The average time spent
by an Internet user on a web page is a mere 46 seconds (Source:
Clickz.com). Within these 46 seconds an online business needs to
attract the customer, make a compelling proposition and close the
deal.
The competition in the virtual world is growing day by day. The total
number of registered domain names now stands at a staggering 200
million in 2009, with .com consuming the largest share.
What can YOU do to
stand out in the clutter and achieve E-Success?
We think the following 10 tips can substantially increase your chances
of online business success:
- Target the Un-Targeted:
Know your customers thoroughly and target those needs that are
unseen by your competitors.
eBay is a bright example. eBay was quick to recognize peoples'
desire to earn economic profits by trading second-hand products.
eBay realized the need for a platform where such buyers and sellers
could meet and trade. ECommerce technologies helped eBay to create
the required platform required and the rest is history.
When you are new to online business- Start Small but Start Right.
- Strong Business Planning:
Have complete knowledge of your revenue source, break-even duration
and other important strategic details from the beginning, and decide
on the milestones that are to be achieved. You should know the right
moment to expand your business and plan for future sources of
revenue.
The Internet business has a cruel history of bringing about
disastrous changes at phenomenal speed. Be prepared to face such
upheavals and have plans in place to manage such turbulent times.
- Business Friendly ECommerce
Software:
Always choose software that is easy to manage and allows you to
focus on your core business activities.
Choose an ECommerce solution that
fits your business requirements. Analyze ECommerce software in terms
of its scalability, security and the amount of customization
allowed.
Invest in a solution that not only meets your present requirements,
but also is capable of accommodating your future business needs.
- Create a Web Store with a
Difference:
Visual memory is more enduring than textual memory. Correct branding
is important for the success of your online business. Increase your
brand recall by creating an estore that is in tune with the likes
and dislikes of your targeted customers.
Learn more about your customers and create unique branding by using
distinct color combinations, site layout and innovative logo.
Attractive display of your domain name can also play an important
role in branding your online store.
Be different (but not vague) in order to create a positive appeal in
the minds of your customers for achieving esuccess.
- Make your “Hot Sellers” most
Visible:
Create your estore in such a manner that when a visitor leaves your
online store, s/he is aware of your specialty even if they do not
intend on purchasing those products.
To clarify: Let us assume you are an online flower vendor
specializing in selling fresh red roses. Create your online
storefront in a way that when a visitor leaves your storefront, s/he
is aware about your specialty even though he may not have seen the
Red Roses section. So the next time the visitor intends to buy red
roses, they will be very likely to recall your storefront.
Highlight your best product/service first in your estore.
- Do not let your Customers forget
you:
Customer Relationship Management is of prime importance, especially
when you are small and struggling to build a persistent customer
base. Develop innovative ways to inform past customers about new
products and the latest updates to the web store. Your chosen
ECommerce solution should have provisions for incorporating various
CRM campaigns. Adopt Innovative communication for communicating with
your customers.
Pamper your customers to generate permanent sales in order ensure
the success of your online business.
- Increase your Web Presence:
Make your presence felt by carrying out intelligent marketing over
the Internet. Perform search engine optimization (SEO) for your
site, since the majority of buyers visit websites after spotting
them come in the first three or four pages of search engine results.
You can either hire professional services or carry out Internet
marketing by yourself.
Associate yourself with web sites providing complimentary products
or services on the Internet. This helps you in increasing your web
presence both for search engines and for your customers.
Intelligent marketing alone will get you customers.
- Build Robust Backend Operations:
Backend operations are the backbone of your online storefront. Spend
time in analyzing the backend operations provided by the ECommerce
software. Features such as Inventory management processing, credit
card processing, reporting systems etc. will shape your first
impression.
All your backend operations are expected to be accurate, scalable
and provide real time data. Your choice of ECommerce solution would
largely determine the strength of your backend operations.
A potential threat to your ECommerce operations is systems failure
owning to faulty backend operations. Ensure the existence of a
strong backend platform before opening for business.
- Learn Faster and Better:
To err is human, but failing to cover yourself and allowing your
competitors to exploit your loopholes, is suicidal and is a major
threat to E-Success.
Always have an unbiased assessment of your online business and be
prepared to spot your mistakes. Learn the art of covering your
mistakes and rectify them before your competitors come to know about
them.
Business is all about speed. Speed is essential in identifying and
rectifying mistakes. You need to learn about your loopholes and
mistakes faster than your competitors and rectify them effectively.
- Surprise your Customers:
Surprise your customers with frequent changes in your business
offerings. Add incentives by providing surprise offers, price
discounts etc.
Your estore can also help to add life to your business enterprise.
Perform regular enhancements to look and feel, the display of
products etc of your online storefront. Make changes that do not
detract from the brand image in the minds of your customers. Make
sure, as well, that the changes are not unattractive or are too
frequent.
Constantly innovating while remaining focused on your business goals
will lead to success in your online business.
Ecommerce Storefront:
Visitors remember online stores by their shopping experience. Build
unique shopping experience by using innovative web site template with
special emphasis on navigation, product display and product
description. Since images convey more than words, self-explanatory
images can become your major differentiation factor in online
branding.
Domain Name:
Your domain name will be the name of your ecommerce store and is many
a times used for effective online branding strategy. Choose a name
that is unique, easy to remember and, if possible, highlights the type
of products sold in your ecommerce store.
If you have a selling preposition that out-smarts your competitors,
you may add a word or two about it in the domain name.
Logo:
When we think of windows operating system, we are reminded of its logo
before everything else. An appealing logo creates a lasting impression
in the mind of your consumers and has a global appeal. A meaningful
logo is always helpful in online branding.
Many successful online businesses have used images as their logos to
make communication easier since we easily relate with these images
and/or logos. Supporting your logo with page specific images can also
have an additional effect on visitors. Display your logo at all
prominent locations of your site to increase brand recognition.
Tips for Branding on the Web
You can take help from
following tips while designing an online branding strategy:
Be Consistent:
Branding on the web would require targeting your visitor through
multiple channels. You should be consistent in terms of your approach,
your message and your treatment given to a viewer through all these
channels.
Appeal to the Target
Market:
Entire branding efforts should be focused on a section of a large
consumer segment. Communicate your message clearly and precisely. Your
message should appeal to your customer and make them realize the
benefit of visiting your store.
Be Innovative:
Branding is all about being innovative. Understand the likes and
dislikes of your target audience before you begin the work of branding
your store on the web.
You brand your store
for your consumers. Keep a close eye on the behavior of your visitors.
Online Branding is a major factor, which will help you convert your
visitors into consumers.
