How to give your new ecommerce store the best chance of success
Photo by PhotoMIX Company
E-commerce is a thriving industry, and while it’s true that the competition is fierce, it’s also a realm of immense opportunities. As a new business, your goal is not just to secure a share of the market, but to stay visible and appealing to your customers, thereby outshining your competitors.
With nearly 600,000 e-commerce businesses registered in the UK alone as of March 2024, the e-commerce landscape is indeed bustling. For new entrants, this means that getting things right from the start is crucial to avoid being left behind in the e-commerce boom. This necessitates making informed decisions even before you start trading, to establish your presence and start your journey towards growth.
Build your store
In the first instance, you need to create an online store that’s easy to use and appealing to customers. 53% of mobile users will click off your website if they find it takes too long to load or is hard to navigate, and with 80% of traffic coming from mobile devices and mobile orders accounting for 70% of sales, you need an exceptional website to do your online store justice. It can be a good idea to use a shopify agency if you plan on using shopify to help you get up and running. This will enable you to create the correct type of website for your store that appeals to customers.
Good images
If you’re selling a product and don’t have a physical storefront, or even if you do, you need good images to show off what you’re selling. If people can’t see what they’re buying or your pictures are dark, blurry, or subpar, they will be instantly put off. Consumers demand to be able to see what they’re buying from multiple angles and for the image to be an accurate representation of the product. Invest in improving your image quality.
Marketing
The marketing of your business is integral because without marketing and raising awareness, how will people know who you are, where you are, and what you are selling? Your marketing campaign needs to be carried out even before you start trading so you can build the framework to reach your required audience.
You need to use a mix of different marketing strategies, from SEO to content marketing, email campaigns, and, of course, social media too. The best way to do this is to use a marketing agency that has the experience and expertise in your sector and enhance marketing ready for launch day and beyond. But if you want to save on costs, then you need to be able to create a marketing campaign yourself and be proactive in ensuring this is carried out and is effective.
Know your customer
Understanding your customers is the key to e-commerce success. In fact, you should know your target audience better than they know themselves. This deep understanding will help you position your brand, tailor your products, and develop unique selling points that set you apart from the competition. The more you know about your customers, the better decisions you can make to enhance your business and start off on the right foot.
