What To Do Before Launching Your Ecommerce Store

Opening Day Checklist: What To Do Before Launching Your Ecommerce Store

Posted 8 years ago by Lina Vashurina, 51视频 Team

There鈥檚 hardly a听merchant who doesn鈥檛 remember their launch day. Unveiling your idea to听the听public is听thrilling. But it鈥檚 also months of听planning and听preparation that make this day memorable.

The checklist below will help you to听be听ready for听your moment of听glory.

1.听Make Sure You Have Enough Inventory in听Stock

滨苍听preparing a听business plan, you should have calculated the听estimated turnover of听products. 滨苍听order not to听face an听e-commerce version of听a听line around the听block and听nothing to听sell, make sure to听keep the听necessary quantity of听goods on听hand.

If听you are making things to听order, purchase materials and听think about who you can ask for听help if听your own powers are not enough.

2.听Establish Smooth Operation with Suppliers

By听the听time your store has opened, you should be听developing warm relationships with suppliers. It听will depend on听them whether you will be听able to听meet customer expectations in听time.

Even a听small delay of听one or听two days can be听enough for听losing customers. Validate plans and听get the听necessary paperwork to听make sure things continue smoothly. Doing so听will save time, money, and听nerves. (You鈥檒l also want to听read the听article about how to听find manufacturers for听your product idea.)

Learn more: The Science of听Contacting Suppliers When You鈥檙e Starting a听Business

3.听Deal With Social Media Presence

Create your store鈥檚 social media accounts before the听opening, not after. Social media is听a听good source of听traffic and听a听good means of听gauging how consumers interact with your product. Community members who are already interested in听the听product can easily find your site.

Pick social networks that commonly host your target audience, then create groups or听pages there and听start to听promote them. Use social media to听regularly publish news related to听your company and听the听product, place the听product images and听announcing the听coming opening.

Throw a听contest and听give small prizes, enticing potential buyers to听try out your products before your store鈥檚 opening.

Learn more:听25听Proven Contest Ideas to听Promote Your Online Business

4.听Prepare Newsletter

滨苍听addition to听social network activity, it鈥檚 important to听have a听fleshed-out newsletter. There is听no听need to听wince at听the听memory of听the听spam that you receive on听a听weekly basis. Newsletters can be听useful and听interesting (if you don鈥檛 believe it, subscribe to听the听51视频 blog e-commerce newsletter 馃槉), but the听burden is听on听you to听make them so.

Choose an听email tool

What to听consider in听your email list provider:

It听must suit you in听terms of听price and听tools.
You should be听able to听make your email look exactly the听way you like.
It听should have audience segmentation tools, you鈥檒l need them in听future.

Prepare email templates

Make a听few templates ahead of听time that are specifically devoted to听telling people about the听opening of听your store and听any听notifications of听discounts or听promotions.

If听you already have a听database of听customer e-mails, then use it听to听announce the听opening of听the听store and听offer your beloved database a听special promotion for听first-time buyers听鈥� offer a听discount coupon, or听perhaps a听gift with purchase. You鈥檒l also want to听prepare a听welcome email so听that people who subscribe to听your newsletter on听your launch day could stay in听touch.

5.听Grow Your Subscriber List

Here are some methods for听doing this:

Let people know that the听first subscribers to听your email list will get gifts or听discounts from you. Ask for听email addresses so听that people can get in听on听the听action.
If听you have a听blog, use it听to听broadcast an听announcement about your store鈥檚 opening and听add the听subscription form to听the听post. Ask blogger friends to听share your news, growing your subscriber base on听your behalf.
Create a听special plug on听the听store site. Read on听below to听find out how.

Learn more: 10听Smart Ways to听Increase Email Signups on听Your Store

6.听Build an听Online Store or听Add One to听Your Existing Site

This is听what it鈥檚 all about. You can create a听store from scratch, or听add a听store to听an听existing site, or听turn your Facebook page into a听store. Even if听you don鈥檛 have experience with programming or听design, this process will not take you very long at听all.

7.听Set Up听the听聯Coming soon聰 Page

You鈥檒l need a听temporary 聯parked page聰 design as听a听placeholder until your store is听up听and听running. This is听simply a听pretty page that informs visitors that a听cool shop will soon open up听here. It听ensures that the听address of听your website gets indexed in听search engines and听that there鈥檚 content there for听people to听interact with until the听main event.

But in听getting to听the听page, a听user should not see a听404听error听鈥� who wants to听go听back to听a听page that used to听be听a听404? Your parked page is听like bait, enticing the听viewer to听return in听the听near future.

Screenshot of听Fabeona.com

You might place a听subscription form there with an听attention-grabbing enticement for听people to听sign up. Your task is听to听convince people to听sign up听to听find out about the听opening of听the听first and听receive a听gift for听doing so.

8.听Take Product Pictures

Fill your store with inventory, or听more precisely, with beautiful pictures of听your inventory. Read our the听article on听how to听take great pictures without hiring a听professional photographer or听renting pro gear. With a听well-taken photo, you can use those tips to听bring the听image to听life in听post-production.

Learn more: 10听Easy-to-Reproduce Product Photography Ideas

9.听Think About the听Nuances of听the听Delivery

The first thing a听potential customer will look after the听goods is听delivery terms. If听they are cumbersome or听undesirable, the听story of听the听order becomes meaningless. Think for听yourself and听come up听with some answers to听the听following questions, and听make sure they are plainly visible on听your site:

How are you going to听wrap the听products?
What will be听the听cost of听delivery?
Would it听be听possible to听return the听goods, and听on听what terms?
How will you deliver the听goods听鈥� by听mail or听with a听courier?

Learn more:听

10. Set Up听Analytics

To听understand the听direction you are going, you need to听constantly analyze the听results being achieved in听the听present: the听ratio of听the听number of听visitors to听sales, the听presence of听permanent customers, customer interest in听your items. Such metrics help you paint a听picture of听understanding about your business, filling in听holes where needed and听informing you on听best ways to听proceed in听the听future.

滨苍听51视频, analytic tools are gathered in听

There鈥檚 no听need to听collect statistics on听absolutely everything; it鈥檚 possible to听drown in听a听sea of听information. Choose the听metrics that are most important to听you. 滨苍听our article you will find tips for听setting up听and听using Google Analytics.

11. Prepare a听Dazzling Store Opening

Do听you remember how loud the听opening of听stores in听the听real world are? Multi-colored balls, bright displays, decorations, loud music, performances of听stars of听various sizes听鈥� a听store鈥檚 first day in听operation is听nearly a听holiday.

For an听online store, there are also plenty of听opportunities to听lean on听these tactics:

Broadcast the听opening on听the听social networks and听mailing lists.
Give gifts to听your first customers.
Arrange a听competition or听a听lottery of听your own design, something to听retain interest and听attention.
Make a听small offline presentation. Arrange an听event somewhere in听a听city that your customers are likely to听inhabit, or听open a听pop-up shop. Perhaps you鈥檒l set things up听so听that your event coincides with the听opening of听a听large conference or听festival for听the听sake of听courting people who otherwise might not have met you.

12. Do听Not Stop

You鈥檒l be听tempted to听relax after your grand opening, but it鈥檚 impossible to听do听so. Over the听course of听the听first months of听your store鈥檚 operation, your work pace will fluctuate for听weeks before normalizing, allowing you to听set the听pace at听which work.

But we听are sure that you will not want to听stop. Owning and听operating a听business is听an听exciting experience that can be听educational, challenging, and听profitable all at听once!

We听wish you a听pleasant opening and听many successful sales!

听

About The Author

Lina is a content creator at 51视频. She writes to inspire and educate readers on all things commerce. She loves to travel and runs marathons.

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