift wrapping services and streamline gift shipping processes. This not only adds value for customers wanting to send gifts directly to recipients but also can significantly boost your sales.

#14: Create custom holiday packaging

The holidays are the perfect excuse to roll out festive packaging! That’s why Starbucks always rolls out the holiday cups as soon as they have a chance.

Design your own festive packaging this year. It will improve customer experience and encourage them to share their experiences online. Attractive packaging stands out in people’s feeds when they’re scrolling and can increase your odds of making a sale!

#15: Promote early shopping

Encourage customers to shop early to avoid last-minute rushes. Early promotions and incentives can help spread out demand. This, in turn, can reduce strain on your fulfillment processes.

#16: Use email marketing campaigns

Send targeted emails to keep customers informed about holiday promotions and deadlines. The goal is to send the right people the right incentive at the right time. Email is one of the best ways to do that, and it’s also inexpensive.

Of all the ways to keep in touch with customers, email is one of the most cost-effective ones.

#17: Create custom landing pages

“Creating dedicated pages to capture traffic from seasonal keywords such as ‘Top Gifts for Christmas 2024’ or ‘Summer Sale Must-Haves,’ will generate sales from customers researching gifts,” says John Butterworth from Mint SEO. “The trick to this type of content is to only write about products your store stocks and to include buttons that add the product to the shoppers cart straight from the post.”

Customer Experience

The holidays are going to bring a lot of first-time shoppers to your site. You want to make sure you are providing the best possible experience so they remember to come back later!

A stellar shopping experience can increase conversions and foster repeat business, ultimately boosting overall sales. Here are some tips on how you can do that.

#18: Optimize your website’s performance

A fast, responsive website enhances the shopping experience and can prevent lost sales due to slow load times. Supercharge your site for speed and ensure it can handle increased holiday traffic. For best results, use GTMetrix to spot problems that might be slowing your site down.

#19: Make sure your website is mobile-friendly

Make sure your website is fully functional and easy to navigate on mobile devices. Many customers shop on their phones, so a mobile-friendly site is square one for capturing these sales.

#20: Improve site search functionality

Upgrade your site’s search features to help customers find products quickly and easily. Efficient search functionality reduces frustration and boosts conversion rates. After all, who likes a store that makes it hard to check out? (IKEA being the exception, of course.)

#21: Personalize customer experiences

Use advanced personalization tools to tailor the shopping experience based on individual customer behavior. Personalization creates a sense of connection and relevance, making customers feel valued and understood.

“Capitalize on personalized marketing and strategic partnerships to stand out during the holiday rush,” says Brandon Schroth, Reporter Outreach. “Segment your audience and tailor the marketing strategy accordingly to suit their buying habits and preferences better. This makes the shopping experience more enjoyable and subsequently improves sales.”

Here are a few examples of what that might look like:

• Personalized product recommendations
• Tailored email campaigns
• Customized promotions
• Behavior-triggered messages (like pop-ups or chatbots offering assistance based on time spend on a page)

Similar to email, the goal is to give the right person the right incentive at the right time.

#22: Implement a loyalty program

The holidays will probably bring new customers to your store. If you can retain them after the new year, you stand to make a lot of money. And loyalty programs can help you do that.

Reward loyal customers with special offers and discounts. This can encourage repeat purchases and increase customer retention.

Sales and Promotions

Offering attractive sales and promotions can drive holiday sales. Here are a few tips and tricks that you can apply to your website to improve your conversion rates and drive sales.

#23: Offer free shipping

Provide free shipping to attract more customers and increase sales. Free shipping is a popular incentive that can boost conversion rates and overall sales.

Think of this way: when you see a shipping upcharge added to items right before you purchase, what do you do? Most people click away and don’t make the purchase.

Don’t do that to your customers!

Free shipping is the easiest way to remove this barrier.

#24: Use influencer marketing

Team up with influencers to tap into their vast audiences and build credibility. Influencers can showcase your products to their followers, amplifying brand awareness and driving sales. Plus, it may be a better deal than buying advertising which tends to be more expensive during the holidays.

“Run interactive campaigns like contests or giveaways on social media,” says SEO Consultant, Jase Rodley. “[This can] engage your audience and encourage sharing to amplify your reach during this busy time.”

Keep in mind that influencers are not just people with a lot of social media followers. Reporters are also influencers, as are reviewers, bloggers, thought leaders, community leaders, and so on. In fact, any well-connected person is a type of influencer.

#25: Set up retargeting ads

Don’t let potential customers slip away—use retargeting ads to reel back those who visited your site but didn’t make a purchase. Because when these reminders come at the right time, they can nudge customers to complete their transaction.

“Many shoppers abandon their carts,” says Paul DeMott at Helium SEO. “A well-timed reminder can bring them back to complete their purchase.”

#26: Offer limited-time discounts

“Creating a sense of urgency can boost conversion rates,” says Michelle Symonds at Ditto Digital. “Countdown timers, banners, and pop-ups can be used to highlight festive sales, limited-time deals, or shipping cut-off dates, encouraging prompt purchases.”

Paul Jozsef at Digital Practice echoes this sentiment, saying “highlight seasonal offers and discounts prominently on your site using relevant keywords like ‘holiday sale’ or ‘festive discounts.’ This helps attract traffic specifically looking for holiday deals.”

The bottom line is that you want to eliminate procrastination as much as possible.

#27: Bundle products

Boost your average order value by offering product bundles. Bundling complementary items adds value for customers and encourages them to spend more. This is one of the easiest ways to increase revenues and profitability.

#28: Create a gift guide

“To stand out during the holiday season, create a gift guide for different demographics or interests,” says SEO Consultant, Jase Rodley. “This will help customers find gifts easily and improve their shopping experience.”

The goal in doing this is to make shopping easy for newcomers. Because people often have a lot of gifts to buy for a lot of people, the information you put in your gift guide can be really helpful. On your end, the gift guide is a handy tool that can highlight popular or unique products.

“To stand out in the holiday rush, we focus on providing users with comparison guides, gift guides, and product reviews in both written and video (YT & Shorts) formats,” says Lana Phillips from Planet of the Vapes. “This ensures that shoppers have all the information they need to make confident buying decisions, boosting trust and increasing conversions.”

Do this right and you can make it easier for customers and boost your sales too.

Customer Support

Exceptional customer support is non-negotiable during the holiday chaos. Top-notch support can turn first-time buyers into loyal customers. Here are some tips on how to handle the human element of the holiday rush.

#29: Extend customer support hours

Provide extended customer support to assist with increased inquiries during the holidays. Longer support hours ensure that customer questions and issues are addressed promptly.

Because people are so busy during the holidays, being able to quickly reach a support rep is a breath of fresh air.

#30: Provide exceptional customer service

Make sure your customer service team is well-trained and prepared for the holiday rush. Give your staff the power to set things right without having to go through bureaucratic hurdles.

Great customer service makes a big difference during the holidays. Remember that people are busy, but not so busy they won’t notice if you handle their problems well.

It’s simple but true – if the shopping experience is a good one, then they’ll be more likely to come back later.

#31: Streamline the return process

Make it easy for customers to return products. And make sure you can handle those returns easily too.

Returns are extremely common in eCommerce. This is even more true around the holidays, when people tend to get gifts they may or may not want.

For that reason, a simple, efficient returns process can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. And who knows – a gift recipient may return an item, only to be impressed and buy something more expensive. It happens sometimes!

#32: Use the return process as a chance to provide great customer service

Returns are not, in fact, the end of the world. Smart store owners use them to try to retain new customers.

When returns comes in, offer exchanges or suggest alternative products. This can transform a potentially negative experience into a positive one that keeps customers coming back.

#33: Balance customer service with expense management

Fine-tune your returns policy to strike a balance between satisfying customers while also managing costs. Before the holidays, make sure your returns process is efficient and cost-effective while still providing top-notch service.

Post-Holiday Strategies

After the holiday hustle, it’s time to review and refine. These post-holiday strategies can turn the chaos of the holidays into actionable improvements, preparing you for the next season.

#34: When the holidays are over, revisit your processes

Conduct a thorough audit of your holiday operations. Identifying strengths and weaknesses in your performance can help you prepare better for the next busy season, guaranteeing you learn from every experience.

#35: Use returns to ask customers for feedback

Returns are the perfect time to gather feedback. Customers and their opinions can reveal issues with products or processes, helping you make necessary adjustments to improve future offerings and overall customer satisfaction.

#36: Figure out what to do with returned merchandise

If you make a lot of sales over the holidays, you’ll see a lot of returns too. You need to figure out what to do with them in advance.

Decide whether to restock, recycle, or donate returned items. Managing your returns properly can save costs and help you position your company as eco-friendly.

#37: Offer gift cards

Gift cards are a versatile option for customers and a boon for business. They cater to last-minute shoppers and drive future sales, making them an excellent addition to your post-holiday strategy.

Security and Optimization

If your website is slow before the holidays, it’s going to dramatically lower your sales potential. You will want to make sure that’s not an issue before the sales start coming in.

And while you’re doing technical work, it’s a good idea to beef up your security anyway. Santa knows if hackers are being naughty or nice, but it’s better to keep your site from being breached in the first place. That will keep you safe while you’re waiting on him to deliver a payload of coal to the bad guys.

#38: Secure your website

The eCommerce holiday season is a great time to be a cybercriminal. That’s why you should implement solid security measures to protect customer data and transactions.

If nothing else, make sure your passwords are secure and you have two-factor authentication turned on. These are among the most common vulnerabilities sites have and they take five minutes to fix.

#39: Proofread meticulously

It’s a pain, but you need to do it. Proofread all your pages and make sure there are no mistakes.

Your content needs to be error-free to maintain credibility. Remember: high-quality, accurate content will increase the odds that people trust you. (Who wants to give credit card info to a store riddled with typos?)

#40: Hire a professional editor

Proofreading on your own is good. Having a professional do it is better.

If you can afford it, consider hiring an editor to polish up your website and campaign materials. Not only will they catch typos, they may be able to generally tighten up your copywriting as a whole. That can dramatically improve your conversion rates.

#41: Optimize checkout process

Simplify your checkout process to reduce cart abandonment. You want it to be as easy as possible to make that first purchase.

If nothing else – make sure people don’t have to make an account to make a purchase. (No one will bother to do that!)

#42: Use analytics to track sales

Make sure you have a sales analytics system set up before the holiday. The sales data you gather this season will help you make smart decision in the long run. For example, your sales data might make it easier for you to upsell or cross-sell in the future.

#43: Test your processes

You don’t want your website to break on Black Friday. Nor do you want your shipping operations to fall apart on December 22.

Test all aspects of your operations to make sure they’re running smoothly. Preventative maintenance is easier than troubleshooting under pressure!

Final Thoughts

When you run an eCommerce store, planning for the holidays requires a lot of work ahead of time. You need your inventory management and supply chain to be all figured out. Customer support needs to be trained and ready to go. And your sales and marketing both need to be on point.

It’s a lot to take in. But by thinking in advance, you can dramatically increase your odds of having a successful holiday season.

These tips should help get your eCommerce store holiday-ready. That way, you can confidently deal with increased demand, deliver great experiences, and retain customers for the years to follow.

No matter where you go – Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Patreon, GoFundMe, or somewhere else – one thing is clear. Crowdfunding is growing by leaps and bounds.

In North America alone, $17.2 billion was generated through crowdfunding campaigns in the year 2020. That’s up 33.7% from the year prior. Also in 2020 – the middle of a pandemic – almost 6.5 million crowdfunding campaigns were launched.

For many startups, the question is no longer “should we launch a crowdfunding campaign” but rather “where should we launch our crowdfunding campaign?”

And that’s a good question. One that’s often answered by defaulting to Kickstarter, because it is the most popular crowdfunding platform.

But what about Indiegogo?

The plain fact is that some products do really well on Kickstarter, and others do really well on Indiegogo. Each website has a dedicated community of people willing to back crowdfunding projects. Each website is capable of helping crowdfunders succeed.

But some products are just a better match for one platform over the other. Here’s how you can make your choice between Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

What is crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is a way to raise money from a large group of people, usually online. Instead of relying on one investor, you get small amounts from many. It’s popular for launching new products, creative projects, and businesses. Kickstarter is the most popular crowdfunding platform, with Indiegogo being in the top 5.

Anyone with an idea can set up a campaign and ask for support. People who believe in the idea contribute. In return, they often get rewards like early access to the product.

Crowdfunding has changed how people fund projects. It makes it easier to bring ideas to life without needing a big loan or investment. All you need is a good pitch and an audience willing to back you.

What is Kickstarter?

Kickstarter is one of the oldest crowdfunding platforms, having started back in 2009. It’s known for creative projects like art, games, tech, and – of course – board games.

You can’t just launch any project you want, though. Kickstarter has strict rules on what is and isn’t eligible to fund on their platform.

Plus, Kickstarter is based on an all-or-nothing model. If you don’t hit your goal, no one’s card is charged, and you get nothing.

What is Indiegogo?

Indiegogo is another popular platform. It’s less popular than Kickstarter but has a more flexible platform. Tech and gadgets seem to do particularly well on Indiegogo.

Indiegogo allows a broader range of projects and has fewer rules. That means some projects, like those related to personal causes or charitable campaigns, can be funded through Indiegogo, even when Kickstarter says no.

Indiegogo also allows creators to choose between all-or-nothing or keep-what-you-raise funding options. That means if you reach, say, 70% of your goal, you can keep the funds you raise, whereas on Kickstarter you would get nothing.

What other crowdfunding platforms are there?

There are tons of crowdfunding platforms online. Many, like Patreon or GoFundMe, don’t necessarily immediately come to mind when you say “crowdfunding”, but still count because they are based on raising small donations from a lot of different people.

Bearing that in mind, there are plenty of crowdfunding platforms besides Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Some are better for personal causes, while others focus on helping startups raise capital. Here’s a quick look at some of the most popular alternatives:

• GoFundMe: Best for personal causes and emergencies.
• Patreon: Focuses on ongoing support for creators through monthly subscriptions.
• StartEngine: A platform for equity crowdfunding, aimed at startups seeking investors.
• Gamefound: A crowdfunding platform exclusively for board games.
• Crowdfunder: Focuses on helping startups raise capital from investors.
• Fundable: Allows startups to raise equity or rewards-based funds.
• Republic: An equity crowdfunding platform for startups and real estate.
• Crowdcube: A UK-based equity crowdfunding platform aimed at helping companies raise investment.

These platforms serve different purposes. Some focus on personal causes, while others target startups or ongoing projects. Choose based on your needs—equity, rewards, or charitable giving.

Not every platform fits every project. For instance, GoFundMe works well for raising money in emergencies but wouldn’t be suitable for launching a tech startup. Equity platforms like StartEngine or Republic are perfect if you’re looking to offer investors a stake in your company.

3 most important factors to choose between Kickstarter vs. Indiegogo

When you choose between Kickstarter and Indiegogo, there are only three factors that should make a decisive difference: your product type, the rules, and whether you want partial funding access.

There are plenty of differences between the platforms, to be sure, and we’ll talk about those. But these three factors are, by far, the most important. Below is explanation of why this is the case:

1. What platform will be the best fit for your product?

Kickstarter is best for creative projects. Think games, films, and art. Even Kickstarter’s branding leans heavily into creativity and artistry, in much the same way that Adobe’s does.

Indiegogo, on the other hand, covers a broader range of categories. But among them, projects in the technology, fitness, outdoor, and home categories tend to do well.

You need to go to the platform your audience expects you to be on. Launching a board game on Indiegogo would be a mistake. But that would not be the case if you launched a new consumer electronic product on Indiegogo.

2. Are your product and company able to follow the rules?

Kickstarter has strict guidelines. It doesn’t allow charities, personal causes, or any project that isn’t focused on creation.

Indiegogo’s rules are more relaxed. If your project doesn’t follow Kickstarter’s rules, this could be your better option. This would be the case for charity or for personal causes. There’s simply no use in trying to launch projects like that on Kickstarter, since the manual review process will eliminate them before they have a chance.

3. Do you want the ability to take partial funding if you underperform your goal?

Kickstarter is all or nothing. You either hit your goal, or you get nothing. It’s great for ambitious projects with big goals, where not having enough capital would lead to the creators having to invest far too much of their own money to ship far too few products.

Indiegogo offers flexible funding. If you want to keep whatever money you raise, no matter if you hit your target, Indiegogo’s flexibility gives you that option. To be clear – Indiegogo still offers all-or-nothing funding as an option too. But the point is that you can choose in advance to keep the funds if you don’t raise enough to reach your goal outright.

Flexible funding is useful for creators who can still succeed even with partial funding. If you want to take advantage of that, you can’t use Kickstarter.

Kickstarter (Pros)

Kickstarter is a household name in a way that other crowdfunding platforms simply aren’t. It’s this brand name – and the community that comes along with it – that set Kickstarter apart since it helps with reach, success odds, media exposure, and community-building.

1. Kickstarter has a larger audience.

Kickstarter is the largest crowdfunding platform. Even though you should build your own audience before launching, you will still see a huge spike in attention just by the act of launching on Kickstarter. This makes it easier to attract even more backers, creating a virtuous cycle.

2. Kickstarter success rates are higher.

Kickstarter campaigns generally have a higher chance of meeting their funding goals compared to other platforms. The all-or-nothing model encourages backers to help you reach that target. This gives creators a better shot at full funding.

3. The media loves Kickstarter.

Kickstarter projects often get media coverage, especially if they are unique or innovative. The word “Kickstarter” itself rather than “Indiegogo” or “Patreon” or some other crowdfunding platform tends to get the attention of journalists.

When you land press coverage, it can help drive even more attention and backers to your campaign. It’s simply easier to do that with Kickstarter than other platforms.

4. Kickstarter’s fixed funding model reduces the risk of being underfunded.

By only allowing funds to be collected if the goal is met, creators avoid being stuck with less money than they need. This ensures that you get enough resources to complete your project. It’s a safeguard against underperformance.

In fact, Kickstarter’s strict insistence on all-or-nothing funding has likely contributed to its success as a platform. Reducing the risk of creators having to fulfill orders without enough funding reduces the risk of backers paying for products and receiving nothing. It likely has helped Kickstarter’s reputation.

5. Kickstarter generally has better analytics.

Both Kickstarter and Indiegogo have built-in analytics tools. But Mark Pecota, CEO of LaunchBoom, says in his article comparing the two platforms that “in my experience, Kickstarter has better integration and the data tracked in Google Analytics almost identically matches the data tracked on your Kickstarter campaign.”

6. Kickstarter has a thriving community of creative projects.

Kickstarter is home to a passionate, engaged audience that loves supporting creative ventures. This community boosts projects in categories like art, film, and games. It’s hard to measure the impact of culture on a crowdfunding platform overall, but let’s not forget that Kickstarter is home to “superbackers” who have supported more than 25 projects with pledges of $10 or greater in the last year.

7. Kickstarter will pay all funds after 14 days, holding none back.

Once your campaign ends successfully, Kickstarter transfers the funds quickly. The 14-day period is short, allowing you to start using the money right away. There are no additional holdbacks or delays. Indiegogo, by comparison, holds onto about 5% of the funds to issue to backers in the event of refunds.

Kickstarter (Cons)

Kickstarter also has its downsides. The platform has some limitations that you should be aware of prior to launching.

1. Kickstarter manually reviews projects and has strict rules.

Each project must pass Kickstarter’s approval process, which can be time-consuming. The platform has strict guidelines on what projects are allowed. This can be a hurdle for creators with unconventional ideas.

2. Flexible funding is not an option on Kickstarter.

Kickstarter uses an all-or-nothing model, meaning you must meet your goal to get any money. If you fall short, you get nothing. Some creators simply hate the idea of working hard on a crowdfunding campaign only to end up empty-handed and this lack of flexible funding can be a dealbreaker for certain projects.

3. Kickstarter’s page builder is notoriously hard to use.

Kickstarter’s tools for creating campaign pages are known for being clunky and difficult to navigate. Creators often struggle with formatting and design. This can make it hard to build a professional-looking page.

4. Kickstarter does not have a platform for post-campaign fundraising.

Once your campaign ends, there’s no built-in way to continue raising funds on the platform. Kickstarter doesn’t offer tools for ongoing support like some other platforms do. This limits creators who want to extend their campaigns.

This forces a lot of creators to use third-party tools like BackerKit, Gamefound, or even Indiegogo InDemand to continue raising funds after the completion of their projects.

5. Kickstarter has relatively few project categories.

Kickstarter focuses heavily on creative projects and has fewer categories for business or personal causes. This can make it hard for some campaigns to find a home. If your project doesn’t fit their mold, you might have a hard time raising enough funding.

Indiegogo (Pros)

Though it is less popular than Kickstarter, Indiegogo has some attractive features for campaign creators. In particular, it’s known for its flexibility and openness to various project types.

1. Indiegogo allows flexible funding.

Unlike Kickstarter, Indiegogo gives you the option to keep whatever you raise, even if you don’t hit your full goal. This reduces the risk of walking away empty-handed. Flexible funding is perfect for creators unsure about meeting their target.

2. Indiegogo has a broader range of product categories.

Indiegogo welcomes projects that range from creative endeavors to personal causes and tech innovations. That makes it more versatile for projects that might not fit into Kickstarter’s stricter guidelines.

3. Indiegogo is open to more countries.

Indiegogo is available to creators in a wider range of countries than Kickstarter. This makes it more accessible to a global audience. It’s a great option for international campaigns seeking a broader reach.

4. Indiegogo allows for post-campaign funding via Indiegogo InDemand.

Once your campaign ends, you can continue raising money through Indiegogo InDemand. This feature lets you keep accepting contributions even after your initial goal is met. It’s perfect for projects that want to maintain momentum.

If you want to do this with Kickstarter, your only choice is to use a third-party pledge manager such as BackerKit. Although it should be noted that Kickstarter has been researching and beta testing a system for post-campaign funding.

5. Indiegogo’s page builder is more flexible.

Indiegogo’s tools for creating your campaign page offer more customization options than Kickstarter. You have greater control over the design and layout. This flexibility makes it easier to create a polished, professional page.

If you are particularly tech-savvy, you’ll be pleased to know that Indiegogo’s page builder even supports basic HTML and CSS if you want to get a little more hands-on with your page styling.

6. Indiegogo collects backer information immediately after pledging.

As soon as someone contributes to your campaign, Indiegogo collects their contact and shipping details. This means you have everything you need to fulfill orders quickly. Early access to backer info helps streamline fulfillment.

7. Indiegogo has a thriving tech and gadgets community.

Indiegogo is particularly well-known for its tech and gadgets campaigns. If your project falls into one of these categories, you’ll find a ready-to-back community of interested backers. This niche focus can boost your campaign’s success in the tech world.

Indiegogo (Cons)

Indiegogo has some drawbacks, especially when compared to Kickstarter. It’s important to weigh these cons before deciding to launch a project on the platform.

1. Indiegogo has lower success rates.

As many as 37.7% of Kickstarter campaigns succeed. Only 17-18% of Indiegogo campaigns do the same.

To be clear, these are base odds of success that don’t consider the product category or the skill of the crowdfunding creator. But even still, this can be awfully discouraging for creators hoping for guaranteed success.

2. Indiegogo has a smaller audience.

While Indiegogo is a popular platform, it doesn’t have the same massive audience that Kickstarter does. Fewer potential backers mean you might have to work harder to promote your campaign. This smaller pool of users limits your campaign’s exposure.

Again, if you are launching in the right category, this is less of an issue.

3. Indiegogo campaigns aren’t as attractive to the media as Kickstarter campaigns.

Kickstarter has a stronger media presence, often drawing more attention from journalists and bloggers. Indiegogo campaigns don’t typically get as much press coverage. This lack of media buzz can make it harder to generate excitement.

4. Indiegogo holds 5% of funds for refunds.

Indiegogo keeps 5% of your funds on hold in case refunds are needed. This is a relatively minor concern if you budget for it, but it can still be annoying if you aren’t aware of this fact. Make sure you consider how immediate your cash flow needs are before you launch an Indiegogo campaign.

5. Indiegogo charges backers immediately, rather than after the conclusion of a successful campaign.

On Indiegogo, backers are charged as soon as they pledge, regardless of whether the campaign hits its goal. For cash flow purposes, this can be excellent, but until those orders are fulfilled, accountants will consider that money “unearned revenue.”

Now to be clear, this is also the case with Kickstarter, but since you receive rewards after the campaign is over, that’s less time that unearned revenue will be sitting on your books.

There’s also a psychological element to consider for backers. Some backers may hesitate to pledge if they don’t know whether the campaign will succeed. This could affect your overall funding.

Final Thoughts

Kickstarter and Indiegogo both have well-established communities, and both can be a great place to launch your crowdfunding campaign.

The most important thing to consider is: “what kind of product am I selling?” Games, film, art, publishing, and design do really well on Kickstarter. Technology, fitness, outdoor, and home do really well on Indiegogo.

After considering product category, it’s a matter of subtleties. What’s more important: higher chances of success or openness? Does flexible funding move the needle? What about the ease of transitioning into a post-campaign pledge manager?

These questions will help you determine whether Kickstarter or Indiegogo is right for you and your business.

But no matter what you choose – good luck! Let us know if you need any help shipping orders.

Want to get organic traffic to your store so you can make some sales? Ecommerce search engine optimization, or SEO, is how you do that.

Optimizing your website for search engines will help increase visibility, attract potential customers, and improve your chances of turning those visitors into buyers.

SEO can be broken down into a bunch of smaller disciplines. There’s technical SEO, which is about your site’s speed, structure, and security. Then there’s on-page SEO which is focused on making individual pages more searchable. Then there is content marketing and link building, which is about making pages people want to read and then getting those pages in front of readers.

It’s a lot to take in, especially if you don’t have a technical background. It’s for that reason that we compiled this guide to give you some actionable tips to help you get started.

So let’s begin with a quick definition of eCommerce SEO.

What is Ecommerce SEO?

Ecommerce SEO is all about optimizing your online store to rank higher in search engine results. Unlike general SEO, eCommerce SEO zeroes in on product and category pages, optimizing for relevant keywords, and enhancing the user experience to turn visitors into customers. It targets specific search terms to attract shoppers actively looking for the products you sell.

Good SEO impacts your store’s visibility, making it easier for customers to find your products. High search rankings lead to increased organic traffic and better conversion rates. Effective SEO strategies also boost your online presence, helping you attract and retain customers, which ultimately drives sales and growth.

In this guide, we’ll provide tips on how exactly you can optimize for SEO.

Technical SEO Tips

Optimizing the technical aspects of your site is crucial for better search engine rankings. But technical SEO can get complex if you research it online.

To help you get started, here are some concrete steps to help you optimize your technical ESO.

#1: Optimize your site structure.

A well-organized site structure is a must for SEO. As Nikola Baldikov, CEO of Inbound Blogging, suggests, “start with defining your categories. They should be logical and intuitive, so both users and search engines can browse the website easily.”

He continues, saying, that “if you don’t know where to start, try checking what your competitors are doing and gathering some ideas. Simply uploading products without considering the organization can cause your visitors to get confused and hurt your sales.”

#2: Make sure your website is mobile-friendly.

Mobile optimization is key since search engines prioritize mobile-friendly sites. After all, 45% of web users shop through their phones.

Brandon Schroth, Founder at Reporter Outreach, emphasizes that “mobile phones are the most popular form of devices used to perform online shopping.” He goes on to say that “if a website is not mobile optimized, user experiences may be imperiled, in addition to search rankings being affected.”

Make sure your site is responsive and adapts to different screen sizes. This is because a mobile-friendly site enhances user experience, reduces bounce rates, and boosts search performance. Or, put in a less technical way, people stay on your site for longer and are more likely to buy.

#3: Improve site speed.

Fast-loading websites rank higher and offer a better user experience. “Speed matters more than you think,” says Nathaniel Miller at The SEO Marketing Dad. “Make sure your site loads fast and looks great on mobile. Customers expect quick, seamless experiences, and Google rewards it too.”

If you want to improve your site’s load time, then optimize images, turn on browser caching, and minimize HTTP requests to improve loading times. Use tools like GTMetrix to find and fix speed issues.

#4: Secure your site with HTTPS.

Security is a ranking factor, and HTTPS ensures that data exchanged between your site and users is encrypted. Make sure you have a valid SSL certificate to secure your site. Additionally, HTTPS improves user trust and can lead to better search engine rankings, as search engines prefer secure sites.

If you have trouble doing this, use Why No Padlock to troubleshoot.

On-Page SEO Strategies

On-page SEO is all about optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and attract more relevant traffic from search engines. Here are some specific tips you can apply today to improve your on-page SEO.

#5: Optimize product pages with targeted keywords.

Make sure to incorporate relevant keywords naturally in your product titles and descriptions. Use keywords that your potential customers are likely to search for. Be sure to also include them in headings, subheadings, and bullet points. This helps search engines understand your content and rank your pages higher for those specific terms.

But that said, avoid the temptation to stuff keywords into product titles and descriptions. You instead want to incorporate relevant keywords naturally. Tom Jauncey of Nautilus Marketing advises that you “optimize product pages with unique, keyword-rich descriptions and high-quality images. Too many eCommerce sites rely on manufacturer descriptions, which can hurt rankings. Make sure each product page offers value in terms of content.”

#6: Use high-quality images and optimize alt text.

“The first SEO tip for an eCommerce site is image optimization,” says SEO consultant, Jase Rodley. “Since eCommerce is all about visuals, make sure all product images are high quality and have descriptive alt text with relevant keywords. This helps with SEO and accessibility.” He also recommends using user-generated content like customer reviews and testimonials, which he says, “adds fresh unique content to your product pages and builds trust with potential buyers.”

#7: Create compelling meta descriptions.

Meta descriptions are short descriptions of your page that can be sent to search engines. Usually, they are 160 characters at most.

You need to write concise and compelling meta descriptions for each page. This will involve summarizing the page content and including targeted keywords.

Now you should know – meta descriptions not always appear in search results. It depends on the search terms used and, frankly, whether or not Google feels like using your meta descriptions.

But all the same, well-written meta descriptions increase the odds that searchers turn into visitors.

#8: Optimize URL structures for clarity and keywords.

Create clear, concise URLs with relevant keywords. Avoid long, complex URLs. Google, and other search engines, tend to dislike long URLs or ones that contain irrelevant information like random numbers.

Additionally, as Ross Kernez from SEO Meetup suggests, building links from trustworthy websites in your industry can further enhance your site’s rankings by signaling credibility and relevance to search engines. “Aim to get links from well-known, trustworthy websites in your industry,” says Kernez. “These good links help boost your site’s ranking in search engines.”

Content Marketing for SEO

Creating valuable content is a good way to improve your search rankings. Sometimes, this means improving the quality of your product pages with reviews or FAQs. Other times, it means creating blog posts, videos, and other forms of content to help answer questions that your customers may have.

No matter how you choose to go about it, content marketing is a proven way to help boost your SEO.

#9: Start a blog related to your niche.

It’s not relevant for every niche, but it works like a charm when it is! Regular blog posts can improve your search rankings and also help you establish your site as an authority in your industry.

Blogging allows you to create keyword-rich content that attracts organic traffic. In order to do this, write about topics relevant to your niche, addressing common questions and sharing useful knowledge.

#10: Use user-generated content.

Encourage customers to leave reviews and testimonials on your site. User-generated content (UGC) adds credibility and naturally incorporates relevant keywords.

“Feedback and reviews from your existing customers offers social proof and helps to convince and convert new customers,” says Michelle Symonds, CEO of Ditto Digital.

It’s not hard to understand why search engines like UGC. Much like human beings, search engine bots like seeing proof that your brand is as good as you say it is!

Positive reviews can also improve your search rankings and attract more visitors by showing that you have satisfied customers.

Building up UGC takes time. But one way you can speed up the process is by remembering to ask customers to leave reviews. Many will if you remember to ask!

#11: Build a keyword-rich FAQ page.

Create an FAQ page that addresses common questions and concerns related to your products. As you answer questions, you will naturally use keywords in the questions and answers.

“I would recommend that sites prioritize their product descriptions,” says Kim Butler from Online Optimism, “being sure to answer any potential questions their customers might ask. You could also include this in frequently asked questions after descriptions to add more value.”

In addition to being good for SEO, adding FAQs improves user experience, on top of simply driving organic traffic to your site.

Link Building Techniques

Search engines tend to favor websites that other sites link to. When other sites link to your website, these are called backlinks. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the better your website will rank.

So here are some tips on how you can build up your backlinks.

#12: Implement a link-building strategy.

“Link building, [such as] building links to the root of your domain via brand mentions, is not only important but is one of the most natural ways to obtain backlinks over time,” says John White from Complete White Label. “I recommend doing this via expert commentary campaigns.”

That’s just one technique you can employ though, as there are a lot of ways you can get backlinks. Many of them boil down to networking.

To acquire quality backlinks, reach out to the owners of larger sites. Offer to create guest blog posts or strike up a partnership. A lot of this will come down to outreach, often cold outreach, done via email or social media.

Another good way to build up your link profile is by getting mentioned in the media. You may also consider using websites like Qwoted or HARO to get in touch with reporters.

#13: Partner with influencers for content outreach.

Collaborate with influencers to create and share content that includes links to your site. Influencers can reach a wider audience and provide high-quality backlinks. This not only improves your link equity but also drives targeted traffic.

“Apart from increasing your credibility,” says Brandon Schroth from Reporter Outreach, “this will also help expand your brand’s reach. Moreover, these collaborations help in producing creative and original content that can be published on social networks and other digital media, thus generating quality backlinks and increasing the visibility of your website.”

Overall, this is a smart way to increase brand awareness. This is especially true in some niche markets such as cosmetics.

It’s also useful to remember that influencers aren’t just people with big Instagram or TikTok followings. Reporters, reviewers, bloggers, and even community organizers are all influencers in the broader sense of the term. Don’t overlook them because of all the people talking into ring lights!

#14: Use internal linking wisely.

“Don’t skip out on the importance of internal linking,” advises Nathaniel Miller from The SEO Marketing Dad. “Internal linking is a powerful way to guide users and spread link equity. Don’t overlook it.”

Internal linking helps distribute page authority throughout your site and improves navigation. Link related products, blog posts, and category pages to enhance user experience and SEO. Be sure your most important pages receive the most internal links.

You will also want to make sure you use descriptive anchor text. That means avoiding turning words like “here” into links. The linked text itself needs to tell you something about the page that is being linked to.

Advanced SEO Tips

SEO advice can become very complex. If you follow all of the previous tips but are still looking for further ways to improve, here are a few more things you can do.

#15: Use schema markup for rich snippets.

Schema markup helps search engines understand your content. When you use schema markup, it can improve search result visibility with rich snippets.

Rich snippets include additional information below the meta description in the search result. That might include a product rating, number of reviews, price, delivery cost, returns policy, and similar information.

Paul DeMott, CTO at Helium SEO, explains that using it for “highlights like stock, ratings, and pricing can boost your presence on search engine result pages by offering rich snippets.”

In order to add rich snippets, you need to implement schema markup. This can get complex, so here is a guide on how you can do this in Shopify.

While complex, it is often worth it. That’s because rich snippets improve click-through rates by making your listings more attractive.

#16: Optimize for voice search.

Voice search is becoming more common. So think about the kinds of keywords people will use when using Siri for search.

Think about how you can get your pages to rank when using natural spoken language. Think about the kind of long-tail keywords that reflect how people speak.

Truthfully, this is very hard to do. But if you answer common questions directly in your content, such as descriptions, you will improve your odds of appearing in the voice search results. This is because of the conversational nature of copywritten text online.

For more information, check out this post by Design Rush on voice search best practices.

#17: Focus on local SEO if applicable.

You might also consider optimizing your eCommerce site for local search if you have a physical store or target a specific region. Include your business address, phone number, and operating hours on your site. Use local keywords.

If nothing else, create a Google My Business listing to improve your visibility in local search results.

#18: Use comparison pages.

“Comparison pages targeting keywords like ‘Product A vs. Product B,’ are perfect for capturing bottom-of-funnel shoppers who are ready to buy but need that final push,” says John Butterworth of Mint SEO.

“They’re searching for specific product comparisons, so give them a clear breakdown of features, benefits, and pricing to help them decide. If your page has a clear winner, it’s likely the customer will purchase that product straight after reading.”

#19: Make gift guides for seasonal SEO.

Another underrated tip, advocated for by Hemapriya Natesan is creating seasonal guides. She says that you can “create blogs centered around popular themes, like holiday gift guides, that incorporate long-tail keywords.”

On those pages, you can “showcase your products with high-quality images, customer experiences, and descriptions that illustrate why they’d make thoughtful gifts.”

It should be noted this can be a solid way to acquire first-time customers since shoppers tend to be more open to new brands during the holidays.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to SEO, there is one animating principle. Make a site that people want to find!

In practice, that means creating a site that is easy to use, secure, and loads quickly. That’s where technical SEO comes in. Every single page needs to be useful, which is where on-page SEO is handy.

The best sites make content that users want to find and distribute it to other websites where it can be found. To accomplish that, you need content marketing and link-building.

Take a few of these tips and think about how you can apply them to your site. There’s a good chance that they’ll help you improve your eCommerce SEO game!

Further Resources

For further learning and implementation of advanced SEO techniques, consider the following tools and resources:

• Google Search Console: Monitor and maintain your site’s presence in Google search results.
• Ahrefs: Comprehensive SEO toolset for keyword research, backlink analysis, and site audits.
• Moz: Offers tools and resources for SEO learning, including keyword explorer and link-building strategies.
• SEMRush: An all-in-one marketing toolkit for SEO, including competitive analysis and site audits.
• Yoast SEO: A popular WordPress plugin to optimize on-page SEO.
• Neil Patel’s Blog: Extensive resources and guides on SEO best practices and strategies.

Running a Shopify store isn’t as simple as it looks. Many store owners learn the hard way, spending countless hours and dollars on trial and error. But the right advice, straight from experienced store owners, can save you both time and money. That’s why we’ve compiled insights from experts who’ve been through it all.

In this guide, we talk about practical strategies that are proven to work. You will find tips for marketing, product design, customer retention, and more. Every tip you read in this guide comes from a real, vetted successful store owner.

No theory here—just real-world tactics that drive results. Learn from those who’ve made the mistakes and found the solutions. Take their experience, apply it, and watch your Shopify store grow.

3 Business Strategy Tips for Shopify Stores

Shopify store success isn’t about doing everything all at once. You need to focus on doing the right things the right way. Focus your efforts on key strategic activities, and results will follow.

1. Focus your time on key marketing channels

Overcomplicating your marketing can be a costly mistake. “Store owners often spread themselves too thin by trying to be on every platform, using every tool, and chasing every trend,” says John Butterworth of Mint SEO. Instead, he suggests focusing on a few key channels where your audience is most active and refining your efforts there. It’s about quality over quantity.

Mark Ainsworth of Maxweb Solutions agrees, adding, “start by mastering one or two marketing channels, and once those are optimized, expand your efforts.” Vukasin Ilic from Linkter emphasizes this point: “It’s better to focus on one or two platforms and excel there. Spreading yourself too thin can lead to mediocre results and burnout.”

2. Avoid unnecessary spending

Anthony Barone of StudioHawk UK sees a common problem among new store owners—overspending on tech and flashy tools. “Everyone gets sucked into so many tools, tech solutions and flashy things which suck money from the budget and your P/L,” he explains.

“When you are bootstrapped, you can’t flush money down the toilet on every little thing,” says Barone. “Find solutions that are free and will do the job for what you are doing now and what you want to do in the next 6-12 months, not what you’d like in 5 years when you think you’ll be the next ASOS”.

Keeping costs in check now lays the foundation for growth later. Just because this advice is simple doesn’t make it any less important.

3. Stock recession-proof products

In uncertain times, stocking essential products can allow your business to continue to succeed even when other product categories are underperforming. “Recession-proof products can be any item that people need to survive in its most literal sense,” says Nate Banks of Crazy Compression. He lists consumer staples like food, hygiene items, and pet necessities as examples. “These items are critical to the survival of consumers; they’re non-discretionary,” he adds.

Brandon Hartman of BeyWarehouse echoes this sentiment, classifying recession-proof products into two categories: necessities and niche items with dedicated fanbases. “[These products] will continue to get patronage, even as purchasers of upper-tier products slide down the price scale to save expenses,” he notes. In challenging economic periods, choosing the right products can make all the difference.

3 Customer Acquisition Tips for Shopify

If you want to acquire customers for your Shopify store, you need strategies that bring customers directly to you. But you don’t want to waste your time chasing every trend. Your time is better spent finding what works and doing it well. Here are some tips to help know where to focus your attention.

4. Use SEO to increase sales

Ignoring SEO is a costly mistake for any Shopify store owner. “Well-crafted online stores receive significantly more free organic traffic from search engines,” explains Justin Christopher of Klatch Coffee. Tools like Google Search Console and SEMRush can help track and monitor progress, showing which strategies yield the best results.

Ben Duffy from Quirky Digital adds, “SEO-friendly product descriptions not only improve search visibility but also enhance the user experience, increasing the likelihood of conversions.” It’s not enough to just have products; you need to ensure your site is optimized to rank for valuable search terms.

As Vukasin Ilic of Linkter puts it, “[Search] is fully intent-based—when I rank my Shopify store for linen dresses, for example, people coming on my website through search are shoppers who have their wallets ready.”

5. Get on Google Shopping

Google Shopping is an underused goldmine for small brands. “Shopify easily integrates with most social platforms, and for many small brands, there is a real opportunity to grow with Google Shopping,” says David Mason of Fortunata. Unlike major retailers, independent brands have an advantage on Google, as the platform builds its shopping results to feature unique brands over big-box names. “They don’t need another Walmart, Costco, or ASOS,” Mason emphasizes.

By using this tool, your store can show up when buyers are actively looking for products like yours. Thankfully, getting started is easy since you can add the Google & YouTube app on Shopify with minimal effort.

6. Run Facebook & Google ads

Paid advertising is a powerful way to drive targeted traffic. Ben Duffy from Quirky Digital highlights that channels like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram are ideal for paid traffic because they “[allow for highly targeted advertising], which can be very useful when trying to reach niche markets.”

But it’s not just about ads. Email marketing remains a powerful and terribly underrated tool. Anthony Barone of StudioHawk UK explains that “emails are an oldie but a goodie—having direct contact into people’s inboxes can build another long list of customers [which helps] to warm people up, build loyalty, run offers, [and] engagement campaigns.”

For those willing to invest time and money, these strategies pay great dividends when it comes to customer acquisition and retention.

2 Tips to Increase Customer Lifetime Value for Your Shopify Store

Getting new customers is just one part of the puzzle. The real value lies in keeping them coming back. To do that, you need the right strategies—ones that build loyalty and drive repeat sales.

7. Start an email list

Too many store owners overlook one of their most powerful assets—owned media like an email list. Unlike social platforms such as Facebook or TikTok, where you have no control over changes, your email list is yours. Justin Christopher of Klatch Coffee explains, “[It’s a mistake] to not start capturing and building an email list on day one.” He recommends tools like Klaviyo for both email and SMS marketing, especially for its seamless integration with Shopify.

Email marketing isn’t just about sending messages. Vukasin Ilic of Linkter notes that “sending out newsletters, special offers, or personalized recommendations can boost repeat purchases and significantly increase lifetime customer value.” The sooner you start, the sooner you build a loyal customer base that’s ready to engage with your brand.

8. Connect TikTok Shop

TikTok isn’t just for dancing videos—it’s a serious sales tool for Shopify stores. Ben Duffy from Quirky Digital highlights that TikTok Shop is becoming increasingly effective, especially for brands using short, dynamic videos to engage audiences. “Creating engaging, authentic videos that showcase products can lead to instant sales,” he explains, especially when users can buy directly within the app.

Connecting your Shopify store to TikTok Shop streamlines the customer journey. “Linking your Shopify store directly creates an easy customer journey, turning engagement into conversions,” Duffy adds. By collaborating with TikTok influencers or running targeted ads, you can quickly build brand awareness and drive sales.

3 Product Design Tips for Your Shopify Store

The best products don’t happen by accident. They are built through careful planning, testing, and refinement. Approach your design process with precision, and your efforts will pay off.

9. Start small & iterate

Prototyping isn’t about progress over perfection. “Start small with your prototypes to keep costs down and iterate quickly based on feedback,” advises Jorge Argota. By engaging users early, you can gather insights that shape the design to better fit customer needs.

Valentin Radu of Omniconvert expands on this, saying they “leverage customer feedback and data to inform design choices,” creating preliminary models and using A/B testing and user interviews to refine products. He adds that tracking key performance indicators helps ensure each iteration aligns with market demands.

Jason Wingate of Emerald Ocean Ltd. shares his experience: “Know your customers.” Wingate further clarifies by sharing a story of what this looked like practice, saying “a few years ago we released the Rotary Thread tool, a thread filing tool that was revolutionary and nothing was like it on the market. It could file threads quicker and faster than anything. We sold (and still sell) to Lowe’s and Home Depot in the USA, and Canadian Tire in Canada. But sales were not as good as we expected. Why? Because the customers of most retail chains don’t need a thread filing tool most of the time. If a nut or bolt comes loose, they just buy a new one for a few cents.”

Ultimately, as a result of the learning process, his team found success when they identified the right market for their Rotary Thread tool, selling to industrial clients instead of retail. “If the customer doesn’t have a problem or need your product, you need to reflect on that and find out what they do need.”

10. Research suppliers carefully

Finding the right supplier is a crucial step that can save you time and money. “To get quotes I reached out to several manufacturers with detailed specifications of the product,” says Argota. He clarifies that his communication “[included] drawings or CAD files, material requirements and expected quantities. Comparing these quotes helped me understand the market rates and negotiate better terms. Having all the info ready upfront made the process smoother.”

Jason Wingate recommends using a broker in the manufacturing country to navigate customs, culture, and time zones efficiently. “They would also know manufacturers beforehand as well,” he explains, which speeds up the process. Jorge Argota reflects on his own experience, stating that “having all the info ready upfront made the process smoother.”

But mistakes happen. Argota admits he “underestimated costs early on, didn’t vet some manufacturers well enough,” leading to miscommunication and costly setbacks. Ryan McDonald of Resell Calendar stresses the importance of detailed quotes, advising brands to “request quotations breaking out labor, material, and any additional fees” for clarity. He also cautions that the lowest bid is not always the best choice—quality and communication matter.

11. Design attractive packaging

Don’t underestimate the power of good packaging. “Early consideration of these elements can significantly impact the perceived value of your product,” says Ryan McDonald from Resell Calendar.

Well-designed packaging can elevate a product, making it more appealing and boosting its resale value. McDonald’s team has found that investing time and effort in packaging during the prototyping phase pays off, transforming how customers perceive and interact with their products.

3 Web Design Tips for Shopify Stores

Good web design goes far beyond look and feel. You need to create a fast, seamless experience for every user. The right adjustments can transform how your store performs—and how customers spend their money.

12. Optimize your images

A slow website is a lost sale. Jose Gomez of Summit Metals points out that “websites generally load slowly because images are not optimized in size.” A common mistake is uploading large JPEG files, which can take up to 3MB each. Multiply that by 20 images, and you’ve got a site that drags on any mobile device.

The solution, according to Gomez, is to “convert images to WEBP format.” This technique reduces file size by up to 70% while maintaining high quality. For Shopify store owners, every second counts. Optimizing images speeds up load time, keeping customers engaged and ready to buy.

13. Remove unnecessary apps

Apps can be a double-edged sword. While they add functionality, too many can slow down your store. “Carefully choose the apps that you add to your store, and remove any that aren’t needed,” advises Justin Christopher from Klatch Coffee. But removing the app isn’t enough—make sure it deletes all the code it installed.

Old code left behind can still affect your site speed. Christopher recommends using tools like Google Lighthouse to run before-and-after tests, ensuring your store stays optimized. Regular maintenance keeps your site clean and efficient.

14. Familiarize yourself with Lighthouse scores

Understanding store performance metrics is complex, but you need to be able to do it. Shopify provides a Web Performance dashboard, where users can track loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. But Shopify’s built-in dashboard is limited in scope, so many Shopify store owners prefer to use Lighthouse Scores (Google PageSpeed Insights) instead.

Windy Pierre highlights the importance of the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) score—your site’s loading speed over time. For best results, he says “don’t make the main picture load lazily.” Use Shopify’s automatic lazy loading or section index for better control.

JavaScript is another area where store owners often slip up. “Too much JavaScript makes your site slow,” says Pierre. Simplify your code and eliminate unused scripts to boost your Interaction with Next Paint (INP) score. Lastly, set dimensions for images and videos with Shopify’s Liquid image_tag to prevent layout shifts. This will help keep your Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) score low and reduce the risk of elements “jumping around” as the pages load.

If you want to research this further, check out Google PageSpeed Insights and GTMetrix. Both are free tools that you can use to measure your website’s performance.

4 Shipping Tips for Shopify Stores

Shipping is more than just getting a package from point A to point B. You need to make sure the process is smooth, efficient, and customer-friendly. Good shipping experiences keep customers coming back for more.

15. Validate addresses

Getting the address right is crucial. Shawn Zar from Superior Seating suggests using automated address verification to prevent costly mistakes. This makes perfect sense because their business is based on laborious custom furniture design. Shipping to wrong address would be terribly expensive.

Lou Haverty of Tank Retailer takes it a step further. “I process orders through Shopify, but I also double-check everything,” he explains. Haverty contacts customers to confirm shipment details, especially for larger orders requiring special handling like liftgates. “The biggest risk is if you ship an expensive product blindly,” he warns, highlighting the importance of verifying that customers can accept delivery before sending out high-value items.

16. Develop a clear returns process

A transparent and simple return policy can build trust and boost customer satisfaction. For many Shopify store owners, it makes sense to have a 30- or 60-day return window, no questions asked. But for some items like those described below (custom furniture and heavy tanks), it makes sense to take a different approach.

At Superior Seating, Shawn Zar states that they “handle returns on a case-by-case basis,” ensuring any issues are resolved quickly while staying within their policies for custom items. Lou Haverty of Tank Retailer shares his approach: “We offer a 30-day return window for all customer sales. If the customer decides to return the product during that window, [the customer also has to pay return shipping unless there is a defect].”

No matter what policy you ultimately implement, you want to make sure you set clear expectations upfront. This will allow you to maintain control of the returns process while showing customers that you value their business.

17. Practice good inventory management

Managing inventory is an art. You want to always have enough inventory to never stock out but not so much that it inflates storage fees. Much of this comes down to demand estimation and the willingness to run sales when inventory levels get too high.

Dan Jones of Terrarium Tribe has an interesting perspective here since many of his products are live. He explains that keeping “a relatively small product range” allows them to “monitor stock levels closely,” ensuring that sales don’t spread too thinly.

Overstock issues can still arise, especially with perishable or live products like those sold by Terrarium Tribe. In those cases, Jones suggests running flash sales or offering excess items as free gifts with purchases. This strategy helps maintain a balanced inventory while keeping customers engaged.

18. Find a trustworthy fulfillment partner

Shipping can be one of the most frustrating and time-consuming aspects of running a Shopify store. You have to manage inventory and find the time to pack orders. So it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s where partnering with a fulfillment center can make all the difference.

Fulfillment centers like Fulfillrite help solve common shipping issues by streamlining the entire process. That includes everything from inventory management to real-time tracking. For Shopify store owners, the end result is fewer shipping errors and delays. Plus, most fulfillment centers integrate directly with Shopify, automating order processing, and ultimately saving time and reducing manual labor.

Choosing a fulfillment center becomes more useful as your business grows. The less time you spend packing boxes and licking stamps, the more time you can spend marketing and sales. Centers like Fulfillrite benefit from economies of scale, meaning their clients (store owners) benefit from lower shipping rates due to bulk discounts with major carriers.

When your business reaches a point where managing shipping in-house becomes too costly or time-consuming, working with a fulfillment partner can be the best step forward.

Final Thoughts

Running a Shopify store is all about balance—balancing costs, marketing efforts, and the customer experience. You’ve learned strategies here to make that balancing act easier. From fine-tuning your marketing channels to optimizing your shipping, the key is focusing on what truly drives results. Your goal shouldn’t be to do everything all at once. You want to focus on doing the right things well.

Remember, building a successful Shopify store takes planning. It’s not just about getting new customers but also keeping them engaged with strong customer retention tactics, like email marketing and fast, reliable shipping. Every system you put in place today, from inventory management to fulfillment processes, builds a foundation for the future.

As you implement these strategies, keep learning and adjusting. The eCommerce world is always changing, and staying flexible is how you stay ahead. Take these expert tips, tweak your approach, and you’ll find that success isn’t just achievable—it’s within your control.

Shoppers are impatient. Every additional tenth of a second it takes a store to load can drop conversion rates by 7%. Can you imagine how much money a Shopify store owner could lose over a 2-second delay?

Slow websites provide bad user experiences. This alone causes people to turn away from stores they would otherwise shop from. But it can also negatively impact search engine rankings too. That’s another huge problem in its own right since so many Shopify store owners count on being listed high in Google Shopping ratings.

Fixing a slow website is tricky and technical. But thankfully, it’s easier to troubleshoot issues on Shopify than it is on most platforms. In this guide, we’re going to talk about what makes Shopify stores load slowly and why it matters (in the words of actual store owners).

We’ll wrap up with clear steps you can follow to troubleshoot your slow store.

Why Your Shopify Store Is Loading Slowly: 3 Common Reasons

Shopify stores can load slowly for a lot of reasons — oversized images, sluggish apps, theme issues, you name it. We’re going to talk about each of these in a little more detail so you can understand why each one of these causes loading issues.

This is not an exhaustive list. Truth is, there are a million reasons why your Shopify store could be loading slowly. You might have a server issue or some kind of obscure coding problem. But 95% of the time, something much simpler is giving you trouble.

Here are three loading time issues that come up all the time and that you are going to have some control over.

1. Your images are too big.

Big images are, by far, the most commonly cited reason why Shopify stores load slowly. Nearly every source we asked for advice on this matter told us this, independently of one another.

Jose Gomez, Partner at Summit Metals, put it best. “Websites generally load slowly because images are not optimized in size. For example, people might upload a JPG that is 3MB.”

On its own, that isn’t a problem, but clarifies, saying that “multiplied by 20 images, your cell phone will take a while to load [the web page].”

There are ways you can troubleshoot this, which we’ll get into more later. Gomez recommends converting images to WEBP format, which cuts size by about 70% without sacrificing quality too much. Meanwhile, Steve Sacona, Founder of Top 10 Lawyers, recommends using tools like Photoshop or free online converters to compress images to smaller sizes. In our experience, we’ve found either technique can work well.

2. One or more of your apps is slowing down your site.

Remember the days when iPhones only had 8 or 16 GB of storage? Take a second and rewind to the days of having to delete apps to make room for your music. Shopify works like that.

If your store has app after app that you are not using, it might be slowing the site down. Consider purging unneeded apps and reap the benefits of faster load times.

“Carefully choose the apps that you add to your store, and remove any that aren’t needed,” suggests Justin Christopher, Manager of Ecommerce and Marketing at Klatch Coffee. “In addition to removing the app, you might need to check to make sure the app automatically removes any code that it installed, because old apps can leave behind code that slows your site. Shopify store owners can run before-and-after tests using Google Lighthouse to ensure that newly-added apps aren’t slowing their store.”

3. You’re using a slow Shopify theme.

When themes don’t work properly, they can slow down your page. Themes are all made by developers, and developers make them by writing code. The way the code is written can have a huge impact on how the website itself is loaded when it runs that code.

Practically speaking, if your theme is the problem, the only option you really have is to switch themes. Granted, there are many other things you can troubleshoot first, which we’ll talk about. But if you keep having stubborn performance issues, your theme might be the problem after all.

Why Shopify Store Loading Time Matters

If you want to really understand why loading time matters so much, it helps to hear what other store owners have to say.

Gomez says that “Google/Bing Search Engine crawlers rate your site based on how fast your site runs. The reason for this is they want to give users best user experience (which means smooth loading times.”

Christopher states that “site speed is critical for usability. We know that visitors quickly abandon slow-loading websites, especially mobile users, which make up about 70% of our audience.” He then expressed the value of using Lighthouse, Core Web Vitals, and Search Console to find and fix issues.

“There is a reason loading time is important for many reasons. Ignoring this essential aspect can scare away prospective buyers, because an average online shopper is quite impatient, and every additional second of waiting increases the bounce rate and decreases the satisfaction rate,” says Ben Schreiber, Head of Ecommerce at Latico Leathers. “Even a [one-second] delay can lead to fewer conversions, according to research. SEO is also adversely affected by slow websites as search engines such as that of Google take loading speed as a factor when indexing web content. Reduced download times mean enhanced popularity and increased chances of converting visitors into regular clients.”

Sacona states that “fast loading times are essential for keeping visitors on your site and can directly impact your business’s bottom line. From a legal standpoint ᅳ seeing to it that your website performs efficiently is not just about user experience ᅳ it’s about seeing to it that your business against potential disputes & maintaining your market position.”

Taken all together, one thing is clear. Making your Shopify store fast is not just an intellectual exercise. It has a direct impact on your profitability.

How To Speed Up Your Shopify Store: 7 Steps

With all of the above in mind, we would like to provide some tips on how you can speed up your Shopify store. Try each of these steps one at a time, and in the order they are listed below. Use free tools like GTMetrix, Pingdom, and PageSpeed Insights to measure changes in performance as you go along.

Why follow these specific steps?

This is a technical point, but it’s helpful to understand, so bear with us. You are trying to optimize three different factors:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): The amount of time it takes to load the largest object on the page. Less time is better.
• Interaction with Next Paint (INP): The amount of time it takes for a website to respond after a user interacts, such as by clicking on something. Less time is better.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): The amount that objects appear to “jump around” as the website loads. Less shifting is better.

The tips that we’re going to share require relatively little technical expertise but should make a large impact on these three figures. Don’t get too hung up on the figures themselves, though, they are ultimately just ways to quantify how it feels to use your website. And you want it to feel good, so use your human judgment.

1. Optimize your images.

If your website is loading slow, you should check your images first. That’s because overly large image files are both the most likely reason for your website to be loading slowly and one of the easiest to fix.

There are two ways main ways to optimize images, and either will work. You can either convert them to WEBP or use a tool – paid or free – to compress the images to a smaller file size. It doesn’t matter which one you use, it only matters that the file size is relatively small.

Of the two, we personally find WEBP preferable since it’s a little less technical than compressing images and certain speed measurement tools tend to like it better than optimized PNG and JPG files.

When you compress images, look at them closely and make sure the quality is still good before you use them on your website. You want the smallest file that still looks good.

Windy Pierre, Ecommerce Growth Marketer at Ecommerce Manager Dot Com has some additional recommendations for image optimization. He says it’s best to “[avoid making] the main picture load lazily. Only make pictures that you can’t see right away [should] load lazily. For more control, it’s better to use Shopify’s automatic lazy loading or the section index.”

He also advises against using special effects for main pictures.  “While making pictures fade in might seem cool, it can make the website slower. It’s better to remove them for a faster website.”

2. Remove apps you don’t use.

Having too many apps is a sure way to slow down your Shopify store. The easiest thing you can do is start removing ones you don’t use.

Sacona is a fan of this approach, saying that a “quick fix is cutting back on unnecessary plugins and streamlining your site’s design to reduce the number of elements that need to load.” Removing extra apps is a great way to do this and requires relatively little explanation.

 

3. Eliminate pop-ups and lightboxes.

You likely want to avoid removing apps that you use on a regular basis. But if you’ve optimized your images and removed unnecessary apps, and you’re still running into load time issues, you might need to consider removing some marketing-related apps. Of those, the easiest thing to check for are slow-loading pop-ups and lightboxes.

“Don’t use big pop-ups. Pop-ups for cookie consent and signing up for newsletters can take a long time to load and be the most significant thing on the page,” says Pierre. If you use them, he advises that you “make sure the text or pictures in these pop-ups are small.”

4. Disable apps one by one.

If you are still having problems with loading time after optimizing images, removing old apps, and turning off pop-ups and lightboxes, you need to go a bit further. At this point, we recommend that you start disabling apps one by one and seeing how each removal affects performance. Odds are, you’ll find at least one app is tanking your load time and it’s only by disabling them one by one that you’ll be sure which one it is.

5. Toggle your lazy loader settings.

Lazy loaders cause images to load only when they are needed. For the most part, lazy loading helps a lot with site performance and Shopify’s Dawn theme enables it by default.

But sometimes, lazy loading has problems and you need to turn it off or on. This can get a bit technical, so here is a video that can walk you through the process of enabling and disabling lazy loading. It’s best to try both ways and see which one gets a better performance.

6. Make sure your CDN is working properly.

CDN is short for content delivery network. CDNs basically save a copy of your website’s files in various servers all over the world. When people load your website, the files come to them from servers that are located physically closer to them. That means the actual electronic information that moves in physical form through fiber optic cables doesn’t have to go as far.

This is nice, since Shopify’s development team has not figured out how to move data faster than the speed of light. Give them a couple of years, though, and we’re sure they’ll figure it out!

If you use Shopify to host your store, you are automatically using their CDN. For the most part, Shopify’s CDN is excellent and probably won’t give you any trouble. But if you can’t quite get the performance you need, here is a tutorial that will walk you through replacing the default CDN with one of your choosing.

7. Use a fast Shopify theme.

If you have followed the above steps and you are still running into issues, it’s possible that your theme is slowing down your website. We saved this tip for last because switching Shopify themes requires a lot of extra work and it’s not something you want to do lightly.

But if you do get to this point, Justin Christopher recommends that you “choose a theme for your Shopify store that makes fast loading a priority, and comes from a reputable developer. Quality themes include regular updates that include bug fixes and new features, as well as performance improvements.”

Final Thoughts

A slow Shopify store doesn’t just frustrate customers—it costs you money. Every second of delay means fewer conversions and lower sales. If your store isn’t loading fast enough, you’re essentially turning away shoppers who are ready to buy.

Speed matters. It affects user experience, search engine rankings, and ultimately, your bottom line. With so many factors influencing loading times, you can’t afford to ignore the problem. Start with the basics: optimize images, remove unused apps, and choose a theme designed for performance.

Fixing a slow store takes effort, but it’s worth it. Follow these steps, track your progress, and watch your store’s performance improve. A faster site leads to happier customers and a more profitable business.

Every successful business needs to make a profit. But no matter how much revenue you bring in, if your operations are inefficient, your company will either underperform or take a loss.

This is a hard fact of life and business. There’s no getting around it.

Lean supply chain management is a way to embrace limits and make business operations as efficient as possible. It’s an attractive promise, and it’s not hard to see why lean supply chain management is a common buzzword in the business world.

Lean principles have been taught for years in everything from books for start-ups to Fortune-100 companies. It’s no surprise to find lean principles at work in the supply chain too.

In this article, we’re going to talk about lean principles first, then talk about lean supply chain management. We’ll go over the advantages and disadvantages of going lean. Then we’ll talk about how you can make your supply chain leaner.

What Does “Lean” Mean?

First, let’s start with the definition of lean principles. There are five of them, and once you understand them, you can start to see how they can be applied to the supply chain.

1. Define Value. Figure out what is important to your customer, including needs that have previously been unmet or even unmentioned.
2. Map the Value Stream. Determine how each activity your business performs contributes – or doesn’t contribute – to delivering value to the customer.
3. Create Flow. Determine which activities are needed to deliver value and do them as efficiently as possible.
4. Establish Pull. Basically, eliminate wasteful inventory practices.
5. Pursue Perfection. Always improve.

It’s a simple, elegant system with a lot of applications. Figure out what’s useful. Figure out the best way to be useful. Fix what doesn’t work. Rinse and repeat.

Now let’s talk about how you can apply that to supply chain management.

What Does Lean Supply Chain Mean?

As you can see from the principles above, the Lean Way is all about streamlining processes, eliminating waste, and reducing non-value added activities. It’s a business philosophy that is extremely relevant in complicated industries.

Supply chain management is nothing if not complicated! You can find waste and inefficiency at nearly any step of the supply chain if you try hard enough.

In procurement, it’s common for different departments to do the same thing. Manufacturing is a hotbed for material waste if done wrong. Warehousing costs can quickly spiral out of control without good inventory practices. And transportation? As anyone who’s ever moved across town with a U-Haul knows, it’s not easy to pack efficiently!

On the flip side, a lean supply chain is a laser-targeted mechanism for delivering value to the customer. Very little is wasted, whether time or material. Expenses go down and often revenues go up.

10 Advantages of Lean Supply Chain Management

Adopting lean supply chain principles can have a lot of benefits. These benefits range from saving money to simplifying processes. We can think of ten that are especially relevant for businesses that carry inventory, listed below:

1. 1. Eliminating waste saves money. Profit is nothing more than revenue minus expenses. Lean processes cut expenses and can often lead to efficiency gains that increase revenue as well.
   2. Lean supply chain management is a proven way to cut down on waste. Waste costs money, looks bad, and puts a subconscious psychological strain on workers. This results in poorer customer service.
   3. Less waste means better customer service. Fewer wasteful practices allow your company to create better products and provide better services, making customers happier.
   4. Lean management clarifies vague processes. Vague processes force workers to make too many decisions, which results in poorer decision making. Lean supply chain management is a great way to remove complexity.
   5. Lean supply chains require less inventory. One of the five main points of lean supply chain management is to reduce excessive inventory. This is fantastic for businesses since inventory is expensive!
   6. Carrying less inventory makes it easier to reinvest in different projects. It’s a lot easier to roll with changes in demand with lower inventory levels. This can save a ton of money, leaving valuable company resources available for more promising projects.
   7. Lean processes are faster. With simpler processes, it’s easier to eliminate time-consuming parts of the supply chain. That can reduce excessive lead times in the supply chain, giving your company a much better chance at responding to changes in the market.
   8. Simpler processes result in less damage. More carefully crafted processes typically result in fewer damaged items.
   9. Unnecessary labor costs are reduced since unnecessary processes are eliminated.
   10. Decision-making is easier. The simplicity provided by lean supply chain principles makes it a lot easier to generally understand what’s going on in your business. That means you can set more relevant goals.

When you look at this list, it seems like moving toward lean supply chain principles is a no-brainer. But it’s not quite that simple, since there are disadvantages to the approach as well. We’ll cover those in the next section.

6 Disadvantages of Lean Supply Chain Management

During the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chains slowed to a crawl. As consumers, we dealt with the consequences of this first through shortages and then through inflation. The initial weeks of slowdown were enough to cause issues for the rest of 2020, as well as 2021 and 2022.

One of the factors that exacerbated these issues was an overreliance on lean supply chains. A lot of businesses did not have enough safety stock. Others did not have contingency plans for unexpected issues.

Bearing that in mind, it’s worth considering the disadvantages of unchecked lean supply chain management so you can take advantage of its good qualities while mitigating the bad ones.

1. Leaner supply chains are vulnerable to disruptions. Companies that hold minimal inventory are more vulnerable to natural disasters, political instability, pandemics, and other random unlucky events. The best insurance policy against this is simple — keep extra stock on hand.
2. Leaner supply chains are less flexible in some situations. If customer demand becomes highly unpredictable, lean systems may fail to respond efficiently, resulting in stockouts, longer lead times, or the need for costly emergency measures to meet customer needs.
3. Lean supply chains tend to over-rely on suppliers. Any delays or quality issues from suppliers can significantly disrupt the entire chain, as there’s little buffer stock to cover shortages.
4. Inventory management needs to be more precise. To maintain a lean supply chain, companies often need to invest in sophisticated management systems and forecasting tools. This complexity can increase costs and require specialized skills to ensure smooth operations.
5. Going lean isn’t easy to do. Rolling out a lean supply chain can be expensive and time-consuming, requiring careful coordination, process reengineering, and possibly technology investments. The long-term benefits may not always justify the initial cost, especially for smaller businesses.
6. Lean supply chains are only as good as their forecast. Inaccurate predictions can lead to inventory shortages or overstocking, negating the benefits of a lean approach.

Lean principles are not a cure-all. Some “inefficiency” in the form of safety stock, back-up suppliers, and redundant processes can be beneficial. Should you decide to move more toward a lean supply chain, keep these issues in mind so they don’t sneak up on you.

How Can You Implement Lean Supply Chain Management?

When you pursue lean principles, you are likely to encounter a number of issues. Employees may not provide complete visibility into the nature of their jobs. There will probably be a political element if your company is large enough to have different departments with conflicting objectives. A large part of implementing lean principles is change management.

With that in mind, we recommend starting small and making incremental changes. If you’re able to effectively make a large number of changes to your organization all at once, all the better.

1. Look for waste to eliminate.

The truth here is simple. Waste is bad and any amount that you can eliminate is great! Here are seven wastes commonly found in the supply chain, as said by Cerasis.

1. System complexity – additional, unnecessary steps and confusing processes
2. Lead time – excessive wait times
3. Transport – unnecessary movement of product
4. Space – holding places for unnecessary inventory
5. Inventory – inactive raw, work-in-process, or finished goods
6. Human effort – activity that does not add value
7. Packaging – containers that transport air or allow damage

As a general rule, if you can eliminate waste in any of these areas without causing excessively negative outcomes somewhere else, then do it.

2. Increase process visibility to the point where you intuitively understand what is being done.

Identifying and eliminating waste on your own is a great place to start. Yet even better is getting others to help you.

People don’t like waste or inefficiency in their work. The possible exception being when someone’s job depends on inefficiency as a form of job security. Otherwise, when people see waste and feel empowered to make a change, they’ll make it.

Increasing visibility into opaque processes is a great way to uncover inefficiency so people can collectively come up with ways to improve. This can be done by cross-training, gathering data, or simply holding meetings where everybody shares what they are working on.

Little changes in visibility of work can make a big difference!

3. Use technology to make processes simpler.

Technology is a great way to reduce inefficiency in processes. Properly implemented, systems can force users to be organized and collect data which increases visibility. These factors and more contribute to more lean processes.

We’ll borrow from Cerasis again here and list out some technologies that can help you make your business’s supply chain leaner.

• RFID – an excellent way to track inventory in places such as retail stores
• Supply chain management (SCM) systems with electronic data interface (EDI)
• Customer order management systems
• Customer relationship management (CRM) systems such as Salesforce
• GPS tracking
• Transportation management systems (TMS)

Technology is abundant and its uses incredibly diverse. Before implementing any complex technology, though, be sure to do careful analysis. You need to understand existing business processes and how they relate to the delivery of customer value. Technology done well makes life much easier. Done poorly, technology is just another hurdle to doing great work.

4. Focus on the total cost of fulfillment.

Always keep the end goal in mind. Lean management is all about finding easier ways to give customers something they care about. In lean supply chain management, this is the only thing that matters.

With this in mind, look out for political infighting that causes people or departments to act in ways that are contrary to the customer’s best interest. A lot of times, people are simply doing what is in their best interest. Sometimes the business needs to change so that everyone’s best interests are aligned!

5. Outsource activities when it makes sense.

Often, it doesn’t make sense for a business to perform every function of the supply chain. That is why businesses rely on manufacturers, freight forwarders, and indeed, fulfillment companies like our own.

To put it more simply, if you’re doing something in-house that isn’t a part of your business’s core activities, stop.

For example, acting as your own customs broker often doesn’t make sense. Neither does fulfilling packages on your own either. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Final Thoughts

Lean supply chain management is a powerful philosophy. That’s why it has managed to gain such a foothold in the business world. And it’s no secret why, since so much of it works on a common sense level.

Lean principles are sound and can be applied beautifully to supply chain management, where waste tends to be common. With simple principles and a keen eye for process improvements, your business can earn a competitive edge. And who doesn’t want that?

Ultimately, it comes down to some very basic principles: figure out what’s valuable, find the best way to do it, eliminate waste, and continually improve.

Lean principles are no cure-all. A little bit of “inefficiency” can be good, especially in the form of safety stock and contingency plans.

But as a general direction, lean supply chain management is, simply put, a smart, intuitive way to do business. If you take its ideas to heart, you’ll probably save a lot of money and run your business more efficiently along the way.

For over a decade, board games have been dominating Kickstarter. But making them isn’t easy, especially when you need to find someone to handle complex plastic manufacturing for you!

So how do you find a company that can manufacture all those beautiful plastic minis? What’s the difference between PVC and HIPS sprue and resin?

To be honest with you, I don’t know the answers to those questions.

But Billy Long at Unicool Game Manufacturing does! That’s why I’ve asked him a bunch of questions about the board game plastic manufacturing business.

What follows is a transcript of our conversation. It has been edited for clarity and brevity.

10 Questions About Board Game Plastic Manufacturing, Answered by an Expert

1. What does Unicool Game Manufacturing specialize in?

Unicool Game Manufacturing is a premium board game manufacturer based in Shenzhen, China. We have printing and miniature manufacturing equipment in-house. We also have strong technical and sourcing abilities for quality game accessories such as dice, neoprene playmats, coins, customized wooden and metal pieces, and custom plastics.

2. What games has Unicool made?

We began as a plastic manufacturer of action figures, toys, and miniatures earlier. From there, we did some behind-the-scenes work for larger board game companies.

We have made lots of super nice miniatures for a host of big projects (such as Joan of Arc, Blood Rage, etc.). You won’t often find our name on boxes since we’re a parts manufacturer, but these days, more and more clients are happy to promote us and even proudly print our logo on the box (such as Eldfall Chronicles). We’re very grateful for that!

3. Creating plastic components is notoriously expensive in small batches. Why is it that?

I think one of the biggest impediments that many game designers/developers run into is the high upfront tooling costs. This makes the overall cost per unit steep in small runs once high molding costs are factored in.

But we’ve changed the game and started producing small batches in a way that is no longer cost-prohibitive and intimidating-proudly. We call it Unicool Plastic! It doesn’t require tooling and the plastic material we’re using isn’t as brittle as normal resins, while still maintaining the delicate detail seen in resins.

4. How does plastic manufacturing work?

There are 11 steps in the process.

1. The client provides us with their 3-D design in a common format such as STL or ZTL.
2. We check the files and see if they need to be resculpted prior to mass production. Sometimes we can even recommend changes to help clients save money later in the process.
3. If resculpting is needed, we provide advice on how to do it.
4. We print a high-resolution model with a 3-D printer.
5. We then make a tooling master with high-detail resin.
6. From there, we will make polyurethane resin miniatures for preproduction copies.
7. The client is given a chance to review the preproduction copies and see if they like them.
8. We create the mold for mass production of plastics.
9. We then inject plastic into the mold.
10. When parts are completed, we do any necessary gluing and assembly.
11. Then we pack boxes and the game is complete!

5. What’s the difference between PVC, HIPS Sprue, and Resin when it comes to manufacturing minis?

Yes, this one can be tricky and bemusing.

In a nutshell, PVC and HIPS minis will need a metal mold, which is substantially more expensive than the silicone mold for resin.

PVC and HIPS minis often come preassembled while resin models usually come unassembled. Resin can capture a higher level of detail but may break easily.

Then, of course, there’s Unicool Plastic, where we balance quality, flexibility, and fragility so we can have the best qualities of PVC, HIPS, and resin minis.

6. What’s the most cost-effective way to manufacture a game that has dozens and dozens of plastic miniatures?

The easiest way is to find a professional plastics manufacturer and ask for their help early in the process. They can help you perfect your 3-D models and find cost-efficient materials.

Unicool is a good option here, but any expert advice early in the process will help a lot.

7. What should first-time publishers know about plastic manufacturing for games that isn’t common knowledge?

What looks amazing in a computer-generated 3-D model can be really problematic in the physical model.

A lot of our job involves helping publishers fix 3-D models that won’t work in physical manufacturing. If you’re going to be manufacturing custom plastics, plan to spend at least some time revising your initial ideas. Build that into your project timeline.

8. What are the most unusual components that Unicool has ever manufactured for a client?

We keep mentioning it, but Unicool Plastic is definitely our most unusual component. It’s tough to create your own raw materials, but we’ve done so in order to give publishers more options for high-quality, cost-efficient miniatures.

Unicool Plastic raises the bar for the quality of materials and the level of detail, delivering top-quality models that fit every painter – even the most demanding for breathtaking details! We push the limits of possibility and make sure all your intricate features are wonderfully defined and elevated to create an incredible painting experience for you and your customers.

9. Does Unicool manufacture for crowdfunding campaigns?

Yes, we surely do.

We’ve finished a whole host of crowdfunding projects and we’re happy to provide added value and serve as a guiding hand to help you go from zero to hero along the ride.

10. Where can people find Unicool Game Manufacturing online?

You can find out more about us on our website as well as our YouTube Channel.

Need help turning your board game dream into a reality? Contact Unicool for a quote today.

If you’ve browsed Kickstarter, Indiegogo or other crowdfunding sites lately, you may have noticed that the gaming category has been growing and growing in popularity. Crowdfunding has become a viable way for game designers to turn their ideas into reality.

Catacombs, the award-winning dexterity fantasy board game, was first published in 2010, followed by a sold-out second edition. When it came time for their third edition redesign, the creators did something a little out of the box, so to speak – they turned to Kickstarter.

We talked with Elzra Games cofounder Aron West about why Elzra turned to Kickstarter, what they learned and how they knocked their campaign out of the park.

This interview was originally published on November 11, 2015. We’ve updated the formatting for more recent devices, but have otherwise left the interview unchanged.

Elzra Games has continued to expand the Catacombs franchise since the publication of this interview and continues to be successful in crowdfunding!

What is your background? How did you become interested in designing games?

At a high level, I have a background in software development, enterprise systems, cloud computing etc., so designing board games enables me to ship “physical bits” as opposed to “digital bits.” It’s a nice change.

How did Elzra Games come about? How did the game Catacombs come to be – the idea, concept and design?

Catacombs as a product happened by accident. Approximately five years ago, Ryan Amos, Marc Kelsey, and myself were involved in designing and manufacturing the first edition of Catacombs. Given our exposure to a wide variety of board games, we had a feeling for some ideas that we thought could work. We discussed some initial designs and ultimately focused on the idea of a exploring a dungeon by flicking a wooden disc as most dexterity games involved sports or racing cars.

The first edition of Catacombs was released in 2010. From humble beginnings and word of mouth it took off under the Sands of Time Games brand. Elzra Corp. took over the assets of Sands of Time at the beginning of 2014 (before the Kickstarter). I am now responsible for the creative and operational aspects of the company and the Catacombs Third Edition product line.

The first two editions of Catacombs were very successful and in fact, sold out. Why turn to Kickstarter for the third edition?

We wanted to test the market demand for a new version that implemented some improvements that customers had suggested. Kickstarter seemed like a perfect way to accomplish this.

What sorts of research and preparations did you make before launching?

We reviewed other Kickstarter campaigns and devoted time and resources to creating an engaging video. We also paid close attention to our reward and stretch goal setup, which any serious campaign will do as a matter of course. Kickstarter had not been available in Canada for very long, so it felt like we were a trailblazing project.

Having a strong following from editions one and two must have made things a little easier. Did you find them to be supportive?

There was a great deal of controversy about the new artwork direction in the Catacombs Third Edition product line. Some of our existing fans felt that we had abandoned them. This is definitely not the case! However, the new artwork by the talented artist, Kwanchai Moriya, is much more colourful and accessible expanding the game’s appeal. As they have become accustomed to the new artwork and the many fan driven improvements in the Third Edition, people are becoming more accepting of the changes. Overall, the response to Catacombs Third Edition has been fantastic!

What were the biggest challenges you encountered while running your Kickstarter campaign? What would you do differently next time?

We would ensure we had currency-hedging instruments in place. The drop in the Canadian dollar from 2014 through this year really hurt us. Simultaneously launching with a German language version in conjunction with a third party publisher proved logistically challenging as well. Finally, we have a much better sense about the costs involved in shipping to certain countries and would raise the shipping rates accordingly. Who would have thought that shipping from Germany to Serbia was as expensive as shipping to Australia?

Really good point! Is this what led you to bring in help for your fulfillment?

Yes, because as a new company with low shipping volumes, it is very expensive to ship packages from Canada internationally. Instead, we shipped packages to European and international backers from a fulfillment company located near the printer in the Netherlands where our games were produced. We had Fulfillrite handle shipping packages to the backers in the US and we took care of sending out packages to domestic backers based in Canada ourselves.

Were you ready for the incredible response to the campaign, having raised over $200k of your $40k goal? How did you handle it?

No, it was a nice surprise. We knew how much work was ahead of us, so there were no celebrations or anything like that. We immediately got started. We also incorporated many suggestions from fans, for example, the “chicken hero” and the “bee familiar” were included in Catacombs Third Edition as direct result of comments received during the campaign.

What’s next, are you working on any new games?

Yes, three new titles set in the Catacombs universe. One is a card game being designed by one of the original Catacombs designers, Ryan Amos, another is a direct expansion to Catacombs and the third takes Elzra’s Dexterity Game System and turns it into a competitive experience. The Catacombs Third Edition product line looks set to become available in additional languages as well.

Finally, the Catacombs Third Edition base game and the Cavern of Soloth expansion will be available at retail before the end of 2015.

To learn more about Catacombs, the Cavern of Soloth and Elzra Games, please visit them at Elzra.com