As Amazon showed by continuing its rebound year in 2023, the e-commerce company is an absolute giant. But don’t let that force deter you or your ecommerce startup. You can still win.
After a difficult 2022 due to a general economic downturn and declining online consumer demand, Amazon stabilized its profitability and net income last year. Meanwhile, the company continues to innovate. Amazon, for example, is testing drone delivery systems in several countries. Companies are expanding their use of artificial intelligence to provide insights into everything from product returns to customer feedback.
more 310 million customers Globally, Amazon has established itself as virtually the top player in e-commerce. 40% of market share. Amazon’s low prices, two-day shipping, and one-click shopping have made it a preferred destination for online shoppers looking for bargains. But if you’re an e-commerce startup, there are still ways to compete and win against Amazon’s low prices. loyal customers.
Here are 6 tips to help you stay active and make more sales as a startup ecommerce website.
12 keys to choosing and building the best side hustle idea.
1. Use your strengths
You can’t compete with Amazon on price alone.
Unfortunately for small e-commerce websites, brand awarenessAn extensive catalog, extensive delivery network, or low-cost operation like Amazon helps keep prices down.
Play to your strengths rather than trying to match Amazon’s prices. What sets you apart from your competitors? Is there something that keeps your customers coming back again and again?
Play to your strengths rather than trying to match Amazon’s prices.
You don’t have to lower your prices just because someone else is doing it. You can differentiate yourself by offering something that no one else has – a unique product selection or a personalized experience.
Offering unique products
One way startup e-commerce websites can succeed against giants like Amazon is by selling unique products. If you sell products online, offer products that your customers can’t purchase through Amazon.
For example, online stores that sell video games and downloadable content (DLC) include: fortnite harlequin Skins will do well because the big retailers can’t just rely on low prices.
In 2019 87% of gamers purchased downloadable content. And the best part of all? This DLC purchase was not made through Amazon.
The online gaming industry is expected to generate $26.29 billion in revenue by the end of 2022. This sector CAGR 6.46% The market value is expected to reach $33.77 billion by 2026 between 2022 and 2026.
Find a growing industry and focus on products that are unique to your niche and not available on other websites. Selling products that Amazon doesn’t offer is a sure-fire way to increase sales.
personalized experience
Another way to compete with Amazon’s low prices is to offer personalized service that surpasses your competitors.
When it comes to personalization, e-commerce companies are still failing to meet customer expectations. 31% of consumers want retailers to provide a more personalized shopping experience. And surprisingly almost Half of online shoppers If the site you’re shopping at doesn’t offer relevant product suggestions, go to Amazon.
The digital age demands a personalized shopping experience. To add the cherry on top, consider investing in outstanding customer service initiatives.
But don’t insist on the annoying method of emailing or calling your customers to get in touch with a customer service representative. Consider using virtual receptionist Alternatively, you can improve your customer service level with a more personalized approach through our live chat feature.
According to Salesforce, 80% of customers agree that their experience with a company is just as important (if not more important) than the products and services themselves. Don’t skip these initiatives to improve user experience. You’ll soon have the upper hand on Amazon.
(image source)
2. Offer free shipping
Next time you browse Amazon, you’ll notice that items with free shipping are some of the best-selling products on the site.
If you look at another product that doesn’t have free shipping and compare it to a product that does have free shipping, it’s likely to be more expensive than that product. Funny how that works.
The secret is simple. Free shipping makes your customers feel special and allows them to receive their products quickly without having to spend extra money on shipping costs or wait longer than expected for their order to arrive at their home or workplace.
73 percent of customers are more likely to purchase items online that offer free shipping. And 90% of consumers would shop online more often if free shipping was available.
(image source)
Free shipping is a simple way to reduce cart abandonment and compete with Amazon Prime products. If you can offer free 2-day shipping, even better.
But there’s a problem. Offering free shipping costs money. Typically, it costs about $7 to $10 for every item a consumer orders online. If you’re not careful about how many products people buy from your ecommerce store, offering free shipping can be too expensive and end up costing you money.
It’s important to include shipping costs in your product pricing so it’s still profitable.
3. Use accurate wording in title tags and product descriptions.
The product name, the product’s title tag and description, and the copy used in your ad are very important to your online success.
Use the exact phrase in your title tag and Product Information When search engines crawl your pages, they can understand the content of the pages and index them appropriately. Actually the keyword is SEO Basics.
For example, if you sell jeans and want to attract more customers in search engines, you should include keywords like “high waist jeans” or “skinny jeans” in your product description. Someone searching for jeans is likely to look at several sites offering a variety of prices and styles before making a purchasing decision.
If you don’t use the correct keywords in this section (or other areas) of your site, you risk losing potential sales to competitors who do.
Verizon Digital Ready: Empowering Entrepreneurs with the Skills and Knowledge They Need
4. Showcase your product’s best features by posting customer reviews, testimonials, and photos.
It’s important to let people know what they’re getting when they buy from you. Don’t miss the opportunity to show off the best parts of your product with high-quality images.
A picture is worth a thousand words and can make or break a customer’s decision to purchase a product.
Don’t use stock images. Instead, take an original photo Image editing API Create a uniform look across all your photos.
Show your product from all angles (front, back, side, etc.) and highlight key features that make it unique.
People don’t want to see what your product looks like, they want to see how it applies to their lives. Let’s say you sell luxury watches for men. Please show us a picture of what the male model looks like. This photo uses a one-dimensional background to give a more realistic look to the product outside of studio lighting.
This MVMT watch is no longer in stock online so it works.
(image source)
In addition to high-quality images, you should include customer reviews and testimonials on your product pages.
When customers see that others have already tried and liked your product, they are more likely to purchase it themselves. Reviews help your audience. Make an informed decision about whether the product is right for you.
Encourage customers to leave reviews Offer a discount on future purchases or gifts. This strategy will encourage your current customers to keep coming back, while also building valuable social proof for your product.
5. Make sure your website’s ordering process is as easy as possible.
User experience is the most important part of any company’s website. If visitors can’t easily find what they’re looking for or have trouble navigating your site, they’re more likely to leave your site and go somewhere else. And to be honest, they’ll probably go straight to Amazon.
Here are some key areas that help keep your website user-friendly:
- design: your e-commerce website Looks professional. First impressions are very important and can help you avoid high bounce rates.
- directional: Add a search future to help your customers easily find what they’re looking for without having to click through multiple pages or search through drop-down menus.
- Easy payment: make sure you have Easy payment process So that customers can check out quickly. Includes multiple payment gateways such as credit cards, Apple Pay, PayPal or buy now pay later options.
Mobile friendly: People are increasingly shopping on their phones. above 75% Percentage of smartphone users who have made an online purchase using their mobile device in the past six months.
Most Read: What is the average income of a Subway restaurant franchise owner?
6. Social selling experiment
Social media is a great way to increase your reputation and get more people interested in purchasing from you.
social selling The idea is to use social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram to connect directly with customers without going through intermediaries like Amazon. This allows customers to interact with your brand in a more personal way than when searching on Amazon.
Use social media platforms to build relationships with customers, create engaging and personal experiences, and inspire viewers with high-quality images.
West Elm aesthetically pleasing It provides interior design ideas and allows viewers to shop for exact looks from the app itself. Social selling gives consumers all the information they need to go directly to make a purchase.
(image source)
You can also use social media to provide a sneak peek at upcoming news or offer exclusive deals or promotions that are only available through your company’s social media accounts.
Not only is this a great way to get people excited about your company, but it also helps you stand out from other ecommerce sites.
5 Ways Ecommerce Entrepreneurs Can Make More Data-Driven Decisions
finish
In the end, it turned out that it was possible to compete with Amazon.
Forget about trying to win a price war. You can compete with Amazon by leveraging your strengths and providing unique experiences for your customers. Here are some ideas:
- We offer free shipping on all orders, no matter how small.
- Use keywords in your title tags and product descriptions to improve your rankings in search engines.
- Offer a personalized shopping experience and try social selling.
- Don’t underestimate the power of high-quality images and customer reviews.
Fighting with Amazon for market share is undoubtedly one of the most difficult aspects of running a startup ecommerce website. There is no easy one-size-fits-all solution, but I hope this article has been of some help. Useful Tips Learn how to stand out from the crowd, drive traffic, and increase sales while competing with Amazon’s low prices.
First published August 2022