Getting into e-commerce has never been easier and cheaper. However, breaking away from competition and being noticed has never been harder because there are so many online stores. If you want to see if you have what it takes to become a successful e-commerce owner, we recommend checking out our 6 Dos and Don’ts when starting an E-commerce site so that you have an insight into what to avoid and what to actually do.
1. DO test the product before launching the whole business
We know that it’s hard to face the facts when your product simply isn’t that... how to put it... wanted. But you will never know how your potential customers will react once you open your “doors”. Your product might be a hit and sell like crazy, but it can also be a complete failure...
To make sure you don’t start your business and end up with Zero sales, we strongly recommend testing it first. Start with your friends, then their friends, relatives, neighbors, and so on. See how they react and if there’s potential to go global. This “garage business” model is good because you get to test the product before investing more money into larger production and company space.
2. DON'T be so sure people will find your website just like that
It might sound funny to many, but this is actually one of the most common mistakes E-commerce owners make. E-commerce isn’t about “just launch it and we will become rich”. Internet is bigger than we can all imagine and people can’t just find you like that if you don’t invest in tested marketing strategies. Talk with PR and SEO experts and see if they offer advice on where to begin and which steps to make.
3. DO plan a budget for marketing strategies testing
Okay, you’ve talked with the experts and got free advice. That’s great, but when it comes to implementing those free advice into strategy, free isn’t going to cut it anymore. If you want to scale your e-commerce site and see if it’s worth the effort and money invested, you need to test marketing strategies and see which one works best for you. This takes money and time, as well as patience. That is exactly why you need to already have a budget for testing out marketing strategies before you even consider your site live and working.
4. DON'T be afraid to raise more money
By not setting your business up to be sustainable right from the start, you are only setting yourself up for a failure. There are so many things that can and will go wrong if you start with a budget that barely covers your expenses. So, if you are in a position to ask your bank or sponsor for more money than you actually need, don’t pass up on that opportunity! This will give you more room to maneuver when problems hit you and the chances of getting to the top are much higher than with a barely-covers-it budget.
5. DO listen to what your customers say
As a future e-commerce owner, you need to know that from the day you launch your site, you will get customer feedback. Some will praise you, while most of them will offer their piece of mind for a “successful business”. Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to blindly follow every single advice from a customer, but going in the general direction your customers want is not a bad idea at all. Do whatever you can to make your customers appreciated and happy. If that means adding some sales, or discounts, or even finding great fulfillment providers to speed up your shipping and return process and cut down on your costs, so be it! Happy customer is a loyal customer!
6. DON'T start out as a site that has and does everything!
This is where many e-commerce start-ups go wrong and doom themselves right from the start. When the time comes to launch, don’t be the site that has and does everything! Stick to what your original plan was! For example, if you want to sell funny coffee mugs, stick to that, at least in the beginning. There will be plenty of time to add more cool stuff later. In the beginning, focus on your thing and see how it pans out. If it goes great and there’s room for product expansion after a few months, you will easily do it. Starting out big right from the start rarely works with start-ups, just keep that in mind.