Magento and General Ecommerce – Standing Out from the Crowd

For some, the massive explosion in both the presence and accessibility of only retail platforms like Magento has been a blessing like no other. For others however, the way in which thousands of new businesses are joining the mix every month is the curse to end all curses.Standing out online used to be easy – owning a website was in its own right something of a guarantee of getting notices. As of 2015 however, it’s a case of fighting tooth and nail to in any way remain relevant as thousands of rivals do all they can to steal your business and close your doors once and for all.     So, with this in mind, the following represents just a few examples of the tried and tested ways and means to stand out from the crowd when running a Magento store, or any other Ecommerce venture:Unique Photos of Supreme QualityThere’s no bigger turn-off for buyers than low-resolution photos of the products they’re looking to buy, or worse still the stock photos you’ve clearly just ripped from another website. Taking amazing photographs of your own products doesn’t have to be difficult and certainly isn’t expensive, so there’s really no reason for not doing so.Tell Your TaleBuilding a brand buyers will like is all about eliminating robotic automation and injecting the human element. You need to not only make them feel as if they’re buying from a real human being, but also that said human being has a story that’ll resonate with them. Tell them who you are, what you do, why you’re in business and why your buyers matter so much to you. And don’t just keep this kind of stuff confined to your ‘About Us’ page, either.Grease the WheelsWhat often works even better than a special offer or discount is a surprise – something they didn’t see coming. As such, each and every time you send out an item…any item at all…add a little something extra just to give the recipient a nice surprise. A personal thank you note, a couple of pens, stickers or really anything else at all. This is a brilliant way of gaining a new level of respect and attention with every purchase mailed out.Get Stuck InUse your Magento store as the primary hub for your business dealings, but don’t confine yourself to its four walls. Instead, get yourself, your name and your brand out and about using social media, forums, message boards and really anything else at your disposal. The more normal, social and human you come across, the more you’ll stand out.Define Policies…Digestibly!And finally, in order to be taken seriously as a business you must define your policies – most importantly your rules on shipping, returns, complaints and so on and so forth. However, you don’t need to follow the status quo by using all manner of legal jargon and making the shopper feel a bit like they’re being lectured. Keep it friendly, informal and to the point.