Starting an e-Commerce may not be as easy as it looks

Rohan Shah ran a small business which was into manufacturing perfumes. Like any small business, Shah realised early that it was essential to sell his product online. So, he created his own website and also made his products available on larger e-commerce portals like Amazon.

However, Shah realised that there were several challenges he had to sort out in his e-commerce journey. We take a look at 5 reasons why e-commerce for small business may not be as easy as it looks.

1. Quality Website Traffic

For any e-commerce site to be successful, it needs a lot of traffic. However, mere traffic is not enough. You need the right kind of people to visit your website, so that at least some of them end up buying your product or service. For this it is important that your site is updated regularly with the right content and be of a quality that makes it searchable in Google. Once a customer comes to your site, the next challenge is conversion. The site design, product information, customer experience and a lot of other factors affect conversion.

2. Product Communication

Communicating product information is an art that any company needs to learn to have a successful e-commerce proposition. There should be correct visuals, detailed product description and product specs on the site.

3. Customer Experience

When customers come to shop online, they have a set of expectations. E- commerce portals have not only to match the experience offered by brick and mortar stores but offer more. So, if a customer is getting a product for the same or a lower price online, he may not buy from you. Also based on data, you must recommend the right set of products to customers. Remember that if the customer is not happy with his experience, you have lost him.

Another important thing to consider, is customer service. Customers may have several questions that want answers for which they might want to reach you through calls, email or chat. If your customer service is not up to the mark and you do not build trust, customers will not come to you.

4. Cyber Security

Customers are increasingly concerned about the security of their money and their sensitive data when making online purchases. If your security is breached, all your hard work will be undone. When you have your own e-commerce portal, you need to invest in security software that protect customer data from ransomware and viruses. Also, you need to be prepared to deal with cyberattacks.