11 Great Tips for Starting an Ecommerce Business

Ecommerce is an industry which many entrepreneurs eye up, and it is easy to see why because it has seen such extraordinary growth in recent years, plus the pandemic will undoubtedly give this industry a boost. Starting an ecommerce business can also be relatively straightforward and easy enough to run from home, but it is not quite as easy to find success as it might seem in this industry. This is because it is incredibly competitive online and hard to get your products in front of your target audience. Here are a few critical tips for any entrepreneur considering a move into ecommerce.

Sell Products That Are in Demand

It will be tough to succeed in ecommerce if you are selling products which are not in demand or trending. You may have an interest in a particular niche. Still, if you want to make a profit in ecommerce, then you need to satisfy demand, and there are many good products which are in demand and predicted to continue to be in demand in the years to come, including:

• Smartphone accessories
• Baby products
• Maternity wear
• Fitness clothing and equipment
• Gadgets
• Beauty products
• Hobbies and crafts

Choose A Theme

Following this, you can’t simply set up an online store and sell all of the above products because it is too broad, and you would have no target customer to shape your business. This is why your online store needs a theme, such as health and fitness – this is particularly smart right now with no gyms or sports due to the pandemic. Starting a health and fitness store will give you a target audience that will shape every business decision and help you to choose what products to sell, such as:

• Exercise clothing and shoes
• Sports and gym equipment
• Supplements and healthy snacks

Create A High-Quality Ecommerce Website

Nothing will deter a visitor faster than a bad ecommerce website. Much like a physical store, it should be attractive, functional and showcase your best products. Custom ecommerce web design from an experienced web design company will ensure that you have a high-quality website which will immediately engage your target customer and increase conversions. Additionally, this will ensure that the website is mobile-friendly, which is essential in a time where mobile commerce is on the rise. In many cases, these designers can also offer ecommerce SEO services which help increase the visibility of your store and driving targeted traffic to your website.

Professional-Standard Products Details

Of course, a significant drawback for online shopping is that people cannot physically hold the products and try them on if selling clothing. This means that product details are vital, so you should have professional-standard photographs from different angles, product videos, unique descriptions, and customer reviews. It is also smart to have a live chat feature on the website which can help you to provide immediate customer support and stop you from losing out to the competition if someone has a question about one of your products. 

Use Social Media

Many ecommerce stores have a presence on social media but do not use these platforms effectively. You can use these platforms to promote your products, demonstrate your expertise with quality content (more on this below), provide customer service and to engage with your target customer. You should be responsive and proactive on these channels and do not shy away from humanizing the brand, but never post anything unprofessional, offensive, or divisive.

Create Quality Content That Shows Your Expertise

These days, businesses need to create content for their target audience that can be used to promote the business, show expertise, and increase visibility online. Taking the example of a health and fitness ecommerce store, there are many different types of content that you could produce, which will help the business in many ways, such as:

• Workout videos
• Fitness guides
• Interviews with industry figures
• Infographics
• Q&A sessions
• Industry news

Make Customer Service A Priority

A common mistake that people make in this industry is not placing enough focus on customer service as they feel it is not as important as there is no face-to-face contact. If anything, this makes customer service more important as you need to be able to provide support, solve queries and build relationships digitally. People will rarely use an ecommerce store again if they have a negative experience as there are so many other options, so you can make your business stand out with excellent customer service. You should also provide a range of options, including online forms, live chat, email, phone, and social media.

Flexible Shipping Options

It is also essential to provide a range of options when it comes to shipping. Modern-day consumers expect fast and affordable shipping, so you may want to provide next day delivery if possible but also consider a free yet slower delivery time. The cost of shipping is one of the main reasons that people abandon their cart, so this will need careful consideration. 

Use A Loyalty Program

Customer retention is critical to success in any competitive industry, but how can you go about retaining your customers? In addition to a high-quality product at a competitive price and smooth customer experience, you should also use a loyalty program which will reward customers for using your business again.

Use A Referral Program

It is also a smart idea to use a referral program which will help you to both attract and retain customers. Referral programs will encourage word-of-mouth marketing while also rewarding existing customers, which should help your business to grow and boost sales significantly. 

Use Analytics

A business that knows how to use data will always be able to make the right decision and at the right time. Analytics will reveal user behavior and patterns which will help you to make smarter decisions, improve your ecommerce business, identify weak spots, and satisfy your target customer.

Ecommerce can be a great industry to start a business in, but you need to be aware of just how competitive it is, and these tips should help you to find some success.