There are millions of ecommerce stores on the internet. 12% of the highest 100000 traffic websites are ecommerce, and around 10-15% of the internet is an ecommerce store with over 110000 of these generating a meaningful income which competes with big brands. In short, ecommerce is massive and growing all of the time. It’s also easy.
People launch ecommerce stores selling their own designs and products, or selling products that they have bought at wholesale and it couldn’t be easier to do. Even people with absolutely zero knowledge of web design or development can launch their own store within a day.
But, there is a huge difference between quickly launching a store, without a clear plan, and just seeing how it goes, and launching with a bang, to make your store successful from the off. If you want to launch with a bang and start doing well straight away, here’s what you need to do.
Build a Landing Page
Once you’ve got your domain name, you can launch a landing page. This will be your brands home, and what any readers will see until you are ready to launch your full site and range of products. Some people don’t bother, but it can be a great way of getting noticed and remembered while you are still preparing your launch. Use it to tease your viewers, giving them a preview of what you’ve got to offer, and start getting emails and names for your email list. Consider offering people a small discount if they sign up before the official launch to make sure they come back.
Get on Social Media
Now you’ve got a landing page you can start building a following. Set up, using your logo and branding on all of the main social media profiles and start growing your followings. Make sure you follow the right people and engage with your audience, while also linking your profile to your landing page. When you’ve picked an official launch date, start building excitement and interest with a countdown and some giveaways.
Prepare Your Email Marketing
Having an email list is essential to your success. It’s a great way to keep in touch with your readers, to drive traffic to your site and to gain feedback along the way. It’s also the only thing that you own. Your social media profiles and follower’s lists are owned by the platform. Even your web space is just rented. Your email list will always be yours. Start with a provider such as Mailchimp, which will allow you to put a signup form on your landing page and your social media profiles, send regular automated updates and newsletters and any other information when you can.
Start Building Your Store
At this point, you’ll already have a domain and a platform, but there are a few other things to think about before you start making money. You need to register as self-employed first. You can do this online. Then, you need to choose a cart option for your site and decide how you will process payments. PayPal is an easy option, but it’s a good idea to offer debit and credit card payments and apple or android pay.
Then, it’s time to get your products online. If you are using a platform like Shopify, this is relatively straightforward. Remember to add some high-quality photographs and keyword rich descriptions, as well as important information such as cost, delivery price, time frame and returns policies.
Think About Delivery
Before you can add delivery information, you need to decide how you are going to do it. Read this drop shipping 101 guide for more help on shipping and order fulfilment.
Add Content
If you want your ecommerce store to stand out from the others in your field, you need to add more. Offer your customers extra, helpful content to give your website added value. You could write tutorials or tips on how to use your products, film how-to guides or offer extra information on the production process.
Allow Reviews
Another great way to make your ecommerce store stand out and build a trusting relationship with your readers is by allowing live reviews. This shows that you’ve got faith in your products and you are happy to allow unvented feedback.
Build Momentum
In the few days before your launch, build the excitement and bring more people in by offering more special offers to those that sign up, and by releasing the odd video or photo of your products so that people know what to expect.
