What Successful E-Commerce Businesses Need

Throughout the past few years, technology within the online business sector has greatly increased. Along with making things more convenient for established companies, it has also brought opportunities to aspiring entrepreneurs. However, simply being presented with this opportunity does not mean you will be successful. As a matter of fact, most startups will fail within five years or less of their launch. So what does it take to create and maintain a successful e-commerce business?

A Platform

Creating a site is often the first step to opening for business. Although websites are relatively easy to create, they are certainly not cheap when it comes to maintaining them. Software upgrades, the occasional bug and an influx of customers can cause a website to crash, right along with your reputation. This is why the best route to take is to find a platform for your business. Platforms such as Shopify and Squarespace and many more provide aspiring entrepreneurs with the support that they need to maintain a healthy business and website. They can also help you manage your inventory and maintain good communication with your clients. Dealing with things like backorders and other supply problems can be a huge challenge for any business.

A Marketing Strategy

So you have your business idea, a product or service, and the drive to make it happen. Now, how are you going to get your base as excited as you are? That’s right, with a well-crafted marketing strategy. According to Drip, a complete marketing strategy that involves email, social media, reviews and personalized messages can take up a huge chunk of time. Therefore, you will need a dedicated team to work on developing various plans of attack for you. This can be done through an in-house team or remote workers.

Social Media Presence

The problem with most new companies is not their product or service. Rather, it’s that they are unknown and, therefore, untrustworthy. This is why so many new, as well as old, companies are making themselves known on social media. Think about the last time you wanted to research a bit more about a company and its products. Most likely, you would have seen them on social media and visited their page. By seeing their products, videos and overall story, you begin to feel confident about shopping with them. In addition, according to Business 2 Community, social media is a great tool for obtaining references as customers who may not be interested in your product are likely to tag their friends who would be.

Making it in the e-commerce world is no easy task. The challenges of running a business will always be present whether it’s brick and mortar or digital. However, the approach must be tailored to this chosen digital path, and the tips listed above are a great place to start.

By Amy Reese|2021-06-28T17:52:46-04:00December 18th, 2019|Business Growth|Comments Off

About the Author: Amy Reese

Amy Reese is the Founder and Managing Partner of ARC Business Solutions, a consulting firm that helps small and mid-sized businesses gain access to Federal and Corporate contracting opportunities. After spending over 20 years as a Corporate Development Executive in which she collaborated with C-Suite and VP level leaders of Fortune 500 organizations and Government agencies, Amy now leverages her experience in relationship development, collaboration, negotiations and accountability strategies to benefit small and mid-sized businesses who are seeking opportunities to grow their bottom line. During her years in Corporate Development, Amy worked with clients to identify and implement customized solutions that supported her clients’ business needs by developing strategic plans. Amy’s unique accountability techniques have been instrumental in assessing client issues and gaps, allowing her to make recommendations of appropriate solutions. These special techniques have been instrumental in her success as demonstrated by the attainment of revenue growth for her clients in the millions.