The_Ten_Best_E-Commerce_Strategies

The Ten Best E-Commerce Strategies Strategy #1 - Copy Smaller e-commerce sites must strive to increase their customer base while the costs are still low. Smaller e-commerce sites can see what the multi-million dollar sites are doing and simply copy much of what they are doing. Although the copying strategy is not a strategy of a market leader, smaller e-commerce ventures rarely have the resources to be market leaders. Strategy #2 - Build Loyal Customers Base Now While the costs are relatively low, now is the time to build a loyal customer base that can serve as the core business. Small e-commerce ventures should be spending money now to increase the size of the customer base. Lock in advertising rates and establish ad programs where prices can be grand-fathered in. It will cost a lot more later. Strategy #3 - Allow For Frequent Site Updates Keeping your site fresh will keep your current customers coming back to your site without being bored or put off because your site has not changed. The motto, "Content is King" applies to e-commerce sites too! Shoppers and customers need helpful, educational information that keeps them coming back to your site. Strategy #4 - Move Inventory Around Just like in a bricks and mortar store, you need to move the inventory around. Place different items on sale. Create timely sales. Put items on special and bring them to the homepage. Feature items with more information. Put up special graphics for sale and special items. Offer a clearance sale or a clearance section to your site. Strategy #5 - Auctions for Profit Supplementing your e-commerce sites with selling on auction sites can be an excellent sales and advertising opportunity. Put items for auction on the auction sites and make sure it has a link back to your own e-commerce site. Strategy #6 - Watch the Backend Now that you have the order, you have to finish the shopping experience for the customer. You should have in place a system to make sure the order is shipped in a timely fashion and that the customer is kept informed of the order status. Email is sufficient for keeping in touch. Make sure you are handing the shipping in good time. Strategy #6 - Use Email Lists A listserver allows you to capture emails so that you can build an email list. This will allow you can send to the entire list with just one email message or newsletter. A subscribed list is where users subscribe freely to your list. This is perfect for sales updates or a newsletter, or just wishing everyone happy holidays. Strategy #7 - Get Found in Search Engines! Unless you are in the top 20 of search engine listings you probably won't be found by 90% of those using the search engine. By creating an additional home page that is optimized for your search word and the search engine you are submitting it to you will vastly increase your ranking in most search engine. Strategy #8 - Get Linked! One of the cheapest and best ways for new customers to find your site is through links. Getting other sites to provide a link to your site involves just a few things: 1.Have a graphic button that you can provide other sites with which they can put on their page. This gives them an easy button that can serve to maybe even dress up their site. 2.Create a standard email message that has the graphic button attached asking them nicely to put the button with the link on there site Strategy #9 - For More Sales Have More Product Too often shopping sites do not have enough of an inventory to make the shopping experience worthwhile for the shoppers. The likelihood that anyone actually buys something is directly proportional to the number of items with all things being equal. You have to catch customers with something they want to buy. Strategy #10 - Make Everyone Your Salesman You can make everyone a paid salesman for your products by setting up yourself with an affiliate program. Affiliate programs are fast becoming one of the hottest selling techniques on the internet next to auction programs. By creating an affiliate program you make it easy for anyone with a web site to sell your products and receive a commission. About the author: Steven Pruner is the owner of CyberDivan Web Design, (www.cyberdivan.com) and has been designing business sites since 1996. Steve can be reached at steve@cyberdivan.com