New Year’s Resolutions for Ecommerce Entrepreneurs

The New Year is almost at the doorstep! Everyone is getting ready to wipe the slate clean and make plans for the future; ecommerce merchants should not be an exception. There is no “one-fits-all” strategy to give a rocket start to a web store, but the goals listed below would definitely benefit the business in 2017.

So as an online retailer, you resolve to…

  • Reconsider your values

Your value proposition is the foundation for product merchandising, marketing, advertising and the whole ecommerce enterprise itself. This is what tells customers what you are all about. Take some time this year and ask yourself the eternal questions:

  • Who are you?
  • What can you do for customers that the others can’t?
  • What did shoppers learn about your brand this year? Did they give any feedback?

All your business efforts, goals and plans for the upcoming 2017 should revolve around the answers to these questions.

  • Refresh your website

Eye-catching web stores attract consumers at first glance. However, visual appearance is not a guarantee for success. Smooth functionality drives conversions. Take a moment to put yourself in the shopper’s shoes and examine the store. You may discover that product pages need new images or descriptions, navigation should be improved or the checkout is too complex. Face your ecommerce woes and don’t let the precious transactions slip through the cracks in the future. Come up with a list of improvements that you need and start looking for possible solutions. If you are using a popular ecommerce platform, for example Magento 2, you can easily find add-ons and plugins that would give the web shop a new look.

  • Reward loyal clients

Slice and dice the annual report, and you would notice that acquiring new clients turns out to be several times more expensive than motivating the existing customers to purchase repetitively. This of course doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t constantly promote the store and enlarge the audience. However, you definitely need to work on re-marketing strategy and make it the corner stone of profitable 2017. Try offering specials to returning customers, writing thank you notes after a purchase is made or sending inspiring newsletters on a regular basis. Get creative, find your own ways to reach out to those who are already loyal to your store, and have essential interest in your brand!

  • Try new marketing channels

Sure enough, you already have a number of established marketing channels. If Google Adwords, Facebook Ads and routine email campaigns are all too familiar to you, stride into the unknown and try something different. For instance, promote on Instagram or Pinterest; you might even try live streaming. Digital era opens millions of marketing opportunities but you need to make a research and carefully calculate the risks before stepping on a new field.

  • Take reviews seriously

Nowadays online reviews are on the same scale with personal recommendations. In fact, the majority of your potential customers scroll web sites like Consumer Reports or Reseller Ratings before browsing your web store. Therefore, it’s vital not only to be aware of what people are saying about you but also motivate frequent buyers to add to the conversation and share their positive experience.

On the other hand, you shouldn’t be afraid to deal with negative feedback. Study the case, acknowledge your mistake and offer a solution. Do your utmost and encourage customers to revise their review after the issue is solved. It’s a good way to show that you really care about all clients and strive to provide the best possible service.

Hopefully these points will help you set your business on the right track to prosperity for the year ahead! What resolutions are you going to keep? Please, share your thoughts and insights in comments!

… And happy selling in 2017!