E-Commerce Essentials – Dos and Don’ts for New Online Sellers
The appeal of starting an online retail business is easy to understand. With more people shopping online than ever before, entrepreneurs can explore a world of potentially lucrative business opportunities.
But even after you’ve covered the basic logistics of setting up an e-commerce store, there’s still much to do to make your new business venture successful. The fundamentals of e-commerce are pretty straightforward, but running a successful business in the face of such colossal competition is anything but.
With this in mind, here’s a brief overview of several e-commerce essentials for newcomers, as a selection of six major do’s and don’ts:
DO – Focus Heavily on Image Quality and Presentation
One of the biggest obstacles e-commerce retailers face when closing sales is the lack of physical contact with the products sold. All you have to rely on is the images you publish, which need to be flawless—nothing less. If you lack the knowledge, skills, experience and equipment required to take world-class product photographs, hire someone who can.
DO – Be as Active as Possible on Social Media
More people than ever before are basing their purchase decisions primarily (if not entirely) on the information they access on social media. Brands and businesses of all sizes have no choice but to step up their organic marketing efforts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc. Take your time to interact and engage with your audience, or they’ll take their business to someone who does.
DO – Write Unique and Compelling Product Descriptions
Generic product descriptions (and those copied and pasted across multiple pages) simply aren’t cutting it. Your descriptions must be as compelling as your product images and strategically optimised for SEO. Remember, how you present and describe your products will determine whether anyone buys them.
DO – Prioritise Personalisation
Lastly, always ensure that all communications you send your customers are personalised to their tastes and preferences. If you recommend products or services that are of no interest to them (even once), it could be game over. You need to make them feel as if you’re speaking to them directly and that you fully understand their wants, needs, and values.
DON’T – Get Carried Away With the Hard Sell
Success in today’s e-commerce landscape is about mastering the art of selling without selling. This is where you showcase your brand's personality and the quality of your products so that they sell themselves. The hard-sell approach has gone the way of the sale and marketing cold call—it rarely has anything but the opposite of the intended effect.
DON’T – Attempt to Imitate the Competition
As a newcomer to ecommerce, it can be tempting to take a large leaf from your closest competitors' book. Being inspired by successful sellers in your niche is one thing – ripping off their ideas and approaching wholesale is something else entirely. Attempting to assemble a clone of a business already up and running never works. Success in e-commerce is built on innovation and uniqueness, bringing customers something they cannot already access elsewhere.
DON’T – Promise More Than You Can Provide
Last up, false promises are a recipe for failure. Guaranteed next-day delivery, the lowest prices in the industry, and unique products like nothing else on the market are all good if you can keep your word. It can be tempting to embellish a little to get prospects on board, but taking things too far could cost you your credibility.