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Dec-23-2018 16:00printcomments

Lessons From Ecommerce Entrepreneurs

A personalized touch or extra attention to detail goes a long way

e-commerce
Ecommerce-Entrepreneurs

(SALEM, Ore. ) - While there are many variables that contribute to the success or failure of a business, there are some lessons that ecommerce can teach us well.

Whether you are starting, developing, or maintaining a successful business, and regardless of whether it is a storefront or online business, clearly there are lessons from ecommerce entrepreneurs that you should think about.

Lesson #1: Loading time matters.

No, it’s not interesting. No, it’s not sexy, but if you’re looking to sell online, one of the most important lessons that can be learned is that loading time for your website matters.

Amazon, for example, conducted their own research and found that, for every 100ms of page load time, there was a 1 percent decrease in sales. In other words, your consumers value their time and don’t want to be waiting for your website or online business page to load. If it takes too long, hurried and harried customers will move on to the next site that takes this detail into account.

You can use WebPageTest to run a free page speed test on your website and get some valuable data on your website performance.

Lesson #2: Don’t neglect the basics.

What is more basic to a sales business than giving people what they want or need? Consumers have an opportunity every day to decide whether or not your business is the place they will choose over the others for the product or service they need.

Focusing on the basics means that you have to think like a consumer would think. Consider all of the processes and procedures you have in place to provide the best in a purchasing experience. With attention spans and patience levels often low among customers, you have to consider things like making it easy for them to find what they are searching for.

Be sure your site has an on-site search function, a range of payment options, and user-friendly website design. It also means that you may need to hire individuals that can help you understand what the customer is thinking today and predict what he will be thinking tomorrow, especially if your target audience covers a large demographic range.

Lesson #3: Don’t be sensitive to criticism.

It’s never enjoyable to receive criticism, but it is an important aspect of making your company viable for the long haul. Since consumers are more likely to express dissatisfaction, it’s critical to adopt a positive perspective about negative feedback and plan to use that information to make improvements.

The goal is to move toward business solutions and not perceive the criticism as something to avoid. Remember to ask yourself who is the critic and whether the criticism is justified. If it is, it’s best to work to quickly resolve the issue and work to avoid it in the future.

Remember that most of the biggest retailers are committed to amazing customer service, which involves building on the positive and seeking out consumer criticism to get the help and advice they need for improvement.

Some of the most successful leaders determine which of the four main types of criticizers they are encountering and use that information to develop a plan for engaging with them.

Lesson #4: Personalize as much as possible.

The success of many eCommerce businesses has taught us that community matters. If you want to achieve key social media account growth with Instagram, remember that a lack of connection fails to create a sense of relationship with your consumers and may lead to disengagement.

While standardized offerings and hyper-efficiency may provide the staples of a business, companies that specialize in niche sales will want to develop ways to communicate and relate to their customers.

A personalized touch or extra attention to detail goes a long way to increase consumer loyalty, as does mean spending some time and site space sharing your business’s mission, vision, or backstory.

Lesson #5: Develop Content, Product Descriptions, and Photos.

Your business will be missing the mark if it fails to post well-written content and worthy product descriptions and pictures. Consumers want to know what they are purchasing, so detailed product descriptions and clear, high-quality photos can make a huge difference.

Be sure to monitor your site daily, posting both curated content and interacting with user-generated content. Remember that your website represents your brand, so spelling errors and typos are a sure sign of a rushed or neglected site.

If you can’t be trusted to care about your content, how can you be trusted with regard to the service or product?

What are some lessons you have learned and want to share? Comment below.

Source: Salem-News.com Special Features Dept.

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