The last 10 years, I have been watching international online business, freelancers, bloggers and I've decided to write about the most common mistakes that new e-commerce "players" do.
What counts is neither the business vertical nor the budget counts but the taken decisions, and especially decisions that are taken under time pressure.
1. Time is money, but not how you think!
Since 2008 I have been met and discussed with many entrepreneurs. I have cooperated with some of them and I have dealt with their project as if it was mine.
The most common mistake is lack of time! A project needs time to be well organized. In order to build a profitable online store, it needs to be organized, neat with clear content. All these require time from everyone, you and the e-commerce agency.
Many startuppers want to know the final cost from the very begging of our conversation. It's good to know a cost estimation. At Netstudio we have an indicative price list on our website in order to help our prospective customers. But bear in mind that cost is not the first priority. Get to know every single detail that will benefit you.
Peruse your project and lay the foundation. Your website is your company's online image. The will be a vast amount of visitors so be prepared.
If you don't invest on time in this first step, you will waste time and money in the future, as you will be enforced to rebuild your site, your ad campaigns, etc.
2. Cost is the only factor
Bad news but websites are not all the same. Most of the time there are huge differences and you have to do research before you take a quote from an agency. If you look for someone to take over your project at a low budget, you have a lot of choices. But if the result may be different from what you have thought.
If you are looking for a company to take over your project, to understand your needs and your goals, it may cost you more but you will feel more confident and relaxed. Don't choose only taking into consideration the cost. Even big agencies differ from each other as they have different strategic.
3. Wrong Advertising Campaigns
There are so many media and ways to reach your target group to get more revenue. If you have decided to handle your Marketing, research your target group. Get to know how do they behave, which channels do they use. Time is money and you don't want to spend it wrong otherwise the result you take will be wrong.
It's always better the first approach and the structure of your marketing strategy to be handled by an experienced agency. If you are familiar with technology, you can continue.
4. Bad influence is a disaster...
When you start your project everybody knows! Every single employee, relative and friend wants to express their opinion. It's good to have people who care about you, but all you need is a marketing plan to follow not your acquaintance advice.
You should trust the agency that you pay. You can discuss with them the progress, the success and even the failure of the plan. They have the experience to do so.
5. Get inspired by competition and don't copy!
Each company has different know-how. If you copy the first, you will always be second. Your structure is not safe if you don't have your own foundation.
Build your know-how, your own culture and style.
6. Don't forget to measure the results!
When you invest money in marketing, you should know the results. At Netstudio we train our customers to Google Analytics and Facebook Insights, so they can read statistics and data and measure the results of our strategies.
Remember that correct preparation, organization and partner's choice are the keypoint of every successful project!
Don't be afraid to express your opinion, don't be afraid to refuse a project that you feel it won't succeed. Just do your best!
By Dimitris
Digital Marketing Expert
Published on 29 Nov 2016