Why your Business needs its own Ecommerce
website
Learn why a
ecommerce website is absolutely required
if you want
your business to be around for the long-run.
1.
Build a customer email list and market directly to them
One of the
most important aspects of having your own ecommerce website is that you can sell directly to website visitors and customers. Unlike
marketplaces, where people who buy your product are the customers of the
marketplace, selling directly to consumers on your website means you get to
collect their contact information. When you have your customers’ email
addresses, you can send them promotions, offer discounts, and announce new
products.
Getting repeat buyers is
much more difficult on a marketplace, because you don’t have direct access to
your customers. This gives you fewer opportunities to provide good customer
service and promote your other products. Since it’s easier and cheaper to
retain a customer than it is to get a new one, communicating with existing
customers is a necessary part of generating revenue for your business.
Not only do you know who
has bought from you in the past, but you also know what they bought, how much
they spent, and what they are interested in. You can use this information to
influence and suggest future purchases.
2.
Establish and strengthen your brand
When you sell
your products on a marketplace, they are listed in a generic way. From
character limits or word count restrictions to logo usage, there is little to
no room for customization or branding. In fact, it is the marketplace’s brand
that is in the forefront – not yours. This makes it nearly impossible to build
brand awareness and recognition.
Most of the time, visitors
and customers assume your product belongs to the marketplace without realizing
you even exist. In other words, those who purchase your product will remember
the marketplace instead of you.
Your goal should be for
consumers to associate your product with your brand and think of your brand
when they think of that category. When you have your own website, you get to maintain full
control, including the way it looks, what it says, and how it works. The
possibilities are endless. You can even reinforce your brand during the
unboxing experience and use custom boxes to leave a lasting
impression on your customers. Best of all, you get credit for your product –
not a third-party marketplace!
3. know more
about your customer/
audience
Having your
own ecommerce website helps you better understand your customers. This includes
demographics such as their location, as well as how they found your website and
heard about you. You can analyze their behavior on your website, like what they
looked at and the path they took to buy from you.
If there are certain
traffic sources that are bringing in great customers for your business, you can
choose to focus efforts there and put more money into those channels since you
know they are profitable.
Not only do you gain
information about your existing customers, but you can also learn information
about where those who didn’t end up making a purchase fell off. Maybe it’s a
product page that doesn’t have enough customer reviews or good enough photos,
or perhaps people are abandoning shopping carts due to high shipping costs.
Just as critically, you
need to use these insights to make improvements and optimize your website
to increase
conversions and
help you sell more.
4.
Make your own rules
With running
your own ecommerce store comes the freedom to more directly impact the customer
journey:
·
You can add
photos and videos in certain places.
·
You can alter
the layout and navigation.
·
You can
change the color scheme and website theme.
·
You can edit
button placement and text.
·
You can tell
your company’s story.
·
You can add a
blog.
·
You can
feature certain customers.
Most
importantly, you don’t have to worry about your competitors’ products popping
up next to yours like you would with a marketplace.
You can also decide how you
group and price products, and whether you want to offer free shipping. Offering something for
free can influence consumer behavior, as customers want to believe they are
getting a good deal.
With your own website, it’s
easier to experiment with this type of offer, since there are no strict rules
or regulations with which you must comply. You also don’t have to worry about
the impact these changes have on your margins, since you don’t owe a percentage
of each sale to a third-party, like you would on a marketplace. With a website,
you ultimately control your store and have the ability to test and validate
what works.
5. Run
creative marketing campaigns
Just because
you have your own website doesn’t mean customers will automatically come
flocking to you. Once you have a store, you will have to work to get shoppers
there. The first step to acquiring customers is to drive traffic to your site.
It’s not always easy to set up the right campaigns; however, you have a lot
more flexibility with the ways you can get people to find and buy from you.
Some common tactics include
using Facebook and Google ads to reach your audience. You can also create
content for your website by researching and incorporating the keywords people
use to search for a solution like yours. You have the ability to run promotions
or flash sales to generate interest and
retarget past purchasers.
According to Clutch, 37% of shoppers say discounts or
coupons can attract them back to retailers’ websites. Overall, there are
countless ways to attract people to your brand – from creating videos to
running a contest – that can lead to a sale.
Conclusion
Having your
own website is an important piece of your ecommerce strategy. It is a great way
for you to grow your brand, acquire loyal customers, gain new insights, and get
creative with your marketing. However, relying on a single channel for all of
your sales can also be problematic. Diversifying where you sell online can help
you reach new customers, especially as ecommerce becomes more competitive.
If you need a partner to
help fulfill
ecommerce orders from
your online store, check out
WaltechConcept. WaltechConcept handles orders for both websites and marketplaces
through direct integration. Then, WaltechConcept will fulfill your orders.
Contact Us [email protected]