Once upon a time, the thought that someone could create an online store of sorts, let alone make a profit off it, was a distant thought. The notion that there would be a platform, such as the internet, was thought by few prior to and even after the technological revolution. Yet, here we are: a population obsessed with buying and selling online — the foundation to any eCommerce platform.

When Amazon launched its IPO in 1995, the sole purpose of the platform at the time was to serve the public as an online bookstore. Instead of searching through endless aisles at countless bookstores that were all organized differently, Jeff Bezos created something that made it easy for the consumer to find what they want, when they wanted it. In the years that followed, Amazon was sued by major corporations such as Barnes and Noble and Walmart, yet the company came out on top of both, and turned their first profit in 2001; surviving the dot com bubble crisis.

To be successful in anything you do, you must make mistakes and shift perspectives when it comes to overviewing where you and your team misstepped. Luckily for the numerous eCommerce companies and those in the preparation stages of launching, there have been many successful and failed eCommerce business models to learn from and make their mistakes your victories. It takes constant adaptation and taking everything in as a learning experience to turn your first profit as an eCommerce company, and just like Amazon, ReviewPush plans to be there for your business from A to Z to ensure you’re exceeding your own expectations.

A common misconception within the eCommerce sector is that you simply create a platform for your products and/or services online and participate minimally in social engagement to target a small fraction of the niches that have an interest and need for whatever you’re selling. Sure, creating a platform through GoDaddy or BigCommerce, to name a few, is a crucial step to being a successful eCommerce business. Yet, there are common mistakes and misconceptions surrounding this step and those to follow in the process of setting up an online shop of sorts.

Having a “Hands Off” Approach

This ties into the sentiment mentioned above, but if your idea of creating something successful in eCommerce is that simply building a site will bring you visitors is a naive and ineffective strategy. The, “if you build it, they will come” mindset is great in theory (and ‘Field Of Dreams), but it seldom reaps profit in return When a business takes this approach, they’re neglecting the fact that most people don’t (and won’t) know they exist, and they surely don’t know any specific keywords to type into Google or Bing to locate your digital storefront.

You must market out your site in someway. Backlinks and in-article advertisements through platforms and publications related to what you’re selling are extremely effective ways to get your name out there. If done strategically, a little money can go a long way with online advertisements. If you have already gained some loyal customers, kindly ask for their honest feedback, and share it on your social media with specific hashtags that your niches are using online.

Ignoring Conversation Commerce

There are times when you’re on a website browsing products, and you either need assistance with defining part of the description in real-world terms, or perhaps the checkout isn’t working. In these moments, having someone readily accessible via chat is ideal for most consumers in 2019. Yet there are a plethora of eCommerce sites and other businesses that do not utilize on-site chatbots or a messaging system that connects with Facebook Messenger to capture the consumer on their ground.

When you utilize digital conversations via chatbots or some sort of on-site messaging platform, you’re giving your consumers an open door to communicate with you regarding shipping, pricing, how to find reviews, and specific questions regarding a specific item. Through this, you can help retain customers on-site, and watch the funnels they follow on-site and optimize based on the feedback and results.

Sending Traffic Off of Your Site

Your instagram may be filled with various client feedback stories and feature images of customers utilizing their purchases from your eCommerce site, but that’s not where you should be directing your customers to blatantly from your site. If you have a post on instagram that you’ve made from a recent review of a new product, embed that post into your website. This way, consumers can see first-hand what others are saying about the product, and can see how they use or wear whatever your products may be.

Utilize design to create shoppable content widgets. This way, users can be sent to a different segment of your site where they can be provided with more item details, pricing, and other notable pieces of information you would expect as a consumer. Depending on the type of eCommerce site you have and the product you’re selling, you can even use on-site content as a means of exploration and understanding of not only the products and services you offer, but the backbone and foundation to who you are and what makes you different than any other online store out there.

If you’re new to the eCommerce world, ReviewPush understands how the water can look a bit murky in the beginning. Before diving into the unknown waters of a digital store, conceptualize and walk through your options for next steps with the experts at ReviewPush. We know the world of online, and we can’t wait to get to know and grow with you and your business.

Lee McNiel