307 – How to Build an eCommerce Website that Gets Visitors to Buy with Matt Edmundson

An integral part of making sales is where you direct your customers to go when they are ready to buy (hint: the ultimate best choice will always be *your* website). So, we're diving into how to build an eCommerce website that gets visitors to buy! Matt Edmundson is a real-world eCommerce entrepreneur and Coach, a digital business guy who has had more failures than successes. It’s just that his successes far outweigh his failures. He’s the creator of the Jam Jar Course and the eCommerce Masterclass. He also hosts The Ecommerce Podcast. Matt shows aspiring entrepreneurs sure and simple steps to getting a digital business off the ground and seasoned entrepreneurs on how to take their business to the next level.

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Figure out what your customers really want. Is there enough demand for your product online? Every good eCommerce business starts with a product that people want to buy.
• Go where your customers are hanging out and connect with them. Get to know people and talk to them to better understand their story.
• What's your customer's story? Understand why your product or service will benefit them - why would they want it? - so you can present your product or service in a way that resonates.
• Understanding your market is necessary to generate the right traffic. You need the right traffic and right customers coming to your site who will most likely buy.
• Tune in to hear the full conversation about finding your customer's story!

How to Build an eCommerce Website That Gets Visitors To Buy

• Do the legwork to understand your customer and market BEFORE you start building (or revamping) your website.
  • Visit your competitors' websites and similar product sites to see what people say. Look at the comments and reviews to find what’s present and what's missing.
  • What can you learn from those reviews to give you an edge? <-- Hot tip! Tune in for more on this.
  
  
• How to choose a platform for your website (WordPress, Shopify, Wix, etc.):
  • Every platform has pros and cons.
  • Two ways to choose a platform - 1) which one do I like? and 2) which one will work best for my customer? If you can find the answer to #2, it's much better.
  • Sign up for free trials on eCommerce platforms to test and see what works for you and will work for your customers. Does it have the features and functions you will need?
  • Shopify is a great platform to start with for eCommerce and easy to test to see if it will work for you and your customers. But not the best for international markets or if you need something really flexible.
  • Listen in for more on choosing a website platform!
  
  
• Think of your home page as a signpost. It should direct customers in the right direction.
  • What do they want to know? What are the big questions in their head? Get them to the answers to their questions as quickly as possible.
  • The Hero section (the first part of your home page before scrolling down) is the most valuable real estate you have. Include a clear (high res) image of your product or a photo of your ideal customer with your product.
  • Your primary headline should convey all of this information. Use this formula for a successful headline: verb + action + sexiness.  Let's use Netflix as an example. For a long time their headline was: Watch (verb)  TV (action) Anytime, Anywhere (sexiness). <-- Hot tip!</