Due to a combination of various economic aspects and technological advancements, along with lifestyle changes brought about by the COVID pandemic, e-commerce is booming in the Philippines. This is certainly a good thing if you have an online store or are planning to open one, as the potential for growth is immense.

However, you should also keep in mind that because of the very same factors mentioned above, you’ll also have a lot of competition. As such, you need to put more effort into optimizing your site to stand out and boost your sales.

Here are some things you can work on immediately to improve your online store’s performance:

Work on Your Site’s SEO

One of the best things you can do for your e-commerce site is to invest in SEO or search engine optimization. Keep in mind that a lot of customers, especially those who don’t have a single preferred shopping platform, use search engines to look for the products they want or need. Moreover, these customers rarely go beyond the first few search engine results pages (SERPs).

As such, your rankings in SERPs matter a whole LOT for your visibility, traffic, and, ultimately, sales—and the best way to increase your rankings in SERPs is with good SEO. Being higher up on SERPs also helps build customer trust, as the common perception is that websites that rank high on searches are reliable ones.

To work on your site’s SEO, the best thing to do is hire an SEO agency Philippines-based companies trust. While you can do SEO yourself, hiring professionals can do a much more efficient, effective job at it. Some of the things that an SEO company can help you with include but are not limited to:

• on-site keyword optimization, including metatags
• creation of high-quality content
• link building to improve site credibility
• improving the UX (user experience) of your website

Because SEO is a long-term strategy, you can expect to see results in about 5 to 6 months; in a more competitive space, it can take a little longer. However, working on your online store’s SEO will have an immediate effect on customer experience which is always a good thing.

Optimize Your Site for Mobile

The Philippines has a high internet penetration rate, largely because of the increasing availability and affordability of smartphones. This means two things. The first is that a large number of Filipino consumers access websites—including e-commerce platforms—through their mobile devices. The second is that, if you want to improve conversions and boost your sales, you need to ensure that your online store is mobile-friendly.

Most SEO companies will also offer mobile optimization, as this is one of the things that search engines look at when recommending sites to mobile users. That said, you can also work with a web design services company to update your site.

Some characteristics of a mobile-friendly site include speedy loading times, forms that are easy to fill out, and readable text. Because of the small screen, you also need to put the most important stuff above the fold.

Make the Checkout Process as Simple as Possible

There are customers who abandon their shopping carts because the checkout process is too complicated. They might be frustrated because they need to fill out too many forms, or perhaps they need to go through multiple pages before they even get to pay for their purchases. While you might think this is good for account security, this is actually ultimately bad for conversion.

As much as possible, make your checkout process quick and easy to follow. It may be a good idea to enable guest checkout; it’s better to have a one-time customer who’s happy with your service than one who registers but isn’t satisfied. Anyway, if you provide a stellar shopping experience, there will be a high likelihood that customers will return.

Take Good Product Photos

Having good product photos is a must for any online store. This not only improves the user experience on the site, but also better showcases what customers can expect when they receive their purchase. Remember as well that bad photos can make even the best products look cheap. You want to make a great impression, so upload high-quality photos and remember to add proper descriptions and tags.

Show Customer Reviews—Even the Negative Ones

One of the best forms of advertising is word of mouth, which for online stores comes in the form of customer reviews. In particular, positive reviews about a product play a huge role in influencing consumers in making purchase decisions. That said, don’t hide or delete negative comments; displaying them can be taken as a sign of honesty, especially if you respond to them with respect.

Of course, it’s important to make leaving reviews a pleasant experience. Include the option to add photos and videos; it’s also important to have both comment reviews and star ratings.

Capitalize on Your Data

Last but certainly not least, make sure to study your e-commerce site’s data carefully. The numbers and patterns can show you a lot of valuable, actionable insights, such as what kinds of products sell the best, the types of promos that customers prefer, and what types of content drive the most traffic. Essentially, data analytics can help you make smarter business decisions that can give your online store a boost.

Managing an online store can be a challenge, but it can also be made easier with the right strategies. If you need a bit of help, the above-mentioned tips can be helpful in achieving business growth.