In this new digital age, it’s essential to have an eCommerce store if your business is retail. Because of the prevalence of online shopping, closing times are all but obsolete. Consumers expect to be able to access their favorite stores at any hour of the day or night, even if only online.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, having a brick-and-mortar store is no longer enough to keep your retail business running. Many people are skittish about shopping in public, and understandably so. Having an eCommerce store allows you to be there for your customers regardless of circumstances. The more accessible your business is, the more opportunities you have to serve your loyal customers and attract new ones. Continue reading to learn what four things you need to launch an eCommerce store.
1. Point of Sale Software
One of the greatest challenges merchants face when creating an online store is putting together an infrastructure capable of managing sales and inventory. With a brick and mortar store, it’s easier to track your inventory and revenue because everything is on-site. However, when your store goes virtual, you can lose track of your assets and profits if you don’t have a capable enterprise IT infrastructure.
One of the main things you’ll need for your online store is a point of sale (POS) software application that will help you to manage your inventory, revenue, and customer engagement. Cash Register Express is a POS program for your online store that helps with everything from tracking sales and inventory to creating marketing strategies.
Cash Register Express (CRE) is a product of NitroSell, and it’s a comprehensive tool for your eCommerce store. Cash Register Express integrates your eCommerce sales points with your brick-and-mortar point of sale so you always know what you have available for sale.
Also, it records your revenue from your brick-and-mortar store and your online store to ensure you can effectively track your revenue across all platforms. With the Cash Register Express eCommerce tool from NitroSell, you can set your web store up for success.
2. Attractive Web Store
One thing you can’t afford to overlook when creating your web store is the importance of aesthetics to shoppers. It’s imperative that your eCommerce store is attractive and keeps in line with the theme of your physical store.
Your web store also needs to function like a well-oiled machine while being easy to use for patrons. If web design isn’t one of your strengths, you should outsource the development and management of your web store’s site. The overall success of your web store depends greatly on how attractive, comprehensive, and easy to use it is.
3. Digital Marketing Strategy
One of the best things about having an eCommerce store is that you can find customers anywhere on the internet. You must create an engaging digital marketing strategy that allows you to reach new customers and increase brand awareness.
Social media might be the most effective marketing platform there is in this day and age. Nearly everyone is on at least one social media site, including you. If you’re social media savvy, you can increase your online store’s profile with your engaging posts.
Blog posts are also an excellent way to market your business. For instance, if you sell Zodiac clothing, articles about how to dress like your Zodiac sign will draw interest from fashionistas and people who are into astrology. Blogs about air signs, fire signs, earth signs, and water signs will show you’re an expert in astrology, and pictures of your inventory will establish you as a stylist who helps others to discover their personal style.
4. Market Research
Market research is the best way to get an accurate idea of the market in which you’re competing. Also, you can use market research to get insights into the latest consumer trends. Exclusive brands utilize it all the time to see what the hottest new trends in their industry are so they can follow the trends while maintaining their brand’s authenticity.
Market research is as essential to the success of your online store as marketing. For example, Journee over the knee boots might be the must-have item of the season, but you wouldn’t know without doing your homework. You might not want to offer faux woodgrain outsoles and violet stripes like Journee, but at least you won’t miss out on the knee boot fad while you’re busy marketing blouses in pastels or other shades that aren’t nearly as trendy as the knee boots.
For your eCommerce store to succeed, you need a robust inventory control POS system, an attractive website, a comprehensive digital marketing strategy, and market research. The prevalence of online shopping may be a relatively new trend, but it’s one that will continue to grow.