Are you part of the 62% of people who want to run your own business? Are you thinking that you’ll start a business online or maybe you’ve already launched an eCommerce startup? While eCommerce startups are often easier and lost cost-intensive to launch than brick-and-mortar businesses, that’s no guarantee of success.
If you’ve recently launched an online startup or want to, you’re probably wondering what you can do to kickstart it into a successful venture. If so, keep reading. We’ll cover some of the secrets to making eCommerce startups a success.
Encourage User-Generated Content
Consider the last time you went shopping for a product or service online. Did you look at the marketing copy from the business? Maybe you did if only to get a sense of the product features or service offerings.
When it came to the actual decision, though, you probably read through online reviews from other customers. Most people do this because we trust other people more than we trust what companies say about their products or services.
Make it easy for people to post or talk about your content on your social media outlets. Encourage them to upload pictures videos of them using your product or service. Share that content.
Target a Market Segment
Every business likes to think that everyone in the world is their target market, but it’s true for almost no business that isn’t selling fast food hamburgers. There is a specific group of people out there that falls into the most likely to buy this product category.
Do your market research and target those customers with your ads and content.
Build a List
If you start a business online, you should also start an email list. That’s your list of customers or potential customers who opt-in on your homepage to receive newsletters. That list is the warmest market you can hope for in business.
When you do major releases or run promotions, you contact those people. A good portion of them will routinely buy your new product or service.
Good Visual Collateral
Major corporations spend a lot of time and money refining their visual collateral, such as color schemes and logos. Just consider how much the Apple logo evolved over the years. They don’t do that for fun.
A good logo and related graphical elements help customers connect with your brand. Don’t have a logo yet or aren’t happy with your current one? You can head over here to a design a logo free template to help you work up a new one.
Successful ECommerce Startups
Successful eCommerce startups don’t build themselves. You must take a practical approach to the process.
That means targeting the right market segment. Build trust with potential customers by encouraging user-generated content. Help customers identify with your brand with a good logo.
Build your email list. That list is made up of people who already told you they want to buy things from you.
Looking for more eCommerce tips? Check out the posts in our Business and Technology sections.