Online stores are booming and with the emergence of online marketplaces and e-commerce platforms, independent sellers have several ways to sell their goods. However, along with their many conveniences, online marketplaces can limit a growing small business. If your products are moving fast and you’re developing a loyal customer base, it may be time to strike out on your own. Before you make a move, here are some essential tools you’ll need to transition successfully.
Website
Many sellers hesitate to strike out on their own because the creation of their own website seems overwhelming. It’s not as hard as you think. Of course, if you have the funds available, hiring a website developer is the simplest path. If that isn’t in the budget, several very good website builder solutions automate the process and make it simple and economical.
You can also build out your website in stages. Some sellers choose to maintain their presence on their current marketplace and begin with a simple website that directs customers to their marketplace store. In this way, you can begin to establish your presence on the web, without taking on all the tasks of an independent e-commerce site right away.
Point of Sale System
One of the conveniences you lose when you move away from an established online marketplace is its integrated payment system. Once you complete your transition, you need your own POS system. A great POS not only allows you to accept various forms of payment from your customers, but it also helps track inventory, manage business communications and increase customer retention.
Not all POS systems are alike. Consider choosing one that is optimized for your business. A store that specializes in hand-made goods and fabrics may benefit from a targeted sewing store POS that helps manage the specifics of its business. The more closely aligned your POS is to your market, the more useful it will be.
Website Blog
Every website needs an active blog. A blog is a way for you to offer educational, informational or even entertaining content to your customers. A great blog can significantly increase traffic to your website which in turn will increase product awareness, customer loyalty and ultimately, sales.
A store that markets role-playing games can offer tutorials on figure-painting techniques for avid gamers or reviews of the newest offerings in the industry. Stores that sell complicated machinery or tech can run a series of educational blogs to help customers understand the products.
Blogs can even offer valuable information that has no apparent connection to the store product. For instance, a store that markets educational toys might include blogs on their site about trends in homeschooling or how to choose the perfect family pet. Blogs do not function to be directly promotional, but to draw potential customers to the site and build trust.
Search Engine Optimization
If you’ve been doing business online, you are familiar with SEO. At its simplest, SEO is optimizing the content on your website so that search engines like Google present it as one of the top options when a potential customer performs a search for information. After all, having your own online store isn’t enough to succeed, customers have to know you’re there.
A robust SEO strategy can be complex. As your business grows, you might consider hiring an SEO site consultant to maximize effectiveness. However, when you’re just starting out, simple SEO can be mastered by just about anyone and still have a powerful impact on your business.
You can get a great introduction to SEO for very little money. Several major paid SEO provider services offer free introductory courses on basic SEO. Google has its own free starter courses on SEO and analytics. For very little investment, you can take full SEO courses on many MOOC sites. It is well worth your time to take advantage of these resources to learn how to optimize all parts of your website from the landing page to the blog.
Transitioning your online business from an established marketplace to an independent e-commerce store is challenging, but the independence and opportunity for growth make it worthwhile. While opening your own store will require some investment, it does not have to break the bank. Consider making the move in incremental steps, identify key tools you will need and be willing to learn some new skills.
