The digital revolution is in full swing, and it can only move forward, as technology regularly introduces new ways of conducting human activities. Businesses are heavily dependent on technology, for sure, so much so that digital storefronts are competing head-to-head against physical stores.
E-commerce has become a popular option among consumers because of its convenience. You don’t have to leave your home when you’re shopping. As long as you have a good internet connection, you can browse millions of websites around the world. You can even pay for your purchases online.
Because of consumer reaction to e-commerce, more and more businesses are turning to online shopping, whether they’re big ones or mom-and-pop types.
Maybe you’ve decided you want to open an online store. You’ve already got your business plan and your product. You know enough to run a business, but what do you need to set up shop online? Here are a few suggestions.
Host Site
Suppose you want to sell clothes or artwork online. If you don’t want to spend too much time starting from scratch, you can open an account for an e-commerce website on platforms like Shopify. You simply follow the step-by-step instructions on how to set up your online store.
Make sure you know how you can list products, manage orders, and create your online store’s look. A lot of these e-commerce sites offer tutorials or have free tools that can help you run your business, and it will benefit you to use them.
Social Media
This is a given today. If you want a broader reach of audiences, you have to open and maintain social media accounts. For example, Facebook happens to be the biggest social media platform for marketing and advertising, with over two billion users monthly.
When you share engaging and interesting content through your social media accounts, you can make people aware of your brand and your services. When people are curious enough to check your online store, you have the chance to convert these online visits into opportunities for purchase.
Email Marketing Service
You don’t have to stop at social media accounts to entice potential customers. Make your marketing campaign extensive and, at the same time, intimate through email marketing. According to marketing research firm Marketing Sherpa, 72 percent of people prefer receiving promotional contents through emails.
Email marketing is also easy to track, so you can identify the demographic of your target recipients and send relevant content.
Photo Editor
Instagram banks on photos and videos, and buyers will want to see exactly what the product looks like before they decide to buy it. Excellent product presentation adds to the appeal and influences consumers’ buying decisions.
Aside from that, your online store needs to have a layout that is consistent with your branding. The store layout should send the correct message to your target audience about your company’s identity. A reliable photo editor, like Canva, will help you create the right marketing materials.
Analytics Tools
Setting up and maintaining your social media accounts aren’t enough. You have to be able to read and understand consumer behavior. An analytics tool like Google Analytics and BuzzSumo can help you do that.
Analytics tools measure the success of your marketing strategies. What does your target audience talk about? What are the trends in today’s market? The numbers tell you the story. All those likes and shares of your social media posts reveal, among other things, where the web traffic comes from, the user demographic, and how many times your page was visited.
Reading the data correctly helps you identify which marketing techniques work or don’t. When you know how to use your analytics tools, you will be able to change or improve your marketing strategy.
A Few Reminders
Like any other business, running an online store requires a lot of planning, research, and hard work. When you have the tools you need and you know how to use them, you can make your business successful.
