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The year was 1980. There was a grand party at the headquarters of Crest toothpaste. The COO suggested that due to a knowledge-intensive environment, a new strategy must be devised. After a thorough brainstorming session, it was concluded that introducing new variations of the toothpaste would do good for the website development company. The suggestion was well-received within the organization and month 52 varieties of Crest toothpaste hit the shelves of the major supermarkets. Unfortunately, when Crest was working on its 52 variants, Colgate launched  ‘Colgate Total’. Just a single toothpaste that can clean the teeth and brighten your smile. Now, whenever the customer visits a store, they had two choices. Either they can choose from one Colgate, or they can choose from 52 variants of Crest. Let’s imagine the internal dialogue of the customer: ‘There are so many variations of Crest. Wow! They care so much. Wait, what? Do they have 52 variations? Are you kidding me? I don’t have the time to go through a ton of options; I just need one toothpaste that will do the job. Hmmm… Colgate seems to be okay for me.’   When presented with many choices, human beings tend to get confused. If you own a business or are planning to start one, you must first have a website. Now, you can either use internal resources or find someone who’s in the business of developing websites. There are more than 60,000 website development agencies out there in the U.S. This ginormous number makes it a near-impossible task to choose the right one. But why worry when you’ve got us? Allow us to take this burden off your shoulders. Here are some vital tips that you must consider before handling your website development job at a new agency.

First, Take a Look At Your Resources

Unless you’ve got a fortune stashed somewhere, you must look at the available resources in your firm. Developing an eCommerce website demands serious skills. Design sense, what type of content needs to go on the website, UI/UX design and development, testing, quality control, deciding on which eCommerce software platform to use, search engine optimization, and so on. If you or your team have the aforementioned non-exhaustive list of skills, then that would help you get your website launched quickly and also reduce the burden on your company’s wallet. However, most new and even established eCommerce stores often don’t have the required resources or time to develop their website. And that’s when getting a professional website developer on the board becomes imperative for a successful website launch. Now, that you’re all set, here are the factors that you must consider before hiring a professional website development agency for your eCommerce store.

Ask for the Portfolio

If there’s no harm in asking for extra ketchup at McDonald's. And no shame in asking for an extra pair of napkins at your favorite restaurant. Then why do people feel shy in asking for a portfolio? A website is the backbone of your company where your customers will come to purchase your products. The first impression of your customer in terms of UI and UX. Do you want to leave everything in the hands of a website agency with no confusing portfolio? I don’t think so. Ask them about their ongoing and finished eCommerce website projects. Also, learn as much as possible regarding their previous customers' work. Doing a background check along with evaluating the developers’ portfolio will help you ascertain whether they are capable enough to work on your website and make it successful.

Meeting the Deadlines

This indicator can easily be judged in the first few meetings with the client. Check the portfolio and gauge the amount of time that the vendor invests in each project. Ask about the challenges and the contingency plans that the web development company has in place in case of an emergency. If the company is experienced, they will be able to provide you with a clear-cut plan. Based on their expertise, the vendor will be able to inform you how much time each phase will take and what will the next course of action if the deadline is not met. You can also mutually discuss how the vendor will be compensating you in case deadlines are missed.

Response Time of the Agency

It is impossible to judge how efficient the developer is from the first meeting. However, after a few presales meetings, you can have a very clear picture of what levels of commitment and speed of delivery is the vendor going to demonstrate after you’ve hired them. If the representatives of the agency are not addressing your request for more information quickly and they present unjustifiable reasons for the delay, then get ready for not only missed deadlines, but also unfulfilled commitments. Cues such as the ones mentioned above are telltale signs that the person or the company you’re about to hire might not come up with the goods. Therefore, pay close attention to the way the developer deals with you in the first few interactions.

Explore the Web & Ask Around

The digital world has become one big family, always in touch with each other, courtesy of advancements in the telecom sector. To find the perfect developer what you can do is ask your contacts if they can refer anyone they might know. I have found this as the best way to find any vendor as it saves time on researching potential vendors. Another place you can find good developers is forums like Reddit or Quora. A lot of new web development companies and their customers are scouring these platforms to find each other. If you wish to gain access to bigger players, you can always visit famous digital agency marketplaces such as Upcity and Clutch. What these platforms offer is a comprehensive list of high-performance agencies and website developers based on several factors. Here you’ll be able to read reviews and stars given by their customers. If the digital community is speaking well about the brand, it means that the digital agency is doing something right, but if there are negative reviews, discuss those reviews with the digital agency and see what they have to say about it. Let them clarify what went wrong and what they did to fix the situation.

Look for an All-in-One Package

Usually, digital marketing agencies come with an all-in-one package. Unless you have some people working from your brand on the project, you might get some relief in your budget. It is wise to find an agency that comprises a team that would make sure not only the website functioning perfectly but also attracting scores of customers as well. A diverse team helps you brainstorm ideas and create something out of the ordinary. More heads mean more innovation. When you get all the information services in one place, it will be easier for you to stay updated with the progress that the agency is making.

To Wrap it All Up

Starting a business is a daunting task. And to keep it running smoothly and generate more business is even harder. That’s why if the first step, which is getting a working website, is not taken perfectly then the financial goals you wish to achieve will never see the light of the day. If your eStore doesn’t provide the best online shopping experience even if you have what they want in your inventory, chances of your customers jumping in someone else’s cart are very high. That’s why it is necessary to keep these tips in mind before reaching out to a professional web design agency for a shot at making it big in the eCommerce market.

Back in 2000, only 20% of people experimented with online shopping. Now, an astonishing 70% of people find online shopping a convenient way to buy things. In modern times, ecommerce business is a sure-shot way to succeed. If you have a product or a unique service, you can sell it online, and if the people trust you, they will buy from you without getting on your nerves. However, there is a catch to it. Even if you have your product on the website, there is no guarantee that the customer will buy from you. Trust me, I have been through the tossing and turning nights, anxiously waiting for a lead. However, how about you get some help from the experts? Won’t that be good? Confiding in you some of my personal best, tried and tested ecommerce business secrets which when done right can boost your sales and help you generate orders.

8 eCommerce Business Secrets

1. Domain Comes First

Find a domain name which is unique and catchy, and check its availability. Register the title before it gets acquired. Good advice is that when you sit down to search for the domain, keep your credit card handy. As soon as you get an available domain, purchase it. Go for a reliable and robust hosting service provider.

2. Focus on the Design Part

Your design will impact the way customers perceive your brand. If the customer is well-engaged in the first few seconds, this is an excellent win for you. There are a lot of modern-day ecommerce solutions that offer addictive ecommerce website design solutions. However, you need to have some basic knowledge of custom designs.

3. What is the Structure that You’re Willing to Follow?

There are tons of options from which you can choose, which type of business structure you’re willing to opt for. It can either be a corporation, a sole proprietor, or even a partnership. Based on this structure, you’ll be able to know how much you are willing to expand your business. If you decide this in the early stage, it will be easier for you to scale your business. Many complexities occur while you climb higher in the industry.

4. Make Sure to Get the Business License First

You’re running an ecommerce business. This doesn’t exempt you from acquiring permits and licenses. Study the rules of the country and the state that you are operating from. Every country has its own regulations. Getting the weight off your shoulders as soon as possible is best advised.

5. Market Early, Scale Fast

They say that an early bird gets all the good worms. Regardless of the budget you have set aside for your startup, you must devise a smart marketing solution strategy to expand your business reach.

6. Get Productive with Online Productivity Software

Technology can either make you or break you. To run an ecommerce business, you must provide every possible help to the customer. When the internal processes of the company are streamlined, it will be easier for your business to grow. You should use risk management software, product management software, and customer management software to take some strain off your employees.

7. Keep Your Inventory Aside

Amazon started in a garage with two employees. Now operating with over 140 warehouses and 613,300 employees. To scale an ecommerce business, it’s necessary to do some inventory. Figure out your best-selling products and put them on sale. Find new ways to generate leads on those items.

8. Make Your Business Scalable

This is one of the most significant mistakes that website owners make. They start from scratch, and at times, they forget the core factors that make them successful. Don’t overlook the tiny elements that turn into something colossal over time. If you’re willing to scale your business, it is essential to look into these elements and see how each aspect is responding to change. Whether you’re running an ecommerce business or anything like selling, it is essential to know what is causing some products or even a single section to draw more orders over others.

Over to You

It takes hard work to generate sales and convert it into leads. However, to get it done, it is essential to follow these ecommerce business tips. The fierce competition is fierce, but to succeed, you must develop a strategy that brings traffic on your website and makes your business sustainable.

There is a special feeling you get when you experience something for the first time, when you become an owner of an E-commerce Store. I’m sure you don’t remember the first step you took as a toddler. The softness of the carpet, the rush of blood to your head, the raptures of glee, the peals of giggles erupting from your lips. Although you were not able to explain the feeling at that time, that memory must linger with you in some form. People don’t usually forget their first of anything. The first job. The first business. the first love. And the first sales. I remember when I received the first order for my e-commerce website, I jumped for one straight hour in excitement. However, it’s only when the initial joy and thrill run their course, does the reality of what lies ahead creep in. For instance, e-commerce store owners face a good deal of trouble when starting their e-commerce store or generating sales. The toughest part for an Entrepreneur is to take the plunge and outdistance themselves from their competitors. Here are 8 challenges that e-commerce owners face while starting their e-commerce store and how to solve them:

1. Your Loved Ones Already Know, Now What?

Don’t you have anything productive to do? Why are you wasting time & money on a useless idea? What is the point of leaving a viable job and walking on eggshells? These are not just random solicitations. These are a few questions I was bombarded with when I told my family and friends that I was launching my e-commerce website. I tried to explain from eight different angles, but everyone thought I was wasting time and my hard-earned savings on a useless idea. I took to my library, switched off my phone, and even tried to avoid all the conflicts as much as possible. If only I could peek into the future at that time and flaunt my future sales report to show them that I was not wrong. I realized that at the end of the day, it was all about what matters the most. And thanks to some good old self-help books, I learned how not to sweat over the small stuff and look at the bigger picture. Will these questions matter after 5 years? I guess not. And this is what kept me going day in and day out.

2. Piles of Products

You imported thousands of products just because you were too excited about your idea. Now, these products are lying forlornly in the recesses of your garage. The core of the issue is that when you create a website using some e-commerce platform, right in the front it shows that you just have 20 products in the store. This makes you crazy. What? I’m just selling 20 products. And you take out your credit card and order tons more products because your competitors have 500+ products in their stores. Good Entrepreneurs invest time in doing market research. Instead of ordering 200 products. Order just 25 products and make an ad on Facebook, pen down an attention-grabbing ad copy, and you’re all ready to make some sales. There is an unlimited amount of potential to market your products. Devise a marketing plan. Study the life of uber-successful Entrepreneurs and follow what is working for them.

3. Fear of Failure

Most Entrepreneurs start to develop a fear of failure after the initial tremors of criticism. The internal dialogue goes like this:

• I’ve failed at so many things. What if I fail at this too?
• What if people don’t buy my products?
• What if people don’t trust my products?

The thing with failure is that, if you don’t experience it, how will you move out of your comfort zone? If you don’t succeed the first time, there are so many other ways in which you have room to succeed. It’s all about the mindset. Instead of treating every failure as a setback, change your internal dialogue and treat it as a character-building day. Of course, you’re allowed to be sad for a night. But not more than that. Take the failure and fuel yourself for success. Instead of treating it as a failure, call it a preparation for your success. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bujIb_sQZvQ

4. Choosing the Wrong Products

You have this amazing product. You started promoting it. No sales yet. You wait for 2 days and still no sales. One week and still no sales. If there are no sales, how will you pay the bills? Maybe there is nothing wrong with the website design, the usability of the website, and the marketing that you’re doing. Maybe it’s just that you’re selling the wrong product or the right product to the wrong target audience. There are tools on the internet which will help you search for the top-grossing products. Never make the mistake of selling the right product to the wrong market and vice versa. Let’s be honest. Facebook won’t get you to skyrocket your sales if you are selling it to the wrong audience. You must experience the products with different people. Diversify your target audience until you hit the target.

5. You Freeze Up

You spend the night dreaming about your online store. And you did well at the start. Suddenly you get the impression that something is not right. You face a calamity and think that perhaps you missed out on something. In short, you’re freaking out. Brainstorming and turning your idea into reality are two different things. Mostly, Entrepreneurs freeze up because they have bitten off more than they can chew. In a limited amount of time, they must keep watch on the competitors, generate new ideas, close some big guns, and synchronize the team on a single goal. Whenever you feel like quitting, the best thing to do is to start breaking things into smaller chunks and analyze those blocks. Be it a grand project or a seasonal event that you need to handle, there is always a solution for it. You cannot do all the things yourself which is why you need to hire people who are smarter than you. Assign tasks and trust your gut feelings.

6. Where to Start?

This thought plagues most e-commerce store owners right before launching the store. So many products, so many payment gateways, and so many variables to deal with. Who to trust? And who to fire right at the start? One common trait of highly successful people is that they read a lot. Buy every book you can and attend every seminar on how to start a business? Listen, read, and apply the strategies that seem to be working for other people. Simply reading the books won’t be enough. You’ve to execute stuff fast. As Seth Godin quotes in his blog, ‘Even if the product is not ready, ship it fast and make it better later!’ If you think that some idea is not good enough. Execute it on a small scale and see the response. Overnight success is a myth. You must work hard on every aspect of your startup.

7. Don’t Get Lost in the Blackhole of Negativity

It’s easy to lose your way in the vast chasm of negativity and question everything before the launch. The sleepless nights might force you to delay your business launch. One small problem can escalate and throw you into a cycle of negativity. When you find yourself spiraling downwards, you can start asking questions to clear away the clutter. Will this matter 5 years from now? What is the best that you can do in this situation? Who is responsible and what is your responsibility in the matter?

8. Create Engaging Content

You might be the greatest marketer, but if you lack useful content writing skills, you’ll be doomed. In the start, Entrepreneurs might be apprehensive about writing stuff for the brand. If you read well, you can write better. Pick and choose writers who are doing great. Subscribe to Copy Blogger, Seth Godin, Forbes, and Fast Company blogs. Check how they are creating the content Use persuasion to create attention-grabbing content. Be it a company page or a product description, ask yourself. What will force the users to pick your product over others? Inform, Educate, and tell your customers why your product or service can solve their problem. And write that for them to read.

Conclusion

As humans, we all experience obstacles in our lives. The mental barriers that we create usually create a roadblock for us. Sometimes the easiest way to move out from negativity is to ask yourself different questions. Other times you’ll need a little practice to throw the negativity away and get back on track. Failure is not a bad thing. But making the same mistakes again and again will cost you a fortune.

Some of the best tactics that top online retailers have up their sleeves are the easiest to execute. We’ve compiled the ultimate ecommerce lessons that online retailers have taught us. And how you can copy their exact strategies without breaking a sweat. If you’re trying to automate more of your business, you need to keep reading. In 2017, an estimated 1.6 billion people purchased goods online, which resulted in a revenue of 2.3 trillion US dollars for the ecommerce industry. And the revenue growth potential for the year 2021 is estimated to be 4.48 trillion dollars. Running an ecommerce business is not at all complicated. If you have the right guidance, you can stop being run-of-the-mill and enjoy your next holiday in peace.

1. Freebies Like Sephora

What is more appealing than adding a product to your cart and getting some freebies for it? If you’ve ever shopped with Sephora, you might be astonished at the way Sephora treats its customers at the checkout. You will get birthday gifts, loyalty bonus packs, and even free samples to make you feel special. It is not just about having so much stuff. It is also about the unboxing experience of these free items. Customers don’t just adore these trial-sized items; they fall in love with the brand, and end up buying the actual product.

2. Trending Outfits by Dynamite

A research conducted by Nielsen revealed that a whopping 92% of people will trust a recommendation from a peer. While 70% are prone to trusting an endorsement from someone they don’t even know. If you struggle to match the best tie to a shirt like me, coming up with the perfect ensemble for your next big party would leave you breaking out a sweat. Thanks to Dynamite which solves this problem by displaying the trending outfits to its users. This gives all confused customers a chance to buy something trendy without feeling sorry for themselves.  And as for Dynamite, their sales per order values increase by banding together products that complement each other. So, instead of customers buying just one product, they are now purchasing a bundle of products just because they complete a chic look together and seem to be looking hip to other people. How can you do it? You can create your own gallery and sort out the products by the number of sales in that specific category. You can even offer discounts on products which are trending, as customers are already buying the product.

3. Retargeting by Hudson’s Bay

Have you ever purchased a product from Amazon but, for some reason, forgot to complete the order? Yes, I did it more than once, and in return, I got an email holding out the olive branch, offering me a discount as an incentive to make me complete my order. Surely, retargeting is something which when done right, can work wonders for you. An excellent example is from Hudson’s Bay, where the company invests a fortune in retargeting customers. Customers will be approached by a couple of ad platforms if they have abandoned their cart on Hudson’s Bay. You’ll see their ads on Facebook and Google, and even on YouTube if you have shown even a little interest in their products. The best part is that the market in a subtle way, which makes it easier for the consumer to take in information without feeling odd. If you are experiencing difficulty in retargeting, go for Shoelace – a retargeting platform for online stores. It is an automation program which gives you the ability to optimize your landing pages and render them more appealing.

4. Loyalty Programs Like 100% Pure

What if you can get reward points for every dollar you spend? 100% Pure tinkered around with this idea, and in an instant, they were able to gather hundreds of loyal customers for their website. Whenever you make a purchase, you’ll be given reward points. Based on those rewards, you’ll get perks such as free shipping, exclusive offers, discount vouchers, and more. Of course, you cannot afford to give reward points for every dollar, but you can surely create some smart rewards which can glue customers to your website.

5. No One Does Affiliate Marketing Like MVMT

Recently acquired for a whopping $100 million, the company MVMT has a very fine affiliate program to skyrocket its viral reach. This program has great perks for influencers. It’s a win-win situation if you ask me. In return for promoting the brand to their social networks, ambassadors get gift vouchers, commission, and even points which can be availed later. This helps the brand cut down on hefty marketing costs, as the influencers do an excellent job with email newsletters, paid ads, and content marketing. By working with top affiliates and influencers, the brand’s popularity skyrocketed online in no time, which likely helped them get acquired.

6. Personal Email Marketing with Drake

Normally, people hesitate to give away email addresses since they do not want their inboxes flooded with sales emails that brands send out without a clear goal in mind. But not with Drake. As soon as you enter their website, you’ll see an opt-in button at the top. This means that the brand is not forcing you to subscribe to the emails. Only after users punch in their email addresses are they asked for their birthdays and full names so that a more personalized experience can be created for them. Once you’re satisfied with the service, it is then that you subscribe to email updates. And from the moment you do that, the crew at Drake will make it necessary to create a mind-boggling experience for you. Not only does it collect your email address, but it also offers you a discount code just for opting in. So, it can also help you score some sales.

The Conclusion

Whether you take these lessons with you or not, there is one thing that you need to keep in mind while running an ecommerce store. In the end, it all comes down to making customers happy and leaving them with a smile. Being a customer-focused brand doesn’t need to be a huge time investment; it just needs some smart strategies to get your things in order.

Product pages are the most vital components of an ecommerce website which help customers decide whether to check out or abandon the shopping cart. Unfortunately, they are often the most neglected elements of the sales funnel. Remember, the main purpose of your product page is to tell customers why your product is the best fit for them and how it solves their problems. Eye-catching images and well-written descriptions are important, but various other elements help customers make an informed buying decision. When it comes to designing your product pages, even the smallest detail can leave a significant impact on the conversion rate of your website. An awe-inspiring and delightful product page incorporates elements that unambiguously inform prospective buyers, send trust signals, highlight all the notable features of the product, and improve customer experience. If you want to improve your conversion rate, enhance customer experience, and get ahead of your competition. Here are some mind-blowing and truly effective product page optimization techniques that will surely give you the expected results.

1. Add an Element of Storytelling

A recent study suggests that a product description which narrates a riveting and inspiring story has more potential to convert a customer than a standard product copy. By leveraging the prowess of storytelling, you can boost your chances of getting more conversions and fortifying brand loyalty. Let’s take Seattle Cider as an example. The company claims that their cider is not your standard, run-of-the-mill cider. They have a hooking story to vouch for them. They capitalized on eye-catching and high-definition images of their cider selection complemented with beautiful label designs that clearly explain what makes their Cider products different from others and what makes their products so special. The brand beautifully explains what goes on in its products, where each ingredient is lovingly procured from, and the love and diligence that go into concocting the final products.

2. Add Product Videos

One of the major hitches of online shopping is not being able to feel, touch, and judge the products you are aspiring to buy. Though adding pictures of your products is effective, a short video that gives an in-depth look at your product can make sure that prospective buyers make a well-informed purchase decision.

We craft beautiful experiences and digital products that grow businesses

Look at the example of SideBelts, where they are using the power of video to show their products in action.

3. Use Social Proof

More than 70% of people trust content from other customers as opposed to a brand’s claims. A study suggests that one out of four consumers are more likely to purchase a product after seeing user-generated visual content. Ecommerce websites can leverage user-generated content to instill confidence and trust in their consumers and coax them into taking the plunge. Ecommerce brands can use text-based customer reviews and user-generated images on their product pages, which will eventually serve as a visual social proof that can directly influence the buying decisions of potential customers. MVMT Watches is intelligently using customer reviews on their product pages to win over the trust of customers. Meller, a sunglasses brand, uses a trick to convince potential customers to hit the buy button by integrating customers’ pictures and videos on their product pages. When customers see authentic customer images and how other people are using these products. It fosters trust, boosts retention, and causes conversions to skyrocket.

4. Explain Your Product Features Uniquely

To increase your conversion rate and profitability, you need to carefully review your product feature explanation strategy. Instead of simply listing down the characteristics and features of your product in a droning manner. Try to explain how consumers can use the product and how they can benefit from it. Here’s an excellent example of Volkswagen. Instead of simply jotting out the merits of their products, they take an interactive approach to building your car. The brand highlights different customization features you can choose from, before giving you a detailed look at the car and how it can affect the price. Let’s take another example of Fitbit Charge. The product page beautifully explains how the product works, allowing users to hover over different features while explaining why these features matter the most and how they can make a difference in the users’ lives.

Your Turn

These are a few suggestions that will surely help you optimize your product pages for better usability, customer experience, and conversions. Remember, every business, customer, and product is different. Before implementing any of these changes, make sure that you conduct A/B testing to check what makes the most sense and what you should avoid doing.

Today, online businesses are growing at a much faster rate than traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Many local retail stores, craft makers, and even bloggers have started selling their products and services online. According to Statista, global retail sales of e-commerce are expected to generate more than 653 billion US dollars in 2018. If truth be told, e-commerce is the fastest growing and one of the most profitable industries to date. With online retail sales snowballing at a rapid rate, now is the right time to build your e-commerce website and boost your sales. However, creating a perfect e-commerce website may sound like a huge undertaking, but the process isn’t all that complicated. Starting an e-commerce business entails a lot of dedication, arduous work, commitment, and some important steps.

9 Tips to Create a Lucrative E-commerce Website

Here are some essential tips and tricks that can help you better understand the process of building a lucrative e-commerce website from scratch. Let’s dive in.

1. Choose the Right Products to Sell

One of the most important and challenging steps to build your e-commerce website is to find the products you want to sell online. Coming up with a unique product idea can be tough because the most popular and common product categories are riddled with fierce competition. Consumers are just one click away from e-commerce giants such as Amazon, Zappos, eBay, Walmart, and Best Buy. Therefore, it is advised to choose a product that you can position uniquely. Solving your customers’ pain points is always a great idea to drive sales. You can simply identify a problem or deficit and try to capitalize on it by doing it in a different and better way.

2. Figure Out Where to Obtain Your Products

Once you have come up with a new product idea to sell online, now is the time to figure out where to find your products. You can simply look for a manufacturer to produce your own products or find a supplier, wholesaler, or distributor to purchase already existing products from. There are many online supplier directories such as Alibaba, Oberlo, ThomasNet, Kompass, AliExpress, and more which provide a list of vendors to choose from.

3. Register Your Business

This is one of the obvious steps towards building an e-commerce website. Name your online store and find an appropriate and available domain name that will identify your online business. You can buy a domain for your e-commerce website from GoDaddy, Google Domains, Register.com, Domain.com, and more.

4. Choose a Hosting Platform

It is advised to choose an e-commerce hosting platform that can save both time and money. WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Shopify are the most popular e-commerce platforms that make it easier to integrate plugins and payment processes.

5. Build Your E-commerce Website

Once you have decided on a business name and got your domain registered. Now is the right time to build a website for your new business. To save time, many websites offer a host of innumerable e-commerce website themes. You can choose one that allows you to showcase your products in the best viable way. You can simply download a template from websites that offer beautiful e-commerce website templates and themes. All templates are 100% mobile friendly, fully customizable, affordable, and open source, allowing you to pick one that best caters to your business vision. These DIY online e-commerce website builders can create websites in a jiffy, allowing you to start selling products immediately. If you want to build your e-commerce website professionally and incorporate more features and specialized unique options to meet the unique needs of your customers. Hire a professional web design agency that can give you an out-of-the-box e-commerce website solution. Explore a list of top e-commerce web design companies here.

6. Create a SEO Plan

You are almost ready to launch your e-commerce website, but before you jump into it, create an effective SEO strategy to enhance the visibility of your website. Optimizing your website for Google and other search engines is indispensable to help them understand what your online store is about and what it sells. This will increase your website visibility by increasing the chances of appearing higher in search results when potential customers are looking for the products that your store sells.

7. Choose a Shipping Strategy

When it comes to launching your new business, you need to determine your shipping strategy. In order to make sure that your customers glean a seamless experience, map out your shipping process. There are some key factors such as shipping rates, process, product weights, preferred packaging, and packaging sources that must be kept in mind. While devising shipping strategies for your online business.

8. Set up the Payment Gateway

As an online store, you should provide multiple payment options for your customers to provide greater convenience that will ultimately increase your chances of getting more sales. There are many online payment options such as:

• Credit/debit/prepaid card payments
• Bank transfers
• Digital wallets
• Cash
• Amazon Payments
• Bitcoin
• Dwolla
• Intuit Payment Network
• PayPal
• Authorize.net
• 2Checkout
• BluePay
• WooRockets.com.

Take some time to research and decide what is best for your online store and what most of your customers prefer to use.

9. A/B Testing

Before launching your e-commerce website, you should invest in A/B testing. Prudently test everything from landing pages and images, pricing, and checkout processes, to emails and web copy. Make sure that your website works perfectly across smartphones, tablets, and other devices. Some A/B testing tools such as Google Analytics Content Research, Optimizely, Visual Website Optimizer, Unbounce, and more can help you optimize your site.

You are All Set to Launch

Finally, it’s time to launch your website with Branex. Remember that starting an e-commerce website is a detailed and complex process - from choosing a product to sell and finding suppliers to building, launching, and driving sales. Following these nine essential steps will ensure that your e-commerce website is launched in a timely manner that will eventually become a profitable business.

Online shopping and the E-commerce industry is gaining ground globally. The initial fears that hindered buyers from purchasing products online are long gone. Many new businesses are hopping onto the E-commerce bandwagon, which has led to an increase in competition. With so many E-commerce stores out there and many more joining the fray, how could you make your E-commerce store stand out to get noticed? How to create a perfect E-commerce store that attracts, converts, closes, and delights online shoppers all at the same time? If you are looking for an answer to this question then, you are at the right place. Here is an infographic that will show you how to create a perfect E-commerce website by following some best practices.

Instagram has been the most powerful and effective platform for visual storytellers for years because of its main focus on appealing photography, mesmerizing cinematography, and striking videography. The whopping number of the app’s user base makes Instagram a result-driven and attractive platform for merchants to showcase and sell their products. Instagram shopping was first made possible last year when the social media network launched Instagram shoppable posts; an integration feature that makes it easier to tag and sell products directly from organic Instagram posts. Now consumers can go from inspiration to information to purchase in a matter of a few clicks in a completely organic way. Instagram users can buy their favorite items by simply tapping on a link and purchasing it from the seller’s online store without leaving the app. With Instagram shoppable posts, brands have a tremendous opportunity to connect with their potential customers by quickly providing them with all the relevant information, such as product description, pricing, relevant or matching items, and more with a single click without having to switch between apps. https://vimeo.com/209655799 If you haven’t taken advantage of Instagram shopping yet, now’s the time to create Instagram shoppable posts and start generating more revenue.

Why Create Instagram Shoppable Posts?

Instagram shoppable posts make it easier for brands to sell their products with minimal effort and provide a convenient way for consumers to make a purchase. With Instagram shoppable posts, brands and retailers can tag products in organic posts, allowing consumers to tap on the product to find out the desired information. Adding shopping tags can further promote your brand while allowing you to invest more in sponsored posts that will eventually bring more and more users. Instagram shopping offers a seamless experience for users who want complete information about products. This feature gives users an easy way to buy the product without having to leave the app. Instagram shopping allows users to delve deeper into products from the brands they love and follow. Making your posts shoppable makes it extremely convenient for consumers to know more about what they are looking at and complete their buying journey. This is indeed a huge deal for retailers and e-commerce brands that sell products online. As it allows businesses to easily connect their potential customers with the products they sell while streamlining the Instagram buying journey.

How Does Instagram Shopping Work?

Instagram shopping is based on a tagging option but instead of people, only brands will be able to tag products. Users can see the name and price of the product. By clicking on the tag, users will be taken to a more detailed page where they can find complete product details, similar products, and other shoppable posts. If a user clicks on the Shop Now button, they will be directed to that specific product on the business website.

Why is Instagram Shopping a Great Option for Small Businesses?

Previously, Instagram allowed brands to incorporate only one hyperlink in their bio and snubbed at the inclusion of external links in posts. Thanks to Instagram shopping, it has become a breeze for users to purchase the exact item that they are looking at, rather than being directed to a link in bio to peruse through the site and content with the hassle of unearthing what had caught their fancy on Instagram. By leveraging this Instagram feature more strategically, you can boost your chances of getting more conversions, and eventually sales. But it will only be possible when you have a massive, engaged follower base. You can create a huge following on Instagram and foster authentic connections with your cliques by keeping up a constant stream of engaging posts and user-generated content. People who trust your brand and feel connected to you are more likely to purchase from you.

Post Visually Alluring Photos

Keep in mind that Instagram is a visual platform. You won’t be able to nurture an authentic connection with your followers if your images appear unprofessional, run-of-the-mill, or unappealing. You will also fail to reel in your audience with blurry, cluttered, low-res, and dark images that fail to elucidate your products in the best possible light. If you really want to sell your products on Instagram, it is advised to inspire your audience and narrate your brand story with real, catchy, and professionally captured images, which are enticing enough to coax the users into a purchase. Instead of simply posting lackadaisical images of your products, inspire your audience with real ideas using items that you sell in your store. For instance, if you sell silk scarfs, why not post creative pictures of ways in which your product can be tied up or turned into a makeshift top perhaps? Tell them an inspirational story about your products which may encourage your followers to make a purchase.

Over to You

Brands should take advantage of Instagram shopping as the convenience of not having to leave the app encourages many shoppers to make instant purchases. Since people spend a lot of time on Instagram, brands and retailers have tremendous opportunities to promote and sell their products by creating an influx of Instagram shoppable posts. They have made it easier for consumers to make purchases on Instagram with a few clicks. Add shoppable posts to your Instagram marketing strategy and increase your chances of soliciting more conversions, leads, and in turn, revenue.

This blog highlights the inspiring journeys of entrepreneurs who transformed small startups into thriving e-commerce businesses. We all start a new one. Remember the day when a child is born. He seems like such a helpless little thing, incapable of surviving the harshness of the world. But with a little external support, love, care, and a will to grow. He not only learns to walk, think, and speak but eventually becomes independent without anyone teaching him. This is how the cycle of life runs on! The same happens with online ventures. Entrepreneurs around the world do have the opportunity to venture out into the field of their interest. However, an increasing number of people are putting their bets on online businesses. It isn’t simply because of its burgeoning popularity. But because the online realm is ripe for the picking, unfolding a world of opportunities that they could cultivate in the future. In the digital lines of businesses, an e-commerce website is a prominent and lucrative choice for business owners to start with. Not only does an e-commerce website liquidate quickly. However, the product range continues to swell with the expansion of the parent brand itself. As the business owner continues to learn new techniques of online marketing and embarks on a never-ending journey of evolution. The brand grows too with a prominent and more loyal customer base. However, not all e-commerce website projects are fortunate enough to sustain through the first year of their birth. Many fail and fall somewhere in the middle and get wiped out, but, the internet is replete with success stories that can boost the morale of a prospective e-commerce website owner and also communicate some business vitals that can be helpful in the future.

$170,000 Sales in 10 Months, How?

Bushwick Kitchen is an online retailer of hot sauces, hailing from Brooklyn New York. They created tantalizing recipes for their piquant range of hot sauces by leveraging simple ingredients found in an everyday kitchen. Their top-selling item is the hot sriracha sauce concocted from an exotic blend of chilies, garlic, and vinegar, kicking up the heat in anything it is added to. However, things weren’t as lucrative for Bushwick at the onset, as they appear now. What they focused on was a 3 step formula that helped them succeed. It was:

• Recognition of a problem with the target audience
• A Competitor analysis
• Formulating a solution that was better than their competitors.

By effectively branding their product “MixedMade”, they managed to bag a whopping sales of $170,000 within the first 10 months of their launch. How did they manage to score growth of almost 2,200% in such a startlingly short time? One bounding reason that pushed the product out in front of a vast audience was the extensive press coverage it received. The co-founders were determined not to leave any stone unturned when it came to achieving their press targets. Two major hurdles to their immediate growth were the lack of supplies and PayPal temporarily suspending their online accounts after witnessing the abnormal payment figures. Not only did the cofounders persevere in the face of adversity, but they also made sure to diversify their payment mechanisms. So that in the event of one authority suspending their payments, their cash flow could follow other channels. Now, this is what you call smart business.

Bridge the Gap and Make a Fortune

"Threadless” is the brainchild of innovative thinking and the adaptive mindset of a new-age entrepreneur, Jake Nickell. It all started when Nickell and his partner Jacob started pushing out T-shirt design contests on a website called Dreamless.org, in an attempt to introduce crowdsourcing to the otherwise humdrum realm of T-shirt design. Aspiring designers would post their designs to the website and visitors were asked to vote on their favorite designs. The best entries from the contest were printed on t-shirts and then sold for profit. Soon after the first batch of t-shirts were printed, they launched their very own venture “Threadless” and independent artists started sending them their original creations, for a hefty commission upon the selection of their designs. The company has been growing at double-digit percentage rates annually and sells millions of tees every year. The reason behind the thriving success of Threadless lies in its community service. The e-commerce store moved miles ahead of the typical brick-and-mortar e-commerce business models and actually made an effort to bridge the gap between customers and the creators. By crafting an opportunity that revolves around a rudimentary customer behavior; a yearning to be different. By staying vigilant about the new trends, the business created a fortune. While concurrently providing a platform for design hobbyists to showcase their creations and receive appreciation in the form of online print orders. By giving a voice to their customers, Threadless made customers feel like an indispensable part of their business by giving them the option to decide what they want the company to manufacture. Not every e-commerce business can manage to do it. Thankfully, the founders have an eye for realizing the gap that exists in the market, and in an attempt to bridge that chasm. They also created an equally rewarding opportunity for designers along the way.

Exploring New Channels to Soar Sales

Say hello to Raw Generation. A pure-organic juice company based in Middletown NJ. The venture is owned by the 30 year old Jessica Geier who is also a certified health coach. While the business had its ups and downs in the beginning, thanks to the proactive approach of the founder, their sales grew to $96,000 from $8,000 in just ONE month. Here’s how? Deal sites are a common online phenomenon now and many entrepreneurial ventures take their help to increase their sales. Raw Generation was no exception. They also solicited help from Lifebooker which is a relatively smaller deal site than its counterparts. The good thing was that the business only had to pay for actual sales to the online seller. Since the entrepreneur was operating on a shoestring budget, she decided to explore one avenue that could increase sales instead of whiling away her meager finances. Deal sites proved a fluke of luck for her. Instead of getting her hands dirty in online paid advertising or social media boosts. She opted for deal sites and focused completely on them, resulting in creating multiple deals in just over 2 weeks. The catch for any budding business owner is the tenacity that Jessica harbored, helping her create deals that translated to a multi-figure increase in sales for her brand.

Conclusion

Things tend to appear easier and simpler from afar, but once you step into the realm of entrepreneurship yourself. Your path is ridden with snakes that threaten to throw you to the bottom. Paying attention to details, and putting together an extensive competitor analysis. And creating a value proposition for the target audience are only a few check pointers that should be achieved before embarking on the strenuous journey of entrepreneurship. Another point that should never be compromised upon is the design of your e-commerce website. Since it’s the first point of contact with your potential customers. It should be appealing and user-friendly to help attract more visitors and keep them riveted. We suggest that you leave the hassle of designing to credible e-commerce website design services in the United States to avoid bounce rates and garner a professional-looking, aesthetically pleasing web presence. A professionally created design that is fine-tuned to minimize flaws only gets better with time. In addition, the business acumen that you strive to develop further translates into the success of your online venture down the lane.

The demand for E-commerce is rising dramatically in the current times and with the rising demand. Contenders are joining in making the market reach its saturation point. For any ecommerce website business, creating and launching an online business is definitely a daunting task that requires significant efforts both in terms of research and development. However, marketplaces exist to make the lives of e-commerce business owners easier and allow them to focus on their business, its strengths, and the opportunities that can be availed. Today, custom web development agencies offer different development opportunities to help your online e-commerce business get off the ground, and looking at them for the sake of is really not a bad idea. You can also get help from marketplaces to boost your online business. A marketplace is an online reseller of your products that may also host it for you. Multiple online marketplaces are also highly visible to online users which many of us already know about. To name the giants, Amazon and eBay are the two most famous ones. Also Read: How To Start An E-commerce Business? Let us see now some of the prominent advantages of using an online marketplace to publicize your product:

Helps You Gain Visibility in the Non-traditional Audience

One of the main reasons for hosting your products on an online marketplace is to gain visibility among the not-so-traditional audience that also affects the traffic on your website, positively. Along with the interested audience, there will be targets that were not too interested in your product but might help the overall ecommerce website industry as they may purchase the product later on from you or some other online resource.

Easy Liquidity of Slow-moving Goods

Another reason why online sellers host their products on several marketplaces is to quickly liquidate slow-moving goods. Since online marketplaces have a huge and diverse traffic of online shoppers on them, therefore a product that might not be a running product on your eCommerce website can become a cash cow on this other marketplace that you choose to host your product on.

To Pinpoint Search Engine Optimization Efforts on a Smaller Line of Products

Search engine optimization is among the best practices for achieving a good influx of interested traffic on your website design. Custom web design agencies make it a point to offer reliable and affordable search engine optimization services to their clients so that their business may shine and this can also be a reason for you to choose a marketplace for your products. One of your products is enjoying the limelight in the marketplace through its dedicated search engine efforts. You can focus on a smaller line of products that you may have launched not too long ago and opt to converge all your efforts in the search engine optimization of this product to achieve better visibility.

Customer’s Trust on Marketplaces

Popular marketplaces become popular after spending a significant time in the industry and they have invested momentous efforts to gain the position they are at. Customers also trust these popular sources to shop due to their strong brand heritage and industry presence. Business owners choose to list their products on such marketplaces not only because of the large customer base that they can get but because of the credibility too that these marketplaces brings to their products.

They Offer Innovation

An online marketplace is a huge collection of products listed under various categories. This automatically makes them very big, both as an entity and in terms of online traffic as well. To keep their game on the top level, they keep inventing themselves, by introducing newer product ranges and by instilling newer technologies they make the entire user browsing experience fulfilling for online customers. Now that we know how a marketplace can help your product and you as a business owner. Let us look into some effective tips for choosing a viable marketplace for your product offerings:

How to Choose a Marketplace For Your Product?

There are several things that a business owner must consider before finalizing the decision. It’s always easy to choose an established marketplace but with that, you are also offering yourself up to the mercy of the competition that bigger marketplaces have. Irrespective of the size, a marketplace that is well adapted to your product type can help in increasing sales dramatically.

According to Categories

Marketplaces categorize different products into well-placed product categories. These categories are created to help customers in finding the product of their interest with ease. These categories help filter down the products in front of the customers and foster better visibility.

According to the Costs Involved

Normally, whenever you choose to list your product on a marketplace there is a minimum monthly subscription involved that enables you to host your product. For smaller ecommerce businesses, a higher hosting cost means increasing the burden and risk.

Ease of Payment and Security

Popular marketplaces offer multiple payment options to online customers along with data security. This is exactly why people prefer to buy from places like Amazon and eBay instead of an e-commerce website that is fairly new in the market. For a business owner where to sell online makes it easier to compare multiple online marketplaces to finalize one to host their products. So now that we know how to evaluate a marketplace for our product hosting. Let us have a look at how to sell on marketplaces with increased efficiency:

How to Sell on Marketplaces?

So you know now why you should sell through a marketplace, but we are not done yet. How to sell is a question that is still unanswered. Let’s learn now:

What Products to Sell?

If you are thinking about your best sellers, you are absolutely wrong. The idea of selling on marketplaces is to bring traffic from popular resources to your website. If you put your best selling product on the marketplace for sale you are actually offering your prized possession to someone else, and no sane person does it. Keep them to you only so that the loyalty of your customers remains intact with you only, and put a less-selling product on a marketplace so that its sales boost and can also bring traffic to your website due to the increased visibility that it will receive on the marketplace.

What Information Should You Put There?

Make sure to put every relevant information about your product on the marketplace without missing out on even one point. Since it’s an external resource, missing information means missing out on a probable lead. That being said, do not attempt to copy and paste information from one resource to another. Doing this may cause an error in your search engine optimization efforts and may result in a marketplace content duplicate which the search engine as well as the marketplace won’t like. I hope you enjoyed reading the article and hope it is informational for you. Marketplace selling isn’t only to dip your toes in the ecommerce waters. It can serve as a great strategy for smaller ecommerce businesses to gain visibility and sales hikes at the same time. Please leave a comment below if you like the article or if you have any questions popping up in your mind.