As we enter 2022, earning your income through online means is no longer something new. More and more people are running their businesses online, and new entrepreneurs have embraced the eCommerce industry. If you’re thinking of starting an eCommerce business, this brief guide is for you. We’ll go over the basics of running an eCommerce website, and how to make sure your business is successful amidst all the competition you will face in your chosen industry. 

Starting A Website

Obviously, the first step when trying to establish your online presence is to get a website up and running. This may sound simple, but there are many things that you need to consider. Here are a few:

• • Domain name: The domain name (what comes between “www” and “.com” when someone enters your website into the address bar of a browser) should be something easily remembered. You don’t want people to forget your website and go shopping elsewhere simply because they couldn’t remember what you named it.

• Site Architecture: You should make sure that your website is as user friendly as is possible. Add as many photos of the products you are selling, and test out the website to ensure that navigating is simple. Also, page loading times are incredibly important because a slow website will discourage shoppers from spending time on your website.

• Payment Options: One very important aspect of eCommerce websites that is often overlooked is the diversity of payment methods provided. You should aim to provide different ways for potential customers to pay for your products and services, and not limit them with one or two options.

Building Hype And Driving Traffic

Once you’ve got your website set up, you should start working on methods to drive traffic towards it so that people will actually buy from you. Social media marketing is one of the best methods used nowadays to build hype and establish an online presence, so utilize it. Don’t forget to boost your results by using websites like SocialGreg to buy Instagram likes or similar metrics so that social media and search engine algorithms will work in your favor.

Ideally, you should also work on a digital content marketing strategy for your website to keep potential customers from your target market engaged. What does this typically mean? It means posting content on social media regularly, even if it is not promotional content. For example, if your eCommerce website is selling camping gear, it’s best to post content that falls under the broad spectrum of the camping niche— even if there are no mentions of products sold on your website. Remember that today’s digital users are overwhelmed with advertising material and are likely to just scroll away if they feel they are being sold to. If they are interested in an article or video content that you post, they are likely to stick around. 

Distribution And Delivery

Another aspect of eCommerce that you should try to run as smoothly as possible is the distribution channel. We hear stories online and offline of people who ordered something from a website only to forget about it by the time it is finally delivered to their home. Regular post takes a lot of time, and there are often delays in delivery. Make sure to include the option for paid post, so that people can track their packages and receive their purchased goods prompt. 

A better option is to do away with regular post services altogether. Try to factor the cost of paid post into the delivery fees that you would charge your customers anyway. Many people would gladly pay for a more expensive item if there are no delivery fees, and would forgo a purchase simply because of the added cost of delivery. Even though the sum total amounts are the same, psychologically the consumer purchasing behavior changes. People read the words “free delivery” and automatically assume that means they are getting a better deal and go ahead with the purchase. 

Research

In every step of your eCommerce website development, you should put your target market at the forefront of your decisions. That is why it is standard business practice to first research your market demographics well and understand your target consumer. Not only should you have your target consumer defined, you should also have more than a basic understanding of their purchasing decisions and purchasing behavior in general. In turn, you will be able to build your marketing strategy and business model in such a way that your products are more appealing to your target consumer—leading to a more successful business.

Your market research should influence your decisions in every aspect of eCommerce website development. This includes your marketing approach, and even the types of products you should sell. For example, if you are selling coffee online, the way you present the product will differ if your target market is the younger generation or the older generation. Young people may care more about how the beans are sourced and the environmental impact of drinking your coffee. Those who have alreadt established a family may be more interested in convenience if it is not going to cost them too much. 

In short, you should try to relate to your target consumer and promote your products in such a way that is specifically appealing to them. Remember that the online marketplace is highly competitive, and you’d do best to be very specific in your marketing strategies and tactics.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve gone over the basics of running an eCommerce business website, you can get started easily. You may find it more feasible to hire a professional at certain points of development, but there is no rule saying you need to. Many webmasters are able to start and run an entire eCommerce website with no professional help at all. They depend on WordPress for setting up the website, and use standard marketing practices to infiltrate the market and find success in their respective industries.

You too, can run a successful eCommerce business from the comfort of your home, with a little hard work, dedication, and clever marketing.