However, these advanced features come with a significant price tag. This guide helps you understand the actual cost of Shopify Enterprise, allowing you to plan your budget with clarity and confidence as you evaluate whether it’s the right choice for your business.

What Factors Determine the Cost of Building a Shopify Enterprise Site?

Building a Shopify Enterprise site involves a combination of upfront and ongoing expenses, with the final cost depending on several key factors. These factors vary according to the complexity and scale of the business, making it essential to fully understand the financial commitment before opting for Shopify Plus. Below is an expanded explanation of the critical factors involved in determining the total cost:

• Shopify Plus Subscription Fees: Shopify Enterprise is built on a premium subscription model, with monthly fees ranging from $2,000 to $40,000. These fees include advanced features, dedicated support, and custom checkout options. However, additional costs may arise depending on the number of users and specific business needs.
• Custom Design and Development: Customization is vital for businesses that want to differentiate their brand. Custom design costs can range from $10,000 to $50,000, while custom development for unique features can increase expenses significantly, often ranging from $5,000 to $100,000+.
• Third-Party Apps and Integrations: Shopify Plus offers integration with numerous third-party tools, adding flexibility to your business operations. Depending on the functionalities needed, apps related to inventory management, CRM, shipping, and payments can cost from $20 to $500+ per month.
• Ongoing Maintenance and Support: Regular updates and continuous support are necessary to ensure the site remains secure and up-to-date. The cost for technical maintenance and support ranges from $500 to $5,000+ per month, depending on the level of service and the complexity of the store.
• Marketing and Advertising: Shopify Plus stores often invest heavily in marketing to drive traffic and increase sales. Paid advertising campaigns, SEO services, and email marketing platforms can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $100,000+ per month, depending on the scope and scale of the business’s marketing strategy.

What is Shopify Enterprise, and Who Should Use It?

Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms, offering various solutions for businesses of all sizes. Shopify Enterprise, often called Shopify Plus, is designed for high-volume companies that need advanced features, customization, and scalability. It is a solution tailored to large companies with complex needs, including high traffic, multi-channel selling, and unique integrations.

For businesses with significant sales volume or those looking to scale quickly, Shopify Enterprise offers a robust platform to handle extensive product catalogs, international sales, and many transactions. However, due to the advanced features and support that come with it, the cost to build and maintain a Shopify Enterprise site can be significantly higher than the standard Shopify plans.

How Much Does Shopify Enterprise Subscription Cost?

The cost of a Shopify Enterprise (Shopify Plus) subscription is a significant investment for businesses looking to scale their online store, as it provides access to advanced features tailored for high-volume eCommerce. The subscription fee for Shopify Plus varies based on factors such as sales volume, the number of users, and any additional services required. On average, the base subscription fee for Shopify Plus starts at around $2,000 per month, but this can rise significantly depending on your business’s needs and the volume of transactions you handle.

Additional costs may include transaction fees, which vary depending on the payment processor you use. If you opt for Shopify Payments, transaction fees are lower compared to using third-party payment processors, which may incur extra charges. Shopify Plus also offers numerous additional features, including multi-currency support, advanced security features, and B2B functionality, all of which can add to the total cost. These advanced features make it a more suitable option for businesses with global reach, high traffic, or complex selling needs.

Key costs for the Shopify Plus subscription include:

• Base Subscription Fee: $2,000 monthly for access to Shopify Plus features such as automated workflows and custom checkout options.
• Transaction Fees: Varies based on whether you use Shopify Payments or a third-party payment processor.
• Additional Costs: Depending on the requirements, features such as multi-currency support, B2B functionality, and enhanced security can incur extra costs.

What Are the Costs for Custom Design and Development?

Custom design and development costs for a Shopify Enterprise site vary significantly depending on your business's specific needs and goals. Shopify Plus provides a platform that allows for advanced customization, ensuring that your store can meet the exact requirements of your brand. Many businesses choose custom designs to differentiate themselves from competitors, ensuring their brand identity is well represented. Custom development is also often required to build unique functionalities such as tailored product pages, advanced search features, and specialized checkout experiences. These elements are essential for enhancing the customer experience but come with a hefty price tag.

The cost for custom design and development includes:

• Custom Theme Design: Many enterprises opt for bespoke themes that align closely with their brand. Custom theme design typically costs between $10,000 and $50,000, depending on the complexity and the designer's expertise.
• Custom Development: For businesses requiring advanced features, such as unique product pages or personalized checkout systems, development costs can range from $5,000 to $100,000+. These costs can be higher depending on the scope of work and the specific functionalities needed.
• Ongoing Customization: Shopify Plus stores often need ongoing customization to adapt to evolving business needs or to incorporate new features released by Shopify. Continuous updates and improvements can incur additional monthly costs of $1,000 to $5,000.

What Are the Costs for Third-Party Apps and Integrations?

Third-party apps and integrations are critical for enhancing the functionality and efficiency of a Shopify Plus store, allowing businesses to streamline operations and provide a better user experience. Shopify Plus stores rely on various third-party apps, from customer relationship management (CRM) tools to advanced analytics platforms, inventory management, and payment gateways. The cost of integrating these apps can vary depending on the specific features required and the tools selected. As the business grows and new functionalities are added, companies may need to evaluate their app to ensure it stays competitive and enhances the shopping experience.

The costs for third-party apps and integrations can add up, and it's essential to consider these as part of the overall investment in a Shopify Enterprise site. For example, inventory management apps can cost between $20 and $500 per month, depending on the features offered, while CRM and marketing tools can range from $50 to $500+ per month. Shipping and logistics apps, which help optimize shipping rates and delivery times, typically cost between $30 and $200 per month. If a business opts for third-party payment gateways, additional fees may be incurred for transaction processing and monthly service costs.

Key costs for third-party apps and integrations include:

• Inventory Management Apps: $20 to $500 monthly, depending on the app's functionality.
• Based on the provider and features, CRM and Marketing Tools: $50 to $500+ per month.
• Shipping and Logistics Apps: Between $30 and $200 monthly for optimizing delivery and rates.
• Payment Gateway Integrations: Costs for transaction processing and monthly service charges vary depending on the gateway used.

What Are the Ongoing Maintenance and Support Costs?

Ongoing maintenance and support are essential to ensure your Shopify Plus store operates smoothly, remains secure, and adapts to new features or market demands. As your business grows and your site becomes more complex, you'll need regular updates, patches, and optimizations to keep things running efficiently. While Shopify Plus provides dedicated account managers and 24/7 support, businesses often require more specialized help, such as third-party consultants or developers, to address specific needs or offer advanced technical support. Maintenance is not only about keeping the site functioning; it's also about ensuring it remains compatible with third-party integrations and new Shopify updates.

Key maintenance and support costs include:

• Shopify Plus Support: Includes dedicated account managers, but premium support packages or additional developer hours may be needed for advanced support, which could add costs.
• Technical Maintenance: Regular updates, patches, and system optimizations to ensure security and compatibility, with costs ranging from $500 to $5,000 per month.
• Custom Development Support: Ongoing customization to address evolving business needs, costing anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000+ per month, depending on the scope of work.

What Are the Marketing and Advertising Costs for a Shopify Enterprise Site?

Marketing and advertising costs for a Shopify Enterprise site are crucial ongoing expenses that ensure continued growth, visibility, and customer engagement. Once your Shopify Plus site is up and running, you'll need to focus on attracting visitors and converting them into customers. Marketing efforts can span a variety of channels, from paid advertisements on platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram to more organic efforts like SEO and email marketing campaigns. Paid advertising can range from $1,000 to $100,000+ per month, depending on your business goals and the platforms you use.

Key costs in marketing and advertising include:

• Paid Advertising: Google Ads, Facebook Ads, or Instagram Ads can range from $1,000 to $100,000+ per month, depending on the campaign scope.
• SEO Services: SEO is a long-term strategy to improve organic search visibility. Depending on industry competitiveness, the costs range from $1,000 to $20,000 per month.
• Email Marketing Campaigns: Email marketing platforms like Klaviyo or Mailchimp can cost between $100 and $2,000+ per month, depending on your list size and campaign frequency.

How Can You Calculate the Total Cost of Building a Shopify Enterprise Site?

Several key components must be considered to accurately calculate the total cost of building and maintaining a Shopify Enterprise site. The Shopify Plus subscription fee is a significant cost factor, typically ranging from $2,000 to $40,000 per month, depending on the business’s specific needs, including sales volume, number of users, and additional services. Alongside the subscription, businesses will often need custom design and development to tailor the store to their unique branding and functional requirements, which can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000+.

Other significant cost considerations include:

• Shopify Plus Subscription Fee: $2,000 to $40,000 per month.
• Custom Design and Development: $10,000 to $100,000+, depending on the complexity of design and features.
• Third-Party Apps & Integrations: The cost of apps that enhance functionality ranges from $100 to $1,000+ per month.
• Ongoing Maintenance & Support: Approximately $500 to $10,000+ monthly for technical support and updates.
• Marketing & Advertising: Monthly marketing efforts can range from $1,000 to $100,000+ based on strategies like paid advertising, SEO, and email campaigns.

Is Shopify Enterprise Worth the Cost?

The cost of building and maintaining a Shopify Enterprise site can be substantial, but it offers significant value for businesses with high sales volume and complex operations. Shopify Plus provides advanced features like custom checkout options, automation, and scalability, making it a strong choice for large businesses aiming to streamline operations and deliver a superior customer experience. However, the total cost can reach up to $150,000 per month, depending on the level of customization and the services required.

Key factors to consider when evaluating if Shopify Enterprise is the right choice for your business include:

• Subscription fees: Shopify Plus costs range from $2,000 to $40,000 monthly, depending on your business's size and needs.
• Customization and development: Custom themes and advanced development can add significant costs ranging from $10,000 to $100,000+.
• Ongoing maintenance and marketing: Businesses need to factor in the ongoing costs of site maintenance, technical support, and marketing efforts to ensure continued growth and visibility.

Partnering with Experts: Why Professional Shopify Services Matter

Partnering with an experienced Shopify agency can make a significant difference for businesses looking to streamline operations and ensure long-term performance. Shopify Website Development Services offers customized design and development solutions tailored to your brand’s needs. From custom theme creation to advanced feature integrations, their team helps elevate your store’s design and functionality for a polished, high-converting user experience.

Beyond the initial build, ongoing management is just as important. That’s where Shopify Management Plans come in. These plans cover everything from routine maintenance and security updates to app management and performance optimization. By outsourcing these critical tasks to a trusted partner, you can focus more on growing your business while knowing your store is running smoothly and securely behind the scenes.

These services are ideal for businesses that want expert support without hiring a whole in-house team. Whether launching a new enterprise site or scaling an existing one, Bright Vessel provides the technical expertise and strategic guidance to ensure your Shopify Plus investment delivers results.

The post What is the True Cost to Build a Shopify Enterprise Site? first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

Avoiding these mistakes saves time, boosts sales, and builds a loyal customer base. Identifying and fixing these issues early can create a smoother shopping experience and set your store up for long-term success. Let’s explore the top mistakes to avoid.

What Are the Top Mistakes Shopify Store Owners Make?

While Shopify offers powerful tools to launch a successful online store, many owners unknowingly make critical mistakes that stall growth. These missteps can hurt customer trust and conversion rates, from overlooking mobile optimization to failing at branding. Proactively identifying and correcting these issues is vital to standing out in today’s competitive e-commerce space. By being strategic and detail-oriented, you can improve performance, boost sales, and keep your store running smoothly for the long haul.

Here are the top mistakes to avoid and how to fix them effectively:

1. Are You Neglecting to Define Your Target Audience?

Defining your target audience is a crucial first step in building a successful Shopify store. If you don’t know who you're selling to, your marketing campaigns, messaging, and product selections may fail to resonate with the right people, leading to wasted resources and poor results.

Understanding your ideal customer’s demographics, interests, and shopping behaviours allows you to tailor your strategies effectively. This helps increase engagement, improve conversion rates, and build stronger customer loyalty.

• Conduct Market Research: Analyze demographics, preferences, and purchasing behaviors to tailor your offerings.
• Create Buyer Personas: Develop detailed profiles representing segments of your audience to guide marketing strategies.

2. Have You Conducted Sufficient Market Research?

Launching a product without proper market research is one of the quickest ways to encounter slow sales or complete misalignment with customer needs. Many store owners assume demand without validating their ideas, leading to wasted time, inventory, and marketing spend.

Thorough market research helps ensure your product fits a genuine need and stands out from competitors. It also guides pricing, branding, and messaging strategies, making your Shopify store more competitive and focused.

• Analyze Competitors: Understand the competitive landscape to identify gaps and opportunities.
• Assess Market Demand: Ensure there is a viable market for your products or services.

3. Is Your Store Design Unattractive?

Your store’s design is often the first impression shoppers get, and first impressions matter. A cluttered, outdated, or poorly structured layout can cause visitors to leave your site before even exploring your products, leading to high bounce rates and missed sales opportunities.

A clean, visually appealing design builds trust and encourages users to stay longer and engage more. Prioritising ease of navigation and consistent branding helps guide visitors smoothly through your store, improving the overall shopping experience and increasing the likelihood of conversion.

• Choose a Clean Layout: Opt for a design that highlights products without overwhelming visitors.
• Ensure Intuitive Navigation: Make it easy for users to find products and information.

4. Did You Select the Right Theme?

Your store’s theme is the foundation of its visual appeal and functionality. Choosing the wrong one can lead to a poor user experience, limited customization options, and a design that doesn’t reflect your brand. Many store owners select a theme based on looks, overlooking how it supports navigation, speed, and mobile responsiveness.

An effective theme should look great and perform well across all devices. It should support your store’s unique needs and branding while offering flexibility for future changes. A well-chosen theme improves engagement and helps build trust with your customers.

• Align Theme with Brand Identity: Select a theme that reflects your brand's image and values.
• Prioritize Responsiveness: Ensure the theme is mobile-friendly and performs well across devices.

5. Are You Overlooking Branding Elements?

Branding is more than just a logo; it’s the customers' emotional connection with your store. Failing to establish clear, consistent branding can confuse potential buyers and diminish trust. Without a strong identity, your store may appear unprofessional or forgettable.

Effective branding builds recognition and encourages customer loyalty. It should communicate your store’s personality, values, and promise across every touchpoint from your homepage to your emails. Investing in cohesive branding creates a memorable shopping experience that distinguishes you from competitors.

• Develop a Cohesive Brand Identity: Maintain consistency in logos, color schemes, and messaging across all platforms.
• Craft a Compelling Brand Story: Share your brand's mission and values to connect with customers.

6. Is Your Store Overloaded with Apps?

Shopify apps can significantly enhance your store's capabilities, but installing too many can do more harm than good. Excessive or poorly integrated apps often lead to slower site speed, bugs, and a cluttered user experience, ultimately frustrating customers and driving them away.

It's important to regularly audit the apps you've installed and assess whether they still add value. A lean, well-maintained app setup helps your store run smoothly, enhances performance, and improves overall customer satisfaction.

• Evaluate Necessity: Regularly assess installed apps' utility and remove non-essential ones.
• Monitor Performance Impact: Ensure that apps do not adversely affect site speed or functionality.

7. Have You Optimized for Mobile Users?

More than half of online shoppers now use mobile devices to browse and buy. If your Shopify store isn’t optimized for mobile, you risk frustrating users with slow load times, broken layouts, or difficult navigation, ultimately leading to lost sales and lower engagement.

A mobile-friendly design is no longer optional; it’s essential. Ensuring your store runs smoothly across all screen sizes improves the user experience and helps with search engine rankings and conversion rates.

• Test Mobile Usability: Regularly check your site's performance on various mobile devices.
• Simplify Navigation: Ensure menus and buttons are easily clickable and accessible on smaller screens.

8. Are Your Images Properly Optimized?

Visual content plays a vital role in attracting and retaining customers, but if your images are not optimized, they can negatively impact your store’s performance. Large image files slow down page loading times, frustrating users and leading to increased bounce rates.

Optimized images improve speed and search engine visibility. They ensure your site runs smoothly while maintaining high-quality visuals that enhance the customer experience. Proper optimization, through alt text, also helps with accessibility and SEO.

• Compress Images: Use tools to reduce file sizes without compromising quality.
• Use Descriptive Alt Text: Improve SEO and accessibility by adding relevant alt text to images.

9. Have You Implemented SEO Best Practices?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential for making your Shopify store discoverable online. Even the best products may not appear in search results without a solid SEO strategy, costing you traffic and potential sales. Many store owners overlook this, assuming their products will naturally get found.

Implementing SEO best practices helps improve visibility, drive organic traffic, and attract the right customers. Focus on optimizing product pages, content, and metadata to ensure your site ranks well and stands out in a competitive market.

• Optimize Product Titles and Descriptions: Incorporate relevant keywords naturally.
• Utilize Meta Tags: Write compelling meta titles and descriptions for each page.

10. Is Your Checkout Process Complicated?

Even if customers add items to their carts, a complicated or lengthy checkout process can quickly turn excitement into frustration. Too many steps, required account creation, or limited payment options are common reasons for cart abandonment that hurt conversion rates.

Simplifying your checkout flow makes it easier for customers to complete their purchase without hesitation. By offering flexibility, reducing friction, and ensuring the process is intuitive, you create a smoother experience that encourages more completed sales.

• Streamline Checkout Steps: Minimize the number of pages and fields required to complete a purchase.
• Offer Multiple Payment Options: Cater to customer preferences by providing various payment methods.

How Can You Avoid These Common Mistakes?

Avoiding costly mistakes begins with being proactive and informed. Take the time to understand your target market, refine your branding, and test every element of your store’s design and performance. It’s not just about launching your site, it’s about constantly improving it based on data, feedback, and evolving eCommerce trends.

Committing to best practices and ongoing optimization increases your chances of building a sustainable and profitable Shopify store. A thoughtful approach today can prevent major setbacks tomorrow.

• Conduct thorough market and audience research before launching your store.
• Invest in professional, cohesive branding and design.
• Regularly review and optimize site performance, especially for mobile users.
• Stay informed about SEO strategies and apply them consistently.
• Monitor customer feedback to improve the shopping experience continually.

Final Thoughts on Building a Successful Shopify Store

Running a Shopify store requires more than just setting up products and waiting for sales. Success comes from careful planning, ongoing optimisation, and avoiding the common pitfalls many store owners encounter. Whether ignoring SEO, using too many apps, or not understanding your target audience, each mistake can limit growth and customer satisfaction.

By taking a proactive approach to store management, you position your business for long-term success. Make data-driven decisions, continuously test and refine your strategies, and always prioritise the customer experience. With the right mindset and execution, your Shopify store can thrive in a competitive e-commerce landscape.

Get Expert Help with Shopify Management

Avoiding these common mistakes takes time, consistency, and expertise, but you don’t have to do it alone. If you're looking for professional support to manage and optimize your Shopify store, Bright Vessel’s Shopify Management Plans offer everything you need to grow with confidence.

From theme customization and performance tuning to SEO, app integrations, and ongoing support, Bright Vessel helps you stay ahead of the curve. Focus on your business while their experts handle the rest, ensuring your store always performs at its best.

The post Shopify's Top 10 Mistakes Store Owners Make first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

Black Friday, celebrated the day after Thanksgiving, is an essential part of the retail calendar and the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. In 2024, Black Friday holds more significance than ever, not only as a day of discounts but as a pivotal point for businesses to connect with their customers. The event’s importance extends beyond brick-and-mortar shopping to encompass online commerce, evolving technology, and heightened consumer expectations.

Key factors contributing to its ongoing significance include:

• Rising E-commerce Influence: As digital retail continues to expand, understanding Black Friday’s multifaceted impact on both online and in-store experiences is crucial for retailers aiming to maximize their success.
• Consumer Psychology and Expectations: Black Friday is more than just a sales event; it's an opportunity to build brand loyalty and increase market share. Customers are looking for great deals, but also for experiences that align with their preferences, values, and convenience.

2. How Has Black Friday Changed Over the Years?

The evolution of Black Friday reflects significant shifts in consumer behavior, technology, and business strategies. Initially, Black Friday was synonymous with a one-day in-store sales frenzy. Today, it’s a multi-week affair with a major digital component.

Notable Changes in Black Friday Trends:

• Online Shopping Dominance: With the proliferation of e-commerce, shoppers now favor the convenience of online deals over crowded in-store events. E-commerce has consistently grown, with online sales comprising over 70% of Black Friday transactions in 2024, a trend expected to continue.
• Extended Sales Period: The concept of Black Friday has shifted from a single-day event to an entire season of promotions. Retailers often launch pre-Black Friday sales and extend deals into Cyber Monday and beyond, creating a prolonged period of consumer interest and spending.
• Tech Integration: Retailers are investing in technologies like AI-powered chatbots, augmented reality (AR) for product visualization, and personalized marketing to engage and attract customers.
• Consumer Awareness: Thanks to price comparison tools and review sites, shoppers today are more informed. They frequently research and compare products in advance, making informed purchasing decisions.

3. What Are the Key Statistics for Black Friday 2024?

Retailers planning for Black Friday 2024 must understand key statistics and predictions to tailor their strategies effectively. Here are some critical figures to watch:

• Projected Online Sales: Online Black Friday sales are anticipated to exceed $12 billion, a substantial increase over 2023.
• Mobile Commerce: An estimated 55% of purchases will be made via mobile devices, highlighting the importance of mobile-optimized sites and apps.
• Average Order Value (AOV): Retailers can expect an average order value of around $300, making upselling and cross-selling strategies crucial.
• Customer Participation: Around 70% of U.S. consumers plan to shop on Black Friday, indicating that it remains a key shopping day for many.
• Overall Spending: Average spending per shopper is projected to be approximately $300, reflecting a potential increase in consumer spending during the holiday shopping season.

4. What Are the Top Trends to Watch This Year?

As Black Friday 2024 approaches, several trends are emerging that will likely shape consumer behavior and retail strategies:

• Sustainability as a Purchase Driver: Increasingly, consumers are considering the environmental impact of their purchases. Retailers offering eco-friendly options or sustainable practices may find themselves at an advantage.
• Personalized Experiences: Leveraging data analytics, businesses are now tailoring product recommendations and promotions to individual shoppers, which enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Social Commerce on the Rise: With platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest becoming retail hubs, social commerce is likely to play a significant role in driving sales. Brands that create engaging and visually appealing content will be well-positioned to capitalize on this trend.
• AI and Automation in Customer Service: Automated customer support through chatbots and AI tools are becoming commonplace. These tools can handle a high volume of inquiries, freeing up human resources to manage more complex tasks.

5. How Can Retailers Prepare for Black Friday 2024?

Preparation is essential for retailers aiming to make the most of Black Friday 2024. Here are some practical strategies to consider:

Website Optimization Checklist:

• Load Testing: Ensure your website can handle increased traffic without downtime or slow performance.
• Mobile Compatibility: Given the rise of mobile commerce, optimizing your site for mobile users is non-negotiable.
• Clear Navigation: Simplify the user journey to help customers quickly find and purchase what they’re looking for.

Marketing and Engagement Tips:

• Early Campaign Launches: Start building anticipation weeks before Black Friday with sneak peeks or countdowns to deals.
• Customer Data Utilization: Use customer insights to create personalized marketing campaigns that target individual preferences.
• Social Media Outreach: Engage with customers on platforms where they are most active, using visuals, polls, and limited-time offers to drive interest.

Inventory Management Best Practices:

• Demand Forecasting: Analyze historical sales data and current trends to predict which products will be in high demand.
• Stock Allocation: Allocate inventory based on expected online and in-store demand to avoid stockouts or overstocks.

6. What Role Does Data Play in Black Friday Success?

Data is at the heart of successful Black Friday strategies. Retailers can leverage data insights to understand consumer behavior, track sales, and refine marketing efforts:

• Consumer Behavior Analysis: Identify patterns such as peak shopping hours, preferred products, and popular price points to create targeted promotions.
• Sales Tracking in Real-Time: Real-time sales monitoring allows retailers to make immediate adjustments to pricing, inventory, and marketing efforts.
• Post-Sale Insights: Analyzing post-Black Friday data can reveal valuable trends for future sales events, helping retailers fine-tune their strategies.

7. What Challenges Should Businesses Anticipate?

Despite the opportunities presented by Black Friday, several challenges remain:

• Supply Chain Disruptions: Ongoing global supply chain issues may affect product availability and shipping times. Retailers should communicate transparently with customers about potential delays and manage inventory effectively.
• Increased Competition: With more retailers vying for consumer attention, standing out is increasingly difficult. Businesses need to focus on value propositions that resonate with their target audience.
• Rising Consumer Expectations: As shoppers grow accustomed to fast shipping, easy returns, and seamless experiences, businesses must strive to meet or exceed these expectations.

8. How Can Businesses Leverage Technology for Black Friday?

Technology is a crucial enabler for enhancing the Black Friday experience and meeting evolving customer expectations:

• Mobile Applications: A well-designed app can streamline the shopping experience and encourage brand loyalty through exclusive in-app offers.
• Augmented Reality (AR): Implementing AR features allows customers to visualize products in their environments, helping to reduce return rates and build confidence in online purchases.
• AI-Driven Customer Service: Chatbots powered by AI can handle routine inquiries efficiently, providing quick responses to customer questions about products, order status, and promotions. This technology helps improve customer satisfaction and reduces wait times during high-traffic shopping periods.
• Data Analytics: Utilize data analytics tools to monitor consumer behavior and preferences, enabling targeted marketing efforts and inventory management. Understanding customer patterns can inform sales strategies, ensuring the right products are promoted at the right time.

9. How Can Retailers Optimize Post-Black Friday Strategies?

After Black Friday, it's crucial for retailers to evaluate their performance and plan for future sales events:

• Performance Analysis: Review sales data, customer feedback, and inventory turnover rates to assess what worked and what didn’t.
• Customer Retention Efforts: Implement strategies to engage customers post-Black Friday, such as follow-up emails, loyalty programs, and personalized promotions based on their purchase history.
• Planning for Cyber Monday: Prepare for Cyber Monday by leveraging insights gained from Black Friday to optimize online offers and promotions, ensuring a seamless shopping experience for customers.

10. Conclusion: Preparing for a Successful Black Friday

Black Friday 2024 promises to be an essential event for retailers looking to drive sales and enhance customer engagement. By understanding trends, leveraging technology, and preparing strategically, businesses can navigate the complexities of this major shopping day successfully. Retailers that prioritize customer experience, data-driven insights, and effective marketing strategies will be well-positioned to capitalize on the opportunities that Black Friday presents.

References

- National Retail Federation (NRF). (2024). Black Friday Shopping Trends. NRF Website.
- Adobe Analytics. (2024). Holiday Shopping Predictions. Adobe Website.
- Statista. (2024). E-commerce Trends. Statista Website.

The post Black Friday in 2024: Insights, Trends, and Strategies for Success first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

• Establishing credibility
• Creating favorable images for your brand—professional or personal
• Providing a source for online marketing
• And much more!

But even with a website in place, you need to do several things to increase your online reach. One of the best ways to reach more visitors is using WordPress to manage your site. Also, if you're targeting users with disabilities, there are several ways to benefit from a WordPress site.

Speeding Up Your Website Performance with WordPress

Increasing the performance of your WordPress site will help you win more prospects to convert. However, building a fast and secure website can be challenging. Fortunately, several tips can make your WordPress website exploit its fullest potential.

 1. Fully Secure Your Site

Securing your site is vital. It'll protect your website's data from hackers and help you avoid malware and attacks that can slow down your site's pages. There are several ways to help you make your WordPress site more secure, including using strong passwords and unique usernames for your admin accounts, enabling two-factor authentication, and moving your website to HTTPS.

 2. Updating Your WordPress Site Login Page

You can further improve your WordPress website security by frequently updating your site's login page. It will help if you change your website login page URL to protect it from malicious users.

 3. Having a Dependable Page Builder

Reliable page builders are plugins to enable you to design any complex page for your website. Using a page builder is a straightforward process that will not require you to have the technical know-how to create content like complex pages for your site.

 4. Choosing the Best WordPress Theme

Your site's theme will dictate its appearance and structure. It will also help in increasing your performance online. A poorly-optimized theme may add unnecessary features and codes to your website that slow it down.

 5. Minimizing the Size of Images of Your Site

Images are a perfect addition to your site. They can offer your visitors extensive value. However, image files may be ample for your website to accommodate them accordingly. When your site has higher-quality images, it is more likely to become sluggish. It is crucial to reduce the size of your site's images without damaging their quality. Image Optimizer and Imagify are two popular tools to help you achieve that quickly.

 6. Using a Caching Plugin

The role of caches is to store data in convenient locations. You can create a static version of your pages with the help of a caching plugin. The fixed version of your pages can be stored in visitors' browsers so that it may load much faster on every subsequent visit.

 7. Deactivating or Uninstalling Unnecessary Plugins

Although plugins are beneficial, they can take up much space in your website. If you no longer require using some specific plugins on your site, removing them may help boost the speed and performance of your pages.

A fast-performing website can improve your accessibility on WordPress, enhance your ranking in search results, offer a better user experience, and even keep users around for long.

How WordPress Can Help You Reach More Visitors

Search engines are well-known for crawling WordPress websites more than those sites people create on other platforms. That's because the more specific codes of WordPress sites allow search algorithms to understand better and index their codes easily. These factors make WordPress a search engine favorite to many individuals and businesses.

Pocket-Friendly and Easiest to Use with Design Flexibility

WordPress provides multiple free designs and themes to explore when deciding to find those that suit your unique site's needs. WordPress is a pocket-friendly option that charges the lowest amount for paid themes and designs, unlike many CMS platforms.

When you install WordPress on your site, the entire process involved is straightforward to understand and apply. WordPress has one of the most accessible options you can use to create a site. You don't need any technical website-building skills to create a WordPress site. And when you make one, you'll enjoy a dashboard that is extremely easy to use.

Offers Scalability

WordPress can offer scalability to your site. That's courtesy of its ability to provide scalability to multiple sites by not affecting the speed of any website with a constant increase in the number of posts and pages.

Website Management is Easier

WordPress provides uncomplicated tools that make it easy to update WordPress sites. You don't have to rely on any website tools and manager to care for significant or minor changes to your site's design, content, or other elements.

WordPress allows for multi-user ability. That means several users can work on your website simultaneously.

Increase Visibility with SEO

When you don't have adequate visibility, it will prove difficult for any marketing campaign to be effective. WordPress plays a crucial role in search engine optimization to help your website become more visible to visitors with disabilities. It helps customize META descriptions and page titles and adds relevant phrases and keywords to help you optimize a page.

Build an Online Presence Today

At Bright Vessel, we specialize in WordPress solutions that offer the most flexible, straightforward, and easiest to use ways to create an online presence. If you would like to see such outcomes on your business site, contact us for more information about our WordPress development and content marketing services. Our goal is to make your website fun, unique, concise, and straightforward. And we will gladly help you achieve exactly that and boost your organic traffic with our top-notch WordPress site management plans.

The post How to Reach More Visitors with WordPress first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

What Are Your Goals?

Firstly, before embarking on the journey to crafting a great email marketing strategy, you need to define your goals. Determining your goals and objectives will enable you to set a definitive process from the onset.

Identify Your Target

Next, clearly define your target. Is it business to business or business to consumer? You need to determine the customers you intend to offer services to and whether they have the kind of problem your business can solve. Craft your email marketing to excite, attract and lure them into coming for your solutions or products.

The easiest way to determine who your target customers are is:

• Analyzing what your portfolio holds or who your existing clients are.
• Study who will benefit from your solution by doing online market research.
• Find out who your direct competitors' customers are.

After this, the next step is finding out and classifying your clients by determining common demographic details such as age, gender, location, income, and marital status.

Select Your Toolbox

A successful strategy will require you to use tools that will help you craft, disseminate, track and measure the marketing emails and campaigns.

For starters, you will need an email service provider. The email provider will enable you to create and send your emails and provide you with additional solutions for email tracking. Next, pick an automation tool that allows you to program and send emails at strategic times.

Once you've selected the tools needed to craft your strategic emails, write down the passwords you'll share with your team.

Qualify Your Leads

Qualifying leads involve reaching out to visitors by cold calling or using your ChatBots and customer service personnel to get them to trust you and share their email addresses. You can only do this through proven tactics to make customers want to hear more from you. A few tactics to get your customers' trust include:

Create Relevant Content on Your Website with a Request for Details

Top-notch content provides value to your prospective customers. You can choose to use educational, entertainment, or informational content that inspires them. Include a call to action requesting visitors sign up for more of your content or services.

Keep an Opt-In Form on Your Website's Service or Home Section

The opt-in button can be situated at the bottom of the page or sidebar for easy visibility while they browse your site.

Create Free Offers

One-time offers come in handy when requesting email addresses. You can offer free trials upon subscriptions or a freebie like an ebook.

Segment the Collected Email List

Email list segmentation involves demographically fragmenting your long list into smaller lists based on similarities. For example, one list can consist of ages between 30-35 or those in their thirties and forties. Don't forget to create a buyer persona for each list.

Create Customized Emails

Use the smaller lists you've created to customize your emails to reflect on your brand offerings and develop precise and on-target emails that will realize increased responses. Some tips to successfully customize your emails:

• Analyze your solutions and how they will address your clients' problems.
• Be consistent with the content on your website.
• Analyze whether your content ideas will work well in email messages.

Ready to email your potential customers? Make sure that your emails are personalized before hitting the send button. Tweak the customized emails to fit your customers' profiles and tastes before sending. Personalized marketing emails have a higher return on investment than generic emails.

How to Personalize Your Email Marketing

Personalized emails may consist of something as simple as a birthday card, which studies have shown to generate more than 300% return on investment.

To gather more personalized information, you can employ the use of digital marketing methods, such as:

• Use social media analytics and your website to get an idea of the products and services that generate the highest rate of engagement which plays a critical role in making them share more details.
• Design lead forms with additional fields that prompt your potential clients to feel in more detail on your website and social media sites. However, be cautious not to make your leads feel as if they are filling a loan application form by asking for more than is conventionally acceptable.
• Employ an email look-up tool to generate the leads' basic information such as server location, name, and social media profiles.

Use A/B Testing

Using A/B testing is critical to getting to know more about your customers. Test body copy, subject lines, layout, images, and many more, and change only one thing at a time to draw clear conclusions. This will help you determine the words that resonate better with your target market.

Set Up Trigger Emails

Trigger emails are sent out to your customers or potential customers while they're on your website. Trigger emails have proven to be more effective in generating replies because you reach out to the customers actively engaging with your content. You can set your triggered these emails to:

• Send a reminder immediately after a customer abandons their cart.
• Ask for feedback immediately after a customer completes a purchase or they've finished browsing your website.
• Send a welcoming email right after they navigate your website.

Share Your Values

Customers nowadays want to support brands they identify with and with missions that align with their core values. You can showcase the milestones of your corporate social responsibility initiatives, like how many orphanages you have supported or your company's impact on the environment, by participating in yearly tree planting events.

Use Dynamic Email Content

Using dynamic email content is the best way to personalize your email marketing. Your email content can be dynamic by including features like a countdown or a live feed from your blog or social channels.

Figure out How You Will Evaluate Your Marketing Campaigns

You have set your goals and gathered your marketing campaign creation tools. Then, you figured out your target market personas and demographics. Finally, you have qualified your leads, tested and personalized your marketing emails to achieve optimum results. Now it's time to establish how you will evaluate your marketing campaigns.

The best way to ensure this process is flawless is by creating email marketing strategy templates that will help you to keep tabs on the accurate net results. Alternatively, you can employ online tools like Hubspot to get an in-depth analysis and evaluation of what your efforts are yielding.

Conclusion

Creating an email marketing strategy is a process that involves a host of fine details that, if overlooked, will give you a hard time implementing and measuring progress and success. Employing a plausible marketing strategy template that you can tweak from time to time will greatly benefit your online store.

At Bright Vessel, we understand the importance of a spelled-out content plan. Contact us today for insights on content marketing strategy and how it can affect your bottom line.

The post Email Marketing for Online Stores first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

Before settling on a web maker of your choice, it is better to understand your expenses on premium plans and why you are creating them. The features you will use also play a significant role because every platform is created uniquely.

The Most Reliable Drag and Drop Website Builders in 2022

Below you'll find the very best drag and drop website builders in 2022!

Wix 

If you want to create a web with relatively little effort and great artistic control, Wix is the best option for you. The software has distinct aspects, including digital asset archiving, e-commerce facilities, beautiful video themes, title effects, smartphone applications, and even a handy free tier.

Additionally, in the ever-developing sector of web-making services examined, the current Editor X layout stands out as one of the most simple, clean, and efficient. In simple terms, Wix is an easy-to-use inter-platform that, together with Duda and Gator, is an upfront Editors' preference.

Regarding graphics, Wix offers a significant advantage: it allows you to reuse images that you have already shared by storing them in digital folders for yourself. If you wish to use photos in another part of your site, you'll have to re-upload them using the other platforms.

In terms of e-commerce, Wix has a robust platform. The Store widget in the top toolbar creates a Shop page with a pre-populated product gallery that you can update on your own. To receive funds, you will need an e-commerce premium package. Likewise, Wix has a customizable storefront, periodic payment, and membership alternatives so that you can make even more money. You may arrange goods by category and give coupons through its complete product modification panel.

Zyro

Zyro is a speedy website construction solution for people who don't code. In truth, most of its targeted demographic does not need to know much about the web. You can use Zyro if you are accustomed to graphical user interfaces. Besides the web design GUI, Zyro also features some useful related tools, like an AI content creation script, an AI heatmap for target modulation, and a vast pool of photos to use as resources are among them.

For users who have used Zyro before, it takes care of SSL setup and settings. Unlike many other web providers, you have to deal with different SSL certificates and handling mechanisms. Your Zyro site is automatically secured. That's right – without having to make any effort. Although SSL may appear to be a minor concern, it is crucial for every digital network. Many search engines are now harshly penalizing webs that do not employ SSL.

The web creator features a library of ready-to-use templates to help you from the beginning. These are there to give you a picture of how the sites appear.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy is one of the best-known brands in the digital marketplace. While it's the most popular selling domain names and internet services, you can still rely on this software to develop your web. GoDaddy websites and marketing is easy to use with mobile-friendly designs.

The most recent version strives to give a more comprehensive solution, especially marketing. A content architect for creating social networking posts, an excellent blogging option, a neat small email marketing instrument, and an SEO wizard for optimizing your site is available.

GoDaddy provides a free plan and paid ones that begin at just $10 every month. They all include web storage and customer services available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, the free package does not utilize a custom domain tag. Additionally, if you want to start a digital store, you can only achieve that by using the e-commerce plan.

You can include a PayPal button to any plan. However, if you want to start an online store, you will need the most expensive package, which includes appointment scheduling, product ratings, and integration with Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.

Elementor

Elementor is a versatile tool used in complete webs to specialized landing pages. You could create custom forms, advertisements, and landing pages. This system can assist you in designing whatever is on your mind.

Several experts on your team can use Elementor. The visual editor allows you to drag and drop any widgets such as buttons and star ratings to generate content. Featuring code efficiency, configurable properties, and backup versions, Elementor continues to be the leading system for WordPress developers.

This drag and drop website builder offers a free plan and multiple premium subscription choices. The free version includes:

• A drag-and-drop editor.
• Common widgets.
• Elementary templates.

These are all the features you'll need to get your platform up and running. If you require more advanced capabilities like integrating forms and custom CSS, you can upgrade to the premium plans.

Elementor, like any other reputable WordPress page maker, is SEO-friendly. It assists you in building a gorgeous site design, allowing you to keep people on your page longer. As customers interact with your site, search engines will recognize its importance, elevating your rankings and improving your SEO.

Site123

SITE123 is a rapidly growing, individually owned drag and drop website builder located in Israel that caters solely to do-it-yourselfers. The web creator is a diverse and all-inclusive collection of website creation options, giving whatever you need to start and expand your web. It differs from alternatives requiring you to independently purchase, install, and control all of your website's aspects.

The web editor makes building a platform as simple as a pie. As the name implies, you build a web in three phases: pick a good design, create content, and publish. The designs fit into general categories like business, online store, or portfolio and then break down into specific niches like law firms, hair salons, or gardening. There's no complicated setup process since you can do everything in your browser. Like many other drag and drop website builders, it also comes with a blog and a digital store.

There are various payments options for the available plans, but you must first register a free account. It gives you the freedom to experience everything for as long as you need. If you enjoy the offerings, you can then upgrade. However, for the first year, you will get free web hosting and the option to establish email accounts.

Squarespace 

Squarespace is an excellent platform for building a dream website. It offers the highest-quality unique capabilities in the industry, and while it takes some getting accustomed to, the results are well worth the effort. It is recommended for those interested in design or with some technical knowledge.

Squarespace is ideal for photographers, artists, and anybody who enjoys design and wishes their web to reflect the quality of their work. It also includes a comprehensive set of ecommerce capabilities, making it an excellent choice if you plan to create a store with a limited inventory or offer digital goods.

Squarespace's two e-commerce packages contain essential inventory control and abandoned cart restoration. You can even trade offline and have everything in one place if you combine the Squarespace Commerce app with your account. Additionally, you could effortlessly accept credit card payments while on the go, and all sales will be reflected in your retail channel.

Duda 

Duda is a definite winner for someone looking for a clean, modern, and quick web designer. The drag and drop website builder is simple to use, featuring drag-and-drop features and well-structured and attractive templates. Its features make it ideal for anyone interested in design but unprepared to have complete creative control over their web.

There are over 90 templates available, with topics ranging from business to lifestyle. You have artistic control over modification, but you're still restricted mainly by your chosen design within the template's limitations.

These capabilities make Duda excellent for web designers building several sites for customers – it's what it was developed for, after all! Duda also lets you create adaptive, customized web apps, a huge plus for any serious organization.

Conclusion

A free web creator is an excellent place to start if you only want to make a simple platform without a digital store. However, the free option plans have limited storage and SEO marketing features that don't suit big organizations with huge traffic. Contact BrightVessel to get all the details and guidance about web creation.

The post The Most Reliable Drag and Drop Website Builders first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

Read on to discover how to improve your customer retention rates.

Customer Retention: the Basics

Customer retention is the process of maintaining the customers you already have. It's a much more effective way to market a business. Why? Because you're increasing the rate at which they will buy from your company again in the future. There are three things you need to do as a business to achieve customer retention:

1. Provide an excellent product or service.
2. Communicate with your customers effectively.
3. Find a way to follow up after closing the initial sale.

Achieving customer retention can be one of the most challenging parts of running a business. It's difficult to keep old customers interested in what you have to offer, especially as they will never remain as profitable as new customers. However, there are some ways that you can successfully retain your customers.

Customer Retention Rate

The customer retention rate is the percentage of happy customers who continue to buy from a company. The term also includes customers who remain loyal despite being offered competitive products and services by other companies. The average customer retention rate is around 20%, so most customers will not continue to do business with a company once they find better deals elsewhere.

Customers won't give away loyalty easily, as their priority will always be finding a better deal. If you keep your existing customers happy, they're more likely to spend money with your company. Undecided customers are more likely to be tempted away by competitors who are offering better prices at the moment.

Customer Retention Levels

Different customer retention levels depend on how much you're willing to commit to your customers' success and how often they purchase from your business. The customer retention strategies that work best usually follow up with happy customers to find out what they thought about the products or services you provided and what they want to see more of in the future.

Customer Retention Strategies

Suppose you're looking for some customer-retention strategies. In that case, there is a wide range of ways that businesses can keep their existing customers happy, so they'll continue providing business for as long as possible. Here are just some examples:

1. One-to-one Marketing

Find out what your customers want and then supply it to them. It's a good idea to ask their opinions and give them more of whatever they like best. If your customers tell you something about the products and services you provide, be sure to take their feedback seriously.

2. Customer Advisory Boards

These are the recommendations and ideas from people who regularly buy from you. It can be a great way to discover what your customers want and then supply it to them.

3. Customer Referrals

Encouraging your happy customers to recommend their friends and family can be a quick and easy way of attracting new business, especially if you give them an incentive for doing so. Even services your online store will provide customer referrals for you. Ensure that your current customers understand your terms and conditions of customer referrals. That way, they'll trust your program and adhere to the rules.

4. Customer Loyalty Schemes

Customer loyalty schemes provide incentives for people to keep coming back and spending money with your company instead of buying from competitors. These schemes include giving discounts to returning customers or creating a system that allows customers to earn points and exchange them for goods or services.

The most significant benefit of effective customer acquisition and retention is that it helps keep a business running smoothly. Every time a potential customer walks through your door, they have a good chance of becoming a paying customer. When you have a customer retention rate of 20%, it means that every time you acquire a new customer, there is an 80% chance that they will not continue to buy from you in the future.

5. Takeaways

Customer acquisition costs are low, but businesses do not retain customers. Nowadays, free or cheap apps are readily available, and new companies emerge daily. The competition makes it even more challenging for existing businesses to retain customers, as new companies offer free apps and deals.

Keeping your existing customers happy and spending money with your company is essential, and it will keep them from being tempted away by smaller competitors who are offering better prices at the moment.

One-to-one marketing, customer advisory boards, referrals, and loyalty schemes are some of the ways that you can keep customers happy and loyal to your company. These strategies work best when they follow up with satisfied customers to find out what they thought about the products or services you provided and what they want to see more of in the future. Suppose you're looking for some customer retention strategies. In that case, there is a wide range of ways that businesses can keep their existing customers happy, so they'll continue providing business for as long as possible. Here are just some examples:

Encouraging your happy customers to recommend their friends and family can be a quick and easy way of attracting new business, especially if you give them an incentive for doing so. Even services online will provide customer referrals for you, such as Biz Bay.

How to Win Customers from Competitors 

1. Offer the Best Possible Customer Service

When customers stop buying from you, it can be tough to win them back. Offer the best customer service possible to ensure that they'll come back and give you another chance. Here are some expert tips on how to do this:

2. Keep Customers Informed

Keep your WordPress site up to date with the latest information on what's happening in your business. You should also tell visitors about the exact waiting time for your products or services, so they don't have to worry about being kept waiting for something simple.

3. Don't Make Promises You Can't Keep

If you tell a customer that their new product will be with them on a specific date, make sure you can do what you promised. If it didn't arrive when you said it would, contact them immediately and tell them what's going on. You can then deliver the goods as soon as possible to ensure that they'll give your business another chance.

4. Offer Flexible Delivery

Some businesses find that they're much busier in the morning than in the afternoon, so offering an AM or PM delivery slot can help them gain more customers. It all depends on how well you understand your customers. Work with what they prefer, and don't force them to fit in your schedule. If you can't meet their preferences, you should find a way to inform them about the same in the most professional manner possible.

Conclusion

Customer retention is what will keep your business running and your customers coming back. Give them what they want when they want it - and you won't have to worry about losing them to a competitor. Some businesses think that they can afford to ignore customer retention, as it's easier and cheaper to acquire new customers than it is to keep the ones you already have. However, following these strategies will ensure your business stays afloat for as long as possible, even if your competitors offer something better.

Keep customers loyal to your brand by giving them full transparency. You can achieve this through a full WordPress website with all your updated information, and even tips about the goods you provide. Through Bright Vessel, you can find a WordPress or WooCommerce plan that adjusts to your business's specific needs. Contact us to find out more!

The post What Is Customer Retention? first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

Here's everything you need to know about the eCommerce funnel to enhance sales and conversions in your WooCommerce store.

What is an e-Commerce Funnel?

A conversion funnel is a map of how visitors move from awareness to buying in your store.

Only a cross-section of your eCommerce website visitors will eventually convert. Consequently, an eCommerce funnel is cone-shaped: the funnel's top is wide (representing the overall number of site visitors), while the bottom is narrower (denoting the percentage of your web visitors who finally do convert and buy).

There's a drop in the number of customers who take the subsequent step at each step. In a sales funnel, you visualize the path to purchase. Along the way, you'll discover points of weakness, which you'll have to improve and optimize to boost the conversion rate.

The eCommerce Funnel Conversion Rate

The general consensus is that, out of all the visitors in a website, about 50% will look at a product's specific page, though fewer than 15% will add the product into their cart. And then only about 3% will translate that into a purchase.

These numbers may look worrying, but they're actually a hidden opportunity: what can you do as a brand to get visitors to engage? For starters, it's important to understand the eCommerce funnel and its stages, which you can read about below.

The Four eCommerce Funnel Stages

Typically, an eCommerce conversion funnel has four stages: Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. As each step progresses, the consumer makes decisions. These decisions are based on their opinion, on your brand, your product, and what your competitors have to offer. The four stages are as follows:

Stage 1: Awareness

Here, clients realize that they have a problem to solve or a goal to reach, for which they seek a solution — and yours is among the ones they might consider. The awareness stage finds clients at a crossroads, making it a very crucial step.

Here, education is essential regarding the content from your brand. Educational methods include reports, webinars, guides, blog posts, and webinars.

Stage 2: Interest

At this stage, your audience starts getting hooked on the promotional strategy that interests them. You should continue what you've begun — providing your audience with entertaining, lucrative, and educational values that keep their interest sparked in your products.

You need a replicated strategy to increase your reach, including sharing brand memes on social media, email marketing, engaging blog content, and brand-focused YouTube videos.

Stage 3: Desire

Desire is about benefits — something that makes your customers get the results they're craving. Be specific. Talk about the product's ultimate benefit.

Your Call-to-actions (CTAs) should be concise and strategic. Here are two CTA examples to compare:

• Example 1: Grab a Pizza and enjoy the sumptuous taste in one big piece
• Example 2: Grab a Pizza and enjoy the sumptuous taste in one big piece. Buy two, get one free!

The second one sparks the desired benefit and is more likely to convert since the user can internalize the benefits.

Stage 4: Action

Action is the stage you probably have in mind when you begin: to close the sale.

At this point, your prospective customers create a shopping cart on your website, add products to it, choose a form of payment from existing options, and finish off by clicking "Buy Now." Realistically, only 3% of customers in an average eCommerce website get to this final step. You can do better than most businesses by taking a few strategic steps.

One aspect to look at is cart abandonment. What causes your visitors to abandon their carts and not reach the end of their buyer journey? Note what causes abandonment, including surprise charges, unnecessary form fields, the absence of a preferred payment method, etc. Try to look at it from the visitor's perspective.

Perform A/B split tests with different checkout pages, and see what works best for your business.

How To Build an Optimized e-Commerce Funnel Using WooCommerce

To build a successful eCommerce conversion funnel, you need to take the steps below:

Step 1 (Awareness): Attract Visitors To Your Store Through Targeted Content and Advertisement

Create a heavy focus around content that solves client problems, and make this prominent through your product pages. Educational content helps you pitch your product and solve a user's problem simultaneously.

Also, integrate the content with your social media platform to keep your users engaged. You could also consider click ads through Google and Facebook platforms.

This awareness strategy targets clients at the funnel's top who need to know how your product might interest them. Your main aim is to land this category of users on your site.

Step 2 (Interest): Simplify the Shopping Experience

Customers desire to understand your products and brand better.

You'll need to be more aggressive in product promotion at this stage while considering that users aren't ready to commit yet (it's not time to adopt the Buy Now approach). Your primary focus at this time would be user education, targeted at helping them learn more about what you offer on your store's front-end.

One option is to create a shopping page with various filter options and functions to help shoppers find relevant products. For example, you could create a faceted filter that helps your users drill down to specifics more easily. Consider the demo below that uses the FacetWP plugin with WooCommerce to sort out a list of automobiles:

Alternatively, you could use a table layout for products. This provides a lot of details within little space. Shoppers can also easily browse your products without page reload.

Create a dedicated landing page that portrays your "About Us" information. Additionally, include educational content about your brand on the page. You could use plugins like Elementor and Divi to add some visual spice.

There's a possibility of users showing interest but still leaving before taking the next step. To take care of this, consider retargeting ads on platforms like Facebook and Google to woo them back.

Step 3: (Desire) Lead Your Users to Decide With Further Details and Reviews

At this stage, shoppers should find product comparison and reviews easy and use this as a basis for decision-making. Add relevant information such as:

• Material information
• Color variety
• Information on size

Customer review ratings are also important. Ratings help shoppers know whether the product works for other people. Where possible, shoppers should be able to see reviews without unnecessary page refreshes or leaving the site.

Step 4: Optimize the Ultimate Shopping Experience

This final step succeeds the previous one, where shoppers have decided based on product details and the nature of a product's reviews. Here you have two tasks:

• Streamlining the checkout process. Ensure that shipping and return details are clearly stated (these two contribute largely to cart abandonment). Streamline the checkout page as much as you can. Optimally, use a one-page WooCommerce checkout. Also, consider offering familiar and popular payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe.
• Encouraging clients to increase their order value. At this stage, use revenue-boosting methodologies like order bumps (which encourages a client to include add-ons to the product they're buying) and up-sells (which subtly encourages the client to upgrade to a product of higher value). Fortunately, WooCommerce already includes an option to display upsells and cross-sells on the site. A plugin like Iconic Sales Booster could help you add all the features and promote a related product to use during checkout.

At this stage, you can also incorporate a customer representative feature to help users find answers to the queries at any stage of your sales funnel. Answering questions has proved to curb bounce rates and also significantly reduce funnel leakages.

Step 5: Design a "Come Back" Strategy

It's essential to consider post-purchase client engagement. You need to send retargeting ads and relevant emails from time to time. This move will lead them to promotions and new products you'll add in the future.

Bright Vessel Can Help You Create an Optimized eCommerce Funnel

WooCommerce is a popular WordPress plugin that helps site creators set up optimized online eCommerce experiences. Creating an optimized WooCommerce sales funnel is a game-changer for boosting your online store's conversion rate.

To optimize your WooCommerce sales funnel and increase conversions, structure your store to reach users in each stage of the buying journey. Use targeted ads and educational content to rouse awareness of your brand. Lastly, use relevant plugins and add-ons on your website to move shoppers through the Awareness → Interest → Desire → Action channel and add as many as possible to your purchase bottom line.

Not sure how to incorporate WooCommerce in your WordPress site? Bright Vessel can help. We are WooCommerce experts who can help you develop your eCommerce platform from inception to sales and optimize your eCommerce Funnel. Contact us today for your eCommerce funnel needs.

The post The ECommerce Funnel for a Successful Online Store first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

Know Your Customer

The essential thing in any online business or marketing is knowing exactly who your customer is. The internet gives us enormous power to target our advertising message to exactly the right demographic, which means more sales and less marketing spend.

You must know what that demographic is. So, if you haven’t already worked on creating customer personas that define who you sell to, start now. You could base this on your brick-and-mortar business’s customer profile, or you could start using social media, polls, and even surveys.

Create a Trustworthy Site

People like to shop online – but they like to buy from sites they can trust. They want to know who you are, where you are based, and if you are a legitimate company. Security signals like the little padlock that comes with your SSL certificate matter to online shoppers, and being able to contact you by email, phone, or even visiting a branch makes a difference too. Consider using WordPress for a fully customizable site that you can integrate with ecommerce platforms.

Make sure that your customers identify who your company is and that your site is clear and transparent.

Focus On the Funnel

If you’ve never heard of a sales funnel before, you need to research what they are and how they work. Here’s a basic overview of what the online shopping process looks like:

• A customer searches online for a particular product
• If your online advertising and SEO is good, they find your site and visit your page
• When they arrive on your site, they search for the product they want
• If they find the product, they review the price, availability, and shipping costs
• If they decide that you’re offering the best deal for the item, they place an order
• You deliver or ship the product to them
• If you do a good job of all these things, the customer might return next time they need a similar item

Your potential customer might not find what they need at any point along this process. In that case, they will go to the following website on their search results list, and you will lose the sale. You’ll also lose the opportunity for subsequent sales if they’re happy with the product and service.

So, you need to make sure that your website is optimized to deliver at every step of the process.

Your Products Aren’t Well Displayed.

Online shopping is a lot like shopping in person. Customers look for a price that they can afford or within their budget. Then they take a closer look at the product itself.

It’s essential to make sure that your products are well defined so that people have enough information to decide.

Make sure that your images are clear and that visitors to your site can zoom in to get a better look. Add multiple views to the product page, so people can turn it around the way they would in a store. If you can add a video of the item in use, that’s even better to give people a clear idea of the item they need.

Images are important, but the text content on your product pages matters too. Descriptions should be detailed and enticing. Include a variety of facts, specifications, and statistics. Sometimes, something as simple as the size, weight, or color of an item is enough to sway a customer, so make sure you add all that information on the product page.

Take a leaf from big online retailers’ books, too – by adding related items and upsells onto your product pages too. The longer you can keep your potential customer on your page and engaged, the higher the likelihood that they will buy from you.

Improve Your Payment Options

While it might not be expected, there are still customers who don’t have credit cards. This means if you only accept credit card payments, you might be losing sales.

Giving customers more than one option to pay for their purchases is a great way to increase e-commerce sales. Consider adding well-known and trusted third-party payment processors like PayPal, Stripe, or 2Checkout. Include an option to pay by credit card, and if you’re willing to process manual payments like checks, you can use that option as well.

Dial-In Your Shipping

Shipping is another huge factor for online sales. Many people say that shipping costs are the most significant factors in their online purchasing decisions.

If you can offer free shipping, that’s the gold standard for online shopping success. But if you can’t, try to provide more than one option. A slower, cheaper option might work for some customers, and faster courier services that cost a little more might appeal to others. If you are willing to offer pickup from your physical location, add that. Many people are shopping online for safety reasons these days, and if they can do a curbside collection, they might still choose to order from your online store for that reason.

Ship Promptly

People who shop online are not the most patient in the world. They expect you to ship their product within a reasonable time and receive it within as short a period as possible.

If you have longer shipping times, make sure that it’s clear on your website. Place a banner mentioning your shipping time on every page, so there are no nasty surprises after they’ve checked out.

Ensure that you send tracking information for shipments as soon as they are received. You’ll avoid a lot of angry follow-up emails if customers can log in to the carrier’s website and see where their order is.

Make Your Customer Feel Like the King (or Queen)

Customers online are not that different from the ones that visit brick-and-mortar locations. If your customer service is terrible, they will vote with their wallet and take their business elsewhere.

If you make them feel like royalty, answer questions, and solve problems promptly, however, they’re not only more likely to be repeat buyers, they’re also likely to recommend you to other people.

Perfect Your Marketing

Marketing an online store is a little different from a brick-and-mortar location. You can’t rely on foot traffic and location on the web! But there are a lot of other tools you can use to grow your presence and get more sales. Those include:

• Building an email list so you can email customers about specials, deals, coupons, and events
• Use paid ads on search engines to drive traffic to your website
• Use shopping comparison services like Google Shopping to get your store and your products in front of customers
• Creating social media profiles and engaging with potential customers about your products
• Using video services like YouTube to demonstrate how to use the products you sell
• Asking customers to review your products and your site online – reviews are a huge factor in online shopping decisions!

Offer Warranties and Return Options

People want to be reassured that they’re spending their money on a high-quality item that will fulfill their needs.

A warranty on your products is a good way to do that. So, if you offer a warranty on the items you sell, publish it on your website. Or, if you’re a reseller, make sure that you link to the manufacturer’s warranty or information on your page or theirs.

Returns are another big issue for online shoppers. If the item they bought doesn’t meet their expectations or arrives damaged or broken, who can they speak to, how do they send it back, and who pays for shipping.

Trust is even more important in online sales because shoppers can’t just bring an item back, so be upfront and honest about your policies, and then make sure you stick to them.

Pricing and Perks

Finally, when building or updating your online store, you need to consider pricing and perks.

Some online shoppers are completely price-driven, and they will always buy the cheapest product on offer. Others will consider other factors like your shipping policies, whether you’re a local business, or if you have social projects like supporting charities.

Many customers will also consider “perks” when they are shopping online. So, discounts on future purchases or free items with their order might sway them to choose your products, even if they aren’t the cheapest out there.

When customers are not entirely price-driven, the value you offer might very well be the deciding factor. So, make sure that every time your customers deal with you, they are delighted, and you underpromise and over-deliver.

The post How to Increase Ecommerce Sales 2022 first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

Podcasts are increasingly prevalent to millions, and that number is only on the rise.

Why?

While other forms of media and information are offered from countless sources, such as TV or newspapers, podcasts are primarily leading due to their accessibility and convenience.

This works under the idea that while it may not always be feasible to watch a video or read about a subject, most people can integrate podcasts into their lives through their easy and simple auditory delivery. Podcasts are easy to listen to when you're driving, cleaning, or working out in a way that other media aren't. Most people find that there's still time for an audio recording, even if they have a busy schedule.

So, how can you benefit from this?

A podcast may be an excellent tool for ecommerce business owners seeking to gain a foothold in the market. Podcasts, with choices ranging from nearly every topic and field, offer a lot of possibilities.

Podcasts are popular for a reason. They provide both education and entertainment in a convenient format that may be accessed from anywhere, at any time. As an ecommerce business owner, however, you can acquire a lot of extra professional advantages if you listen to them regularly.

Keep Up With Industry Trends

Today's ecommerce industry is always evolving. What worked one day may not work the next, making it tough for small firms with limited resources to reach new heights.

Podcasts are a fantastic method to stay on top of what's going on in the industry, allowing you to keep your thumb on the pulse of today's ecommerce strategies both easily and simply.

In addition to providing wide-ranging topics from which to choose, ecommerce podcasts are also available on particular themes. This allows people looking for more specialized information to explore essential subjects — such as customer retention or brand image.

Learn From The Best

The majority of podcasts that succeed are hosted by industry experts, such as ecommerce company owners, marketing experts, and thought leaders in the field. Programs run by individuals such as these can give people a better idea of how top names sell and market their products.

Running an ecommerce business entails a lot more than simply selling items online. In the industry, expertise is undoubtedly crucial, and that's why an established professional's guidance is always useful.

A podcast may help close the knowledge gap for new entrepreneurs and small business owners, providing them direct access to the finest guidance. Some podcasts also allow listeners to submit questions, allowing them to get personalized assistance from industry leaders.

Choose From Endless Options And Topics

Ecommerce is a wide subject that covers a variety of subtopics. Fortunately, there's a podcast for just about anything. Ecommerce site owners may have varied goals based on the target market they're aiming for, and the appropriate podcast may provide insight that no other source offers.

The chances of finding a podcast that meets your particular needs are very high, far greater than finding a consistent source through other media formats. Furthermore, there's no limit to the number of podcasts you can listen to, so if you enjoy listening to podcasts about a wide range of subjects as an ecommerce professional, there are likely many that will work for you.

Access Podcasts Anywhere

The accessibility of ecommerce podcasts is one of its greatest benefits. Because reading, watching television and listening to the radio all take time away from other activities, they're difficult to engage in while multitasking. Podcasts differ from these

mediums in the way that they are digestible and accessible, allowing listeners to learn from them almost everywhere and anyhow.

As podcasts can be listened to while doing nearly anything, including chores, driving, shopping, or any other activity, even busy professionals may find time to listen to podcasts. They boast an easy and low-commitment opportunity for everyone to stay up to date.

Top Ecommerce Podcasts for WordPress Developers

Listening to the best podcasts is an excellent method to advance in the ecommerce industry for people in this sector. Industry experts typically create podcasts, so they may be an excellent method to obtain insider knowledge. These podcasts also include updates on cutting-edge technologies, new programs, and timely news items.

Here, we will do a brief overview of some of the most popular ecommerce podcasts out there.

EcommerceFuel

Andrew Youderian, the founder of EcommerceFuel Podcast, is a well-known ecommerce personality with years of podcasting experience and praise.

From brand-specific reports to industry trends to leadership team formation advice, the program covers it all. EcommerceFuel also offers a business development program that connects companies with entrepreneurs to help them grow more quickly and implement industry best practices.

EcommerceFuel is a fantastic all-around ecommerce marketing resource for anybody in the business. The information provided is broad and wide, and the leadership and ecommerce company expertise on offer is outstanding.

My Wife Quit Her Job

My Wife Quit Her Job is a site dedicated to transitioning away from full-time employment into solo entrepreneurship. It's run by a husband-and-wife team that left the corporate world to enter the ecommerce sector. This podcast hosted by Steve Chou covers a wide range of ecommerce subjects tailored to those just getting started and seeking development.

This podcast is a wonderful first step for people who are new to the ecommerce sector and want to get started on the right path. Much of the material is targeted toward beginners in ecommerce sales, although it can also be beneficial to everyone.

2X Ecommerce

2X Ecommerce, founded by ecommerce advisor Kunle Campbell, dreams up a unique approach and concept to ecommerce podcasts. The site's emphasis is on development, acquiring more clients, and ultimately improving outcomes in a market that is already saturated.

X2X Ecommerce has a large online presence and provides lots of assistance to those seeking for real results. The podcast focuses on business success stories while also looking at how direct-to-consumer firms have met their goals.

This program is an excellent tool for ecommerce experts looking to expand their businesses quickly and stay competitive. The terminology may be technical, but novices and veterans of all types can learn a lot here.

Ecommerce Conversations From Practical Ecommerce

The Ecommerce Conversations podcast, hosted by Practical Ecommerce, is a rich source of ecommerce information with a primary emphasis on success tales. Listeners will learn about excellent leadership, management abilities, and guidance on various product procurement and placement elements.

Ecommerce businesses that are looking for ideas that have worked for others will enjoy what this podcast has to offer. As it mainly focuses on the comparison of company profiles, straightforward business advice is somewhat restricted. Regardless, there are a lot of excellent suggestions and takeaways in between the analysis.

The Fizzle Show Podcast

This Podcast has been active since 2013, is a long-standing source for practical business guidance. The Fizzle Show is a membership organization dedicated to assisting new businesses in achieving their objectives. The podcast is for creative minds who want to make a living doing what they love. The majority of episodes include an interview with a successful business owner and discuss things like blogging, content marketing, audience development, productivity, and more.

Entrepreneurs who enjoy interview-style podcasts and want to learn from seasoned professionals in the business world would enjoy The Fizzle Show Podcast. Specific ecommerce advice may not be as readily available, but the interviewees have a wonderful sense of direction.

Ecommerce Minute

The Ecommerce Minute is a daily podcast produced by John Suder and Bart Mroz that covers ecommerce news. Episodes are published Monday through Friday and run around seven minutes each. Although it's somewhat shorter than a conventional podcast, Ecommerce Minute delivers an enormous amount of new information every week that's easy to listen to while multitasking.

Ecommerce Minute is a fantastic alternative for ecommerce owners looking for up-to-the-minute, relevant information regularly. The topics are broader in nature than some other podcasts, with less business-specific analysis and strategy.

Conlusion

Podcasts are an amazing method to get information in a quick and easy-to-consume format. It also fits nicely with the madness of modern life. You can take it anywhere with you on your smartphone and podcast platform. The accessibility allows for constant and instant access to the best of information and entertainment.

Podcasts provide a wealth of information, entertainment, and knowledge in addition to providing a fun escape. Ecommerce is a popular topic among podcasts, with numerous programs providing insight on all levels. With ecommerce podcasts accessible to everyone, novices and experts alike can distinguish themselves from the competition with world-class material at the touch of a button.

The post Top Ecommerce Podcasts for WordPress Developers first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

Well, good!

Super versatile and easy to use, this all-popular content management system's become the go-to choice for both individuals and businesses.

Heck, WordPress is so dominant in this space that it now powers almost 40% of all websites on the internet!

Want to find out what all the fuss is about and learn more about why it's such a first-class platform?

We can help.

8 reasons to use WordPress for your site

As you may already know, there are actually two versions of WordPress out there to choose from: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Now, going into detail on the differences between them is a job for another article!

The most important thing to note is that WordPress.org is self-hosted and is open-sourced , whereas the .com version isn't. Both give you:

1. Far more control over your site (more on this later) and
2. Access to advanced plugins

1. It's Free

WordPress is a better option for anyone other than someone running a small, personal blog.

Whether you opt for WordPress.com or .org, though, you won't pay a dime to get started. Both versions are 100% free to download, thanks to their open-source nature, allowing teams of contributors to use the software in their projects.

That's a big deal if you want to experiment with the platform without investing any of your hard-earned cash!

However, because WordPress.org is self-hosted, you will have to purchase your domain name and pay for web hosting. Thankfully, countless budget-friendly hosting services only charge a few dollars each month for it!

2. It's Simple to Use

You don't have to be an IT expert or technological whiz kid to learn how to use WordPress either. Indeed, one reason for its mass popularity is that anybody can use it.

You can be a complete website newbie or a professional coder with 30 years of experience, and both enjoy using this platform. It costs little to nothing to get started and offers premium customer support only adds to the accessibility. And don't worry if you do get stuck somewhere.

WordPress users have created many online resources that outline every aspect of setting up and running a WP site. You'll find a stack of free blog articles, YouTube videos, e-books, and seminars explaining the solution no matter the issue.

There are even designated WordPress forums for you to post questions and receive answers from fellow users! Failing that, browsing through peoples' past questions could provide an answer too.

3. It's Simple to Scale

Like people and businesses, the best websites change and adapt.

Everything from the color scheme and layout to the overall user experience shifts over time to reflect the latest online trends, SEO rules, rebranding efforts, and so on.

Unfortunately, other website-builders make this a challenge. But not WordPress! Thanks to the many plugins and themes available, scaling up and/or altering the course couldn't be simpler.

That's right, the purpose of these handy features doesn't stop at the setup phase. They're invaluable when you need to upgrade your site too. Imagine a business that offers customers different membership options. If they decided to add another income stream by selling digital products one day, they could simply use the WooCommerce plugin and have it running quickly.

And that's just one example! With 54,000 free plugins and thousands of paid ones now available, the options for scaling your site are endless.

Isometric multiple web pages and data analysis

4. You're In Control

We noted earlier how WordPress' self-hosted nature puts you in total control. But it's worth explaining why that's so valuable for your website!

In short, it gives you options. Similar to owning a house, you can decide exactly what it looks like and how it functions. You can also change your mind at any point and alter course in line with your vision for the site.

Alas, this isn't possible with other website builders, such as Squarespace or Wix. To continue with the housing analogy, the fact these platforms aren't open source means you're essentially renting a website from them.

They decide where it's hosted, and complex changes require experienced programmers to complete. If they choose to update their processes, then you're forced to go along with it. And the worst part?

If you stop paying for that particular service, you'll lose access to all your pages, files, and work. With WordPress, you own everything, putting you in the driving seat at all times.

5. It Isn't Just for Blogs

Contrary to what many people think, WordPress isn't just for bloggers!

It may have started out like that, but it's shifted focus over time to become a much better-rounded and more versatile platform.

Whether you want to create an e-commerce site or a job board, a business directory, or an online forum, there's almost no limit to the type of website you can develop on WordPress these days.

The best part?

Developing the site you want couldn't be easier. Generally speaking, all you do is pick the theme and plugins that feel right and follow the setup instructions. Throw an occasional bit of code into the mix, and voila, you're up and running.

This isn't to say anything bad about its blogging acumen, though!

Because its origins are in this niche, WordPress continues to shine here too.

Indeed, whereas other site-building services seem to treat their blogging interface as an afterthought, you'll enjoy a swift, simple, and polished way to publish blog posts if that's on your agenda.

6. You Can Upload Any Media Type

Imagine a musician setting up a website to promote their latest album. Or a photographer who wants an online portfolio to show their work to prospective clients.

Thanks to WordPress, they'd have no trouble uploading any of their respective files.

Why?

Because this multipurpose platform supports almost every type of media under the sun. Whether you need to upload something commonplace, like a .JPG, .GIF, or .PDF, or something more obscure, like an .OGG or .3GP, you'll almost always be able to do it.

We say "almost always" because certain files (SVGs are a good example) aren't permitted.

But even then, you should be able to find a workaround that lets you upload them! Simply Google the file format (e.g., "how to upload SVGs to WordPress") to find a tutorial that explains the process.

7. Management and Maintenance Aren't Too Tricky

Worried about the maintenance side of things?

Don't be!

Although there are perks to paying a web development company to handle it, you can save sizable sums of money by taking the DIY approach instead. Furthermore, having a good host and some relevant plugins make handling the main tasks relatively straightforward.

In a world where cyberattacks are increasingly common, for instance, it's imperative that your website's backed up and secure at all times. What's great about WordPress is that you can either install a simple plugin to do both or pay for a managed hosting plan to do the same.

And remember, the mass of trouble-shooting and "how-to" style resources online should shed light on anything you're unsure about!

8. Search Engine Optimization's Sorted

The secret to success for any site is search engine optimization (SEO).

After all, this is what helps Google (or any other search engine) find, understand, and rank your content online! Get your SEO strategy right, and you can reap the rewards of huge amounts of traffic without spending a cent on ads.

Want to find out how this pertains to WordPress?

With various SEO capabilities built into the platform, WordPress makes this crucial and complex part of running a website much simpler. Not only does it automate key SEO elements, such as generating meta-descriptions and title tags, but there are also many plugins designed to facilitate this specific task.

Yoast SEO is a prime example. A must-have for any WordPress user, it'll reveal everything from how effectively you've targeted your keywords in an article to how compelling your titles are.

Leverage the Benefits of Using WordPress for Your Website

Conclusion

As you can tell, there's no shortage of reasons to follow the crowd and use WordPress for your website!

A content management system that's used by millions of people around the world, including some of the biggest sites on the internet, you can rest assured that you're in safe hands.

Trust us, whether you're setting up an e-commerce site, a personal blog, an online portfolio, or anything else, you'd be hard-pressed to find another option that's as versatile, powerful, or convenient.

Ready to give it a try? Contact Bright Vessel today for best-in-class support building and managing your new WordPress site.

The post 8 Good Reasons Why You Should Use WordPress first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

Fortunately, with the advent of the internet and e-commerce, things have changed dramatically. Nearly everything these days is measured, calibrated, collated, and quantified. We know where people shop online and when. We know what drives their purchasing decisions and what makes them change their brand loyalty. They tell us everything about their shopping wants, needs, and habits.

You can use those facts and statistics to improve your Black Friday performance! Here are some of the most important Black Friday stats for you to adapt, digest and use!

How Many People Shop Online, and How Much Do They Spend?

Online Black Friday sales are measured in tens of billions, and those numbers are only going up! Black Friday has always been one of the biggest shopping days of the year, and nothing has changed just because we're shopping online. If anything, we're spending more online because there's less access to entertainment and activities.

● In 2019, over 90 million people chose to shop online. Now, during the pandemic, that number is even higher!

● The value of online Black Friday sales is now well over $7 billion. So, there's a lot of money to be made in online stores!

● Black Friday is known for great deals, and the average discount on these deals is 37%.

● We shop more between black Friday and Christmas. 30% of ALL retail sales that happen during the year happen during these few weeks!

● 40% of all retail shoppers bought something at online Black Friday sales in 2019, and again, the pandemic is only increasing that number.

Online Black Friday Demographics and Preferences

Different age groups and genders have different online shopping habits on Black Friday, but everyone from millennials to baby boomers is spending large amounts of money online!

● More than half of all women are Black Friday shoppers, and millennials are the biggest group looking for Black Friday deals.

● Millennials spent, on average, just over $500, shopping the online Black Friday sales

● 94% of millennials who shopped online Black Friday sales bought electronics, which amounted to over $11 billion!

● 90% of Gen Xers also spent a lot on electronics. They spent over $31 billion on gadgets and gizmos. They also spent more on cosmetics and beauty products, but at $5.9 billion, that was a distant second to technology!

● Baby boomers don't spend a lot on technology in a normal year. Their biggest spend is usually on travel, with over $12 billion on Black Friday getaway deals. Of course, it's unlikely we'll see spending this year with this pandemic stage, so we will have to wait and see where Boomers will spend their dollars this year!

Who Sells More Online?

Of course, big brand stores sell more products online on Black Friday. Aside from Amazon, BestBuy, Costco, and Walmart all see big sales increases on the year's biggest sales day.

● Internet giants score big on Black Friday. In fact, Amazon claimed over 54% of all online Black Friday sales in 2019. Many more businesses are selling online today, but they still expect to take a big bite out of Black Friday sales.

● 49% of online Black Friday shoppers are swayed by shipping costs – which might be why sites like Amazon that offer low cost or free shipping are big winners.

Online Black Friday Budgets and Trends

Black Friday is always a huge shopping day, but the numbers show that a lot more shopping is happening from mobile devices.

● Most people plan to spend around $400 online on Black Friday

● Nearly 40% of online Black Friday sales were not made on desktop or laptop computers. They were made via tablets or mobile phones. Which is yet another reason to make sure your website is mobile-friendly and responsive!

● In 2019, over $900 million was spent on Shopify on Black Friday, and nearly 70% of those sales were made via mobile devices!

● People who do shop via desktop or laptop computers tend to spend more. They tend to buy items that are nearly 30% more expensive than their mobile compatriots.

● 36% of Black Friday shoppers in 2020 planned to be at the store between midnight and 6 am, waiting for the doors to open. 46% planned to be there before 10 am, and only 17% planned to be there later in the day.

Buyer's Remorse

Yes – some people still feel bad about the things they buy online on Black Friday.

● Online shoppers still feel buyer's remorse. In fact, about 66% of millennials regret their Black Friday splurges, while a little over 40% of Boomers report feeling that they make a mistake.

Location and Product Winners

Some states and areas buy more online on Black Friday, and some products do better than others.

● The states that spend the most online for Black Friday aren't what you think they are. In fact, in 2019, North Dakota, Texas and Wyoming topped the list. Of course, again, with fewer people in malls in 2020 and 2021, online Black Friday sales figures are up for every state.

● Clothing and shoes, electronics, cosmetics, and travel are some of the biggest sale items on Black Friday.

● Furniture is a much bigger in-person seller than an online one on Black Friday. 21.9% of shoppers bought their furnishings in a real-world store, while only a little over 16% chose to shop online. This makes sense because it's hard to tell if a new couch or mattress is comfortable from a website!

We've never known as much about what people want to buy, where they want to buy it, and how much they want to spend as we do today. We know exactly which deals get the most interest, what kind of products people want to buy at Black Friday sales, and who they are.

What Does It Mean Now?

The good news for online retailers is that the pandemic has changed the way we shop.

Statistics show that online sales have at least doubled since we have all been spending more time at home and avoiding public places.

That trend is likely to continue this year, even though we have fewer official restrictions. It's unlikely that people will want to brave the huge crowds that Black Friday sales generate in a normal year.

Major retailers and smaller companies are taking their Black Friday sales online, and digital sales might likely match or exceed sales in stores.

Black Friday is traditionally also an opportunity to stock up on Christmas gifts. Still, with so many more online sales and supply chain disruptions, getting those items to customers might be more complicated. Many stores are still offering curbside pickup options, so shoppers might opt to buy online and pick up in person.

If you want to capitalize on online Black Friday this year, here are a few ideas:

● Offer great deals. Most online Black Friday purchases are priced between 30 and 40% lower than their usual price.

● Know who your customers are. Different customers are looking for different things and have different budgets.

● Consider limiting the availability of great deals. Scarcity is a great motivator and could have virtual "lines" of shoppers waiting for your sale to start!

Many people have more disposable income thanks to the pandemic and savings on childcare and commuting. So, it's likely to be a bumper year for Black Friday sales this year, whether you're talking about online or in-person shopping. There's never been a better time to think about your own Black Friday shopping strategy.

The post Black Friday Ecommerce Statistics You Need to Know 2021 first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.