But getting noticed online is another issue, as is providing a service that can compete with the speedy distribution of next-day-delivery leaders. It’s no good fighting Goliath on his terms – smaller online retailers must find a way to make their more personal, ‘boutique’ shopping experience appeal and stand out.

As someone who dedicates their day job to discovering a better way to shop for fashion online, I’ve pin-pointed a few simple tricks that retailers can use to help set themselves apart:

Browsing doesn’t just mean ‘scroll and click’

A list of items to scroll through is boring. Think about how you can make this more fun. What about creating special look books for shoppers to browse? These could focus on events in the calendar like Ladies Day, or you could run a spotlight on key pieces for next season’s trends, like pencil skirts.

Give people inspiration

On Styloko.com we’re trying to pioneer discovery commerce and help shoppers turn inspiration into a reality, so we’ve created a clever browser button that lets users click on any picture on the internet, and it’ll tell them if they can buy the outfit. Similarly, if you stock an item which channels something a celebrity has worn, or is inspired by a designer or trend, let your customers know.

Include editorial

People like a bit of guidance whilst shopping so why not help suggest how they can accessorise their look or wear a trend with some engaging copy to complement your stock. It needn’t always be commercially motivated either – just something that makes your website an enjoyable and helpful resource.

Become social media savvy

For all the fantastic content and creatively presented stock on your site you need to work hard to help people find it. Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are brilliant for finding new customers. If you spot a celeb in a product similar to one you stock, tweet about it with a product link to encourage people to emulate their style.

Don’t forget that social media is all about being social, so strike up conversations with your users, run giveaways and competitions and listen and respond to their feedback. Use hashtags to broaden your audience to outside your followers.

Improve your SEO

As someone with an online business SEO is absolutely crucial and, if done right, it could mean less spent on online advertising. There are lots of great guides available in bookshops and online giving detailed advice on how to rank highly in search engines, but my simple tips are:

– Consistently add new, unique and relevant content to your site

– Avoid low quality links in favour of sites with higher page rankings

– Use social sharing buttons linking to twitter, Facebook and Pinterest

Emily O’Brien is the Editor-In-Chief of Styloko, the social shopping site that aims to connect people to the products they love in a quick, curated and personal manner.