Hello, Christmas is on the way :)

On holidays, people spend a lot of money to please loved ones. You can make them happy :)

We can give you some tips to increase the sales of your online store or marketplace during the days of high shopping activity.

Promotions, discounts, exclusive gift bundles
Think about what promotions you can offer: buying 2 products with the discount, 1 + 1 = 3, etc.

The competition among online stores is very high, and everyone wants to make good money. Today we will talk about how to increase the conversion of an online store and become the best in its segment.

Let's see what results we want to reach. On average, the conversion rate (the ratio of the number of orders to the number of visitors) for an online store is in the range of 0.3-8%. 8% is just super, and 0.3% is already not bad. But there is no limit to perfection.

We have selected for you some useful modules that can increase the conversion to a sale in your online store.

Hi!

CS-Cart Marketplace Team here :)

Today we want to talk to you about the information security of e-commerce projects.

When you run an offline store you take for granted that it must be equipped with security cameras and anti-theft devices. But when we speak about online stores as a rule the issue of security arises upon the fact of hacking. Today we will talk about cybersecurity myths and ways to protect business against unauthorized access and data leakage.

Myth #1 “I have a small shop. Who needs me”

Some business owners believe that hackers are only interested in popular Internet projects with high traffic. We hasten to disappoint you. Nowadays, many hacking attempts are made by bots, not by human hackers. Automation means that any web resource can fall victim to an attack - bots do not distinguish between famous and unknown sites, or between big business and non-profit organizations.

Having an online store, you might think about expanding the word of mouth about your product or service to increase sales. But how to do that? What is the best way to reach the customers’ ears? 92% of customers say they confide in what their friends recommend. The truth is that recommendations work better for you when you only start. You definitely need to connect with such a friend to be close to your audience and influence purchase decisions.

Affiliate and Referral

There is a sea of ways how users can find your online store or marketplace: via search, banner ad, a link in the email, or by typing the URL of your site. The issue is not with the variety, but with the cost of sources to get potential customers. You put your business on the line when you use only one traffic source. A better solution is to apply a digital marketing strategy to include more sources. 

In this article, we will tell you what types of traffic sources can be keeping the main focus on affiliate marketing. We will also share some stories and tips from experienced online entrepreneurs.

Let's say, a businessman has made an order for an online store development. He has chosen some cool design, made the developers and copywriters create a perfectly user-friendly flypage and powerful texts for his website. He has put a lot of effort and money. The moment has come — his website is launched. And what does he get in return? Zero customers. His online store turned out to be like a big invisible shop: it shines bright from the insight and offers tons of goods to fit any taste, but it remains empty. His potential clients would be happy to buy something, but they don't know how to get in, and just pass by. The solution is pretty simple — the store owner has to tell his customers about the store, otherwise, he won't sell anything even if his website is of the highest class.

Reaching out for a response

When customers reach out to you, they do so for a reason. They want more information about the products you sell, or the services you provide. They want to find out about delivery times or notify you that something hasn’t arrived on schedule. They want to know if something is available in this size or that color; if you deliver internationally; if you have a mailing list they can subscribe to. In short, they want your response. And they want it immediately.

In modern days, a smart search is a vital component of any marketplace and multi-vendor platform. It provides three components of a successful e-commerce store: accessibility, variety, and convenience. In this article, we will tell you how you can improve your marketplace’s conversion rate for up to 60%, and increase the time spent on your site for up to 500% (why is it so important?). All of that without the code or increasing your marketing budget.