Starting your first eCommerce store can be overwhelming. We get that. So in an effort to reduce your stress and give you a place to start, we’ve created a basic list of the essential things to remember. If you are mindful of these few key aspects, you can run a successful eCommerce store!
1) Capitalise on Free Platform Trials or Demos
With your first eCommerce store, it is crucial to choose the eCommerce platform that is right for your business. Think of it like trying on new shoes. You are looking for the right style, fit and price for your personal preference. What style will stand out? What makes the most sense for your needs? What brand provides the highest quality product, within your price range?
These are all things you should be considering when choosing your eCommerce platform. And just like you would walk around the store to test your platform shoes, you should trial or demo platforms for eCommerce.
2) Step into Your Customer’s Shoes
In order to ensure the best customer experience, you need to understand and trial the experience you’re providing. Step into the shoes of your customer; see what they will see, do what they will do.
You should be reviewing your site often, first checking that your landing page is formatted correctly. You want a clean, simple page. Do your research on UI semiotics so that you create your landing page with a plan to catch, and keep your audience’s attention.
Then move on to verifying that your cart process is functioning correctly. Look for proper addition and storage of items. Last, consider the things that frustrate you during the checkout process and actively avoid those elements in your own checkout process.
You’ll want to ensure that the payment process is also functioning properly. In order to avoid shopping cart abandonment, guarantee that the money is being processed smoothly and correctly. This may mean setting up a bank account for the specific purpose of testing your system.
By verifying that your processes are formatted and functioning effectively, you maximise how customer-friendly your site is.
3) Place Emphasis on Marketing
While there are about a billion things to look after when starting your first eCommerce store, don’t underestimate the power of marketing. Good marketing leads to a successful business.
Use free the free tools at your disposal. Social media and blogging are two great options to utilise in order to promote your business. Do your research on search engine optimisation. Learn about hacks to gain an initial boost in your online presence, and figure out if they are right for you.
4) Welcome Mistakes and Incorporate the Lessons Learned
You are going to make mistakes and that is okay! Embrace the error part of trial and error. Mistakes are vital to narrowing down approaches to success; learning what doesn’t work means learning what does work. Mistakes lead to learning, so capitalise on the lessons you learn through mistakes and incorporate them into your strategy going forward.
Not all learning has to come from your personal mistakes. Look into your competitors and see where they went wrong. Use their failures to your advantage and don’t fall into the same traps they did.
On the same note, find what they did well, and do it better. There is nothing wrong with recognising where your competitor thrived. Use these lessons and incorporate them into your strategy as well.
5) Never Become Complacent
You are never done learning. Master the basics and then embrace the opportunity to become an expert in the parts of your business that you are less familiar with. Take advantage of both day-to-day learning and additional training opportunities. This is the exciting part!
