Following on from yesterday's article, featuring part 1 of our do's and don'ts of launching an e-commerce wesbite, here is Part 2! 

Do keep profitability in mind

e-commerce sites which don't make money are a waste of time. In all the planning you do, keep thinking two steps ahead and always tie your actions back to what it means for revenue. Offer a free promotion for new customers, but make sure customer lifetime value is higher than the deal you give and you've got a plan in place to drive repeat purchases.

Don't try to do it all yourself

As a founder bootstrapping an e-commerce site this can be difficult, but make sure you're spending time each day either automating routine work, or outsourcing simple tasks. Your business will not succeed if you're stuck spending 14 hours a day on the operations. Leverage a business model which gives you enough margin on your products to hire people that can deal with the day-to-day, so you can focus on growing the entire business.

Do listen to your customers

From day one of your launch, you'll start getting customer feedback. Take the good with the bad, and while you don't need to act on everything being said, you do need to take it all on board. Perhaps they've pointed out something you've not considered, or given you an idea for improvements in your product. When you do take action on suggestions, let your customers know and they'll feel even more connected to your brand.

Don't rely on your e-commerce site alone

At the beginning gaining traction can be hard. You can step up your revenues by integrating your product feeds with the largest players in the market, so you have more than a single storefront. There are many services that offer this, like GoDataFeed, ChapterEight and Marketplace, which all help you get your products in front of more customers, while offering a seamless integration between your inventory and product listings.

Do have a launch plan

Once the fundamentals are together, put a plan in place for how you want to launch. Perhaps there's a particular promotion you run, or a viral campaign you want to start. The key here is generating enough momentum so your customers know you're open for business, and the word gets out about your store. Send launch material out to all the subscribers on your email list, and run special discounts on social platforms. The bigger you can make your launch, the better chance you have to maintain momentum in the weeks and months to come.

Don't forget to tell a story

Part of building a successful brand is talking about why you started the business in the first place. Let your customers know what your e-commerce site stands for and your inspiration for starting it in the first place. Take it a step further and build a story behind each product you sell and you'll find your customers feel even more connected to your products and your brand.

Do something a little extra

One of the easiest ways to stand apart from the competition is to go above and beyond for your customers. If you can surprise them and make them feel good, they'll be even more eager to make their next purchase. It's as simple as a handwritten thank you note, or an extra gift in with their purchase that was more than they were expecting. Treat your customers as if they're special and they'll quickly become ambassadors of your brand.

Don't give up too easily

Finally, remember success doesn't happen overnight. Of course, if things really aren't working, you may need to re-evaluate part of your business, but for the most part a new e-commerce store needs effort and time to grow. The majority of successful online businesses have put in massive hours, day and night, to get where they are today. If you're getting great feedback from your first customers, chances are you're onto something so put in the effort to really make it work.

Using all of this advice, you're going to blast through your launch and have your e-commerce site up and running in no time. Success does take time, but implement all of these tips and you'll be in the best position for your own success online.

 

By Ian Hammersely is MD of Smartebusiness. 

 

PrivSec Conferences will bring together leading speakers and experts from privacy and security to deliver compelling content via solo presentations, panel discussions, debates, roundtables and workshops.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the website.

comments powered by Disqus