Is your business offering consumers the opportunity to browse for and buy goods and services online?
If the answer is no, your company is missing out some golden opportunities to not only increase your revenue stream, but also spread your brand’s word.
That said some business owners are shy about getting involved with Ecommerce, fearing it may be too much for them to take on. As it turns out, a well-run Ecommerce operation can be beneficial to your business in terms of both brand recognition and additional income to what you are already bringing in.
So, are you ready to take the reins of a winning Ecommerce store this year and beyond?
Executing a Well-Designed Plan
In order for your brand to capitalize on the Ecommerce possibilities out there, remember these four tips:
- Ease of buying for consumers – Above all else, don’t make consumers jump through hoops in order to do online business with you. At the end of the day, accepting Ecommerce transactions for your business is not as difficult as you might first think. If you’ve been reluctant to start an Ecommerce side of your business up to this point, there are countless tutorials, videos, blog posts etc. online that will help you out. Along with delving into some of them, you should consider outsourcing your Ecommerce design needs to get you started if designing a site is not your strong suit. There are plenty of companies (and individuals for that matter) able to help you design an online store and start selling today. As always, the ease with which consumers can come and go from your site is critical. If the site is hard to work with from the consumer’s point of view, don’t expect them to be regular customers;
- Customer fulfillment – In today’s fast-paced world, many consumers are looking to get their shopping needs done yesterday, not today or tomorrow. That said marketing your site as one able to fulfill customer needs is more important than ever. If customers order something, yet have to wait for what seems like forever to receive what they bought, they’re likely going to go elsewhere next time, looking for faster service. This is why it is so critical that you set reasonable expectations for your customers, making sure you do not disappoint time and time again. If there is a reason for delays in getting products and services out to customers, figure it out, along with explaining what the problem was. Customers will be a little more forgiving if you level with them and ultimately rectify the problem.
Never Forget Importance of Marketing
- Ecommerce brand marketing – Even if you have the greatest products and or/services out there, not many consumers will know about them if you don’t properly market your brand. That said Ecommerce marketing is essential, especially given all of the competition you’re likely facing. From texting consumers on their mobile devices to utilizing all social media has to offer, make sure you spread the word about your Ecommerce store. Hitting consumers up on their smartphones etc. is a good way to encourage them to buy from you, especially if they are in or near your physical store location. By providing them with a digital coupon or two, you can entice them to make a purchase. Social media should also be at the forefront of your marketing operations, especially where visuals play a big role like on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter;
- Take lots of feedback – Lastly, you’re likely going to receive your share of feedback (some good, some bad) from customers regarding your Ecommerce store. That being the case; learn from it. While some comments are not worth your time, many others will be. The quicker you get into the minds of your customers, the better chances you will have to keep them coming back again and again. Whether they don’t like the layout of your Ecommerce store or they are having trouble when they get to the checkout portion of a sale, listen to what they are telling you.
By being the best business owner you can be, there is no reason you can’t make a go of it with an Ecommerce store as part of your operations.