1. Don’t rush the launch
One of the biggest mistakes unsuccessful e-commerce entrepreneurs make is forcing or rushing the launch of a website. You only get one shot at launching your website and you can’t mess this up. While it’s okay to purchase your domain name and throw up some sort of “Coming Soon” page, you should avoid the big reveal until you’ve laid some substantial groundwork (SEO, content marketing, social media, paid advertising, etc.).
2. Put the focus on the user
It’s no secret that the biggest shortcoming of eCommerce businesses is the inability to let their customers touch, feel, smell, and see (firsthand) products before making a decision. While there’s currently no solution for solving this problem, you can compensate for this deficiency in other areas of the business. Some of the best tips include offering appropriate pricing, giving free shipping and making the checkout process easy with simplified shopping carts.
3. Test absolutely everything
Before during and after you launch an eCommerce business, you should invest in testing and analytics. Think like the customer and figure out what’s working, what’s not, and the why behind those answers.
4. Work closely with social
Social media is the heartbeat of your business, as it gives you an uninterrupted glance into the lives of your customers. While it’s perfectly fine to have a social media manager, it’s pertinent that you’re involved with it, too.
5. Incorporate social elements
Going along with the previous tip, it’s a great idea to include social elements on your eCommerce sites. Things like product reviews and testimonials follow buttons and even social login options all help the conversion funnel.
6. Go mobile
Bill Siwicki of Internet Retailer references Goldman Sachs, saying, “Tablets will play an increasingly important role as worldwide consumer spending via mobile jumps from $204 billion in 2014 to $626 billion in 2018...” If you aren’t building eCommerce businesses with mobile in mind, you may be irrelevant in three to five years.
7. Stay on top of SEO
As the eCommerce economy experiences rapid growth, more and more businesses will be entering this increasingly crowded space. That means it will be more important than ever to stay on top of SEO in order to stand out from the competition. Connecting with a skilled SEO will help you stay competitive in the long run.
8. Collect information
Unless you plan on launching a single site and stepping away (most entrepreneurs are tempted to keep trying), it’s critical that you collect customer information and build databases to aid future launches.
9. Continue evolving
Finally, never stop evolving. Technology, trends and customer tastes will change, and so must you if you want to succeed in such a variable market.
With these nine tips, you can be well on your way to becoming a successful eCommerce-based entrepreneur.
