Pet eCommerce is a growing industry. The pet product market is expected to be worth $17.77 billion by 2024, with an estimated growth rate of 4% per annum. That makes it the perfect time to start your own online pet store business.
If you have that itch to begin your own pet eCommerce business like PetCareRx, it’s high time you take action. There are many reasons why you may want to start an eCommerce pet store. Maybe you have animals in your house, and you have a love for pets, or maybe you see it as a profitable business opportunity. Whatever the reason is, it is not going to be easy for you to start an eCommerce pet store. There are actually quite a few things that you will need to get in order for this business idea to work out, such as choosing the right niche and building the right website.
This article will examine what it takes to start an online pet store and how you can get started with minimal investment and risk. We will also discuss tips on how you can improve your chances of success once you have launched your website, as well as some common misconceptions about starting a pet store eCommerce site which could cost you money if not addressed early on.
1. Choose a Web Hosting Provider That’s User-Friendly
Regarding the hosting provider, you should choose one that offers 24/7 customer support. You will be able to have help whenever you require it. The best thing about choosing such a provider is that they provide live chat facilities and an extensive FAQ section to make things easier for their customers.
The third most important thing every web host must offer is free website builder software. It helps newbies create attractive eCommerce websites without any prior knowledge of web development or coding languages like HTML5 or CSS3, etc. It makes it easy for anyone who wants to start an online business but doesn’t know how to create an eCommerce store from scratch.
2. Get The Right Logistics in Place
Getting the logistics right is crucial to the success of your online pet store eCommerce website. It would be best if you got the right shipping company and shipping rates, which means also getting the right shipping labels and shipping software.
You can’t just go out there and hire any old courier because they may not offer a reasonable rate, or they might not be reliable enough for your business. Suppose they don’t provide excellent customer service. In that case, this could harm your brand image and even cause problems with your customers returning their products or complaining about the quality of their products bought from you.
It would be best to look at companies like DHL as they offer excellent customer service, great rates, and exceptional delivery times. It, in turn, will give potential customers confidence in buying from you, knowing that if anything goes wrong with their order, it will get sorted quickly without any hassle.
3. Offer a Mobile-Friendly Shopping Experience For Pet Parents
To compete in the online pet industry, you must offer a mobile-friendly shopping experience. Your website should work well on smartphones, tablets, and other devices people use to browse the internet. Also, your checkout process must be quick and easy to use on mobile devices.
For customers to buy from your store, they need access to all the essential information about each product listing at any time during their visit. A good way of doing this is by using large images that show what’s included with each purchase and how much room each item takes up when packaged together (e.g., “One pair per package”). It would be best if you also had plenty of clear product descriptions, so users know exactly what they’re getting before making a final decision about whether or not they want something right now.
4. Increase Average Order Value Through Upselling and Cross-Selling
Upselling is when you offer an upgraded version of a product. For example, if a customer wants to purchase a shirt from your store, you could ask them if they would like to add another shirt or some socks to their order. Upselling can increase revenue because it allows customers to spend more money than they initially planned on buying.
Cross-selling is when you recommend additional products that are related but not necessarily complementary to what someone already wants/needs. It’s important because it helps increase average order value and because customers may be interested in purchasing these items even though they don’t need them right now.
5. Integrate Your Online Store With Additional Resources
If you want to take your online pet store eCommerce website to the next level, then it is essential to integrate it with other resources you can read more about it here. Here are some of the best ways that you can incorporate your new online store:
- Social media integration – Facebook and Instagram were still two of the most popular social media platforms in 2024. So incorporating these platforms will help bring more traffic and attention to your eCommerce site.
- Customer service platform integration – If someone has questions about an item or order they placed on your website, then this will be much easier for them if they can access customer service through an app or contact form on their phone rather than having to call directly into your company’s office every time they need assistance.
- Payment processing platform integration – The payment processing platform allows customers to purchase an item on your site through Apple Pay, PayPal, or another payment method that requires authentication. Ensure that there is no data leakage when making purchases online. Otherwise, hackers could steal information from customers who haven’t yet set up accounts with financial institutions such as MasterCard/Visa. But we’re not talking about identity theft here; we’re talking about making sure everything goes smoothly when transacting business between consumers. Therefore, ensure that you look into this carefully before signing up for any services offered by third-party vendors like PayPal.
6. Make Your Customers Feel At Home (And Keep Them Coming Back!)
The best way to do this is through a good user experience. Users will likely return if it’s easy for them to navigate your website. A good theme will make your website look professional and trustworthy, which is essential in an industry as sensitive as pet care services. Don’t forget that a mobile-friendly site is also necessary; people increasingly use their smartphones while they shop online, so you need to be prepared.
Customer service is another critical component of customer satisfaction. If something goes wrong with their order or if they have any questions or concerns about the product itself, no matter where in the process things are going wrong. You need someone on hand who knows what they are talking about, can answer all their questions promptly and thoroughly, and often just by being friendly enough with them over email. It will ensure they feel comfortable doing business with your company again.
Conclusion
If you’re starting a pet store online, you need to be careful that it doesn’t become like any other. That’s why we’ve put together these tips for you! Make sure that your website stands out from the crowd so that when potential customers visit, they know they can trust you to look after their pets as well as they would themselves.
