Ecommerce entered the scene full-swing over a decade ago and has continued to boom increasingly since then. The rise of global apps and payment systems has made it simple to jump on the train of online sales, even if you have no prior business experience.
If you’re just starting out as or thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, there has never been a better time. Today’s eCommerce industry is worth over $4.5 trillion dollars a year and rising.
The market for eCommerce is a popular source of business. Even better, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
You’re nowhere near the first person attempting to make a go of it in online sales. That means that there are lots of tips, like these seven, that you can use to be wildly successful!
1. Make Sure You’re Ready
Starting an online business sounds like everyone’s dream job, and it can be! But there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into getting an eCommerce gig up and running.
If you aren’t taking the time to be thorough with your setup, lots of mistakes can happen when customers actually start using your site. Have a few practice run-throughs with your friends or fake accounts to check for problems with:
● Transitioning around your site
● Check out procedures
● Shopping cart and payment flow
● Automated emails after a purchase or website sign up
The more you use your site before letting everyone at it, the less disgruntled customer complaints and refunds you’ll be processing.
2. Set Your Automated Emails Up Now
Having your own business is always a work in progress. You’ll be learning new things as you grow. There are a few givens, though, that you can prepare for ahead of time, like growing an email list.
Every entrepreneur knows that your email list is gold. That’s why so many hackers try to get your attention through spam! It works!
If it works for spammers, it can work for you, but you have to do it right. Before you launch, decide on your email marketing strategy. How will you get the attention of potential clients?
Successful websites use a combination of techniques, such as:
● Strategic pop-up invitations
● Sign-up forms clearly visible on the page
● Call-to-action cues
● Discounts and deals
Once you get their email, what will your plan be to use it? Your automated responses come in handy here! Set up a welcoming series and a “Thank you for buying” series. Eventually, you can even work up to a “We miss you” series!
3. Focus on Customer Satisfaction
In a brick-and-mortar business, the adage “the customer is always right” rules most interactions. This is a bit extreme, but the overall idea is that you always want your consumers to walk away satisfied.
The same thought process applies in your ecommerce business. If you follow the money trail, you’re going to lose sight of the most important part of your success: your customer.
Keep these questions in mind before and after you launch:
● How will you ensure your sales/client interactions are smooth and satisfying?
● What are your follow-up processes after a sale?
● How are you gauging your online reputation?
● How are you responding to positive and negative feedback once you receive it?
● Are your responses and emails personalized?
The customer may not always be right, but they are entitled to respect and a good shopping experience. It’s your job to make that happen.
4. Develop a Social Media Presence
Every social media platform now has a business component to it, including TikTok and Twitter. Get on them!
Social media can be a double-edged sword if you’re not careful. It’s easy to get sucked into it and lose productivity. But strategic social media use is beneficial on multiple levels.
Marketing through social media has generated billions of dollars of revenue as it connects businesses to consumers. Start with the free and inexpensive options and build up as you need to, but definitely start!
When your business has a social media presence, your followers start to recognize your brand and build a relationship with you. They are more likely to refer friends and family to your service when it’s needed. And you can watch for feedback and catch problems early enough to address them.
5. Add Your Personal Touch to Your Website
You may be offering something many others provide, so how will you stand out? Of course, you know to focus on your niche and market that specialization as much as possible.
But customers love a personal touch, too. Many users want to support small businesses over corporations today. If you put your personal touches on your website, a potential client may choose you over a big company that is a little cheaper.
Personal touches include your social media, an honest and heartfelt “About Me” page, and warm, welcoming colors and font.
6. Remember to Check the Mobile Experience
Mobile shopping is at an all-time high. If your website’s design doesn’t support mobile features, you will lose customers.
Today’s average user is impatient. We are all used to on-demand answers, and waiting more than three seconds for a site to load is deemed unacceptable. You know you’re guilty of it, too, so you can’t blame your customer!
What you can do is make sure your website is set up for a mobile shopping experience. Most platforms have this already in place. Make sure your site is mobile-ready before launching.
7. Stay Up-to-Date With SEO
What makes a search engine’s optimized list is always evolving. Just when a business owner thinks they have it mastered, the algorithm shifts.
There are a few consistent parts of search engine optimization you can always focus on. Every formula, regardless of whether it’s on Google, Bing, or another web crawler, has some common elements.
Keep your SEO practices up-to-date and relevant by focusing on factors such as:
● Unique content
● Page loading speed
● The authority and age of your domain (newer businesses have to work harder at this)
● The user experience and ranking of your site
● The security of your website
If your goal is to get to the number one page on every web crawler, SEO is the way to do it!
Conclusion
When you treat your ecommerce page like a serious business, you’re going to do well. It may take time and consistency, but following these tips will help you become wildly successful!
