If you are looking to start your own online business this year, there are a few things you will need to think about. Running a business can be tricky, and if you want to be a success and avoid falling at the first hurdle there are certain factors you will need to consider along the way.

To start with you need to think about what type of business you plan to run. It could be that you want to open a Miva ecommerce platform, open your blog or offer online solutions. The type of business you want to open will decide the investment you need to put into it, as well as how much time it will take out of your day to run. Many people successfully run a blog alongside their full time job because it doesn’t take up all of their time: but if you were to open an online store it would be a full time job.

 

There are many other things you need to be made aware of when you start a business, and certain pitfalls you do not want to fall into…

 

No Trying Before Buying

Although online shopping seems to have become a favourite amongst most in this day and age, it also has its downsides. For example, many people might be put off the idea of online shopping if they are buying something like a dress, shoes or electric goods. People like to be able to try an item and get a feel for it before they buy, and if you don’t have any physical stores or retailers who sell your products, your customers have to simply trust what you say about your product. Because of this you need to make sure that you really sell your product, and offer a section where people can review the item as a reference for future customers.

Competition

As with any business online these days, online retail has become a hugely competitive line of work. The reason for this is that setting up and maintaining a website has a fairly low cost to the owner, therefore it is more accessible to people to start up a business in this field. Because of the large volume of online retailers out there, you may end up becoming lost in a sea of products and content. If you want to make it work, you are going to have to really work hard to make sure that your brand stands out from the rest.

Productivity

The main issue with owning an online store is that because there is no closing time on your website, you are available to customers every day of the week, at any time. The issue with this is that you can end up being distracted during your downtime with looking at sales, and in turn this can make your more tired and less productive during the hours you choose to work. You need to make sure that you manage your time effectively just as you would if you owned a physical store.

 

Perfecting Marketing

When you set up an online business you need to be aware that 90% of you initial success will be due to a good marketing plan. When you create a marketing plan for your business you will need to think about social media accounts, website content and visual marketing. To make your brand stand out from the rest you need to make sure that the imagery you use is second to none. Make the time to set up a photoshoot for your products, you business and your team. People buy with their eyes first, so the way you present your company is of the utmost importance.

Credibility

One of the biggest issues that you will face as an online retailer is trying to gain the trust of your audience. If you think back to all of the times you have ever gone shopping online. If you have seen and browsed on a website you’ve never heard of, have you bought anything from them? Most likely, you’ll take a look around and then go back to a site you know and trust. This is because there is no evidence as an online retailer that you are a legitimate business. If you had a physical store at least people could come in and look around, and you would gain trust by being there in the real world for everyone to see. You have to try very hard to make sure that you gain the trust of your customers.

Customer Service

One of the mistakes any company makes is to neglect the role of customer service in their business. Customer service plays a vital role in the running of the business because it is the first line of contact your customers have with you. You need to make sure that at all costs, you look after your customers and give them the swiftest service you can. Make sure that you take some time out of your day to check for emails from customers and deal with every case as well as you can. And if someone calls up, take the time to talk to them and make sure they are happy with their product.