From large corporations to local shops and even home-based entrepreneurs, e-commerce continues to be an important channel for keeping an organization’s revenue streams on track. Especially for small business owners, ecommerce is the main way of doing business these days. Successful Costa Rican entrepreneur and entrepreneur Jorge Zuñiga Blanco shares seven ways to ensure ecommerce success.
Technology should not be a barrier. There are so many tools today – like stay-at-home sales that include integrated shopping carts – that take all the guesswork out of it. Zuñiga explains, “Know your options and decide what’s right for you. This is important for overcoming technical barriers and almost everything today is plug-and-play.”
Since your customers don’t always live in the same area as the business, it’s increasingly difficult to understand their likes and dislikes. It’s also just as difficult to find them – regardless of where they are – providing value services.
With so many choices, it can sometimes be difficult for consumers to know where to turn. Building trust between customers is a guarantee that the business will be successful. Build relationships with your customers, through email newsletters, blogs, and other social media options, to stand out from the crowd and understand what the customer wants.
Although entrepreneurs and business owners would love to offer their products or services to anyone, it is not only logical, but also almost impossible. “It’s important to choose a market area and focus your business on that,” Zuñiga said. “Make sure you understand who your segment is, and keep in mind that this may change as the business grows. Always keep your finger on the pulse of the overall consumer market and adapt accordingly.”
People love business and are happy when a product or service is put together. Create promotions and sales opportunities that combine two or more offers to set yourself apart from the competition.
Don’t focus too much on one product. Be flexible and offer a variety that may appeal to more than one market. This can only be achieved through careful research and market research, but the effort will pay off in the long run.
Creating a sales pitch can go a long way in increasing sales. Allow the buyer to start with a free or cheap offer and then add other things that create value not only for the business, but also for the buyer. This sale can work during the purchase process, including sales when, for example, a one-time offer can be made.
Ensure that goods or services can be delivered quickly. “We live in a world that expects instant gratification,” says Zuñiga. “When a consumer buys something online, they want to be sure it will be delivered within days, not weeks. The faster you can deliver, the happier the customer will be and this will lead to more, more frequent sales.”
The main concern that every internet business marketer must understand is metrics. Find out your cost to acquire a customer and average basket value to determine the effectiveness of the marketing program. Ultimately, the company that spends the least to acquire customers wins the competition.
