In creating your innovating business, first comes that light bulb moment, then the meticulous planning for profitability. But, to continue growing financially, you must scale your business. Which essentially means expanding without working non stop and slowly losing your sanity in the process.

You need to understand that building your business has no finish line (if you do it right). You’ll be required to continually grow and evolve with the demand from your costumers and the technologies that surround your business. Now, if that seems like a daunting task, then we understand. It is if you don’t know how. 

Below are three eCommerce strategies we hope will ensure the longevity of your business for generations to come.

1. Get Back to Basics

Even if you’ve already opened your fantastical web store, it’ll benefit you in the long run to reevaluate your business. How’s this quarter going? What’s your Achilles heel? What are you doing that nobody else is? Even if your business is in the big leagues, going back to basics can be just what you need to reignite the fire for those sales.

• Implement Class A Customer Service

Your customers want to feel like people, not a collection of pixels on a screen indicating monetary gain. Having that human touch and providing trust is essential in creating loyal patrons to your brand. Consider using CRM software to optimise customer response time, even a simple follow up on a recent purchase can make them feel valued. As they should.

• Optimise SEO

We get it. You’re busy. But aren’t we all? It’s a slippery slope, neglecting your SEO, but once you commit, you’ll be glad you did. Take some time to research your industry, find out what works for your competitors and nail down those buzz words to get you to the top of Google. And if you need help, our Magento eCommerce agency in Portsmouth is there!  SEO is well worth investing in.

• Tell everyone about it!

If a tree falls in the woods, does it make a sound?  The answer is NO Because nobody can buy it! There’s no one size fits all marketing strategy out there. But, what we can recommend is being active on your socials, interact with your audience, conquer those hashtags! With Black Friday coming up it’s also an excellent opportunity to offer incentives, discounts etc. 

2. Evolve with your Team & Technology

No matter your planning and prepping, you must be open to change and adjust your business accordingly. As your surrounding team and technology develop, there will also be unavoidable fluctuations in your sales. Nevertheless, there are systems that you can put in place to alleviate these discomforts, maintaining your momentum to your commerce goals.

• Build trust with Customer Reviews and Testimonials

According to research, 72% of customers don’t take action until they have read reviews. That’s huge! Make it a priority that you showcase these reviews on your site. Personally email loyal customers for testimonials and follow up on recent purchases.

• Outsource, so you don’t have to!

There’s no escaping it. And as much as you’d like to think you’re a jack of all trades, the reality is you need help. In order to continue the growth of your business, you need more hands-on deck. It may be time to consider outsourcing fulfilment, shipping or developers so you can concentrate and producing the best product and continue innovating your brand.

• Automate, Automate, Automate

 To keep costs down and to be as efficient as you possibly can be, it’s essential to automate your business in any way you can while retaining your humanity. Select tasks where there is no human value there. Consider implementing AI and machine learning, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure offer some great tools for automation.

3. Expect Success, Anticipate Failure

 Now you’ve got the ball rolling there’s nothing stopping you! Woah, there cowboy, consider the old saying “prepare for the worst but hope for the best”. There will be inevitable challenges that accompany your grand plans in becoming a billion-dollar eCommerce company. Here are your main priorities;

• Plan for Supplier Problems

As the orders you’re processing grows, as do potential issues such as quality and availability. Do you have a contingency plan in place with your suppliers to counteract this? It may seem simple, but having a strong relationship with your suppliers is a great way to combat this. Keep the communication flowing and get them excited about your brand!

• Plan for Sales Peaks and Plateaus

 Ups and downs are commonplace for any eCommerce business but preparing for the avoidable downs are vital. You can achieve this by having strategies in place. What are your slow periods? What product isn’t selling? Consider adapting your product lines according to public demand, anticipate upcoming trends, perhaps look at up and coming market places? There are always ways to avoid stagnation.

If you have any questions about anything discussed in this blog or if you’d like to chat about a project, feel free to get in touch. We’re always happy to help businesses reach and surpass their eCommerce potential.