how to run a successful ecommerce business
The world of online commerce is expanding at an incredible speed. The increased availability of broadband Internet and the huge rise in the number of gadget users on the global scale case the rising popularity of ecommerce.
A report published by Nielsen shows that some parts of the world that used to be deprived only twenty years ago, like Asia and Latin America, show a huge potential for online trade.
That’s good news for all you aspiring online ecommerce entrepreneurs. So read on to discover how to run a successful ecommerce business:
How to run a successful ecommerce business: choosing the right online shop builder
Shopify
First things first. You need to select the right online shop builder to give yourself every possible advantage in your ecommerce business.
There are plenty of them out there, but none more more prevalent than Shopify. What’s great about Shopify is that they make it so easy to set up your store, and their 24/7 customer service is second to none.
What’s more is that they have integrated over 100 stunning theme templates and more than 1,100 apps into their platform. In essence, you end up with an attractive, professional-looking site with every tool that you could possibly need to run your online store.
Their numerous apps enable automated fulfillment and shipping, and they can also handle your accounting, customer service and marketing needs, to name but a few.
You can even try out their services for free. Click here to activate your Shopify 14-day free trial.
How to run a successful ecommerce business: choosing the right products
The most important factor that will determine the future course of every ecommerce business is the choice of the products.
While large companies can offer dozens of categories and hundreds of different products, beginners in this niche should apply a down-to-earth business strategy. By this we mean selling only the products that will be accepted by the audience.
You know that items like accessories for gadgets, clothes, books and footwear are needed on every market and you do not need to have vast knowledge of those items to be able to market and sell them on your website.
On the other hand, if you are an expert who knows more about some more sophisticated products, such as cutting-edge gadgets, launching a website to sell such products would be an even smarter smart solution.
The bottom line is that you should choose the products that you can handle and sell easily.
How to run a successful ecommerce business: study your audience
If you want to make a conclusion or prediction about any phenomenon around you, it will take some time to observe the matter, gather enough information and only then you will be able to make a decision or a judgement.
The same goes for ecommerce audiences. Since every single cent can be a decisive factor when you are at the beginning of your online commerce enterprise, scattering your assets and time would be a waste of resources.
To achieve as much as possible with a limited initial budget, spend some time studying your target audience.
For instance, you can start by following them in social media. In addition, you could also take a proactive approach and reach out to them via email.
It might sound like online guerrilla marketing, but if your copy is craftily written and you do not push them to buy anything, it could yield some interesting business partnerships and collaborations.
Managing arrangement details
The way you arrange the goods you offer on your website play a huge role when it comes to sales figures.
Therefore, you should treat it as if it were a real, brick-and-mortar shop. By putting the most popular and best-selling products on the homepage or inside the header website space, you will nudge the visitors to buy them.
It is the same strategy that supermarkets use with point-of-sale products. In addition to that, install some useful analytics tools and observe how the visitors react to different areas of your website.
If you notice that some parts of the website are rarely seen or left too soon when visited, work with your designer to improve them.
Data security in a successful ecommerce business
The greatest concerns that Internet users have when it comes to ecommerce is data security.
They are worried that third parties could get into possession of their private data or, even worse, their credit card numbers and steal their assets.
This is why the first thing an ecommerce website owner has to take care of is the payment procedure.
For instance, you can keep the business safe with Promise Pay. By adding this payment option to your website you will ease the worries your buyers might have and provide them with a top-notch payment solution.
Moreover, every website owner should include a special clause in the contract they make with their designers that will oblige the designer to maintain the site in a safe way.
Conclusion
Once your ecommerce business takes off, it will be easier to offer a larger number of items to your clients and increase the revenue.
If you play it smart and follow our guide, you will get a chance to enjoy all the business benefits of online trade.
About the Author
John Stone is regular writer for the Bizzmarkblog. He is a business consultant who believes that intricate planning and thinking outside of the box are prerequisites for the success of any entrepreneur.
Featured image:
how to run a successful ecommerce business
Image source: author-owned
