With so many businesses and services going online these days, setting up an e-commerce site is a good move. However, like any business, there is a lot to consider and plan, especially as e-commerce businesses are competing with the likes of Amazon. Below are a few key steps to follow if you’re considering setting up an e-commerce site of your own.
Decide On Your Product
While it may be tempting to sell lots of everything, success in the world of e-commerce depends on being able to supply what your target customers want and need. To do this, you’ll first need to establish your niche and then figure out what audiences are buying and why. Since you’ll be competing with so many other e-commerce businesses, it’s important to find products that appeal to a particular audience. Do some exploring and conduct research into the needs of your audience and how your products and services can fulfill them.
Establish Your Business Name
Once you’ve established your product, the next logical step is to create a business name. Remember that your name is also your brand, so you’ll want to choose this carefully. For example, don’t just pick any name for your trade; be sure to think about your competition and what will set you apart. And, before you promote your name, make sure it’s not in use and register it as a business. You’ll want to protect your brand so that no one else can use it.
Set Up a Website and Service Platform
Your e-commerce shop will be the main port of call for your customers, so it’s vital that the website is functional, attractive, and easy to use. Depending on your level of expertise, you could build the shop yourself, or you could enlist the help of experts like https://theecommguys.com/pages/services who are experienced at e-commerce platform development. The easier and more efficient your digital storefront is, the more customers you can acquire.
There are various platforms where you can easily set up your online store in a few steps without even needing a development expert. Platforms like Shopify, Opencart, WordPress offer unlimited options to host an online store, all you have to do is to sign up to them and choose the best suitable options according to your needs. Shopify is considered to be the best as it is smooth and much easier to operate in comparison to others. One of the great advantages of using Shopify is that it has a wide collection of in-house apps and tools to help business owners optimize their stores and increase the sale of their products. Apps like Tada are designed specifically to increase your store’s subscribers by allowing your visitors to play a fun, engaging game to win a discount in exchange for their email addresses. With Tada’s Gamified and full-screen pop-ups, you can increase subscribers by 500% and sales by 135% instantly and it will also help in reducing the rate of shopping cart abandonment.
Deliver Excellent Customer Service
In today’s competitive market, customer service is everything. Customers often make their purchasing decisions based on reviews, which means if you fail in this area, so will your business. To ensure you’re able to stand out amongst your competitors, set up a solid customer service plan. This requires an assessment of your customer touchpoints and ensuring that they get the best service each time they interact with your business. You may even want to invest in virtual assistant technology so that customers can ask questions in real-time.
Set Up Payment Methods
Since your customers will all be digital, you’ll need to set up an efficient and trustworthy payment system. E-commerce website builders will often make this easy for you, but it’s also worth knowing what the main types of methods are out there. Shopify, for example, allows PayPal, Stripe, Apple, Amazon, Shopify Payments, and 100+ other payment methods.
Sort Out Shipping Methods
One of the final stages of setting up your e-commerce business involves establishing your shipping methods. For example, get familiar with dropshipping and international shipping so that you can provide the best service for your customers. Your e-commerce platform will usually provide several options, but you’ll also need to decide on postage rates and the type of shipping companies to use.
