What you need when starting an E-commerce business
Starting an E-commerce business is exciting. However, there are a few things you need to get started on the right foot.
Apart from the products or services you are going to sell, great images and killer copy, there are some practical things you require to make your store a success.
Research
Before you spend thousands on materials to make products or importing the products themselves, you need to do a bit of research.
Is there a need for your product on the market? If it is a flooded market, then you might struggle to sell your products unless you have an exceptional point of difference. So complete a market analysis to check people want to buy your products, you have a great way to market them, and you have your pricing at the right level.
A good platform
Once you know what you are going to sell, you need a place to sell it. Your E-commerce platform is a critical component of your customer experience. Bad user experiences can have a direct impact on your sales, so your platform needs to be streamlined and functional.
When people shop on your website, it needs to be secure, fast, and user-friendly. Platforms like Shopify are very popular for their simplicity and reliability, while also offering powerful SEO features and clever add-ons like Mailchimp.
Sound knowledge of your customers
You have got your product and your store, so now you need to know all about the person who could potentially want to buy it. You should actively monitor and get to know:
- Your customer profiles – who is buying from you and why they are choosing your business over others? What problems are they trying to solve with your products? Identifying and understanding your target market is essential for making sales.
- Your customer needs – what products might your customers want next, what trends they might be following, or what questions they might ask? This helps you be better prepared to turn one-off customers into returning ones.
- Your customer insights – take notice of the feedback that your customers are giving you about your products and services. What are they enjoying? What do they think needs to be improved? Your customers are testing your service out every day, so they know what does and doesn’t work for them. This is invaluable information for growing and improving your business.
Solid marketing – including social media presence
Your marketing strategy is the driver of your sales. You will want to make use of many different marketing channels while tailoring and personalising your marketing content for your customers. This might be a mix of SEO, pay-per-click ads, email marketing, and affiliate marketing.
Love it or hate it, social media plays a vital role in the success of an online business. An estimated 3.03 billion people are active on social media platforms around the world, where they are spending an average of 135 minutes every day. This is where you can connect with your customers, build your brand, and promote your business.
Great customer support
Even if you have the best E-commerce platform available, you still have the responsibility for your customer satisfaction. A good platform will make the customer browsing and buying experience a breeze. However, in the event of a lost shipment, refund request, or general enquiry – you will have to step up.
Your customer service needs to be efficient, friendly and helpful. You don’t want unhappy customers turning up in your Facebook or Google reviews!
About the author:
Angus Allan
Managing Director of Hello Digital
Angus is an experienced and passionate digital entrepreneur who has worked with clients around the world on a wide range of E-commerce and retail projects. Angus is excited about technology, change, and transformation, and has spoken about these topics, and more, at various events, workshops, and classes in New Zealand. As Hello Digital's Managing Director he oversees the day-to-day operations of the company and is the primary point of contact for our consulting clients and international partners.