The field of e-commerce has tremendous money making potential for anyone wishing to put in some time and get a little creative. Thanks to the evolution of the world wide web, it has never been easier to take an idea and connect it to others across the globe, reaching your business potential and carving out a comfortable living for you and your family.
Thanks to internet supergiant, Amazon, almost anyone can take an idea, product, or service and promote it via their platform as a means of putting it before millions of customers. With a large audience comes much competition, however. While you may have what you think is a truly unique and innovative t-shirt idea, there may be hundreds of other people on Amazon trying to sell products that are similar to yours.
In a veritable sea of e-commerce offerings, how do you get your Amazon business to stand out? Here are some simple and effective tips for blowing the lid off the competition—and creating loyal customers for years to come:
- Play to your target audience
Businesses are most successful when they find a target audience and determine the needs and desires of that audience. If your target audience includes pet owners, you might want to specialize in products that would be hard to find elsewhere. Backyard chickens are making a comeback; why not play to those new chicken owners that are looking for products to feed and entertain their flocks? Carving out your unique space will keep people coming back to see what you have to offer, and it will drive you higher and higher in SEO ratings as well.
- Build good relationships with suppliers
Regardless of where you are getting your products, maintaining these relationships will be one of the most important things that you do to keep your products flowing freely. Doing a bit of field research to see how your supplier can improve their products will give you both an edge over your competition, and having the kind of trust and communication history that will allow you to negotiate these changes will make you both more profitable.
- Provide information and detail in your listings
Your product listing is your first impression for buyers; they will look at language, layout, price, and any information that you can give them before deciding to purchase from you. The more value you can provide them in your listing, the more likely it is that you’ll stand out when stacked against a competitor that does not provide valuable information or detail about the products. Be descriptive, be clear, and promote quality and value–these things speak to and create a loyal customer.
- Build a unique brand
A brand says something about you, and is a reflection of your business ideals and unique personality. Taking the time to thoughtfully design your brand—your logo, your graphics, your layout—are all important aspects of your brand, but so is your communication style. People want to connect with you and get to know you; building trust is key to setting yourself up as a reputable brand. Please know, building a brand takes time, strategy, and adjustment as you get to know your customers and what they really want. Once you have established this, however, it is well worth the wait.
- Keep communicating with your customers
Don’t let a single sale be the last transaction and communication that you have with an individual; keep track of your sales and customer information in a database, and use this as a springboard for ongoing communication, sales and service that will create customer loyalty. Your business will grow as you find ways to get referred, offer new products to existing customers, and continue to build your brand via social media outlets. Make use of that email contact information, for it will become the lifeblood of your business.
Ready….set…..go!
Amazon is a big marketplace, but with a little creative thinking, some consistent action, and good communication skills, you’ll set yourself apart from the herd and build a profitable storefront that will enhance your current business practice. Go get em!
