The digital age prompted a lot of advancements in the way we do things and business is not an exception. Especially with the unprecedented changes brought about by the pandemic, a lot of business owners have now shifted online and fully utilized several digital platforms in doing and conducting business. Among the emerging and promising ways of doing business is through ecommerce. Buying and selling online has never been this easy and accessible. However on the part of the business owner, or for those who are wanting to invest and go all in for ecommerce there might be clouds on your judgment because of hearing varied reviews on the ins and outs of it. In this article we will be discussing some common misconceptions about starting an ecommerce business.
- You only need a website so it won’t cost you that much money.
This belief is misleading and entirely false. If you decide to start your own ecommerce business, it has to be well thought of and that includes projection of the cost of the entirety of your logistics and the sustainability of your business. On top of that, you need stocked database, shopping carts and payment methods in place. Sure, making a website might seem the key, but it isn’t the end all, be all. In fact, an ecommerce business, not just website building, entails costs for maintaining your business domain, shipping costs, website hosting, branding and development help.You have to have your own build process. It does not stop at launching a website.
- You don’t need more effort in online selling because products sell themselves once uploaded on the platform.
The belief that once you’ve built your business website, customers will pop out magically holds no truth. As gleaned from the previous item, website building is just one part of the process. Driving traffic, SEO ranking, compelling marketing and branding strategies to attract potential customers are other bodies of work which need attention thereto. No website magically appears on top of Google’s search result without incorporating digital marketing efforts.
- You have to start your website from scratch in order to kick off your ecommerce site.
Contrary to this, it is okay to not have your website yet should you decide to start selling. In fact, there are a lot of proven and tested platforms making online selling manageable. These include Shopify, WooCommerce and SquareSpace among others.
- Tracking of profit is the most important thing in ecommerce.
Absolutely false. The most important consideration is the ability of your business to thrive and improve all the time. Thinking of new ideas to expand your scope by utilizing digital marketing strategies to reach more leads. One way to do this is by using email addresses. Generally, shops offer 10% discounts for first time customers by asking for their email and from then on you can add them to your directory when sending marketing emails. Just make sure the option to opt out or unsubscribe is clear.
- The absolute need of a physical store.
We know this isn’t logical right? Many ecommerce sites thrive without having to put up a physical store. It matters that your products and services reach your customers even without having to see your physically set up store. Besides, this is just optional as it entails additional funds on your end to secure payment of the lease, building, etc.
- Limited space or opportunity to advertise your products and services.
This claim can easily be debunked because digital marketing platforms including social media advertising are at peak these days. And no, it isn’t only on your website where you can post your products and services. With the proper usage of digital marketing strategies, SEO mechanisms to boost your rank in search engines and investing in quality content while showing exceptional results in your business, you will reap the fruits of your efforts in no time. In fact, there is a possibility that your ecommerce shall be upscaled.