Starting an eCommerce Business
Most people have a basic understanding of what eCommerce is and the goods that can be provided from various eCommerce websites. However, if you’re a small business owner or are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, eCommerce and how to get involved may seem daunting. Do I use drop-shipping? Do I make my own website or try to sell through Amazon? What can eCommerce do for me and my business?
eCommerce removes the barriers of time and distance that conventional brick and mortar businesses encounter. The folks over at beeketing put together a great blog of the exponential and potential growth patterns of eCommerce in the next few years reaching approximately $4.9 trillion in sales in 2021. It is obvious that eCommerce platforms can help almost any business small or large but where do you start?
eCommerce Platforms
There are many eCommerce platforms, we are covering three platforms that are user-friendly and proven to work. Magneto is flexible, secure, and has great support. Magneto also has great scalability making it a great choice for a large-scale eCommerce business that has many products to sell. Magneto is also a drop shipping service so there is not a need for large upfront investment or capital into products.
BigCommerce is another eCommerce platform that is user-friendly. It is also a great option for large or fast-growing businesses. The ability to drop ship is available through an app to add to your BigCommerce store after creation. Shopify has become the industry standard for businesses just starting out drop shipping or smaller businesses. With some of the best support in the industry and easy creation and app support included with its services, Shopify is an eCommerce platform that is well known and trusted.
eCommerce and Niche Markets
You now know some of the eCommerce platforms out there to start your business. It is time to decide what you want to sell. Ecommerce means you don’t have to have a large market in the area you live to sell anything. There is a niche for every market and there are people wanting to buy whatever product you want to sell. How do they find you though? This is where the importance of SEO (search engine optimization) comes into eCommerce.
eCommerce SEO
Chances are you’re reading this right now because you searched in Google for something along the lines of “eCommerce how to start”. Whenever you search something, there is a ranking to the pages displayed. The higher the ranking number the higher on the page you appear and if you are running an eCommerce business that can translate directly into money in your pocket. There are hundreds of thousands of SEO how-to guides out there but here are some of the most basic suggestions to increase rank.
Ecommerce comes down a lot to promotion. Starting out there is a small likelihood that you have the advertising budget that Amazon or eBay has. Even if you have a great setup, a great product, and a great effort, if you are not creating content then people will not see you or know who you are or what you sell if they don’t see you. There needs to be content in some form to promote your eCommerce business. This can be visual content through things like Instagram and Facebook or through a visual blog that links to your eCommerce platform. In this content creation though, remember to use your primary and secondary keyword phrases.
It is very important for rankings to include links to other websites as well. You should look for macro-influencers that are talking about the products on your eCommerce business. That means if you sell organic cotton shirts that are fair trade, search for that phrase, find someone writing about it, and write a post about your product using quotes from them and linking to their website or blog directly. After you do that, try and get a little extra promotion for your eCommerce business by sending them a message. Often this is a win-win for the author because they get exposure through your content and they might include your eCommerce website in future content if you create that relationship.
eCommerce Security
Another important part concerning ranking on Google or other search engines is security. If you are using one of the eCommerce platforms I mentioned before, chances are you have what is known as a secure socket layer or an SSL. However, if you hired someone to make you a custom site or you built it yourself, ensure that you get your SSL certificate not only for the ranking but the customer safety since eCommerce has unfortunately created a rise in cyber-attacks.
You will also need a successful user experience to dominate the eCommerce market. Included in that is having a website or platform that is multi-device ready. Not everyone who is involved in eCommerce buys from their phone. You need to make sure that anyone who wants to buy your products can see your products clearly and get on your eCommerce website on any device that they want to use.
The way we receive goods and services has changed dramatically in the age of eCommerce. Within minutes of wanting anything, we can order it through Amazon or bid on it through several other eCommerce businesses such as eBay. As our lives move ever faster toward instant gratification, eCommerce is filling the void that malls and supermarkets once filled. That being said, starting an eCommerce business all by yourself is a challenge and no matter the amount of research you do and the effort you put in, it can still be daunting.
The hard truth is that eCommerce is a saturated market. Everyone right now believes that they can become the next millionaire off of drop shipping or eCommerce as a whole. So, how do you excel? How do you stand out among hundreds of thousands of others who are trying to start their eCommerce business? This may be easier than you think.
Conclusion
While there are many guides on starting an eCommerce business and even on the different eCommerce platforms, there are whole companies that specialize in setting up your site, establishing your brand, and ensuring search results are pointing towards your eCommerce business, like NuEthic. We strive to scale your eCommerce and give you the best solution to your current online needs. Whatever you sell, you will sell more of it if you let a professional company help you on your journey.
eCommerce offers the promise of a flexible schedule, working from home, financial independence, and the ability to be your own boss. These rewards are not without risk but trusting the creation of your new eCommerce business to a company specializing in eCommerce marketing and creation help to mitigate these risks. For more information about solutions and eCommerce direction contact us.