E-commerce Tips for Beginners and Small Businesses
October 3rd, 2024With a whopping transaction value crossing $8 trillion by 2027, the e-commerce industry has a lot of potential. Even the biggest e-commerce business we know today was a beginner once, which means if they can do it, so can you. Starting a successful online business is relatively easier with the right e-commerce tips and tools.
Explore the best e-commerce tips for beginners to help you set up and sustain your business.
9 E-commerce Tips for Successful Business
“The keys to success are patience, persistence, and obsessive attention to detail.”
– Jeff Bezos
Successful business owners identify with this statement more than new entrepreneurs. It’s because they understand the importance of not giving up, making mistakes, but being persistent in their efforts. Also is good to know the following e-commerce tricks.
1. Understanding E-commerce Basics
E-commerce basics are the fundamental principles about which you must have a solid understanding to build a successful online store. Be clear about the differences between different business models, delivery models, setting up a platform, business goals, and product research.
Furthermore, you should be familiar with, if not have expertise in, the art of product visualization, product descriptions, e-commerce marketing, and SEO. While you are still in the research phase, know all about e-commerce store analytics and customer service setup. Understanding the fundamentals helps lay the groundwork and create a strong foundation to build your online store.
2. Choosing the Right E-commerce Platform
You need a good platform to build, run, and manage your online shop. While offering all the required features, the platform must be easy to use and help manage everything from adding products to payments and analytics.
Spend some time on finding an all-inclusive platform with the following features;
- Content Management System (CMS)
- Add product media and descriptions
- Multiple payment options
- Robust security features
- Marketing integration (social media and email)
- Inventory management
- Business analytics and reporting
- Customer support
Tip: Webnode offers an intuitive e-commerce website builder to help you create an online store quickly. Use the power of artificial intelligence and several in-built features to create websites in just few minutes, or use one of the responsive e-commerce templates and customize it to your liking and requirements.
3. Optimizing Your Website’s User Experience
It took 8.25 seconds in 2023 for a human being to lose their attention span, a number which has come down from 12 seconds in 2020.
Even more alarming is that it takes only 50 milliseconds for a human to form an opinion.
Since you can’t risk losing a potential customer’s attention and them forming a negative opinion of your store, make sure you streamline it. Optimizing includes everything from having clear images to well-written product descriptions to an intuitive design, smooth functionality, and a seamless workflow.
One of the important points here is not to overdo or focus too much on beautification. Your e-commerce store doesn’t have to be fancy, but it must be simple, functional, and easy to navigate.
4. Following Strategic Marketing Methods
Until 2023, there were 26.5 million ecommerce stores operating worldwide. Don’t expect people to start visiting your digital storefront as soon as you launch. Without effective marketing, your store can go unnoticed, leading to low traffic and sales.
To promote your store, build a robust e-commerce marketing strategy and practice the following;
- Use SEO practices (keyword research, backlinks, and optimized product descriptions) to improve rankings.
- Establish a strong social media presence.
- Invest in email marketing, ad campaigns, and influencer marketing.
- Product valuable and customer-centric content like blog posts, videos, etc.
- Run referral and affiliate programs to get more traffic.
While implementing marketing strategies account for the shopping behavior of the target audience. The GenZ cohort of your customers may have different opinions than millennials. So, instead of building a general marketing strategy, divide your total addressable market into different categories and align your strategies with their preferences.
5. Having High-Quality Product Photos and Descriptions
In online shopping, customers have limited options to check and feel the product. So, they base the decisions on visual cues and detailed product descriptions.
When you add high-quality images, it creates a positive visual appeal. High-resolution images make it easier to showcase product features and materials while adding to the product’s trustworthiness.
Step into a customer’s shoes and see for yourself. Would you buy if the product photo is blurry and clicked on a dark background? Such images won’t help anyone know the details, which are crucial to make a decision.
As opposed to considering a high-quality product image (as shown in the image above) which shows every product detail. When such images are complemented with detailed product descriptions, it helps customers understand the product and make a decision.
High-quality images and descriptions also reduce post-purchase queries and product returns.
6. Experimenting with Social Media Platforms
Social media will let you connect with potential and existing customers, promote your products, and direct traffic to your website. Build your social media on the same networks where your customers are most active and start posting relevant content.
Work on building a community through engaging content, customer interaction, contests, and giveaways. Promote your products with high-quality visuals while asking customers to share their personal experiences while using your products.
GenZ customers emphasize social proof more than any other cohort. So, while doing strategy development for Gen Z e-commerce, it’s imperative to leverage social media and user-generated content.
Run social media ads on different networks, but know that this will require substantial investment. So, you must work with a marketing strategy rather than creating ads without any precedents.
7. Finding Your Unique Selling Point (USP)
Small businesses need to find their USP. It’s difficult to find a USP when there are thousands of businesses selling similar products. However, to compete with them, finding your USP is crucial.
Analyze your competitors and identify what they don’t have and what you can deliver. Even if you can add a single unique aspect to your store, it can make a lot of difference.
For instance, Bonobos introduced Guideshops in addition to their online stores. While customers can browse Bonobos, which deals in men’s attire, they can also visit Guideshops to find their right style and fit. “Guides” in these shops help customers try different clothes, take the right order, and ship the product to the customer’s address.
8. Managing Logistics and Shipping
For a new e-commerce business, efficient logistics and shipping management are important for timely product delivery and minimizing costs. To achieve this,
- Choose the right fulfillment method, like choosing between in-house fulfillment (which requires substantial upfront investment) or 3rd-Party logistics (3PL) provider.
- Ask for volume discounts from the carrier and consider working with regional carriers rather than global ones, as they can offer more competitive rates.
- Use a minimalist mindset when it comes to packaging while ensuring your products are adequately packaged to minimize damage and returns.
- Use shipping-related key performance indicators (KPIs), which you will find integrated into ecommerce platforms, to know all about logistics performance.
While you are preparing for everything here, consider offering free shipping to your customers. 82% of online shoppers consider free shipping as an important factor for choosing a business to buy from on the web.
9. Understanding and Complying with Legal Aspects
It’s essential to understand and comply with relevant legal and regulatory requirements. For legal and compliance requirements, consider the following;
- The legal and compliance requirements differ with sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, and corporation.
- Account for taxation. Although several countries, in the hope of promoting startup culture, offer tax holidays, make sure you consult with an expert before launching.
- Get all business licenses and permits required for your business to run smoothly. For permissions and licenses, consider local, regional, and national requirements.
- Understand the consumer protection laws in your industry and ensure all your claims, products, and services comply with the requirements.
- Since you are running an online business, account for PCI DSS compliance, data security, and privacy requirements.
For all legal matters, ensure you consult with a legal professional who can guide you and help ensure compliance in all matters.
Growing Your E-commerce Business
E-commerce is a booming industry offering plenty of opportunities for online shops to succeed. However, success in this industry depends on your approach and strategies.
One of the e-commerce tips for small businesses that will help you grow is providing excellent customer service. Customers are more likely to return to a business that has good customer service.
Another way of entering the e-commerce industry is by dropshipping. It’s a business model where you can sell products without keeping a stock and shipping them. All you have to build is a platform your customers can use, add products others are selling on your website, receive orders, and pass them on to the seller.
You pay less and get more, which becomes your profit margin. Offering a few unique products from popular dropshipping niches can boost your profit margin to a larger extent.
Conclusion
To build a successful e-commerce business, you should be familiar with all the basics. Use the right platform to build your website, optimize the store to enhance user experience, and promote your store with effective marketing. Using these e-commerce tips for small businesses, you can build the right foundation for your online store.
See also what are the best products to sell online
Author’s Bio:
Alex is a Content Marketing Specialist with over two years of experience. She helps SaaS businesses drive organic growth through SEO and data-driven content marketing strategies. When she’s not experimenting with new strategies, she can be found traveling and exploring new places.