Starting a new web store is never easy, even though some might try to tell you the opposite. You have to maintain your focus on all fronts, and ensure that you’re making the right impression to your customers. It’s not as simple as setting up a website for the brand and calling it a day. There’s a lot that goes into maintaining something like this, especially once you start facing some real competition. While having a proper website is important – and this is something which WordPress can be quite useful for if you also want to run a regular informative blog along with the store. You should also think about the other aspects of developing your brand and keep pushing on all fronts.
The Right Presentation
As we said above, it’s important to start with the right first impression, and that’s where your website usually comes in. Don’t be afraid to splurge a little on a more expensive premium WordPress theme, or even a completely custom design if you have some specific ideas in mind. This can go a long way towards setting you apart from the competition, and it can improve your chances significantly right off the bat. And if you aren’t sure how to approach this, get in touch with some specialists who can guide you properly. It won’t cost you as much as you might think, and it will help you make sure that you’re not missing any important details.
Points to Consider if Producing
Producing a physical product is an entirely separate point that requires even more consideration. If you’re in that category, you’ll want to plan ahead very carefully before doing anything to even set up your business. Make sure to set up your production channels and sort out any supply issues well in advance. Know that you can handle the demand – which you should have already estimated before starting your business – and have a backup plan for as many points as possible. Study lean manufacturing online at an institution like Kettering University if you want to improve your production chains as best as you can, and hire some specialists in the field to get things running as fast as possible too.
Don’t forget to pay attention to these points on that front:
1. Supply channels
2. Distribution
3. Refunds/returns
4.Warranty and support (more on that below)
5. Physical representation (can come later)
Customer Services
Selling your product on web store is not the end of the story. In some cases, it’s just the beginning, depending on what exactly you’re selling. If you want your new web store to survive, you have to make it a point to offer reliable, high-quality customer service on top of a good store. This will make all the difference for some people, and will be a crucial factor in making the right impression in some markets. Don’t be afraid to spend a little more here. This can be one of the determining factors for the success of your new venture in the long run. Some of the things you’ll want to consider here include:
1. In-house vs outsourced
2. Scalability
3. Training for new products and developments
4. Advanced support
Product Support and Maintenance
And that brings us to another important point. Customers will expect proper support from you, and you should go out of your way to provide it to the best of your abilities. This goes beyond simply taking in requests and handling them as quickly as possible. Reliable customer support is one of those things that people don’t really talk about when it works right, but will definitely mention a lot if it doesn’t. The same goes for your ability to provide post-purchase maintenance for the products you’re selling.
Think about it – do you know what actually goes into this process from start to finish? It’s not just about identifying issues and fixing them. That’s actually the easy part – after all, you know your product better than anyone. How are you going to get your hands on the damaged goods in the first place? The logistics behind this part of an online store are something that people rarely pay attention to until it’s too late, and this can get you into a lot of trouble.
Public Relations
Setting up a nice blog to go along with your store is a great way to build a strong connection with your customers and make your name known. And as we said above, WordPress can be great for that. But there’s more that you can do if you want to improve your relations to the general public as well. Setting up some social media presence is one of the best ways to go about that without investing too many resources.
If you want to go a little further, look into setting up competitions with prizes. This is a tried and proven way to draw in people easily, although it can cost a bit more upfront. It can also be a risky venture, as you’re not guaranteed to get an increase in your customers even if you do everything right. But in the end, it’s worth trying if you feel like you can spend more money on the project right now. Some other points to consider:
1. Loyalty programs
2. Coupons
3. Major sales
4. Cross-promotion with other stores
Business Relations
The last point brings us to another important aspect of an online web store that everyone needs to consider early on. Developing solid relations with other businesses and maintaining them over time is going to prove crucial to your success in most cases, and you should not underestimate the potential that this has to improve your business. Of course, don’t expect miracles here – but it can still be great to know that you have the assistance of reliable partners on the market at any time.
You’ll figure out the dos and don’ts of this field with time. It’s not a straight forward line of work, and there are lots of unknowns that you’ll have to do your best to deal with. But in the end, it’s one of the most lucrative fields right now if you play your cards right.