If you spend any time at all on entrepreneur forums you’re sure to encounter myriad requests for “shop critiques.” Having a second set of eyes on your online store can be invaluable, but the responses often identify the same issues in shop after shop after shop. So I thought I’d compile a set of questions to ask yourself, a checklist that you can run through, whether you’re about to launch a brand new shop or are trying to overhaul an existing one.
These are in no particular order but the first three are the biggies.
1) Are my photos bright and clear?
2) How good are my item descriptions? Do they sound like they were written by a human, or a robot? (Hint: human is better.) Do they include all the relevant details like color, weight, size? Variations? Package pricing? Where it’s made, and by whom?
3) Have I posted shipping and return policies?
4) Is there an obvious way for people to contact me if they have questions?
5) Does my website have an FAQ section?
6) Does my logo/shop banner look legit? (If you’re not sure … take a look at your favorite online shops and be really honest with yourself about how they measure up.)
7) If I’m an artist of any kind, have I told people who I am, or what my work is about?
8) What makes my art/service/widget special or useful? Do my item listings make this clear?
And then comes the most important step: taking each item that needs work and acting on them. Break it up, do one thing a day, and before you know it your shop will be whipped into shape.