The ecommerce industry continues to grow. Statista expects that global sales will reach almost 5 trillion dollars by the end of 2021. The time to grow with the industry is now, and you should strive to scale your business as well.
However, it is worth mentioning that not every entrepreneur is capable of creating a successful strategy. There is something missing, and they end up falling behind other businesses. If the situation sounds familiar, you may have to reconsider your approach. Follow the steps mentioned in this article, and you should create a solid plan that will help with scaling the venture.
Step #1 – Focus on Most Popular Products
Things might be a bit tricky if you offer only a single product or services. Scaling with only that could prove to be difficult. Thus, make sure to introduce new products. Once you add extra, see which of them is selling the best.
You will need to focus on them since if they are selling so well, it is possible that there is even more money to be made.
If you do not have ideas for new products, why not try custom merchandise, like t-shirts or mugs with your logo on them? And as far as the question of what are the best marketplaces for print on demand, you have Printify as one of the top selections. They have an excellent network of print providers, over 250 products, and some of the best prices you will find.
Your most loyal fans will be more than happy to purchase custom-made merchandise with your logo on it. And you stand to gain so much from all the advertising that this merchandise will provide.
Step #2 – Create a Solid Knowledge Base
Not every website visitor is willing to deal with customer support. Some are anxious and do not prefer to talk on the phone. Others cannot afford to wait for a response. And while your customer support department is important, so is having a solid knowledge base.
A knowledge base is made of FAQ pages, guides, video tutorials, and any other piece of information that the customers can use to look for answers to questions that they have.
Step #3 – Develop Long-Term SEO Strategy
Fighting for the top spots on search engines like Google is a tough fight. Brands invest thousands and even more to make sure that they are established as one of the authorities in their industry by ranking in the first pages.
Search engine optimization should be something you need to focus more on. Look to create a long-term plan that will bring you results regularly. And in case you have not managed to get good results, remember that you have the option to hire a professional and let them manage the SEO campaign.
Step #4 – Emphasize Social Media More
Social media plays a big role, and you should look to invest even more in marketing on social media platforms. While the likes of Facebook, Instagram, and even Pinterest are clear choices due to their popularity, limiting your brand to only the most well-known platforms is not the best strategy.
There are new and emerging platforms as well as ones that could be the turning point of overtaking the competition because they are not present there. The bottom line is that you need to expand your social media efforts more and make the most out of as many different websites as you can.
Step #5 – Research the Competition
Understanding the industry, following the trends, and keeping tabs on the competition gives you an edge in trying to overcome stagnation. You might lack inspiration and struggle to come up with your next move. However, looking at how other businesses are doing could be just the thing to give you that push you were lacking.
Step #6 – Reward Loyal Customers
Rewarding the most loyal customers with perks such as discounts and monthly raffles will ensure that you have a stable base of those who are picking you instead of other brands. It is important not to lose the best that you have. Otherwise, it will not take too long before you start to see your business deteriorate and end up in a place where you are hardly making any sales.
Step #7 – Raise Brand Awareness
Brand awareness is one of the endgame goals. Once you see that the business is starting to stagnate a bit, you could shift the focus more on raising brand awareness.
Instead of the emphasis on sales, look to cooperate with brand authorities and influencers on multiple platforms. Start writing a blog. The goal is to get people to talk about you and spread positive word of mouth. Authority and solid brand awareness can come from multiple sources, and you should aim to take advantage of everything at your disposal.