If you’re deciding to venture into the big, wide world of e-commerce, you could be understandably stumped when it comes to just where to start. Fret not, though – it’s now easier than ever to get started with an online store, even if it’s your first time doing so.
Here are five things you need to consider when you’re beginning in e-commerce.
Server Size
One of the first things to take into account when delving into the world of e-commerce is the hosting provider you opt for, along with the effective server on which you’re building and hosting your site. It all comes down to how big you want your store to grow; a shared server is the best option for modest, relatively small stores, whereas a dedicated server caters better to those with bigger aspirations.
A shared server means you won’t have its space all to yourself, but you won’t need it if you’re not planning on attracting a multitude of customers. On the other hand, if you’re aiming for exponential growth, a dedicated server is the perfect choice. Albeit more expensive, it’s the best way to guarantee you avoid downtime.
If this jargon sounds quite overwhelming as a beginner, look for the services that’ll make this process – and the creation of your online store – much easier. Services such as Shopify and Wix will take care of almost everything.
Web Design
As soon as potential buyers click upon your store, the first impression they get will come from its design. So, you need to ensure it’s clean, pleasing to the eye and easy to navigate – this will ensure people stick around and continue to browse.
If your website is garish, difficult to explore or even merely not that pretty, often customers will look elsewhere, especially if they’ve had no previous dealings with you in the past. Think about it – when you shop online, the big, booming websites are all straightforward to navigate and have great designs, right? No matter how small you are, your store shouldn’t be any different. Consider employing flat design for a foolproof way of making your online shop look good.
Niche Marketing
When delving into the world of e-commerce, you’ve likely learned that a niche market is something to avoid if possible. Do not mistake that, however, for niche marketing – it’s an entirely different concept that will hopefully yield the exact opposite results of what a niche market itself would do.
Niche marketing is a term that means finding your lane in an already-busy market. When there are heaps of competitors with nothing new to offer, avoid the oversaturation of it all and use your innovation to bring something new to the table. You’ll find that doing so will grow your audience rapidly.
Quality of Customer Service
One of, if not the most important thing to have when establishing your online store is a reasonable level of customer service. It’s the only way you’ll guarantee solid relationships with buyers – they’ll establish respect and trust for you should you be doing the same for them.
Customer service is undeniably the thing that will make you succeed in e-commerce. Make sure you’re always on hand to answer any queries and respond to any customers, whether they’ve bought from you before or not. They’ll be willing to do business with you again if you show yourself to be trustworthy and easy to approach.
Security
You can’t establish an online store without at least some level of security to back you up. Too often are websites compromised by a lack of security, with attacks such as SQL injection being all too common. Be sure to employ security upon your online store for your sake, as well as in the best interest of your customers – if they’re a victim of an attack, it’s unlikely they’ll stick around to buy from you ever again.
Do you have any tips for those starting out in e-commerce? Be sure to leave them in the comments below.