Last Updated on Apr 8, 2020 by James W
It might seem like the ecommerce space is completely dominated by giants such as Amazon, Alibaba and Overstock. While these are the sites that certainly get the most attention, especially since Amazon has been heading the charge of the so-called “Retail Apocalypse,” there is still room for smaller players to turn a profit in this busy space. Here’s how ecommerce startups can overcome legacy giants.
Make SEO a Priority
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the way brands can connect with potential customers through sites like Google and Bing. Ecommerce brands do this by making their online stores and content SEO-friendly. There are a lot of general rules for creating optimized content and websites. Here are a few of the most important points:
-
Don’t have images that are too large or unnecessary plugins on your site. This will cause your site to be slower, which will hurt SEO ranking and generally cause people to abandon your store.
-
Insert keywords where they make sense. This doesn’t mean you should stuff keywords into your product copy. Google’s crawler will realize you’re doing this and will punish your site.
-
Internally link your own pages and also link to external pages that have a strong domain authority. This will lend legitimacy to your ecommerce store.
The ultimate rule to remember when trying to do SEO for your online store is that you should never try to cheat. In the past, individuals were able to game search engines by creating false pages that contain their site’s links. This is a thing of the past, as Google and other search engines will punish users who try to use deceptive SEO practices.
Carefully Consider Your Design
One of the first things you’ll want to do once you’ve decided on starting an ecommerce store is use a logo generator to create your brand’s key image. While this might seem like an artificial element to your store, and something that should only be considered as an afterthought, logos and overall brand design are extremely important for small ecommerce stores. Your logo is one of the major things people will come to associate with your store. It needs to make sense, but also be eye-catching. Don’t use illegible text or shapes that might be taken as offensive.
Your store’s name can also have an impact on loyalty and profitability. Choose something that will be easy for customers to remember—as developing customer loyalty is the key to running a profitable ecommerce venture.
The design and user experience of the rest of your ecommerce store is also highly relevant to customer satisfaction. It’s key that you choose an ecommerce store provider that allows you to do a good amount of design customization. Making your brand stand out from the rest will help you get an edge in the busy world of ecommerce. Having an attractive ecommerce store is also a way to gain brand legitimacy—or lose it if your store isn’t up to snuff.
Don’t Underestimate Social Media
We’ve all been told that social media is a powerful marketing tool. Knowing this and implementing a strategy based on it, however, are two very different things. Obviously, social media is a great way for you to build your ecommerce brand. Having a presence on various social media channels allows customers to stay updated and engaged with your store. Another benefit to using social media for marketing is that it allows to access new customers for a lower price than other forms of marketing. This is because social media networks such as Facebook, which has heaps of data about all its users, can help marketers pinpoint their audiences. Reaching the right people is more important than reaching a lot of people—as the right people are much more likely to actually make purchases, and hopefully become loyal customers.
There’s no denying that the market dominance of companies like Amazon can be intimidating for smaller players. However, with a bit of work, even small ecommerce stores can turn into successful money-making ventures.
