4 Things That Every Online Retail Business Needs
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning I will receive compensation from the companies whose products or services are recommended at no additional expense or cost to you. I have used every product or service provider recommended and I only endorse tools that have worked for me.
If you’re looking for a business that is fairly simple to set up and doesn’t cost that much money, online retail is a good choice. It’s quite easy to set up your own online retail business from home if you’ve got a good product idea. But don’t be fooled into thinking that you can just set up the business and sit back while the customers come flocking because it isn’t going to be that easy. There are a lot of things that you need to get right if your online retail business is going to get off the ground, and if you’re making simple mistakes in the beginning, they’ll come back to bite you later. These are the 4 things that all online retail businesses need to succeed.
The Right Product Idea
Everybody thinks that they’ve got a winning product idea when they decide to set up a business, but a lot of people are wrong. A good product needs to fill some sort of need, so you need to find a gap in the market somewhere. Just because you think that your product idea is amazing, that doesn’t mean other people will agree and there might not be a market for it at all, which is why you need to get some feedback before you go ahead and start your business. Ask friends and family for their honest opinion on the idea, and you could even consider running a focus group. If you’re sure that your product idea is a winner, you can start setting up the rest of the business.
An Amazing Website
When you’re running an online retail business, your website is like your shop front, so it needs to be perfect. It needs to grab people’s attention as soon as they land on the homepage, but it’s also important that it’s user friendly. If people can’t find what they’re looking for easily, you’ll struggle to make any sales. Make sure that it runs smoothly and it doesn’t take ages to load, and always have clear menus with categories so people can find products right away. You also need to make sure that the checkout process is quick and easy because so many people change their minds about online purchases at the last minute.
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A Good Shipping Service
If you get the product and the website right, you’ll start to make your first sales. That’s when you’ll need a good shipping service. People are impatient when it comes to online orders so you’ll need to get products out quickly. Telematics is a big help here (check out this telematics definition for more information) because it can help you to streamline your shipping. Telematics systems gather a lot of information about the routes, the vehicles, and the drivers that you’re using, so you can find ways to make it more efficient and cut costs.
Great Customer Service
Customer service is so important in any business and if you’re not treating your customers right, you’ll lose them. The problem that new online retailers have with customer service is that they don’t have enough staff to answer questions quickly. You can get around this by hiring freelancers to answer emails for you when the workload is too much for you to handle on your own.
If you don’t have these 4 things, your online retail business is really going to struggle.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Karmen Kendrick is an Atlanta-based designer specializing in brand identity and website design for creative entrepreneurs. When she's not working with clients you can find her binge-watching a Netflix series or spending time with family and friends.
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