Whenever you undertake a business or venture, it is important to fully understand the challenges facing you. One of the most interesting and universal of these relates to Chinese philosophy, and the adage that those who are 90% along a chosen path are never more than halfway towards their final destination. This captures the frustration involved with finalizing any deal or completing a task, with the final steps always being the most difficult.
In terms of business, this primarily refers to the level of detail that is required to complete a specific task, particularly in areas such as presentation, branding and product design. Without being able to pay attention to the smallest of details and organise these accordingly, even the most unique and profitable business concepts cannot be executed effectively.
How small details can give your e-commerce venture the edge in a competitive market
This is arguably even more important in the case of e-commerce ventures, which are generally forced to compete within an extremely congested and aggressive space. With this in mind, here are three small and individual details that require careful attention if you are to become a successful e-commerce entrepreneur: –
Make sure that your Online Brand is consistent
This is perhaps the most important issue, as the branding which underpins most e-commerce ventures is exclusive to the online realm and central to long-term success. Not only must you ensure that your branding is recognizable and impactful from the outset, but it is also imperative that you maintain consistency across every single campaign, digital channel and item of promotional material.
This will gradually but noticeably enhance your level of brand awareness among consumers, while also conveying values such as trust and reliability that will resonate with people that invest in your businesses' product.
Ensure that your Product is presented in a favourable manner
This is also of critical importance, as customers will often base their spending decisions based on the quality of a product or service. Regardless of the consistency and ingenuity that underpins your branding, you cannot hope to thrive in the long-term if you continue to distribute poor quality or poorly presented products. This is particularly important fashion or luxury clothing brands, who must present their garments in a way that reflects both their premium brand and price point.
TNT has some outstanding advice on how to correctly pack clothes for domestic or international shipping, ensuring that your products are received as intended by recipients. This type of small detail can go a long way, especially when you are dealing with high-end or image-led products.
Assume responsibility for the delivery of your goods and customer service
If your e-commerce venture is like most others, you will most probably outsource your delivery and logistical operations to third-party service providers. This is the type of delegation that e-commerce firms thrive on, but as the presiding brand you must continue to manage this process and control it remotely. After all, it is your brand that customers are choosing to invest in, so whenever you encounter issues with your third party delivery firm you must assume responsibility for these and adopt a proactive stance.
The same principle applies to customer service delivery, as this provides a huge opportunity through which you can market your brand and communicate with consumers when they are at their most engaged. By taking control of this and handling all customer queries in a prompt and tenacious manner, you can build your e-commerce brand and empower a loyal consumer base.
