There is no doubt that the Web is also revolutionizing the sales system: all over the world there is a boom in e-commerce, online stores reachable anywhere, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. A gigantic turnover of 1,500 billion dollars (!), According to the estimate of the latest e-commerce report 2014; and precisely in Italy, a country historically reluctant to use credit cards, a change of course is taking place for the first time thanks to online purchases (source: Osservatorio CartaSi).
In short, all crazy for e-commerce, which has numerous and tempting arguments on its side:
- the online store it has no rent, no utilities, no personnel costs;
- can enormously broaden your sales horizons: Not for nothing, successful ecommerce stores boast much of their traffic overseas
- autonomously manages the stocks and the purchase procedure;
- can be simply updated and independently;
- the electronic payment speeds up sales operations;
- if built on a responsive design site, or with a dedicated app, it can also be easily reached by mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
So, just open your e-commerce to forget the great efforts you have probably made for the success of your physical store, stretch out on the sofa, wait for customers and "live on the fat of the land"?
Unfortunately, the answer is obvious: NO. An online store has tremendous potential but, as in all things, it goes carefully built and cultivated so you can take full advantage of it. So, if you are thinking of throwing yourself into this adventure, take a pen and paper and write these down 7 valuable tips:
- Rely on professionals who know the "rules of the game"! It is not necessarily necessary to spend all your savings but, at least in the construction of the platform, asking for help from improvised experts (forgive me the oxymoron) is not wise. It takes technique, strategy and consolidated experience to help you build a project of this magnitude. Also make sure you choose a professional server that you host the site, as the online store will need to function effectively and will need dedicated space, speed and assistance to be successful.
- Attractive graphics: once it was called window dresser, today it has been replaced by the more fashionable one visual merchandiser, but the concept is still the same, it just needs to be transferred online. Nobody will want to buy from a cluttered and sloppy site with rough graphics, out of date. Enhance your products with professional photos, always try to make them attractive; in practice, forget your smartphone for a while if you don't want to risk making them look cheap.
- Choose Paypal: remember to always activate a paypal or cash on delivery payment. Not everyone trusts to provide their credit card number on the net, and how to blame them ...
- Marketing, marketing, marketing. Always here you return: the word of mouth it works, but first you have to ignite the spark and spark curiosity. Plan your communication online and rely on a good campaign Pay Per Click (Google Adwords primarily) to launch your site in style.
- Do public relations! Talk about your products and your new e-commerce, let everyone know about the possibility of buying online. The activity of Digital PR, or the classic public relations in a digital key: for example, try to forge relationships with bloggers in the sector you work with, who test your products and review them. A small investment for a large return on online reputation.
- Build customer loyalty. Create ad hoc promotions for them, one fidelity card, dedicated discounts. Implement a newsletter service to keep them updated on the latest news. Remember them, and they will remember you.
- Watch out for competitors! This is a rule to never forget: identify a few benchmark from which to take inspiration, and always pay attention to the needs of your target and the commercial strategy adopted by your direct competitors.
Now you are finally ready to plan yours successful e-commerce!
