2024 is finally here and it’s time to succeed in ecommerce! People like making new year’s resolutions, even in business life! The intention is high among many determined individuals to start a new online store. Now we would like to help both of them with some ideas on how to succeed in 2024 and succeed in ecommerce.
If you are one of those people whose new year’s resolution for 2024 is to open an online store, reading this article can be the first step for you to take to accomplish your goal. We collected the 23 best pieces of advice for you for 2024 that help you on your way to success with your ecommerce business.
You have probably heard of dropshipping, haven’t you? Working with this trading model you do not have to invest in physical inventory before actually selling any product so you can kickstart or grow your business a lot easier way than in the classical trading model. If a customer orders a product from your online store, your supplier will deliver the package directly to your customer, you don’t even have to meet the products unless you decide to ask for it to arrive at your place first.
23 Tips to Succeed in Ecommerce in 2024
Here below you can find our well-picked advice that can be useful for you if you are a beginner in the world of ecommerce in 2024 or you are looking for ways to grow your existing store. If taking even only one piece of advice from below, you already gain an advantage on the market for sure. We focus on both starting and running an online store.
1. Sell High-quality & Demanded Products
Research your market, check what is missing from it, what is something your target audience cannot get easily, with fast-shipping in 2024. Was there anything you needed in the last one-two years but you couldn’t get it locally, and you didn’t even find an online store that would have covered your needs? Make sure you are not just one in a million.
Do not sell something that every second store sells. Make sure people need what you are planning to offer them, or that there is a high chance that they will become interested in your range. It is also very important to sell high-quality products. Do not make customers be disappointed. Do not make customers disappointed, succeed in ecommerce by offering great products.
2. Define Your Target Audience
Are you just about to open a new store? Before you start selling, you must define your buyer persona. It is a necessary step to take at the beginning of not just 2024 but the life of your business so you can build your whole strategy on it. Identifying your target audience is most important regarding an effective marketing activity. Based on this, you can decide on the message you would like to convey.
There are many factors you can use to define your buyer persona. For example demographics, job details, hobbies, goals & challenges, values & fears, psychographics & identifiers, buying behavior, influences, their buying preferences, all to succeed in ecommerce.
3. Define Your Brand’s Message
You need to have a unique identity, and you have to stick to it. This message has to be related to the products you sell, and to the year 2024 too. Why do you sell those eco-friendly products? Because you are taking steps for a better life. Your message can be related to saving the Earth. A message can be conveyed by written and visual content. Use it in your marketing activities, and on your website. If it is possible, write about it in a menu on your website so your potential customers can learn more. How to define a message?
Think about why you want to sell that item, and how you can make people’s lives better with it, and how to succeed in ecommerce with it.
4. Check Your Competitors
It is not useful only in the beginning to keep an eye on the competition, but it is worth checking them later as well so you can always be aware of the trends, or to see what customers like or don’t like. Do not go and copy another store. Check more companies, list the advantages and disadvantages. You need to see what makes people be attracted to their store and succeed in ecommerce.
Make sure you can offer something that is better than what your competitors have in 2024. It can be related to the product selection, the shipping options, payment type + more. Don’t check only those who are working in the same geographical market as you. Look at the biggest brands too for inspiration, and learn how to succeed in ecommerce.
5. Develop a Business Strategy
Before you actually open the online store, answer these three questions first. What do you want to sell? Why? How? Make sure your products and service can help people, your target audience. Another factor of a business strategy is related to finances. Create a list of your expenditures, about the one-time and the ongoing costs. Set a goal of profit. It is important to make sure you won’t spend more money than you can afford.
Define your goals and what you want to accomplish with your business, describe the legal structure. It can be also useful to do SWOT analysis (your Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) to succeed in ecommerce.
6. Choose Local Suppliers for Fast Delivery
No matter how fast delivery a company from overseas promises to provide, it will never be as quick as what a local supplier can offer. For having a successful online store in 2024 it is a very important factor to provide quick shipping. Otherwise, customers will choose another store that ships items in 1-3 days. To succeed in ecommerce, it is essential to have fast local delivery.
In 2024, it is something you should definitely forget. Work with only local suppliers, with companies from your own country, or companies who are from your country neighborhood. Customers want everything “now” to succeed in ecommerce!
7. Expand Your Business by Selling Products to More Locations
If you have an existing business and you were selling products only locally so far, now it’s time to target a wider base of customers. Start selling to other countries close to you so you can grow your income effectively. Make sure the suppliers you pick have their warehouses close to you for fast delivery time. It is good to also expand the number of products you offer, and we also recommend you to add new products, some new brands to your selection so you can come up with something fresh in the new year to succeed in ecommerce.
8. Ask For The Products to Arrive at Your Place First
If you want to offer an outstanding service in 2024 it is useful to always ask the supplier to deliver the products to your own place first, and not directly to the customer. Yes, you can read everywhere that the advantage of dropshipping is that you do not have to stock products initially. I am also not talking about it. What I mean here is called remote warehousing. The products will be still delivered one by one by the supplier. But the items will arrive at your place first, you can give unique packaging to them.
It is another reason why it is useful to work with local suppliers so the delivery time can stay short, helping you succeed in ecommerce.
The packages can wait for each other at your place and you can put them into one box. Promote your brand on the packaging. It is a great marketing tool, as everyone can see your logo when the box is just laying on a desk, and you succeed in ecommerce.
9. Place Gifts in The Parcel
In 2024, it is a winning idea to place gifts in the package that will arrive at your customer. If you want them to like you more, surprise them, and it is likely that they will return to your store in the future. If they know about it in advance, you can offer them the chance to pick which surprise they want to receive, or you can give the same item to all purchases.
It can be a product sample, some sweets, and snacks, a greeting card, a pen, a notebook with your brand logo on it, and succeed in ecommerce.
10. Offer Packages
Create package deals in your online store in 2024. Select your most popular products in a box and sell it at a discounted price. Another version of a box can include small-size products, for example, small bottles of makeup. With the help of this, customers can try your items at a lower price, and you can convince them you provide high-quality products.
You can make them be your long-term fans. If you are selling items related to a hobby, you can create a starter package that is a great help for beginners who don’t know what tools are needed for that activity. Offer customers great deals with your packages.
11. Automate The Product Uploads & Updates and Order Data Sync
One of the most stressful things is when you have to update the product data changes manually. Luckily, nowadays there are services that can help you automatize this time-consuming process. If you have a supplier’s data feed file, use an application that will automatically update the price and stock changes, upload the new arrivals, and hide those products which are not available anymore. You can not only have these updates be automated but the order flows can be as well. Have always up-to-date product stock and price in your online store from 2024 to avoid complaints from customers.
12. User-friendly Website & Great Customer Service
Provide the best service for your customers. Have great customer service, answer all messages you receive in not more than a few hours. Offer customer support in email, and on social media (Facebook, Instagram) as well. Be kind to people, consider using emojis as well. Make sure people will like you and they will tell their friends how cool you are.
Another key element of providing the best for your customers in 2024 is having a user-friendly website where it is easy to find all necessary information about the company and the products. The online store should have great product filter options, and it should be mobile-responsive.
13. Don’t Forget: People Judge by The Book’s Cover
Build a fascinating online store. It should look great, have nice visuals, design. If you are using a basic plain template that lacks every kind of creativity, you won’t stand out from the crowd in 2024. The design should be engaging, you need to use high-resolution, high-quality photos. Ensure the site is mobile-responsive. Approximately half of the customers use their mobile phones for online shopping worldwide. If your online store looks old-school in 2024, in the negative meaning of this term, the first click your visitors will make when they land on your website will be on the escape button.
14. Talk About Yourself
To truly succeed in ecommerce, create an engaging “About Us” page. Share your story, highlight your products, and explain who your items are for. This page can build trust and establish a personal connection with potential customers. Showcase your motivation and achievements succinctly, without overwhelming readers with too much information. Visitors who check this page are interested in your brand—don’t waste this opportunity to turn them into loyal fans. Lack of transparency can deter customers, making it harder to succeed in ecommerce.
15. If Your Visitors are Insecure, They Won’t Buy From You!
Build a store and brand that visitors can have trust in. They need to see a well-structured and well-designed website with great products that have nice imagery and detailed description. You need to provide every important information about yourself, your products, shipping, the refund policy, and everything. If they are not sure you are a reliable company, they will be afraid to buy products from you. We are in 2024, and you need to realize that people are not ignorant about what is going on in the world of the internet and ecommerce. Be honest with customers, and do not play games.
16. Give More to Your Customers Than What They Expect
Exceeding customer expectations is a proven way to succeed in ecommerce. Delight your customers with surprise gifts, discount codes, or free shipping for their next purchase. Add a personal touch with a branded greeting letter or small branded gifts like pens or fridge magnets. These thoughtful gestures create memorable shopping experiences that keep customers coming back for more, helping you succeed in ecommerce.
17. Create a Loyalty Program
A loyalty program is a powerful tool to help you succeed in ecommerce. Reward your customers for their repeat purchases, whether through points, discounts, or exclusive perks. Building a customer base that consistently returns to your store is more valuable than acquiring new, one-time buyers. Satisfied customers lead to sustainable success in ecommerce by providing predictable revenue streams and fostering brand loyalty.
18. Have an Outstanding Marketing Strategy
An exceptional marketing strategy is vital to succeed in ecommerce. Combine online and offline marketing techniques to maximize your reach. Be active on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and leverage email marketing to re-engage customers. Paid ads, such as Google and social media campaigns, are essential, but don’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth or influencer collaborations. Patience and persistence will ensure your marketing efforts translate into ecommerce success.
19. SEO is Key
When you are building or updating your website make sure it is SEO-friendly. SEO generates free, organic traffic for you, and you need people to be able to find you on search engines. Use SEO keywords in your products’ titles and descriptions and on your whole website. SEO helps you rank higher in search engine results.
Do not forget about your blog as well where you need to publish articles regularly. The content has to be rich in keywords. It won’t help you rank higher in search engines immediately, you need to be patient, but do not give up, it will have a fruitful result, and it is free for you. Unless you need to hire a new colleague to write articles.
It also matters what kind of keywords you are using. You have many competitors on the market, and you can’t beat the biggest brands by focusing on keywords such as “fashion”, “shoes”. Instead of this, you can use, for example, waterproof floral pattern boots. Try to use specific keywords.
To succeed in ecommerce, ensure your website is optimized for search engines. Use relevant keywords throughout your product titles, descriptions, and blog content to attract organic traffic. For example, focus on niche-specific terms like “waterproof floral pattern boots” instead of broad keywords like “shoes.” Regularly updating your blog with SEO-rich content can improve your rankings and visibility over time, a critical component of succeeding in ecommerce.
20. Focus on Selling the Experience, Not the Product
Succeed in ecommerce often involves selling more than just products—you’re selling a lifestyle or an experience. Position your brand to evoke emotional connections, such as promoting a low-waste lifestyle with eco-friendly products. Customers are more likely to resonate with your brand if they see how it can improve their lives, making them loyal supporters in your ecommerce journey.
21. Infuse Value in Everything
To succeed in ecommerce, offer exceptional value in every aspect of your business. Sell high-quality products, create a fast, user-friendly website, and provide flexible payment and shipping options. Detailed product descriptions, high-quality images, and thoughtful recommendations all contribute to a seamless customer experience. Representing value in every interaction ensures your ecommerce store stands out in a competitive market.
22. Leverage Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a modern tool to help you succeed in ecommerce. Partner with content creators in your niche to expand your reach and build credibility. Join affiliate programs and stay active in comment sections to create a friendly, approachable brand image. Influencer collaborations can amplify your message and drive traffic, helping you achieve ecommerce success.
23. Be Patient
Patience is a critical trait for succeed in ecommerce. Whether building your store, engaging with customers, or collaborating with suppliers, staying calm and consistent will yield results. Success in ecommerce isn’t immediate, but with dedication and persistence, your hard work will pay off.
Did You Find All Our Advice For 2024 Useful?
2024 is the year to focus on your dreams and embrace opportunities to succeed in ecommerce. Follow our tips, stay consistent, and grow your online store into a thriving business. The path to ecommerce success begins with the first step—are you ready to take it?
