E-shop: Tips for success
Original article in Greek by Andreas Fragos
Translated by Dafni Manti
E-commerce has become the leading force of the global economy. Any business without an e-shop is risking potential failure. But what are the requirements for a successful e-shop?
Structure & design of the website
A key contributor to positive results is the structure and design of the website. It must be appealing, fun, engaging but also serious. It needs to inspire credibility and trust and be user-friendly. What this means practically, is a stylish website or app with various images that provides useful information about the quality of the company’s products or services, as well as its core strengths.
Communication channels & advertising
An e-shop alone is not enough to bring in sales. The pandemic, among other factors, has impacted the role of social media to a great degree, making it necessary for businesses to have a presence on all the popular social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tik-Tok, LinkedIn). A person or a team specialized in marketing should thus be in charge of advertising through effective and highly inexpensive tools (Facebook ads, Instagram ads, Google ads, SEO).
Competition analysis
Of course, to a very large extent, business activity unfolds within a specific target market, which is continuously evolving and changing. Researching the e-shops of competitors based on their performance and features is essential. Similarly, in order to adapt to the changes of the market, competitors’ offers, advertisements, social media posts and costumer acquisition strategies should be studied.
Growth Planning
The internet provides stats for both the e-shop and the social media of a business. These results guide the business towards decisions that improve performance, since the marketing strategy is built on sales figures and successful user acquisition. It is very useful to have a vision, a clear idea of the product and its advantages, and a set of values that highlights the company’s work ethic.
Optimization
Continuous sales growth requires a constant optimization of all the company’s features (products-services, prices, human resources, brand image, portfolio, quality checks, speedy delivery, after-sales service). Practices that contribute to this are communication with customers, the use of email marketing to expand partnerships and satisfaction surveys.
It’s a group project
A final tip: it must be understood from the start that the success of an e-shop requires intensive teamwork. No manager and no executive can ensure success alone because, from a financial and technological point of view, everything is now interdependent and complex. Thus, only a competent and skilled team can ensure lasting success and high sales figures, especially during recessions like the current health crisis.
For an e-shop to succeed, a business must first set the bar high. Progress happens when investing in human resources, a network of associates, suppliers and buyers and in the systematic re-evaluation of strengths, weaknesses, successes and failures.
