The world of fashion is a fast-paced industry that is constantly changing. Traditionally, the focus has been on customers viewing the merchandise in person, going hands-on with the items, and trying them on. It’s understandable for a business owner in this field to wonder how much money can be made with an eCommerce website. According to market research firm eMarketer, online fashion sales will account for over 20 per cent of all online retail sales by 2016.
The answer to this question of how much money can be made online will depend on several factors, which are dependent on the particular business model you have in place. However, the more important question may be, “Can my fashion business continue to survive without developing an eCommerce presence?”
Setting up Your eCommerce Website for Success
Your company’s success as an eCommerce website relies heavily on your launch and continuing operations. You can improve your chances of success tremendously by following these steps:
- Conduct your market research: This is a no-brainer, whether operating online or offline. Be sure that there is a strong market for your product before even beginning to invest resources into your online presence. Test the market and make any necessary tweaks to your product before putting time and money into trying to launch your site.
- Drive traffic to your site: It’s absolutely crucial that you don’t sit back and wait for the traffic to come to you. Any successful commercial website must be optimised for both customers and search engines, be full of rich and engaging content, and utilise appropriate social media channels to interact organically with customers.
- Have a strong foundation: Before launch, you should have processes in place to streamline much of your operations. Your model should be as organised and automated as possible, and of course, should have the clear ability to turn a profit.
- Budget wisely: A major killer for online businesses is a poor allocation of funds. Make sure that your business plan is sustainable in the long term and that you have allocated plenty of resources to market research and development.
- Get customer feedback: This concept applies just as it would with a brick-and-mortar shop, except your online feedback will be almost instantaneous. Above all the important things to focus on when launching, listen to your customers! They will provide you with ideas that you and your team may have never thought of, and without them, your cause is lost.
Once you’re on board with these steps, you’ll want to find the very best eCommerce platform to make your launch as smooth as possible.
How to Increase eCommerce Sales with Shopify
Whether you are launching an eCommerce website for the first time or looking to switch your site to a new platform, Shopify stands out as a top choice. Among the features Shopify can do for your sales are:
- Collecting and organising customer information for your marketing needs
- Complete control over all your eCommerce stores from a single administrative panel
- Search engine optimisation to ensure your site ranks highly in Google and other search results
- Complete access to easy-to-use site management tools
As a business owner, you’ve made a wise decision by either starting or improving upon your company’s online sales. Once you’ve conducted your market research, you’re confident in your business plan, and you’re ready to start developing for a successful eCommerce launch, it’s time to get a quote from a reputable, creative Shopify developer.
Alinga: Your eCommerce Specialists
Whether you’re looking to redevelop your existing site or seeking a new platform for your online business, Alinga eCommerce can meet your needs. To find out more, request your free quote today. Alinga eCommerce is your eCommerce specialist, here to help you succeed.
