What to consider before opening an ecommerce?

Electronic commerce , popularly known as e-commerce or ecommerce, is the commercial activity of buying and selling that is carried out through online spaces.

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), global e-commerce reached $16.7 trillion in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Within the context of this event, various entrepreneurs, brands, businesses and companies promoted the sale of their products through e-commerce.

Also, not many had the desired success or impact. The reason? There were elements that were not considered so that their e-commerce did not have the desired impact.

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15 things to consider before opening an e-commerce

Below, we will present 15 elements and factors associated with opening a new e-commerce.

Market research

Maybe you have your product or service ready in a physical space, but do you know if an online business is viable to sell your merchandise?

Market research will help you identify and assess the viability of a new online business . To find out, you will need to identify your target audience, market trends, growth opportunities and competition.

Researching the competition

Returning to the aspect of the previous point, studying the competition is a key factor in seeing what the nature of the sector is like.

Far from reproducing their actions (which is obviously bad), researching the competition helps to understand the positions that exist in the market, as well as to identify strengths, weaknesses, growth opportunities and the prices they charge among themselves.

Products and services

We know that if there are products and services, the most logical thing would be to expand the business to digital environments, however, this is not always the case.

In this regard, we must consider the nature of the services and merchandise and whether this allows us to make them available to the public through e-commerce.

Define shipping schedule

The reason e-commerce has seen exponential growth during the peak of the pandemic is that there was no prolonged interaction with the seller in physical spaces.

The products arrive at the parcel services or directly to the consumers' homes, meaning that the consumer does nothing more than wait for their product.

For this reason, it is important to define what the shipping program will be, which can range from using a courier company to home delivery via some means of transport.

Target audience

Do you know who your product is targeted at? And most importantly, do you know who will browse and use your e-commerce site?

It is vital to know which target audience will have the greatest presence on your website, so it is advisable to make relevant modifications to make their experience friendly and problem-free.

Choose a good platform

There are several platforms that offer their services in the design and creation of ecommerce. Sites such as Shopify, Magento, Wix, Jumpseller, Weebly, among others, have their own plans, tools and functions to facilitate the creation of your first ecommerce.

Choose the one that best suits your needs and dispositions.

Website design, look and feel

In addition to the previous point, it is important to create an eye-catching e-commerce site, from the design and appearance to the intuitiveness of its interface.

It's time to bring out your most creative side and use the tools provided by the host you've chosen for your ecommerce site.

Good presentation of the products

The eye-catching, creative and professional look of your products or services is just as important as the website itself.

For this reason, it is recommended to invest in the presentation of the products , since it is the first approach that users will have with what your brand offers.

Full product description

The second interaction with your products, after customers have seen them, is through their description or presentation.

It is important to make concise, timely descriptions with the general details that every consumer wants to know about what they are going to buy.

Customer Service Action Plan

When consumers are interested in purchasing a product, but there is something that keeps them unsure, they always try to turn to customer service to resolve doubts, concerns or more detailed questions.

In this sense, it is important to have an action plan to know how to deal with users who are interested in the products but something is still stopping them from taking action.

Security

Security is essential in any e-commerce. Customers and consumers want their personal and banking data to be treated with the utmost care to avoid problems.

Therefore, it is important to thoroughly understand the security proposal offered by the host where we will build our e-commerce. It is important to inspire confidence in all users.

Payment options

After ensuring the safety of users, it is now necessary to ensure their comfort when making their purchases.

In this regard, it is recommended to include payment methods that may be useful for customers, such as: payment with debit/credit cards, interbank transfers, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay or any other model that is effective and secure.

Likewise, and if possible, financing programs can be implemented, which facilitates the acquisition of your products for a considerable percentage of the population.

Logistics

Organization is vital for the proper functioning of any business. In this sense, it is always necessary to manage inventories, storage, packaging and shipping in order to have greater control over what happens in e-commerce.

Marketing strategies

In general terms, marketing strategies take place when the e-commerce is a little more consolidated. In other words, when it is incorporated into the market and it is time to race against the competition.

However, it never hurts to think about possible marketing strategies when starting an e-commerce business, as it would be a welcome boost.

Budget

Last but not least, it is vital to have a budget for each of the processes , from renting the host to the investment required to give your e-commerce the direction you want.

It is true that everything can be managed autonomously with a smaller investment, although this will require more time and commitment.

In conclusion

E-commerce is a fundamental and complementary part of those businesses that have physical spaces and wish to expand their borders.

However, opening an e-commerce requires taking actions with caution, in order to avoid failures or errors along the way.

Written by Moises Hamui Abadi : I am an entrepreneur, founding partner of Viceversa and SoyMacho. After leading several digital businesses and advising several other businesses, I decided to form MHA Consulting, a digital marketing consultancy dedicated to growing and empowering digital businesses in more than 7 countries and generating more than 1,500 million pesos.