Running a business online has its own challenges that are wholly separate from running a physical retail store. Although you are not paying rent on a space, and you are not reliant on foot traffic to get people to see your products, you do need to have a steady influx of digital traffic to your ecommerce website and product listings in order to be successful. However, this is easier said than done. Marketing products online requires a wide range of digital marketing skills, in everything from SEO and email marketing to managing and targeting paid ads on Google and Facebook. With that in mind, here are some ways you can learn to build a larger digital footprint for your ecommerce venture.
Build a Quality Website
When selling online, most people start out as third-party sellers on more established ecommerce platforms like Amazon and eBay, and only graduate to running their own ecommerce venture once they get some experience. In truth, this is a great way to get started, but it’s not a great way to make a living. Beyond the fees you are paying to these ecommerce giants, you’ll also become reliant on their platform and not build your own product marketing strategy aside for what little you can do with PPC and SEO on these platforms.
Instead, you need to invest in creating a quality ecommerce website. While it certainly will not get as much traffic as listings on the likes of Amazon and eBay initially, you’ll want to invest both in its creation and its promotion if you want to be successful. To do so, you may want to consider using an ecommerce platform along with a web developer who is experienced in your product niche. They will know best practices when it comes to UX and CRO for your chosen industry, and will be able to design your website according to these specifications.
Invest in Digital Marketing
There is no better way to build a bigger digital footprint for your ecommerce store than investing in digital marketing. Although you may think you can do it all yourself via your Instagram or Facebook page, the truth is that good digital ads for ecommerce needs to be highly targeted and optimized. You also need to A/B test the photos and copy to see which ads connect with your intended audience. If you do some demographic research into who is buying your products, you can give that information to a digital marketing agency that specializes in digital ads and see what type of conversions they can get for you on your products.
If you are serious about marketing your products online on your own, and not just acting as a third-party seller on Amazon and eBay, then you need to make the investment to make it happen. If you just assume that you can build a rudimentary website and get sales that way, you’ll find yourself to be sorely mistaken. Getting your products out there and becoming a true ecommerce entrepreneur takes a lot of work and dedication, and you should only do so if you are willing to invest the capital and the time necessary to do so.