Scaling your ecommerce business may seem burdensome at first. After all, thousands of new ecommerce sites are appearing everyday and it may seem impossible to stand out. That’s why when learning how to grow an ecommerce business, it’s best to start at the basics and build from a solid foundation.
How To Get Into Ecommerce
Ecommerce websites succeed when the underlying inventory of products differentiates the business from everyone else. With tools such as WooCommerce or Shopify, it is easy for just about anyone to throw up an ecommerce site. A great selection of high quality products will be the first step towards success with your online shop. Don’t settle for a generic inventory that leaves little room to establish a brand. Oftentimes, people buy into a brand in addition to the product itself.
Branding An Online Store
Work from your business’ unique selling proposition (USP) to develop a brand for your website. A brand that indicates both the industry and product inventory of your business is a common strategy many choose to use. Though brands such as these may open opportunities for additional organic traffic, don’t feel restricted by these false boundaries. Brands can stem from any source of inspiration so long as you, the business owner, can picture how the brand will be marketed and if a similar brand exists already. Originality is key to starting an ecommerce business and a solid brand will make all the difference.
Increase Ecommerce Sales
Starting an ecommerce site is the easy part, scaling it to become a profitable business is an entirely different ballgame. To increase ecommerce sales, you need to market through multiple channels. Traffic generated through both SEO and PPC are the most common channels that ecommerce businesses use. To differentiate your business, consider using social media, content marketing, and promotional videos. Although these aren’t the only marketing channels available to ecommerce businesses, we’ve found these to be strategies that can generate consistently high returns.
What Tools Should You Use?
As the ecommerce industry continues to expand, so does the amount of software available. Arguably the most important ecommerce tool is a content management system. These website backends simplify the process of adding additional site content. Two of the most popular CMS for ecommerce are WordPress and Shopify.
SEO software is also a great addition to an ecommerce business. In-house rank tracking, keyword research, and AI-driven content proofing are some prominent benefits of such software. Whether writing ecommerce product descriptions or keeping track of the efforts of outsourced SEO specialists, this software can prove incredibly useful.
Lastly, opting into Google’s suite of analytical software is essential for ecommerce businesses. The two most popular platforms are Google Search Console and Google Analytics. Together, these platforms can provide insight into how well your website is performing on Google, as well as how it’s grown over time. Keeping track of metrics such as site traffic, click-through rate (CTR), and others will help gauge whether your ecommerce marketing efforts are actually working.
