The future of eCommerce is very bright. But the raise of eCommerce is incomplete without getting clear with the basic data that provides a way to retain existing customers.
Following are the basic set of data that each eCommerce retailer should have with them before starting up eCommerce business.
Come up with Customer’s expectations:
The main motto of any business is customer. So in whole eCommerce process customer stands first. It is necessary to come up with the customer’s expectations, what they like most? By identifying and knowing your customers, you can determine their needs and interests. This drives you to consider whether your business will meet those needs? Research will let you conclude with your customer group most likely to purchase and use your product or service. This group will become your target audience with their demands.
Let’s take a small example: Suppose if you running with apparel store so you can make survey of which women top is selling more out of all other colors, by asking them different ways. The output of survey will help you to be clear with what and which collections you need to maintain in your store.
Collect Demographic and Psychographic information:
Demographic Circumstances
Customers are hooked up with many demographics circumstances like gender, age, education, marital status, geographic location, industry and many more. Demographics information could be collected from government, many research centers and from census bureau also.
Psychographic Circumstances
As customers are connected with demographic information, same way he is also connected with many psychographic circumstances like lifestyle choices, buying pattern, perceptions, values, beliefs and much more. Psychographic information provides ideas regarding how and why customer buy? Despite the fact, these information is not easy to collect because of customer’s preferences may vary over the time. This type of information needs to be collected from the source directly. Psychographic data will be come out by using surveys, polls, reviews, feedback and interview.
Contact Information
Collecting contact information like email ids, phone number, fax number, social media ids will be useful for sending mail and emails for advertising purpose.
As part of your Marketing Plan, you will create an expanded profile of the potential customers who make up your target market. For example, a women apparel shop retailer needs to study clothing market. He needs to get clear about the demographic factors that, where customer purchase their chothes, how often they buy them, how much they pay, and their psychographic factors are somewhat like perceived value, demand for brand and their preferred price range.
Mind-up with Marketing Mediums:
Various online marketing strategies are available in eCommerce market which is used to deliver promotional marketing messages to customers. It includes social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, search engine marketing, and many types of displays including web banners and mobile advertising.
Choosing a best marketing medium and setting up strategy before start-up will provides you a smooth drive towards your destination named – target customer. Internet marketing requires core knowledge of SEO, blogs, usage of social media for business purpose, generating emails lists, affiliate marketing and much more. If you are ready to launch a business or a product then you should start research to create and track an internet marketing strategy.
Review your Technical scenarios:
Apart from marketing and customer management eCommerce entrepreneur should also focus on some technical aspects, as below.
eCommerce Platform
While choosing an eCommerce platform, ask yourself number of questions after clearing your business needs, like what do I want it to do? And take a look towards the options of your eCommerce platform available.
Go with live demos to get a good feel of service availability. Try to find out the few basic answers,
1) How you will be providing your product or services through your online store?
2) Will it be able to manage orders as you are thinking?
3) Will it provide finance and account management options and can track qualified reports for you?
4) Will it be helpful to maintain customer relationship, and promotions of your products?
However my recommendation is Magento.
Payment methods
First of all you need to be clear about how many ways you want your customers to be paid?
It will be good enough if you will provide more payment options to your online customers like cash on delivery, debit card options, credit card options, cheque and more.
Many standard online payment systems are available like authorized.net, PayPal, google checkout, Amazon payments, Wepay and many more. Based on your eCommerce platform you need to make research and have to decide which payment method will be suitable for your needs?
Shipping Process
Shipping process plays important role to retain your existing customer, however it needs special attention to be plan and execution.
Before planning shipping process for your online store you need answer yourself for few following questions,
– What are the shipping markets?
– How are the domestic and international rated are to be determined?
– What are the shipping cost structures?
– When to provide free shipping? Is it will be feasible?
Do you have more questions on eCommerce? Speak up with our eCommerce experts right now, mail us for any eCommerce inquiries on info@aarnasystems.com or visit our site web design company in pune.
