As technology advances, so to various areas of life. One of those areas is definitely business.
IT used to be enough to have your own store and run it before, but today, your customers can reach you even if you don’t have a physical store.
E-commerce may have eased the shopping process for most people, but it also introduced new challenges for anyone trying to succeed.
Now you have to come up with completely different tactics to keep your customers happy and meet all of their needs.
The customer has become even more important than he was before, and without paying attention to these factors, you won’t get very far in the e-commerce world.
5 Key Factors To Achieve e-Commerce Success
1# Update your website
Since users will be interacting with you through the website you make for your brand, you’ll need to make sure that everything is up and running.
User experience is very important in e-commerce and can be the thing that makes or breaks your business. Thus, updating the design of your website should be high on your to-do list. It’s even a good idea to hire a professional firm to do this for you.
Your website should have fat loading speed, be optimized for mobiles, and combine both aesthetics and functionality.
Most people use mobile phones, which is why you’ll need to make sure your site runs smoothly on the small digital services as well as the big ones. The loading speed is important because people today expect good service and they expect it fast.
As far as the aesthetics and functionality are concerned, you can’t have one without the other. The pretty design will be there to retain their attention, while they won’t be able to resist exploring the site and making a purchase when everything’s running so smoothly.
2# Build your brand
Without having a known brand, you won’t have a business to run. Building your brand means that you’ll need to get your name out there, be present and close to your users, stand out from the competition, and have your own voice. This seems like too much, but it all goes hand in hand with each other. By creating a voice, you’ll be standing out from the competition, for example.
By creating a voice, you’ll also be more present and closer to your audience. Having a story behind your brand name makes you more human and shows your audience that you’re more than just a logo. This allows them to connect to you. You’re not just an abstract name on the screen anymore.
This also helps you get your name out there, as you’ll be easy to remember once people realize you stand behind something.
The key to finding your brand voice is asking yourself why you got into the business in the first place. Show this message across your website and in all the ads that you run.
Soon enough, people will know who they’re dealing with, exactly what you stand for, and exactly why they should do business with you.
3# Be watchful of sales
Now that you’re more established, you’ll have more opportunity to expand your business and increase your sales. The most common way people do this is why offering limited sales to their users.
You can and should do that, as people will flock to you like ducks to bread. This can also drive up your SEO and get people talking about you on social media.
So what’s the catch? Sales seem like the perfect way to earn more money, but the thing is, the more you do it, the less valuable they become.
Place your sales strategically and only have a few during the year so people don’t get used to items not being full price. The point of sales is to make people think that they can’t get the products off any other time.
4# Inventory & equipment
Though you’ll be offering your goods online, you’ll still need a physical place to store your inventory and keep track of it. It might seem easy to run a warehouse and just stack things in order, but you’ll be surprised how chaotic it can get.
After all, there will be an influx of individual orders, shipments to carry out, and new stuff to put in stock. Without proper equipment, you’ll soon be lost and in over your head. If you’re dealing with heavier boxes and have high shelves, you’ll want to invest in good forklifts to help your workers.
On a smaller scale, your workers will need a fixed basket trolley, a conveyor belt, and maybe even powered palette movers and lifters. This will help the operation run smoothly, ensure everything’s stocked in good order, and secure your inventory in its place.
You won’t have to worry about anything getting misplaced, falling down, or not reaching the customer regardless of how chaotic things get.
5# Apply for the permits
Last but definitely not least, you’ll need to apply for the business permits. Just because you’re running your business online doesn’t mean you’ll get to avoid the law. You’ll need to do some research about what permits you’ll need to run your business. Each country and even each city can have different laws and require different permits.
The best thing to do is to go directly to the city office and ask everything you need to know. Also, check if there are special permits that you need if you’re planning on expanding your e-commerce business outside the boundaries of your country.
Conclusion
Though it may be easier to reach your customers today, it might be harder to keep them. After all, you have almost no excuse to fail and be unavailable to them or their needs.
Managing e-commerce processes will need to be a priority, and making sure that your inventory is always neat and organized will only contribute to your inevitable success. The e-commerce world may be new and scary, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be tamed.
Author Bio: Liam Smith – Australian based blogger with an extensive portfolio specialized in Manufacturing and Logistics. He can usually be found with an espresso in one hand and a book in the other. When not working, he’s spending time with his family and friends or putting pen to paper for his own personal pursuits. Follow him on TW & LinkedIn.
