Running an ecommerce store is about a lot more than just showing up for work. In order to find success in the ecommerce realm, you have to be okay with making mistakes and learning from them. Preliminary research and planning are both advisable before starting your ecommerce store, but some things are unforeseeable.
Furniture sales used to happen almost exclusively in showrooms, but the internet has changed the very nature of the business. Entrepreneurs and craftspeople alike have discovered there’s a learning curve to getting it exactly right. Here are four things most ecommerce furniture vendors learn on the job.
Influencers Are Your Friends
If you’re new to ecommerce, you’re about to become familiar with social influencers. These people are completely changing the way brands connect with audiences. They come with a built-in, loyal audience on social media, so brands like yours can work with them to connect with new customers who may be interested in your products (but were previously unaware of your existence).
The crucial benefit of marketing through social influencers as opposed to other methods is people tend to be more trusting of individuals than brands. In fact, Twitter found 49 percent of its users rely on recommendations from social influencers when making purchase decisions.
When marketing your furniture with a social influencer, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. Make sure the influencer’s audience overlaps with your own. They may have a lot of followers; but that means nothing if they’re the wrong type of followers. Influencers who regularly post about furniture or interior design will be your gateway to connecting with new customers.
You’ll Have to Delegate
When you’re figuring out how to start a furniture store, your business will suffer if you try to do too much alone. Although being in the ecommerce space means you don’t have all the same expenses as a brick-and-mortar business, you’ll still have to divvy up some responsibilities to other people if you really want to grow your brand,. Once you get your ecommerce store on its feet, consider hiring out tasks consuming a disproportionate amount of your time.
Prioritize Customer Service
One of the biggest mistakes you can make in the early stages of running an ecommerce store is taking customer satisfaction for granted. The White House Office of Consumer Affairs found dissatisfied customers usually tell at least twice as many people about their experience as do satisfied customers.
Consider implementing a live chat service on your website, or outsource your customer service management to another business specializing in customer satisfaction. Without happy customers, it will be next to impossible for you to run a successful ecommerce furniture store.
Have a Mobile-Friendly Site
A growing number of people are making ecommerce purchases on mobile devices. In fact, it now accounts for 30 percent of all ecommerce in the United States and that share continues to expand. If you neglect your site’s mobile compatibility, you can expect to lose some of your business to competitors. Make sure your site is primed to load quickly on mobile, as well as provides intuitive navigation and checkout for customers on the go.
These are four lessons most ecommerce furniture vendors learn on the job. You, however, should implement this knowledge into your ecommerce business plan before day one. Adhering to these guidelines, you will be ahead of the curve—saving you time and money, and helping your business achieve more fluid growth.