In the world of ecommerce, it might seem like the big guys dominate the industry. But there millions of small businesses that give corporations a run for their money. They offer what people want: the personalized touch.
If you’re an entrepreneur in a field where ecommerce is important, you get to play by different rules. Big companies can cut their prices because they have mass orders.
You, however, have to offer value to go along with your higher cost and show people you’re worth the price. Or, if your prices are competitive, you have to get consumers to bypass the big names and come to you.
With a global market to compete with, this can be difficult. It isn’t impossible, though. Using these seven timeless tips will boost your e-commerce small business’s bottom line fast.
1. Appearance Matters
You’re probably tempted to jump right into the meat of selling your product or service. Until you’ve designed a solid website that looks attractive and is easy to navigate, you must resist this temptation.
As much as we’d like to say it’s all about how good the product is, the truth is that people will judge your business immediately when they see your site. If they’re not impressed, or it takes too long to load, they’re going to go elsewhere.
Get all your ducks in a row, from site loading times to checkout, before you start directing customers to you.
2. Use A Platform That Grows With You
Right now, you might be starting out and things like upselling and cross-selling are not even on your mind. But once you get your site running smoothly, they’re the next step.
You know when you go to a big website and add something to your cart and they try to get you to buy other products, too? That’s cross-selling.
Up-selling lets customers know when a newer version of something they ordered came out.
Both of these are only part of certain platforms, so before you choose yours, make sure they come with these capabilities.
3. Be Customer-Focused
How can you make your site customer-friendly?
One way to answer this is to think about those quirks that irritate you when you deal with a major chain. You’re not the only one who is bothered by them. If you can provide a service to consumers that avoids the irritants, you’ve got a leg up.
Walk through a regular transaction from start to finish. Is it smooth-sailing? Keep plugging those holes until everything runs flawlessly, including how complaints are handled.
4. Go Mobile
Statistics show that in the United States alone, mobile ecommerce sales have increased significantly over the past five years and are climbing. In fact, mobile orders by 2021 were projected to make up nearly 55% of all ecommerce sales.
Your site’s platform should have the ability to go mobile seamlessly. But if you want to switch to an app, you can create your own or hire a developer.
5. Get On Social Media
In today’s digital world, if you don’t have a good presence on social media, you’re missing out on a huge market.
For one thing, it’s inexpensive or free to advertise your business with most platforms. When consumers like your product or service, they’ll recommend you, too. Word-of-mouth advertising is the most valuable kind, and social media is the easiest way for most people to do this.
People are also very skeptical, and rightly so today with so many scams out there. When you have a solid social media presence, you prove that your business is legitimate.
6. Make SEO A Regular Thing
If you haven’t done much in your online sales business yet, SEO might seem confusing. At first, it can be a lot to process, but it will quickly become just another part of your routine.
SEO, or search engine optimization, is your friend. It’s entire purpose is to help your business stand out as a reputable provider of the product or service you’re offering.
Optimizing your site helps web crawlers find it easier, so you’ll show up on potential customers’ searches. Since over 90% of people will only use what’s on the first page, getting your site’s SEO straight is crucial.
Start with the simple things, like making sure your URL is clear and easy to remember and your site loads fast. Then you can move on to the other SEO strategies as you’re ready for your e-commerce business.
7. Use Your Email List Well
An email list is considered to be one of the most valuable commodities a small business has. When potential, new, or previous customers give you their email, you must use it wisely.
Start with creating automated emails that are generated regularly without any action on your part. Emails that welcome the person using their name and personal touches start the process. From there, you can choose to send out weekly news updates, coupons, special deals, and more for your e-commerce shop.
If you’re not taking advantage of your email list, you are missing a great opportunity to build a relationship with your online store customers.
Ecommerce Excellence Conclusion
As a small business owner, you have the ability to give consumers what they really want: a valuable service with a special touch. But you have to get your produce in front of them so they can see what you offer.
These seven tips will boost your ecommerce business, making you an effective competitor for any global retailer out there!
