While the Covid-19 pandemic caused major shifts in our daily lives, it also sparked the need for heightened customer convenience. As strict lockdown regulations left everyone shuttered in their homes, online shopping became the smart way to shop.
However, the spike in demand for e-commerce has not died down since. Instead, sales in the e-commerce market have increased by over 40%. With this, there’s plenty of room for startups in the market.
Even so, the growing market is naturally highly competitive. So, it’s vital for businesses to keep up with competition. A striking brand image, an enticing website, a strong online presence, the right digital marketing strategy, great customer service, and an efficient delivery system are just some of the things e-commerce businesses need to thrive.
If you’re hoping to grow your online startup, these third-party services can help optimize operations and improve profits.
1. Courier Services
It’s essential for all e-commerce businesses to rely on a delivery partner. Without delivery services, you won’t be able to get orders to the hands of your customers in a timely manner. Moreover, you won’t be able to retail your products to a larger geographic audience.
Courier services offer efficient and reliable shipping, real-time tracking transparency, international shipping services, and same-day delivery. These services handle packages and deliveries professionally to uphold your reputation as well. You can find out more about courier services at floridacouriers.com.
2. E-Commerce Website Development
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There’s no doubt that websites are the backbone of every e-commerce business out there because the website serves as the retail space. So, it makes sense that you should invest as much as you can into building a professional website for your startup.
Even though you can use free website builder tools like Canva, Wix, and others, these websites can only offer generic designs and functions. Professional custom-built websites are undoubtedly more appealing and far more functional.
However, because website development is a complex undertaking, it’s worthwhile to consider relying on website development services. These services can build websites that work well, are unique, and can attract and keep customers effectively. Relying on web developers will also give you the time to focus on fine-tuning and bettering your products or product packaging, customer service efforts, and other areas of business.
3. Digital Marketing Services
Marketing costs can easily consume a large portion of a company’s business, specifically when the company employs an entire department of expert marketing professionals. As an e-commerce startup, it’s understandable that you might not have the funds to hire a team of industry experts.
However, digital marketing efforts are critical to brand awareness for e-commerce businesses. Without the right tactics, your audience won’t see you online. While a content marketing strategy can help you boost traffic to your website, PPC ad campaigns can boost sales, and SEO optimization offers similar valuable benefits.
Fortunately, digital marketing services can help boost brand reputation. These services are affordable enough for startups. Moreover, the benefits of digital marketing services include access to industry experts, improved engagement rates, targeted audience reach, and increased online visibility. Influencer marketing and affiliate marketing are other affordable ways to improve your online presence and accelerate sales.
4. Customer Support Platforms
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Customer service excellence is essential for businesses in all industries. When customers find it unpleasant to reach out to enquire, complain, or provide other feedback, there’s a good chance you will lose sales and loyal customers.
Customer support platforms streamline customer inquiry management, tracking customer interactions, and integrating support through different channels. These platforms make customer service exceptionally straightforward for a small service fee.
A customer support platform can enhance customer satisfaction by streamlining all customer support actions. But it’s essential that you find the right platform. Look at review sites when comparing your options and take advantage of demos and free trials.
5. Email Marketing Services
This form of marketing makes it possible to interact with customers in a personalized way. You can separate your email list according to customer behaviors or interests and tailor messages to entice customers to subscribe to your newsletters, take advantage of discounts, or view new products.
Email marketing services and platforms are a great way to simplify email marketing campaigns. These services make it easy for businesses to create and send marketing emails, automate campaigns, and analyze the results.
There are quite a few email marketing services and platforms out there, so it’s worthwhile to compare your options before making a decision. Some email marketing platforms offer a full refund for unsatisfied customers, while others are available with free and paid tiers.
Other Ways To Grow Your E-Commerce Brand
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There are also other ways to instigate growth for your brand. While website development services can tailor and optimize your website, learning product photography basics can enhance your website even more. Pixelated, blurry, or out-of-focus photos won’t properly showcase your product. As a result, you will probably miss out on sales if you aren’t working on your photography skills.
At the same time, the right packaging is just as important. Eco-friendly packaging is becoming a preferred standard for consumers. With this, it’s wise to opt for biodegradable or reusable packaging materials. You can also consider creating an unboxing experience for your customers. Add a personalized thank you note, include creative details, or add a small surprise gift or a free sample.
You can also build a customer loyalty program that rewards customers for interacting with your business through sales, referrals, or other. Loyalty programs are a tried and proven way to improve customer retention, increase sales, and boost new customer acquisition. The most effective loyalty programs offer customers gifts, discounts, or even cash back.
Relying on third-party services is a great way to drive success for any e-commerce business. Third-party services can improve your budget, boost operations, and improve customer satisfaction. Even so, it’s still crucial to compare services. While some services might offer better quality, others might offer more features and different benefits that could accelerate the growth of your e-commerce business.
