In the current digital marketing era, more and more retail stores are creating eCommerce websites. An eCommerce website allows sellers of any size anywhere in the world to reach the global market. When adequately promoted, an eCommerce website can also offer great value for attracting customers and selling products.
With the rapid growth of eCommerce, many industries and product categories with measurement tools like WooCommerce Paint calculator are dominated by a few large eCommerce companies. These influencers often have a well-known brand combined with online search advertising and marketing strategies. This makes competing with such eCommerce sites complex, especially for smaller online stores on a budget.
In areas where it seems impossible to take market share from the eCommerce giants, there is always a way to get more customers. The trick is to get creative and determine the most appropriate, competitive, cost-effective methods. Below we provide professional advice to help small eCommerce sites compete with big budget brands.
5 Pro Tips for Small E-Retailers
Running a small business requires specific tactics to attract customers and keep them interested in your brand or business. In this part of the article, we cover five of them.
#1. Focus on Niche Products and Services
No matter where you live, there are many online stores where you can buy anything. Stores of this type are best at throwing a social network to attract as many customers as possible. The problem is that they often cannot compete with specialized sites when offering specialized products.
For example, while a large store may have hundreds of plates for sale, you may want to offer a unique design and label. The main takeaway here is that if you’re starting, it’s a smart move not to try to compete at all levels.
You need to keep the customer in mind and focus on those customers by offering the products and services they want. In many cases, filling a particular store can allow you to buy higher prices, so it’s a win-win situation.
#2. Adopt Omnichannel Shopping
Most eCommerce sales happen randomly. Today’s customers rarely find unique products when they specifically browse eCommerce sites. 70% of online shoppers shop while doing other things, like browsing the internet or scrolling through social media. If your brand doesn’t have customers, you risk losing a lot of sales.
To help online customers find your brand and reach more customers, you need to offer them a shopping experience without leaving their favorite places.
The surest way is social media – over 3.6 billion people around the world use social media. The most used platforms, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, reach a broad audience and offer a robust set of marketing tools that allow you to sell in feeds, articles, live, and more.
Review websites are another way to introduce your eCommerce business to customers. Although they don’t have any internal products, their value should not be underestimated. Most consumers research these sources before purchasing a product, which indicates their significant influence on consumption.
#3. Unique Packing & Delivery Methods
It can also be difficult to directly compete with eCommerce giants if you’re trying to compete based on price or selection rather than stand out with unique offerings. Another way to compete with the eCommerce giants is to stand out based on your content and delivery methods.
However, before you do that, you need to understand what shipping software is and what it can do for your business. The pilot program is based on software that helps businesses manage their shipments. Amazon has mastered the art of fast delivery.
They have invested billions in facilities, supply chains, and services that enable them to export at a rate not seen just a decade ago. Now companies competing with Amazon are competing not only with low prices but also with fast delivery.
This can be achieved through faster shipping options, more efficient distribution networks, or special trading partners. Another brand can focus on building good customer relationships through follow-up after the purchase.
#4. Optimize Your Customer Support
You also need to make sure your customer support channels are supported for fast issues. Customers don’t want to wait a day for response: 49% of customers say they want an answer from you in less than a minute when using the support network. Email customers are willing to wait a little longer, with 48% saying they wait 6 hours and 94% saying they expect a response within 24 hours.
To meet customer expectations, take steps to make it easy for customers to get answers to common questions using chatbot support. Your chatbot can direct them to frequently asked questions on your website or allow customers to use search queries to find information. They can use these tools to track order status when needed, saving your support agents for real-time customer requests that require specialized support.
This can help you support customers who require personal attention, making it easier to provide excellent customer service.
#5. Invest in Value and Credibility
The pandemic and the economic crisis have caused the global market to become unsustainable. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, 36% of American consumers have tried another brand, and 33% have changed the store or the way they shop. In addition, many of these customers are willing to continue incorporating new brands into their daily shopping.
This desire to try something new can be an excellent opportunity to increase brands and sales. To keep it, online businesses need to offer the best price, as a large segment of customers consider this to be the main reason for switching to an entirely new product.
One of the ways to win the customers of the eCommerce giant first is to offer them the best deals and spread the word about those deals through different networks. Try to focus on the most reliable sources of information – bloggers and social media.
Conclusion
Regarding eCommerce business, you need to be honest about your expectations. Competing with mega-retailers regarding assortment or price is next to impossible. However, many small business owners have succeeded despite their competition.
The key is to understand that while you may not be able to compete in some areas, there are many areas where small companies can have a real advantage. For example, small businesses can provide a unique customer experience or focus on product quality that a large retailer cannot give their customers.