Author: Megha Parikh / Source: Jeffbullas's Blog Building a successful eCommerce business is like running a marathon. You have to start p
Building a successful eCommerce business is like running a marathon. You have to start preparing beforehand so that you don’t run out of fuel mid way.
Almost 90% of every entrepreneurial attempt fails in the beginning. Don’t be scared by that figure. Your business has all the chances to become a success story, provided you know what to do, how to do it and when to do it.
While there is no cheat sheet for eCommerce success, a series of steps (like what we have described below) will serve in setting the ground for a thriving online business.
Here is a complete breakdown of the secret recipe to success in starting your own eCommerce business. Follow these tips diligently and become the owner of an eCommerce store that attracts customers like bees to beehives.
1. Spot an untapped market and pamper it
Let me tell you a repeated mistake in online business, or in any business. Entrepreneurs first create a product and then go in search of a market. But guess what winners do? They find an untapped market and then create superb products that sell like hot cakes.
Take for instance, Apple. The company made its first computer that was user-friendly and easy to carry when the rest of the world was creating wired computers that had to coded to do simple math. Apple tore into the untapped market of home users, students and shop owners thus creating a legacy of its own.
We all cannot be Steve Jobs. But, thanks to the Internet and its numerous forums, it is easy to find what users (read: customers) really want in the market today.
Here are some quick ways you can find the next big idea for your online business.
- Do keyword research to find the most frequent searches that are not served well
- Do competitor analysis and pick out their deficiencies. Create a product or service that can iron that out to win the market
- Listen to customers by reading online reviews, feedback and survey forms
2. Use catchy content
Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read. – Leo Burnett
This quote by Leo Burnett says it all. Great copy can invite customers to take a stroll in your store, create a memorable experience and in the end influence them to make a purchase. Plus, it also helps boost search engine rankings as Google and other search engines rank genuine and original content above everything else.
You need original and fetching content to describe your product, service or even yourself. Content marketing is an ideal bet for your online business if you are working on a bootstrap budget for marketing.
Keep these pointers in mind when you write copy for your product, website or even the store:
- Create a compelling headline that arouses attention
- Ask a question, point out a problem and provide the solution
- Establish authority as someone who can solve the problem
- Display customer testimonials to earn trust
- Give an offer that will make them buy
- Create a sense of urgency through appropriate use of calls-to-action
3. Design a blockbuster website
Designing a website for your eCommerce business is the same as building a real brick and mortar shop; the only difference being the virtual presence. The virtual presence and the ambience of your website will set the tune for the success or demise of your business. So strive to ace it at any cost.
While designing the website for your online business, take into consideration factors like landing page content, ease of navigation, keyword optimization, page loading speed and user friendliness. Once you manage to hold the visitor’s attention for more than 3 seconds, it is easy to sell them.
Some more pointers to…
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