10 tips to help you succeed  at your eCommerce Business!

As an eCommerce business owner today, it can be difficult to compete with large, already-existing companies. However, below we have compiled a list of 10 things to help you succeed in this competitive industry.

#1 BE PATIENT

        In order to get the most effective responses from your eCommerce customers, you need to be patient. When developing your website, don’t rush the process because you only get one chance to make a first impression on potential customers. You want your website to be visually appealing, user-friendly, and easy to find. Make sure the name of your website is relevant to your brand.

#2 BUILD YOUR BRAND

        Who are you? What makes you different? Why should I buy from you versus a company who is already established? These are all questions you should be thinking about when building your eCommerce brand. Define your focus and personality and stick to it in every aspect of your brand so you’ll be easily recognized by all of your potential customers. Also, build your brand in such a way that customers will develop a loyalty to you and will choose your product over the competitors’. Every. Single. Time.

#3 KNOW YOUR TARGET MARKET

        Before you even think about operating a business, you must know your target market. How old are my customers? Where are they from? How much will they be willing to spend on a specific product? Keep these questions in mind as you start to build a customer profile and research demographics that are specific to your product or service.

#4 HAVE A MARKETING PLAN

       Don’t let your products go unnoticed due to poor advertising. Nowadays, Facebook and Google are the most popular online advertising options. Google AdWords is an online advertising system that offers Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising. With this service, you can strategically develop keywords for your company to target specific audiences and search terms. Here you can find more information about how to set up your first Google Ads account. This account will allow you to reach the people who are searching for your products online.

#5 STAY SOCIAL

        Without having a physical location, it can be very difficult to keep up with the competitive edge of brick-and-mortar stores who come into direct contact with their customers each day. To combat this challenge, we suggest you aim to personalize your customers’ eCommerce experiences to make them want to return to your site. For example, make your customers feel as though they’re being assisted face-to-face. Have a place where they can easily contact an employee if they need help with something.

#6 GO MOBILE

        Customers who shop via mobile device have more than doubled since 2016. In order to stay technologically savvy and keep up with demand, we suggest you also offer either a mobile app or a mobile version of your website. This way, it is easy for customers to use and they are able to navigate from their mobile devices – no matter where they are. Easy access for them = more sales for you!

#7 SIMPLIFY

        You want each customer’s experience to go as smoothly as possible while on your site. As people’s attention spans are shortening, you need to make sure the eCommerce purchase process is quick and user-friendly. This will ensure that potential customers will want to go through with their purchase, as they will be able to mindlessly navigate your page, all the way through the shipping processes.

#8 BE RELIABLE

        Under-promise and over-deliver in order to keep your customers satisfied. This means you should forecast demand the best to your ability and try not to stock out. Having products readily available is one of the main advantages of eCommerce, so don’t let this benefit go to waste! Being reliable will also help you develop a loyal clientele who will count on you for all of their product needs.

#9 DON’T GIVE UP

        Even when you do everything right, you’re not going to see profits right away. It can take some time but be sure not to get discouraged! This is all part of the learning process and if you continue to persevere and endure all the little bumps in the road, the payoffs will be well worth it!

#10 CONTINUE TO EVOLVE

        Nothing is ever certain. Demand will change from day to day and technology advancements are always on the rise. Keep up to date with eCommerce, consumer, and technology trends so that you can grow with your business. Be flexible and make changes as necessary and you will control the secrets to scalable online success.

For a quick recap of the great tips, we shared above – check out this infographic!