Boxpod finds out how to make clicks count in the world of e-retailing. Turn your website visitors and browsers into buyers.
With more than 10 years of e-commerce experience under his belt, Andrew Curran has learned a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t work if you want to make your business succeed in the virtual and real worlds.
The founder and former COO of my-wardrobe.com, now chairman of amara.com and CEO of lovehats.com says there is never a dull day in e-commerce.
Here, he shares his experiences with Boxpod:
To keep things succinct:
- An average website is nowhere near good enough.
- A USP in today’s uber competitive world is essential.
- Excruciating attention to detail is paramount.
- Product (or service): More is more:
In other words, the more products you have, offering a range of good, better and best across your target audience demographics, will help improve your all-important conversion rate.
And then…
Having created an awesome yet simple website, with inspirational photography, unique editorial and a range of bells and whistles including merchandising tools, flexible shipping options and sticky social elements, the real work begins of driving footfall to your door.
Too many times have we seen fabulous e-commerce websites fall by the wayside as all the marketing dollars got spent in development and product, leaving nothing in the tank to drive the traffic. ‘Build it and they will come’ does not apply here!
Your business model will determine the make up of your marketing channels but here are some tips, learned the hard way:
If you’re a first mover or an early adopter, go hard and fast, leaving clear distance between you and the ‘me-too’s’.
There is always a competitor with more money than you – be a clever marketeer and think out of the box. Cliché maybe, but essential if budgets are tight.
The slowest, least trackable and probably most frustrating route to market is PR. However, PR, done right, will drive the best performing, least expensive traffic over the long term. Take your time and get good advice.
For speedy results, the most expensive traffic is PPC. Don’t rely on it exclusively because it’s generally (in my experience) loss making, but a great way to test your site and product offering.
Assuming you’ve navigated through the pitfalls of e-commerce, your business will grow quickly. You’ll need more space and more people quicker than you ever imagined. With a string of legacy leases and personal guarantees to my name, my number one tip is this: Avoid making long-term commitments to space and wherever possible, keep your overheads variable, for as long as you can.
Oh, and have fun. It is a roller coaster ride after all.
Andrew Curran
http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-curran/11/960/17b