Handy Ecommerce Tips for Beginners

You have a product that you want to sell in a web store? Great!
Online ecommerce sales are actually up by 15.7% according to Forbes. The presence of ecommerce is still relatively new (first introduced in the ’60s but gained more popularity in the last 10 years), which means that the earlier you get in with your unique idea, the stronger your business can grow over the years.
However, there are certain ecommerce elements that business owners need to remember when first  setting up shop.

USP of the Product

What is your unique selling point for your product? Why should anyone buy it from you instead of Amazon or Ebay? Make sure you have something truly unique or niche on your hands.

Image credit: Incase on Flickr – CC-BY 2.0

Homework: profile your audience and don’t be afraid to be specific. E.g: my ideal customer is a male, 35-45, university graduate who likes music/books/other related niche. The more specific you are, the better you will be able to market your product.

Order processing

When you receive an order, you have to remember to do inventory management. Keep a very good track of both online and offline sales and what you have in stock to avoid shipping errors. A solid ecommerce back-end can help you simplify your administration.

Shipping

How are you going to ship your products? Shipping is a key element in the buying process. It can encourage or deter customers to order from you again, so choose wisely. Drop shipment is a popular and cost effective way of sending goods.

Returns

What is your return and exchange policy? Make sure to have it in writing and published on your ecommerce site in a visible area. Believe it or not, if you offer 100% money back guarantee within 60 days, less people will actually take the time to return the goods. Your trustworthy image will grow and so will your sales.
Homework: read this article on how to boost your sales with a strong guarantee by Dean Rieck on Copyblogger.

Accepting payment

Paypal is a simple way to accept payments when you are first starting out. If you are looking for something more advanced, we recommend Google Wallet for Business.

Sales Tax

You, as a business are taxed on each and every item you sell on your ecommerce website. You will most likely need to register for a GST/HST account if you are in Canada.

+Future considerations

Marketing

Having a business, let alone an online, ecommerce business means that you will have to think about advertising and marketing – preferably online, where most of your audience will be coming from. Make sure that you set aside a budget for marketing yourself. In order to receive results from day 1, we recommend advertising on Google.

Reliable Partners

We know that you, as the owner of your business want the best for your customers so that they return to you. But what about your partners? Surround yourself with the most reliable business partners (such as your shipping company, website company, manufacturer, etc) so that your customers experience a consistent, problem free ordering.

Top featured image credit: Aaron Patterson on Flickr / CC-BY 2.0