After a long week of work and errands, the last thing your customers want to do is make the trip to the grocery store.
Enter: e-commerce. Instead of carving out time for an in-person grocery shopping session, customers can restock their refrigerators and pantries from the comfort of home by placing an online order for pickup or delivery.
E-commerce hasn’t just been revolutionary for grocery shoppers; it’s also opened new doors for grocers, giving them a wider reach and the opportunity to make more sales.
But success in the world of e-commerce means having an eye-catching, professional-looking website that makes shopping with you a breeze.
In this blog, we’ll share our top five tips for creating an effective grocery e-commerce site. Plus, we’ll recommend three e-commerce platforms that you can use to launch your online grocery store.
1. Make Your Customers Feel Like They’re Shopping In-Store
When customers visit your brick-and-mortar grocery store, they know exactly where to find every product on their shopping list — and creating an online shopping experience that mirrors this in-store experience is crucial.
Your customers should be able to navigate your grocery e-commerce site just as easily as your physical store. Here are a few ways you can infuse your grocery store’s branding into your website:
- Create familiar product categories: For example, cereals and granola bars should be labeled as breakfast items, and all fresh fruits and vegetables should be labeled as produce.
- Highlight your team: Since your employees aren’t around to greet your online shoppers, include photos of you and your team members throughout your site to make visitors feel more connected with your small business.
- Leverage banners to guide customers around your site: Just like in-store signage is a great way to highlight certain products and deals, use website banners and popups to direct shoppers to your bestselling items and current promotions.
Implementing these tips will ensure that your customers receive an excellent shopping experience, whether they visit your brick-and-mortar location or take advantage of your grocery e-commerce site.
Imagine walking into a completely disorganized store where products are thrown onto shelves at random, the aisles aren’t labeled, and you can’t find anything on your list.
That’s what it’s like for your customers to visit a poorly designed grocery e-commerce site. If they can’t find what they’re looking for or get frustrated clicking around your website, they’ll leave and order their groceries from one of your competitors instead.
Creating a grocery e-commerce site that’s easy to navigate can prevent this disaster. When customers visit your website, they should be able to find their go-to grocery items, add them to their cart, and check out stress-free.
To make sure your customers always have a great experience shopping online with you, regularly visit your website and pretend to be a shopper. Can you quickly find products through your site’s search function? Is the checkout page easy to find? Are there any snags that need to be smoothed out to improve the experience?
Reviewing your website with a fresh, critical eye will help you continue improving your website and making it easier to use.
3. Make Sure Your Grocery E-Commerce Site Is Mobile Friendly
Did you know that over three-quarters of consumers shop online using their smartphones? That’s why it’s so important to create a grocery e-commerce site that looks just as good on a small screen as on a large one.
To put the power of grocery e-commerce at your customers’ fingertips, we recommend choosing an online grocery platform with an app. Not only does an app make it a breeze to place an order, but it also encourages shoppers to become loyal customers and make repeat purchases.
4. Learn About and Cater to Your Online Shoppers
Just like it’s important to get to know your regular in-store grocery shoppers, understanding your online customers is vital for e-commerce success.
Here are a few ways to learn about your online shoppers, provide them with an exceptional experience, and boost your sales:
- Analyze your sales reports: These reports reveal your virtual shoppers’ preferences and shopping habits — which can help you tailor your operations to their wants and needs.
- Offer exclusive e-commerce coupons: Show some appreciation to your online shoppers by offering them special perks and deals.
- Launch an online program: Make sure your online shoppers can take advantage of your store’s customer loyalty program.
By following these best practices, you can boost satisfaction and grow your loyal customer base.
5. Choose a Grocery E-Commerce Platform That Fully Integrates With Your POS System
Our final tip might be the most important: Choose your grocery e-commerce platform wisely.
Your e-commerce platform is the engine running your online grocery operation. It lets you build your website, list products for sale, sync your online and in-store inventory and sales records, and more.
Above all, your grocery e-commerce platform should integrate seamlessly with your point of sale (POS) system. This integration allows you to manage your online and in-store operations all from one convenient place, saving you time and preventing headaches.
Since the right platform is an essential ingredient for grocery e-commerce success, we’ve made a list of the three top providers you should check out.
Local Express
Local Express is an e-commerce platform that can help you launch and manage your online grocery operations. Here are a few of Local Express’ key features:
- Mobile app: Let your customers place orders on the go with a mobile app.
- Prepared food orders: Streamline your grocerant operations and let customers place online pickup orders for prepared meals.
- Scan and go: Give your in-store customers a quick self-checkout experience.
If you’re looking for an e-commerce solution that prioritizes your customers’ convenience and satisfaction, Local Express is the way to go.
GrazeCart
GrazeCart is a unique grocery e-commerce platform designed to help you sell perishable, specialty items like meats, dairy, and produce online. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why you might choose GrazeCart:
- Flexible subscription options: Offer subscriptions through GrazeCart to generate repeat business and a steady flow of sales.
- Website builder: Create a custom website with GrazeCart’s drag-and-drop website builder.
- Online order management: Manage everything from same-day pickup orders to nationwide shipping.
While GrazeCart’s e-commerce features might be overwhelming if you only accept small pickup orders, it’s a great choice if you own a butcher or international shop or if you offer long-distance shipping.
Mercato
Mercato is a tool that can help you harness the power of grocery e-commerce. Here’s a peek at what Mercato has to offer:
- Mercato marketplace: Expand your store’s reach and make it easier for potential customers to find you with Mercato’s online marketplace.
- Fulfillment and delivery management: Rely on Mercato’s team of couriers to save you time and handle local deliveries.
- 24/7 Support: Leverage Mercato’s team of experts to help you manage your online grocery operations.
If you’re looking to expand your customer base and reap the benefits of a grocery e-commerce site with minimal effort, Mercato is a solid option for you.
Launch Your Grocery E-Commerce Operations With IT Retail
The foundation of a successful online grocery business is a powerful POS system that integrates with your e-commerce platform — which is why we recommend IT Retail.
IT Retail integrates seamlessly with Local Express, GrazeCart, Mercato, and more to make managing and fulfilling online orders simple and easy. Plus, you can enjoy our software’s robust inventory management, speedy checkout, and sales-boosting loyalty and promotion features to maximize your grocery store’s potential.
Ready to see how IT Retail can make a difference for your online and in-store customers? Schedule your personalized demo with one of our grocery industry experts today.
