Q: With more people shopping online than ever before due to the pandemic, what advice do you have for businesses considering launching an e-commerce store?
A: Do your research and determine what your needs are. Pick the most affordable platform with the best functionality on both computers and mobile devices. After you’ve chosen the platform, your job as an e-commerce store owner is to display your products as clearly as possible. You need really good photos – a combination of close-up shots to show intricate design details and lifestyle shots of people wearing or using the products. You also need videos of the products and vivid descriptions.

Nora Inveiss is the marketing project manager at Printful, an on-demand fulfillment company that offers e-commerce warehousing and custom print and embroidery product drop-shipping services for online retailers.

Q: What’s the most important aspect of an e-commerce store?
A: The payment process. Make sure your customers can pay in the way that’s most convenient to them. If checkout takes too long or it’s too complicated, you risk losing the sale. It’s not the time to upsell. Once your customer has the item in their cart, you need to make it as easy as possible for the transaction to go through. Require as little information as possible so you can quickly close the sale. Also, make sure there are no broken links on your site, especially when it comes to the checkout page. It’s easy to double-check – just ask someone to test the process for you.

Q: Selling apparel online can be tricky because customers can’t try it on. Do you have a workaround for that?
A: Be clear on what your customers can expect, and be transparent about return policy details. Do you accept returns or just store credit? How can customers contact you? How long does the return policy last?

Q: What’s the best way to promote your e-commerce store?
A: Social media. People tend to trust other customers rather than your company message. Include reviews, testimonials and user-generated photos on your site and in your social media marketing. It’s easy to get reviews – just ask. If they liked their experience and support you, they’ll be happy to do it. It’s also healthy to get a less-than-perfect review every now and then. It’s not about getting a bad review; it’s how you respond to it that people will remember.

Q: What method of communication should e-commerce stores offer customers?
A: Include your email and, if you’re comfortable, your phone number as well. If you have a Facebook page, encourage customers to message you there. It really depends on how many resources you have and what you can handle. If you’re offering top-notch customer service, you need to respond as quickly as possible, within a few hours or one business day at the longest.