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Preparing for your new ecommerce business launch is exciting. What pre-launch checklist items are top priorities for brands in this competitive market?
Here’s a shortlist of 5 to add to your action plan:
1. Become obsessed with your target audience
You can’t sell products to an audience you know nothing about. You can be passionate about launching your product or service, but it doesn’t mean your audience is going to share that same sentiment. The top reason startups fail is because they failed to gauge and understand the market, so eliminate this pitfall by obsessing about your target audience from the beginning. Learn about where they are, when they like to shop, what their preferred channels are, who they’re influenced by, and why they must adopt what you’re offering. Ask detailed questions about what problems your audience is facing, and identify the different ways they’re described. This will also help you create marketing messages that resonate, and a brand story customers can appreciate.
2. Create early demand
Creating a demand before launch will only help your business. If your audience wants whatever you have to sell, have them sign up for a waitlist. The longer the waitlist gets, the more fear of missing out there is, which is highly influential in consumer behavior. Millennials are the highest effected by FOMO, with nearly 7 in 10 (69%) of millennials experiencing it, and they purposely try to create the same urgency amongst their peers. Develop a landing page that is easy for consumers to sign up for early access or to the waitlist, partner with influencers to generate buzz, promote early-bird specials, encourage sharing, and send exclusive previews. This will help create early interest and curiosity.
3. Gamify
Consumers want to feel engaged with your brand and inspired to take the actions you want them to, but they don’t want to feel forced. Games and gamified campaigns are great way to build engagement. Incentives to share offers in exchange for discounts, social media contests, and surveys are smart ways to identify who is browsing your store off of a whim or if they are purposely interacting with you. Companies like ContentChest and I Love Giveaways make the process simple to offer promotions. This will also help you grow a strong network of engaged followers which could later become some of your highest-quality influencers.
4. Set up your technology stack
Businesses need to make sure their website and tools can help create better experiences for customers. If your store is connected to multiple marketplaces, it’s critical to create consistent, personalized experiences. From marketing data analytics to chat bots to augmented reality to sales funnel triggers, it’s critical to go down the checklist of what technologies will be needed to support your goals and set them up before launch. Because your technology stack will evolve as your business does, setting up the foundations from the start will help jumpstart you in the right direction.
5. Revolve around data
Build a data strategy. Every decision made in your business should be driven by data. Whether it’s deciding what products to launch, who to partner with, what keywords to include in marketing campaigns, or how to reach target audiences faster, data is the best guide to the business. Data tools like Google Analytics and CLEVR AI can help create visibility around brand performance and how audiences are interacting. Don’t make rash decisions based on fads or overnight trends – always check to see if there is data that can back it up. Every question you have about growing your business, from what to add to your site, how to invest in ads, and how to increase sales, should have answers guided by data.
Launching an ecommerce store is no easy job but is immensely rewarding when you start seeing success. These tips will help you start on the right track.
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