Today, e-commerce is everywhere and with over half of customers reporting that they prefer online shopping to any other type, most of us struggle to remember a time when it wasn’t quite as easy as it is today to find everything that you need with a quick Google search.
The rise of e-commerce’s popularity has led to millions of new online stores opening up, from new small businesses that operate solely online, to large, well-known companies who sell online in addition to their physical stores. And in recent times, high street sales have seen a decline, as more and more shoppers choose the convenience of filling their shopping baskets from their device in the comfort of their own home.
So, if you’re considering starting your own e-commerce brand, you can be sure that it’s a business model with plenty of opportunities to succeed. But, with competition higher than ever before, a successful brand launch is imperative for getting your name out there and building trust with your target audience from the start. Here are some top tips to get you started.
E-Commerce by Julia Hanke
#1. Pick a Good Product:
The most important thing to think about when getting into the e-commerce industry is picking a good product. Not only should this be a product that enjoys at least some level of demand and is likely to sell, but also one that you believe in. Whether you are selling just one product or a range, choose them based on strong market research and by determining whether or not they are a good fit for your target audience. Then, you will need to find reliable and trustworthy manufacturing and fulfillment partners to handle tasks such as production, storage, and shipping, so that you can focus on getting the most from your new online store.
#2. Understand Your Target Market:
If you have already chosen your product then chances are, you have a strong idea of who your target market is going to be. This stage is all about narrowing your customers down to specific demographics such as gender, location, social status, marital status, age, employment, and income. This gives you a clearer picture when it comes to envisioning who you are marketing to and makes it easier to come up with a well thought out approach for marketing strategies that will work. You can go further and consider psychographics such as hobbies, values, and interests to make marketing even more effective.
#3. Use Your Creativity:
Once you’ve determined your target market, it’s time to start putting together a brand that is going to appeal to them. A great way to do get started with this is by creating a mood board that you think will speak to your target market. In order to ensure that it’s effective, you could use survey sites and similar to put some examples out there in front of your chosen demographics and ask for their feedback. Consider working with a designer to come up with a professional logo and branding elements for your store.
#4. Have an Excellent Website:
Finally, one of the most important aspects of launching your e-commerce website should be the storefront itself. Your website is not only where customers will learn more about your brand, but also where they are going to be directly purchasing the products that you sell. Have a custom, professional store that ticks all the boxes when it comes to online marketing – it will need to be secured with SSL encryption, responsive, have a clear navigation system and accept a variety of trusted payment methods.
If you’re thinking of launching an e-commerce brand, these four steps will help you ensure it gets off to the best start.
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