Mission E-commerce: The launch of your website.
November 8, 2021
The launch of any website is a risky and exciting venture! Arguably, launching an e-commerce website is an even greater one.
Some thrive, some flop like a fish out of water. Or belly flop into water like your favourite uncle on the first day of summer. (What you see all depends on where you’re sitting.)
With so much competition, the fight to get noticed is on! So, what’s the big secret?
Well, contrary to popular belief, it is possible for your business to be profitable from day one!
“But how?” I hear you cry in disbelief, as realisation dawns that you might not be eating beans on toast for the next three years after all.
Hear me out.
Nearly half 48% of online shoppers simply head straight to a large ecommerce marketplace. (Oberlo)
Meaning, that while you have slogged for years designing or sourcing your product, confident that you are giving the people what they want, there is always the possibility that they will go looking for what they think they want in the place they know best.
So, does your target customer want your product? Does it tickle their fancy, float their boat?
Don’t know? Ask them!
“But how?” (Is there an echo in here?)
There are vintage means of actually talking to people *gasp* or, if that scares you more than watching The Exorcist* alone in a cabin in the woods, then you could try a more modern approach and conduct some market research on social media. Ah.
After all, people aren’t shy behind the screen and they’ll tell you what they want (or don’t) and…Bullseye!
The more you know, the more you grow
Knowledge is power! And like the blossoming beanstalk that you are, the only way to learn the tips and tricks of launching your e-commerce website (while making a profit) is to educate yourself – yay!
While the days of stuffy classrooms and stuffier teachers are long behind most of us, every day can still be a school day.
And top of the agenda should be good old marketing. The big dog. Luckily, there are some fantastic courses out there at your disposal. Invest in them, prioritize them and oh, keep ‘em credible.
Lean and mean
Do you really need to pay a whole team from the get-go, or can you manage on your own with a little help from some freelancers?
Investing in the skills of others is not necessarily a priority in the first instance. Think long and hard about whether payroll is essential. Can you swap skills instead of hiring, until you find your feet?
Partner in crime
While I’m over here fighting temptation to write this whole article in clichés, take a moment to think of who you would choose to help you hide a dead body.
Someone to bounce ideas off (chest freezer or dark woodland?)
Someone who is focused, dedicated, grounded and calm. Someone to sloooowww you dowwwn. This might not sound like a good thing in business but going at 100kmph is not sustainable.
A partnership can be just what you need when the going gets tough and what better than sharing stresses, support and making the kind of profits worth splitting!
Get set
Now IS the right time to launch your e-commerce website!
It is estimated that 95% of purchases will be made online by 2040 – e-commerce is opening the doors of opportunity to countless entrepreneurs. (Kinsta)
3, 2, 1… Are you ready for take-off?