10 Ways To Get Up To Speed On E-commerce-commerce
Starting an E-Commerce Requires you to know marketing strategy and statistics
The days of selling your wares by yelling from the sidewalk are long gone. As e-commerce continues to grow in importance, understanding its ins and outs will help you develop an online presence, no matter what kind of business you run. Read on to learn about 10 ways to get up to speed on e-commerce, so you can be ready to go when you decide it’s time to expand your business into this realm.
1) Keep up with current trends
Even if you’re a huge fan of e-commerce, it pays to keep up with current trends. Do some research and learn about new things like 3D printing, or Google Glasses and how they could change e-commerce. Learning about things like these will help you stay ahead of other professionals in your field.
2) Know which e-commerce platform you need
Platforms like Magento and Shopify allow you to make your store available for multiple types of devices, including phones and tablets. While WordPress is great for blogs, it’s not a good e-commerce solution because it can be difficult to customize. If you want complete control over your site, e-commerce platforms are a good bet. Otherwise, consider using one of many free e-commerce plugins that work with WordPress instead.
3) Know what your customer needs are
It may sound obvious, but knowing who your customers are and what they want is essential. If you don’t know what makes your business unique, then how can you provide a product or service that will stand out from everything else? Focus groups are a great way to get input from actual customers. Paying attention to social media outlets is also an effective way of seeing which products or services people gravitate toward.
4) Understand why content marketing is so important
Content marketing is an essential aspect of any eCommerce company. From infographics and articles about trends in your industry, like fashion, to press releases and newsletters detailing new product lines or sales—content marketing has become a go-to marketing strategy for businesses across industries. At Shopify, we’ve seen incredible success with our content marketing campaign and so we’re excited to share some tips on how you can begin your program today.
5) Watch out for fraud and data breaches
Pay special attention when buying items online. Look for signs of fraud, such as excessive shipping fees or requests for personal information, and be wary of links that don’t seem trustworthy. Avoid sites with known data breaches and consider using antivirus software if you’re shopping on your computer. Also, make sure to turn off your browser’s pop-up blocker to avoid any malicious links masquerading as helpful warnings about broken website features.
6) Understand what social media platforms do best
Understand which social media platforms are most appropriate for your business and how they can fit into your overall marketing strategy. We’ll take a look at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn, and YouTube to help you decide where to put your energy. You can also join our new Social Media Strategy webinar series to make sure that you always have a good grasp of what’s happening on each platform.
7) See how data mining helps you target customers better
Data mining is all about segmenting your market and figuring out which groups are most likely to be interested in your products. For example, if you run a bakery that makes fruit tarts, you may want to target high school students or people who have recently moved into your neighborhood—they’re more likely than others in their peer group to buy this tart.
8) Optimize your website’s user experience
When it comes to website conversion, user experience (UX) is a big deal. You may want your site’s design and function to be cutting edge, but if customers have trouble navigating it or they get frustrated trying to find what they’re looking for, they will bounce. This means time lost and dollars down the drain. The moral of the story is? Optimize your user experience so that you turn more leads into sales opportunities.
9) Be consistent with design and branding
Websites that have a consistent design and branding are easier for users to navigate. This is especially true if you run multiple sites, such as an e-commerce site and an informational resource website. Keep your color schemes in check, your logos properly aligned and your branding elements consistent across all of your websites. It will make it much easier for users to make sense of everything.
10) Promote your brand across the web
The most important aspect of an online presence is brand promotion. Make sure your business name, address, phone number, and logo are visible. Here are a few steps you can take
