5 Ecommerce Secrets the \u2018Experts\u2019 Aren\u2019t Willing to Share With You and We Are Ready To Let You Know That In This Post.<\/p>\n
The days of everyone buying the items they need from a brick-and-mortar shop just down the street are long gone. Instead, eCommerce has continued to grow into an impressive juggernaut, experiencing 24.8 percent worldwide growth\u00a0in 2017, with\u00a0Amazon\u00a0alone recording a net revenue of\u00a0$177.87 billion.<\/p>\n
Despite this growth and the massive opportunity it represents for\u00a0eCommerce entrepreneurs, many who enter this space make costly mistakes that keep them from building a profitable business.<\/p>\n
As an expert in eCommerce with over 12 years of experience in this niche, I\u2019ve learned firsthand that the success of your store depends on much more than having a quality product and a nice-looking website. Those basics are essential \u2014 but every other\u00a0eCommerce store\u00a0will be doing the exact same thing.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, here are some of the eCommerce essentials I\u2019ve learned over the years that can make all the difference for your store:<\/p>\n
Far too many\u00a0entrepreneurs\u00a0make the mistake of setting up their store and only beginning their\u00a0marketing\u00a0after launch. The problem, however, is that digital marketing efforts often require a bit of time before they start delivering the desired sales results. In the meantime, you\u2019ll be paying web hosting fees and other expenses without the sales revenue to cover it.<\/p>\n
Instead, you need to start your marketing early by building a pre-launch audience. We see this happen all the time with\u00a0Kickstarter campaigns\u00a0that collect funding and build buzz before the project is ready.<\/p>\n
Even if you aren\u2019t creating a completely new or original product, you still need to spread the word.\u00a0Social media contests, product giveaways, and email list sign-ups can all help you build an audience so your store can make sales on opening day.<\/p>\n
Converting customers is hard. In fact, most estimates put the average\u00a0conversion rate\u00a0around 1 to 3 percent. Because of this, you need to make every sale count. You won\u2019t be in business long if your average customer only spends a few dollars.<\/p>\n
To succeed in this area, you need to focus on the customer lifetime value (CLV), rather than just the initial sale. Naturally, this requires that you deliver a quality customer experience for that initial sale. But, it also means you need to do some follow-up.<\/p>\n
One of the best ways to do this is through email marketing. A quality email campaign allows you to follow up with customers about their initial purchase, while also reaching out for holidays and other special shopping seasons. Increasing your CLV will lower your cost per conversion and help you generate lasting sales results.<\/p>\n
Most eCommerce professionals invest a fair amount of their budget into marketing, with the goal of getting new customers to visit their site and make a purchase.<\/p>\n
But, what about the people you\u2019ve already convinced? If you aren\u2019t targeting them through remarketing campaigns, you could be missing out on a significant profit.<\/p>\n
Repeat customers aren\u2019t only more likely to buy from you again in the future \u2014 they also tend to spend more money. Studies have found that repeat customers have a\u00a060 to 70 percent chance of making another purchase in the future \u2014 numbers that far outperform e-commerce\u2019s typical conversion rate.<\/p>\n
Make sure your\u00a0Facebook and AdWords campaign specifically targets those who have already visited your site to ensure a stronger marketing ROI.<\/p>\n
Building a strong brand identity\u00a0is an absolute must because it allows you to form an emotional connection with your target audience. When you\u2019re able to cultivate strong relationships with your most passionate customers, you can then leverage their enthusiasm to spread word of mouth for your store.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0studies have consistently found, few marketing methods are more trusted or effective.<\/p>\n
The thing is, your customers won\u2019t always do this word of mouth marketing on their own. You often need to provide some extra motivation. Don\u2019t be afraid to reach out to your top customers with personalized messages asking for a testimonial, or simply to get their input on your products and services.<\/p>\n
Use social media contests to build enthusiasm and spread the word.\u00a0 The more you do to personalize these interactions, the more likely your customers are to become true \u201cbrand ambassadors\u201d who drive new business to your store.<\/p>\n
Dropshipping \u2014 the process of having your product sent directly from the manufacturer to the consumer \u2014 has simplified sales for many eCommerce professionals. However, it isn\u2019t without its own potential pitfalls.<\/p>\n
The most common issues I\u2019ve seen with dropshipping include slow shipping times, no tracking numbers for your customers and low-quality products.<\/p>\n
All of these can completely kill your reputation with your customers. Because of this, it is essential that you perform a quality check of your supplier\u2019s products before you begin dropshipping. This way you can have confidence that your products live up to your brand promise.<\/p>\n
For shipping, select a quality fulfillment company that offers a trackable courier solution. This way, customers won\u2019t have to endure lengthy delays, and they\u2019ll always know when their order will arrive.<\/p>\n
Building a successful eCommerce brand isn\u2019t always easy. I should know \u2014 I\u2019ve seen my fair share of startups fail after their initial success. But, by incorporating this knowledge that I\u2019ve gained from my past efforts, I\u2019ve since been able to launch several successful stores and generate real, lasting revenue \u2014 so can you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
5 Ecommerce Secrets the \u2018Experts\u2019 Aren\u2019t Willing to Share With You and We Are Ready To Let You Know That In This Post. The days of everyone buying the items they need from a brick-and-mortar shop just down the street are long gone. Instead, eCommerce has continued to grow into an impressive juggernaut, experiencing 24.8 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-e-commerce"],"yoast_head":"\n