Shopify is a great way to grow your business online and bring in those profits you are looking for! Here is our tips for creating a Shopify business blueprint that will scale your business in a big way!
Shopify Business Blueprint
The digital world we’re living in right now makes it a perfect environment for budding entrepreneurs and business owners to launch an eCommerce business. A growing number of consumers prefer online shopping to in-store. Plus, the quality of today’s digital marketing channels – like social media, search and display ads, email, and automation – make it easier than before to attract and engage customers and prospects. There’s also the advent of using Shopify, which is arguably one of the best eCommerce platforms. It’s user-friendly and has apps and plugins you can use to your advantage.
Here are the steps you’ll take to launch and scale a profitable eCommerce business on Shopify.
Pick a product
What are you going to sell? Answering this question is the very first step before you even sign up for Shopify and start setting up your website. You need to decide what you’re going to sell and how you’re going to source it. Will you keep inventory or will you use dropshipping? Are you making products inhouse or paying someone to make them for you? Take time to explore your options here and figure out what makes the most sense for your business.
Research your competitors
Who else is selling the same products online? It’s critical you know the current market – what your competitors are selling, the quality of their products, and the selling price. Gathering this information will help you understand how you should price your products and how you can differentiate your online shop from your competitors. The goal isn’t to copy their websites, products, and pricing, but rather to see how you can position yourself to make customers want to buy from you instead of another seller.
Branding your store
Having a strong brand identity will help you stand out against your competitors. Your goal should be to create a brand that customers and prospects will care about and recognize. Pick a name, logo, and color scheme that matches the brand identity that you’re trying to establish. You should also think about your store’s “voice” in the website copy and your marketing channels. For example, will your brand’s voice be more casual or buttoned up? Will you use everyday language or a more educated, academic tone? Whatever you decide, make sure that everything about your business (the name, colors, logo, copywriting, marketing, etc.) is consistent with your brand identity.
Set up your website
Next up is setting up your website. Luckily, Shopify’s UI is pretty intuitive, so you don’t need a computer science background to set up your website. Once you get started, you’ll probably get the hang of using it pretty quickly.
You’ll have to make some decisions about the type of Shopify account you want. Shopify has tiered pricing based on the features, such as the number of website admins, third-party calculated shipping rates, payment fees, etc. If you’re a smaller business with a lower budget, you probably will want to opt for the Basic plan.
Additionally, you’ll have to pick a website template. Shopify comes with a great variety of template designs for you to choose from. Again, the style you decide on should be a reflection of your brand identity. And of course, the most important part of setting up your website is uploading products to your site. Make sure to use high-quality product photos and write thorough descriptions to paint an enticing and accurate picture of your products.
Launch prep
You should start promoting your business before your website launches to help create brand awareness and drum up some interest. Make sure to spread the word about your new online store to your friends, family, and everyone in your social circle. You should also set up your social media channels and start posting on them to announce the website’s launch date and give people a sneak peek at the products you’ll be selling.
Before you launch, make sure that you’re prepared to ship and fulfill orders. You don’t know how many sales you’ll get in your first few days, but you still need to be ready for anything. The first few sales are your store’s first impression on new customers. You want to provide them with an easy, fast shipping experience so that they find your business reliable and want to place orders again in the future.
Marketing will help you keep up the momentum from when your website first launched. Amp up your marketing and set up short-term and long-term marketing strategies. You can sell your products directly from your business’s Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest accounts, so make sure you utilize those free marketing channels. And although it’s not as cool and trendy as social media, you’ll also want to spend time on SEO too. Having a good SEO plan in place will help you get more organic traffic to your website, increasing your chances of getting sales and new clients.
In addition to finding new clients, you need to focus on retaining existing customers and converting prospects into sales. Send regular email campaigns to your existing clients, letting them know about new products, sales, and other relevant store news. You can also take advantage of Shopify’s free abandoned cart feature to send emails to people who visited your website, added products to their shopping cart but didn’t complete the purchase.
You may also want to think about paid ads on search engines and display networks, social media ads, and maybe even recruiting affiliates. Additionally, make sure to prioritize SEO. Monitor the search terms that are bringing you the most traffic and which terms are underperforming.
This is just the beginning of your eCommerce journey. Once you set up your website and get started, you’ll learn a lot along the way. The longer you’re in business, the more you’ll learn about your target audience, clients, and prospects. You’ll also learn so much about the types of products that generate the most sales and the marketing channels that bring you the best results. Having a Shopify business is a thrilling rollercoaster of wins and lessons learned, but at least you now have the roadmap to get started.