Posts

The Ultimate Guide To Bootstrapping Your First Ecommerce Business

/in /by

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Bootstrapping your ecommerce business|The Ultimate Guide To Bootstrapping Your First Ecommerce BusinessBuilding an e-commerce business isn’t a walk in the park. It’s one of the hardest things to do online.

You are going to face multiple challenges and they’re often not straightforward and easy to address. Despite all the challenges, however, you can still succeed if you get proper guidance.

In this guide, we’ll cover the basics that you need to know when bootstrapping your first e-commerce business.

Find the right business idea

Finding the right business idea is a challenging task. You must consider many factors, such as the market size, skillset, and budget.

So how do you know if an idea is good enough? Ask these questions when evaluating a business idea:

Is there a demand for the product or service?

Is it something people need? And how many people need it?

How much money are people going to spend on it? Is this something people are willing to spend money on now or later down the line?

Does it solve problems? Or does it create new ones?

Once you’ve found an idea worth pursuing, it’s time to develop your business plan. A good plan helps you make smarter decisions as you move forward with your business.

Find a domain name

Choose domain names that are easy to spell, memorable, and relevant to your niche. For example, if you sell pet products, consider using PetProductsStore.com.

Start by brainstorming some options. There are business name generator tools where you can type in your industry (or keyword) then the platform will come up with several business names.******
StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Bootstrapping your ecommerce business|The Ultimate Guide To Bootstrapping Your First Ecommerce Business

After you’ve chosen a business name, check out what’s available on domain registrars like GoDaddy or NameCheap.

Choose a domain name like www.myecommercename.com or www.myecommercename.net, which costs you yearly but is easy to remember and looks professional.

Alternatively, some hosting providers provide free subdomains like myshopnamehere.wordpress.com or myshopnamehere.blogspot.com.

However, it doesn’t look professional, and it’s not SEO-friendly because search engines won’t be able to index your blog posts correctly if they see an URL like that.

Get hosting

Hosting is the backbone of your store and where your website lives on the internet.

It’s possible to get hosting from any number of places, but there are three ideal options: Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.

These platforms are easy to use online store builders which is perfect when starting your first e-commerce store.

Each platform has its strengths, so you must first decide the type of content and the functions most suitable for your business.

Add products to your online store

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Bootstrapping your ecommerce business|The Ultimate Guide To Bootstrapping Your First Ecommerce BusinessThe next step to bootstrapping an e-commerce business is to add products to your online store.

This is a standard process that involves uploading pictures of your products, writing descriptions of them, and setting prices.

You need to briefly describe what your product is about.

Ensure your customers understand what they are buying and why they should buy.

Suppose you’re in the behavioral health software industry; your description should reflect why you have the best aba data collection software and why customers should subscribe.

Use the right marketing strategies

The right marketing strategy brings success to your online store. If you don’t clearly understand how to market your product, you’ll waste time and money on strategies that don’t work.

The first step in any marketing strategy is figuring out whom you’re talking to.

To tailor your marketing message accordingly, you need to know the demographics of your target audience (e.g., age, gender, and income level).

Personalizing your marketing materials helps you reach more people and get them interested in your product or service.

If you’re selling something like clothing or jewelry, it doesn’t matter if your target audience is male or female because they’ll be interested in what you’re selling.

But suppose you’re selling a cosmetic product. In that case, it’s essential to know if it’s usually men or women who buy this to tailor your messaging accordingly.

Your target audience may also have different needs at different times (e.g., homeowners vs. renters).

This information helps inform the way that you market yourself and the content on your website so that people looking for homeowners insurance see something different than someone.


Optimize your e-commerce website for search engines

Optimize your product pages for the search engines so it’s more visible on the search engine results pages.

To optimize your pages, add relevant keywords in the product descriptions, titles, and tags so that search engines quickly identify and index them for users to find.

There’s a myriad of ways to optimize your pages, but being mindful of your keyword placements is a good start.

You may also want to use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs Keywords Explorer to find out which keywords to optimize your product pages.

Another way to increase your rankings in search engines is to buy engaging seo articles. With carefully crafted articles, people will start linking back to your posts organically.

Generate traffic to your e-commerce site

You’ve found a product, and your website is ready. The next step is to generate traffic to your e-commerce site that converts. There are two main ways to generate traffic: paid and organic.

Paid traffic is when you pay money to get people to click on your ads and visit your site.

The most common form of generating paid traffic is through Google AdWords and Facebook Ads, which allows you to target users based on various criteria.

Tiktok Ads, Pinterest Ads, and Twitter Ads are also popular platforms for paid traffic.

Organic traffic comes from search engines like Google and Bing or your Social Media pages.

It’s essential to make sure the traffic you generate is high-quality and relevant to your niche. For example, if you’re selling API testing tools for programmers, you should get traffic from the software niche.

Analyze and improve

The key to building an e-commerce business is constantly analyzing and improving your product, website, and marketing.

Identify the gaps in your online store through SWOT analysis, review of your advertising and sales metrics, or other tools.

For example, if your site has low conversion rates, you must figure out whether it’s because of the UX or the product itself.

Once you’ve identified the areas for improvement, you must start testing different solutions until you find the one that works best for your customers.

Ready to get an e-commerce business going by yourself?

It is challenging to start an e-commerce business from scratch. After all, you get to decide on everything for your store.

Most people wouldn’t know where to begin their business planning, let alone execute their ideas. If you’re looking to bootstrap your first online store, following this guide helps get you on track.

How can anti-piracy companies help protect your DMCA?

/in /by

StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |DMCA|How can anti-piracy companies help protect your DMCA?DMCA, who does not know it? It is the abbreviation for ‘Digital Millennium Copyright Act’, an act established by the American government. The act is a rule to extend the copyright law focused on the ‘digital millennium technology’, since it can be claimed that today’s society is merely focused on online technologies. With the rise of technologies, also a rise of online piracy can be detected. Your company can easily be harmed by online pirates making use of online piracy, which is a shame because chances of losing revenue are also increasing due this. Luckily, there are lots of companies that can help you protect your band, with so-called DMCA takedowns! These kinds of companies are putting everything on the line in order to help and protect your brand. Are you curious how DMCA services might come in handy in your branch or sector? Please read through the information beneath.

e-Learning, Tutorials & Course Piracy

The rise of the technology can not only be seen within the increasingly popular social media platforms, or the way people are communicating with each other. It goes beyond regularly using technologies; nowadays people are even educating themselves online. Self-education via online platforms can be done by the use of LinkedIn, Udemy, Coursera or every other digital environment where courses and instruction videos can be uploaded. With the use of DMCA protection by an anti-piracy company, you can ensure that your videos are protected and illegally copied videos are taken down.


Movies, (TV) Series & OTT Platform Piracy

Technological developments in our society also makes it easier to watch whatever we want, wherever we want and whenever we want. Nowadays, an often-occurring problem within the film industry is the illegal streaming and sharing of their own content, obviously without their consent. By sending out a DMCA take-down request via an anti-piracy company, the income stream of your production company or OTT platform can be protected.

Magazines, e-Books & Publishing Piracy

DMCA protection about content is not only about instruction videos, digital courses and series. It is also about written content, such as magazines, e-Books and other kinds of publishing. It is found that written documents are very popular among online pirates. Anti-piracy companies can offer DMCA protection by the use of constant monitoring by trained analysts. Eventually, DMCA takedowns can help take down illegal copies of your written consent which in the end contribute to an increase of revenue; people will not be able anymore to use your content for free.

4 Benefits of Video Marketing

/in /by

StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Video Marketing|4 Benefits of Video MarketingThroughout the last few years, what is something that you may have noticed? Chances are, you may have noticed that when it comes to marketing, videos have reigned king. Honestly, this seems to stay in the long future of marketing as well. YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, and old fashion commercials all seem to work. It’s a great way to catch someone’s attention and clearly get the message across through entertainment. Video marketing has been the most effective way to reach your target audience in the digital era. It can help you to create a personal connection with your audience, which is why it is highly recommended by content marketers.

It’s cheaper than other forms of marketing, it’s easier to share on social media, and you can get a better response from viewers than with other types of marketing because they’re more likely to engage with the content if it’s in video format. Most brands, even some of the great companies out there are utilizing video marketing to boost their sales and to build their reputation. So, here are some benefits for businesses who use video marketing!

Increase brand awareness

Video marketing has the power to engage your audience and build brand awareness. Videos are eye-catching and easy to digest, which is why they’re perfect for companies that want to reach a broader demographic. Compared to just standard pictures or even just word-based marketing (think of copywriting), video marketing is a great way to grab attention. Attention-grabbing content leads to more brand awareness.


Build trust and credibility

Video marketing has taken the internet by storm, and with good reason. There’s a huge amount of data that videos can provide for your company. By using videos to showcase your business, you can build trust and credibility in your audience. How so? Well, videos allow audiences to catch a glimpse of who you are. What your brand is all about, and maybe even a hint of the culture. It also shows that there are humans actually running the business. Sincerity goes a long way and it builds trust.

Build loyalty and increase customer retention

Video marketing is a powerful way to communicate with your audience. If done properly, you can build loyalty and increase customer retention. Video marketing can be used in a variety of ways such as introducing new products, teaching people how to do things or even sharing company values. When you provide value, you gain trust, when you gain trust, you gain loyalty.

Video allows businesses to tell their story in a way that is genuine and relatable. Customers can see the people behind the brand and get a sense of the company’s values and mission. Videos also provide businesses with an opportunity to show off their expertise. By collaborating with a video production and marketing company, businesses can get high-quality videos where they demonstrate their knowledge and credibility in their industry. This helps to instill confidence in potential customers, and it builds trust that the company knows what they’re doing.

Increase engagement and conversions

Vide marketing is a quick, snappy, and entertaining way to bring engagement and conversions in order to boost sales. How so? Well, when it comes to this form of marketing, it’s much faster and easier to get your message across. It’s a lot easier to demonstrate why your message is strong. Plus, if you’re selling a product or service, with video marketing, you can easily display it. This is definitely a way to spice up how things are going!

8 Essential Programs To Have When Starting A Business

/in /by

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Starting a Business|8 Essential Programs To Have When Starting A BusinessWhen starting a business, there are a few essential programs you will need in order to get off the ground.

Here Are 8 Of The Most Important Ones:

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system:

This is a software program that helps businesses manage their customer relationships. It can track customer contact information, sales and marketing activities, and support issues. Having a CRM system in place will help you keep track of your customers and their needs, so you can provide them with better service.

An Accounting Program:

This is a must-have for any business, large or small. An accounting program can help you track your income and expenses, create financial reports, and more. In addition, having an accounting program and a consultant to help you out, such as Excel Consultation, in place will help you stay organized and on top of your finances.

A Project Management Program:

This is a software program that helps businesses plan, track and manage projects. For example, if you have projects that need to be completed, a project management program can help you keep track of everything and get it done on time.

A Website builder:

In today’s day and age, nearly every business needs a website. A website builder is a program that allows you to create a professional-looking website without needing to know how to code. Having a website will allow you to reach more customers and promote your business online.


A Marketing Automation Tool:

This is a software program that helps businesses automate their marketing tasks. It can help you manage your email list, social media accounts, and more. Having a marketing automation tool in place will help you save time and energy on your marketing tasks.

A Graphic Design Program:

If you need to create any marketing materials or design your website, you will need a graphic design program. Some of the most popular options include Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

A Budget:

In order to track your spending and keep your business on track, you will need to create a budget. This document will outline your income and expenses so you can see where your money is going. Creating a budget is an essential part of running a successful business.

A Business Plan:

Last but not least, you will need a business plan. This is a document that outlines your business goals, strategies, and financial projections. Having a business plan in place will help you map out your path to success.

In Conclusion

If you are starting a business, these are some of the essential programs you will need in order to get started. By having these programs in place, you will be able to run your business more efficiently and effectively.

There are many other programs and tools you may need as you start and grow your business. But these eight are the essentials that every business should have in place from the beginning. Having these programs and tools in place will help you run your business more smoothly and effectively.

Effective Strategies To Understand Your Competitors

/in /by

StrategyDriven Environmental Monitoring Article |Understand your competitors|Effective Strategies To Understand Your CompetitorsThere is no denying that the business world is highly competitive. This stiff competition is partly responsible for why 50% of American businesses fail in their first five years. Consequently, it is prudent to know and understand your competitors to learn customer demands, adapt quickly to market changes, and make better business decisions that strengthen your brand’s market position. Fortunately, understanding your competitors is easier in this age where information is abundant. Here’s how your business can better understand its competitors.

1. Attend industry events

Many entrepreneurs attend industry events to network with potential business partners, customers, and investors. However, these events are also an underrated way to better understand your competitors. A lot of valuable information comes to light anytime those in the same sector meet at industry events, thanks to exhibit booths and informational sessions. Moreover, these events are a great way to simultaneously monitor numerous competitors. For example, you can leave an industry event with in-depth information about five or more competitors. This knowledge may have taken you several days or weeks to compile.


2. Speak to your customers

Your customers are a major source of competitor information, but many businesses surprisingly do not seek their insights when studying rivals. You can learn a lot about how your competitors operate by conducting surveys to get answers from current customers who have once patronized them. These surveys should determine why they switched to your brand instead of sticking with your rivals. Similarly, reach out to former clients and ask why they ditched your brand for your competition. If you are opening a new business, you can ask your target audience for useful insights about competitors since you won’t yet have clients. For example, let’s assume you want to launch a fashion brand. Interacting with your target audience can help you discover particular market segments that your rivals have overlooked. Then, hire business plan writers for your idea who can write a detailed competitive analysis section that specifies how your brand can fill the gap in the market.

3. Check their websites regularly

Websites are often the first ports of call for anyone who wishes to learn more about businesses from multiple sources. These sites typically contain essential business information, events, product changes, and other relevant updates. The Small Business Administration estimates that 64% of American small businesses have websites, so there is a high chance that your competitor has one too. Consequently, check out your competitors’ websites to see what they are up to. Monitoring your rivals’ websites can give you various insights you can use to boost the customer experience for your site. For instance, you can create better blog posts, product descriptions, and contact information to make your website a more helpful alternative for your target audience.

4. Monitor their social media presence

Review42 estimates that at least 91% of American businesses leverage social media platforms for marketing purposes. Therefore, social media is a great place to head to if you want information that can help you understand your competitors. You can monitor the types and frequency of their posts, the topics they speak about, and who engages their content. Additionally, you can gather general sentiments about your rivals from social media, which can help you hone your own social media strategy.