A few years ago I tried to set up my own online e-commerce business. Long story short, it didn’t take off. The idea was there and the plan was pretty solid, but the competition was too great the audience was not there, unfortunately. Of course, I did learn some valuable lessons.
SEO is very important
It probably goes without saying, but SEO is very important for an e-commerce store. Images need to be created with correct ALT tags, carefully chosen keywords for landing pages and blog pages. Making sure pages load quickly, overwise this negatively effects the bounce rate.
Off page SEO is also important. Adding your site to content directories, social media pages, posting on social media including Reddit and so forth.
SEO played a contributing factor into my first sale. It did come out of the blue, however. I was running Facebook ads targetted at women in the UK. Yet, a man from Canada via Google (organically) bought a jacket.
Creating ads can be fun…But watch the budget
To get real exposure online to a new audience, adverts are perhaps the best way to do so. I learnt how to create ads in Google, Bing and Facebook. It was fun to play with the copy, imagery and to target specific audiences. I think both sets of ads have their pros and cons. I think social media ads such as Facebook ads are great for targeting your desired market using specific interests and demographics and it is great for users to discover new brands. I was in a pub with friends one time, handing out business cards (as you do), and someone turned to me and was like, you’re that brand?!?
Yep. The ads worked.
But, with search engine ads, people are already searching for that keyword. For example, if you’re on the market for a new leather jacket, and you see ads in Google for leather jackets, that is more appealing to you because you are being shown something that you want to see, instead of something that a brand has assumed you might like based upon your interests.
Get constant feedback
Feedback is important. I asked Reddit and my mentor a fair few times on feedback on my site. Responses couldv’e been along the lines of: remove the popups, include these items, increase speed etc.
Of course, it is up to you on whether or not you want to change something.
Opinions are like arseholes – everybody has one.
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) December 6, 2014
I did get told that my site did look good on my occasion. I put that down to my web development background as well as my dedication towards the site.
Delivery speed is important
We live in a world where customers expect something tomorrow – see Amazon Prime. But, that isn’t so easy when the items you despatching are from China. This is perhaps the biggest downsides of dropshipping. Unless the you can get fast (all be it expensive) delivery or your supplies are closer to home, dropshipping might not be for you – a big thing what I learned from dropshipping, the hard way.
Research, research, research
Research your business model, customers needs and wants, items to sell. I could go on and on.
But, researching, innovating and creating campaigns is tough, just for one indvidual.
Influencer marketing is fun, but not always effective
I got my first taste of influencer marketing with my dropshipping store. I contacted a few influencers on Instagram after doing some research. I sent them some free samples, and they promoted them on their social channels.
The main drawback is that I feel you need to do this often for it to work, because they might be working with various brands and your can get lost in the noise.
Track metrics
Lastly, what I learned from dropshipping is that it’s very important to track metrics.
Track site traffic analytics, including bounce rates, user journeys, demographics, abdonded cart rates, ad clicks and so forth. All the data can help reduce the time on what you don’t need to spend time on.
Know when to call it a day
Sometimes an idea just doesn’t work. Having an online business is not easy. Getting sales is a great feeling, but many people I spoke to struggled with an e-commerce store because their is a lot of competition and it requires a lot of time, dedication and marketing. Getting users on your site is one thing, but then convincing them that your site is legit, good value for money, will deliver on time and so forth is something else.
I am glad that I gave it a go. I would like try again running my own online store. But in a different category next time and also with other people. Doing it on your own is very tough.
I recall my time with my dropshipping store as a good learning lesson with new skills learned that I used for future projects.
