Launching your first e-commerce business is exciting, overwhelming, and full of potential. That excitement can make it harder to know where to focus your time. Many entrepreneurs running online businesses end up starting several over the years, learning more about the industry each time they do so.
It’s not as simple as throwing up an online shop with any available products and making millions of dollars. The best online retailers build their brand, understand their customers, and stand out in crowded markets. They nurture relationships with their loyal customers and continue to find ways to bring in new traffic.
That’s all well and good for the seasoned expert, but how does the beginner start an e-commerce business that lasts?
They start with a few simple practices they carry forward with them as they grow.
Take Your Time
The beauty of online businesses is that you can technically launch at any moment. With an hour or two online, many people could slap together something they could put out to sell. However, that’s often not the best idea. Many beginners put pressure on themselves to launch as fast as possible. You often hear them telling themselves, “This should be easy.” Don’t stress yourself out and rush things.
While nothing will ever be “perfect,” you do want to do your research, build your funnel, and have some understanding of your audience and your goals.
Experiment!
It may be expensive when you’re first launching an e-commerce business to run many A/B tests. However, you don’t know your sales funnel’s true potential until you run a few tests. Even if your numbers are great, could they have been better if you’d done something differently?
If you can, get advice on your copy, your ads, and your store from experts so you can narrow down some of your best pieces and run fewer tests, but still, take the time to run tests where you can.
Don’t Skimp on Great Visuals For Your Products
Internet shopping is highly visual! Your product photos should be sharp, clean, and follow an overall branding aesthetic for your shop. These photos will sell your products as they get shared on social media, pinned on Pinterest, and placed in Google Shopping.
It’s a great idea to hire a professional to get the best product photos possible if you can. Make your products appealing and real to your customers so they can visualize having them in their hands.
One of the great things about online business is that you can always pivot. If you find yourself making mistakes like rushing your launch or posting poor photos, don’t get stuck on them. Take a step back, do it again, and move forward with your e-commerce goals.