WooCommerce: 6 Secrets to Running a Successful Ecommerce Business

Creating an ecommerce business can be a great way of making money, but it’s a competitive world. This is why you need to do all that you can to turn your ecommerce business into the success that you are looking for. 

There are several steps that you need to take. Here are some tips that you should find useful. 

1. Take the business seriously 

It may seem unlikely that you would not take your business seriously. However, for some people an ecommerce business can seem more like a hobby than a financial enterprise. This is because many ecommerce businesses are created around personal interests. It’s also often the case that people set up these businesses as a way of earning a side income.

However, no matter what the reason is for setting up an ecommerce business, if you do not treat it like a proper, fully-functioning business it’s unlikely to succeed. 

2. Learn about your niche of choice

Whatever the niche is that you choose for your ecommerce business, you need to have an in-depth knowledge of it. This is because having this knowledge makes it easier for you to understand how to succeed. 

In order to acquire the knowledge that you need, you can read online resources and take advantage of government funded education to develop new skills and a deeper understanding of your niche. 

3. Choose the right ecommerce software 

If you have an ecommerce business you need to make sure that you have the right software in place for your needs. When you are choosing your software you need to consider aspects such as how easy it is to use, what features are available and how easy it is to scale should your business start to grow. Take time to make your decision as you could live to regret acting in haste. 

4. Make the most of customer testimonials 

Customer testimonials can be extremely valuable when you are trying to grow an ecommerce business. This is because collecting and publishing testimonials allows your customers to become ambassadors for your brand. This is an excellent way of securing financially affordable marketing for your business. It’s important to pay attention to your customer service efforts in order to optimize the amount of positive feedback that you get. 

5. Create a seamless checkout process 

One of the biggest reasons why people abandon a buying process is because they have trouble negotiating it. This is why you need to make sure that people who visit your site are able to buy what they want easily and quickly. Every aspect of the purchase and checkout process should be easy to navigate. 

If you do not do this you risk your customers, and potential customers, turning to your competitors instead. Once this situation starts to occur it can be difficult to reverse. This is why it’s so important to have the right checkout process in place from the start. 

6. Market your business in the right way 

You can have the best ecommerce business in the world but it’s not likely to succeed if people are not aware of its existence. This is why marketing your business correctly is so important. 

There are several factors that you need to take into account when you are considering your marketing strategies and plans. These factors include:

  • Creating original, accurate and engaging content. This is essential if you want your website to rank highly in search results. 
  • Paying attention to SEO. It’s important to remember that SEO is no longer just about keywords. Other factors such as content and user experience come into play. 
  • Utilising social media marketing. It’s important to maintain a current and active presence on social media sites that your customer base uses. You may also want to take advantage of paid social media marketing, if you want to target your campaigns. 
  • PPC marketing can be an excellent way of bolstering your marketing efforts. It’s important to make sure that you analyse results and make changes where appropriate. 

Starting an ecommerce business can be exciting and exhilarating. However, it can also be stressful if the business does not go as planned. In order to reduce the level of stress and risk, you need to take the business seriously and do all that you can to create the level of success that you are aiming for. In order to do this you need to choose the right niche and software in the first instance. You also need to optimize your marketing efforts in order to ensure that people are aware of your brand and what it offers.

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Rodolfo Melogli

Business Bloomer Founder

Author, WooCommerce expert and WordCamp speaker, Rodolfo has worked as an independent WooCommerce freelancer since 2011. His goal is to help entrepreneurs and developers overcome their WooCommerce nightmares. Rodolfo loves travelling, chasing tennis & soccer balls and, of course, wood fired oven pizza. Follow @rmelogli

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