These days, there are literally hundreds of online stores selling all types of products. And with so many of them, not all of them are truly standout. To be fair, some of them don’t have to be – some businesses simply offer online options to give their customers more convenience, or to allow them to slowly branch out into the larger international market. But still, ultimately the goal of every business is to attract as many happy customers as they can. And to do that in the world of e-commerce, it takes a couple key steps to stay ahead.
You’ve no doubt heard of Supreme before. They’re the iconic streetwear brand that sells everything from t-shirts and jackets to burner phones to…bricks. In a way, they’re kind of counter intuitive compared to other online clothing stores. After all, they sell seasonally, and the items in their store are all limited drops that sell fast and are never seen again. But, strangely, that’s what Supreme has going for them.
By creating themselves as an exclusive brand, they build anticipation for the drops on their website that keep visitors always coming back to be one of the first. Their very simple site further compliments that brand voice. The intent isn’t to get them to roam around the site looking for things to buy; the intent is for them to see this one thing with little to no distractions, and get it while it’s hot. That is what makes Supreme such a successful e-commerce brand.
Another e-commerce business that’s beginning to make waves is one you maybe haven’t heard a lot of…yet. Vessi is an innovative shoe brand that makes stylish, waterproof sneakers and ships them right to those who want them. One of the things that makes their online store work are these animated labels on their limited-edition and best-selling items. By signaling new customers to these particular products, they can guide them to purchase the cash cows that keep their business running or convert limited stocks of certain products into promotions and increased sales.
Companies like Firmoo are changing the way that people buy one thing in particular; glasses. Traditionally, the only way that you can get a pair of glasses that you can trust to fit well and work for you was in-person at an optometrist. But now, more and more websites are giving customers the power to get stylish, personal glasses for cheap, delivered directly to them. Firmoo sets themselves apart even further by giving customers the chance to virtually ‘try on’ frames that they like using photos of themselves, and also prioritize happy customers sharing photos of themselves in their reviews to help other visitors see how they look on others’ faces.
One of the things about shoes and glasses, though, is that they’re often items that most people buy the least of. Unless you’re targeting a very, very specific niche, chances are even a satisfied customer would only come to your website once and then never again until they need new ones. Vessi and Firmoo answer that with almost constant deals and specials, but not necessarily to get first time customers to buy again. Instead, by providing frequent deals and coupons to existing customers, they encourage them to share their positive experience with friends and family who may be in the market for similar products. With Firmoo, customers get a literal handful of physical coupons with every order, that they’ll most likely give out to the next person who tells them “Your glasses look so cool! I’ve been thinking of getting new ones myself…”
By emulating some of the practices of these brands, you could be well on your way to establishing your own online store as a new e-commerce powerhouse. But of course, all of these only matters if you have the payment platform to back it all up. Make sure to check out First Atlantic Commerce for more tips that can help make your e-commerce plans come to life.