More and more entrepreneurs are choosing to open online storefronts each year. Not only can ecommerce provide you with more flexibility and freedom than running a brick-and-mortar business, but it’s significantly less expensive to start and manage, and you can adapt your business plan more easily along the way.
That said, you must prepare and know what you’re getting into before launching an online store. Here are eight tools and resources to help you lay a foundation for long-term success!
The first resource to consider is your education. Whatever type of business you hope to get off the ground, you may benefit from pursuing a business degree. Yes, having a degree could improve your career prospects. But it can also help you develop your business acumen and help you gain knowledge and skills you can use for making critical decisions during your entrepreneurial adventure.
Look for an accredited online university that will allow you to complete your degree at your own pace. That way, you can still launch your business and handle all of your other life responsibilities as you study.
Social media is the king of all marketing platforms these days, especially when it comes to ecommerce. Fortunately, tons of great tools are available to help you manage your company’s social media accounts. From Buffer to Hootsuite to MavSocial, do your research to figure out which products can best meet your needs within your budget.
There are free tools you can use as well. For example, when posting images on social media platforms, it’s easy to change photo size with an online photo resizer. Use this tool to adjust the dimensions of your images in less than 30 seconds.
Don’t get us wrong; social media is not the only critical marketing channel to incorporate into your online store. Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to expand your audience reach and increase sales. Look to software like Constant Contact, HubSpot, and Sendinblue to start putting together email marketing campaigns that can help position your business for healthy growth from the beginning.
Having the right website platform for your online store is also critical because it will determine how much time it takes you to create your store, manage it day-to-day and make the changes necessary as your company grows. It will also determine the capabilities you have at your fingertips. There is no shortage of ecommerce store builders on the market today. Some of the most popular ones include Wix, Shopify, and WooCommerce.
Payments processing is another area you will want to be as easy to manage as possible. Thankfully, many ecommerce payment processors can do the trick. Square, PayPal, and Due are some of the most commonly used products among ecommerce entrepreneurs.
You can’t have a successful ecommerce business without strategizing and executing stellar shipping policies. And to offer your customers consistent results, you need shipping software that’s up for the task. From Veeqo to ShippingEasy to ShipStation, you have many options to consider. Do a little research to see which product will best help you reach your goals. Check out the best International package shipping services and find the cheapest way to ship internationally.
Finally, professional services could prove to be one of your most valuable resources. Even with the best software, you will need a little know-how to use each tool effectively. Some are relatively easy to learn, while others will take more time.
If you think professionals could get the job done more efficiently, make room in your budget to hire them. Better yet, you can utilize the Zumvu platform which will integrate all your marketing, sales, lead generation, scheduling, automation and customer management tools to help you achieve your business goals!
If you want to maximize the benefits and minimize the drawbacks of launching an online store, you must use the right tools and resources. Consider the ideas above as you lay the foundation for long-term success. And remember to stay up-to-date on all the latest tech that can help you achieve your goals.
