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5 Tips for Starting Your E-commerce Business
Suppose you want to work from home or start a side hustle. In that case, you may consider an e-commerce business. It’s easy to start, offers you flexibility and speed in selling and delivering your goods. Research shows that 90% of Brits shop online, making it a lucrative business to invest in. That said, these are some helpful tips to start your e-commerce business.
Decide on what products to sell
Due to the fierce market competition and customers’ convenience, it’s essential to determine the right products to sell to ensure your business’s success. Your products should solve a problem and appeal to your consumer base. You may also determine if they have a high branding potential and can trend for a long time. Perhaps, you can also introduce products that appeal to people’s guilty pleasures. You may also factor in your customer needs, tastes, and purchasing power to ascertain what commodities will bring the most profit.
Research your competition
It’s prudent to research your competition to understand how the market works. Besides, it helps you identify market gaps that your business can fill and improve your marketing strategies. What’s more, it helps you avoid picking products that wouldn’t attract customers. Instead, you may determine their business model, products, target market, social media channels, and sales strategies. You may also note down areas for improvement and assess their reputation on Google Plus Local and Yelp sites.
Create your brand name and logo
According to business experts, your brand name can be a valuable asset that triggers customers’ interests. On the other hand, the wrong one can cost you lots of money and sink your business before it begins. Therefore, you may want to invest your time into picking a good name for your business. It’s best to go for the short and simple name as it’s easy to pronounce, memorable, and will fit on your homepage header. Your business logo also sets you apart from your competition, so you may leverage online logo generators to create a catchy and memorable one.
Build your online store
You need to showcase your products to the public, making it essential to build an online store. An online store is a website where your customers place orders for your goods. Besides, your store can operate under business models like business-to-business, business-to-consumer, or consumer-to-consumer. It’s prudent to choose a theme that appeals to your target market and promotes your brand positively. Your store should also include your name and logo, sign-up and shopping cart, payment options, among others. You may leverage online platforms like Shopify and WordPress to make your online store setup easier.
Promote your business
It’s imperative to invest in e-commerce marketing to attract potential customers to your brand. You can promote your business on free marketing channels like social media, your website, and influencer marketing before moving to paid marketing platforms. You may also leverage a credible SEO agency to increase your brand awareness, improve your Google search rankings and drive more traffic to your store. You also want to improve your customer service, as a happy customer is an effective marketing tool.