Online Store
In the online store, also called web store, goods, digital products or services are presented and offered for sale. In this form of mail-order business, sales are largely handled via the Internet, from product presentation to the ordering and purchasing process.
The initial proliferation of online stores began primarily in the book trade; for example, Amazon.de opened its virtual doors in 1998 and has since been the number one online retailer in terms of sales, with a greatly expanded range of products in almost all product groups. Today, the product categories of clothing, event tickets, toys and sound recordings are among the most frequently purchased goods in online retailing.
The most important success factors of an online store are as follows:
- Shop system
There is a wide choice of shop systems, whether open source, payment or rental software, whether Magento, Intershop, Plentymarkets, Oxid, Übercart or xt:Commerce, whether a proprietary solution or a ready-made store system.
- Product presentation
Core element of the online store with, for example, photography, texts, technical data, three-dimensional product images and videos as means of presentation. - Usability
user-friendliness of the online store determines whether the customer stays in the store and finds the product they are looking for. Decisive for a good conversion rate - Shipping and returns
In order to compete with retailers, delivery times and costs must remain as low as possible for the customer and a customer-friendly returns service must be available. - E-payment
Payment in the online store should be fast and secure and offer the customer’s desired payment method. Payment service providers support store operators with the connection to payment by invoice, direct debit, PayPal, giropay, Sofort, ClickandBuy, credit card, and many more. - Marketing and SEO
To be found on the Internet, the online store will do online marketing and especially search engine optimization. What in retail is the good location, is in online commerce the highest possible placement in search results. Affiliate programs are also a popular means of marketing. - Customer reviews
Of increasing importance are customer reviews of the online store based on its reliability, service and delivery times to strengthen trust and customer loyalty. - Store quality
Seals of approval, such as those from Trusted Shops are also designed to boost customer confidence and assure compliance with certain standards for security, terms and conditions, customer service and shipping. - Customer service
In the event of purchasing advice, returns or inquiries about orders, the online store’s hotline is the first point of contact. Here the customer must feel well understood to return for the next purchase here.
