If the 9-5 grind is getting you down and you’ve got a great idea just waiting to make you the next business superstar, then hitting the ground running in ecommerce might be for you.
Ecommerce is rapidly on the rise, with a 18% growth in the sector between 2017 and 2018 as the advances in technology makes online shopping more common in our lives.
What is an ecommerce store?
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) defines ecommerce transactions as: “The sale or purchase of goods or services, conducted over computer networks by methods specifically designed for the purpose of receiving or placing of orders. The payment and the ultimate delivery of the goods or services do not have to be conducted online.”
How to make a success of your ecommerce store
If you think you’ve spotted a gap in the market for 2020, here are some top tips to make your entrepreneurship dreams a reality.
Multichannel marketing
You might have developed a strong following for your brand on Instagram, but is it the best platform to market your products? Opening up further channels of communication, advertising and commerce will only put more eyeballs on whatever you have to sell.
Are you selling direct from your own website, or are you utilising platforms such as Amazon, Etsy and eBay? Have you established email marketing tools to promote your products when you anticipate higher levels of sales?
The online tools for you to use to shout about your business are near-endless so getting on as many as you can is vital.
Reliable and on-time deliveries
If you’re selling products that need to be delivered, making sure they are in your customers’ hands quickly and efficiently is vital.
To make sure things are delivered without a hitch you need to know all your options. Parcel2Go can compare a wide variety of couriers, ensuring your products get to where they need to be and you don’t have to overpay – saving your customers more money.
Create a USP
You might have spotted a gap in the market and created a product that few others are selling. If so, shout about it loud!
If you’re operating in a more crowded marketplace, then you’ve got to get thinking. Can you offer an extra layer of service compared to your rivals? Is your product customisable in ways that others aren’t? Anything that can make you stand out from the crowd will increase good referrals and make your brand a go-to.
If the 9-5 grind is getting you down and you’ve got a great idea just waiting to make you the next business superstar, then hitting the ground running in ecommerce and being an amazon seller might be for you.
Focus on customer retention
It’s much easier to keep a customer than attract a new one. Once people are familiar with your brand, they’re much more likely to return if your products and services are top-notch.
Outside of the obvious, giving people other reasons to come back can be important. Reward loyalty with special offers for repeat custom or give your email subscribers exclusive access to new products. A happy customer base is a buying one and will make sure that your new business thrives long after 2020.