The 5 secrets to succeed and be profitable and long-term in e-commerce

Are you a beginner planning to venture into e-commerce? To succeed and be profitable in the long term, having a simple website is not enough. You need a solid and well-prepared launch strategy. With ever-growing competition, standing out and attracting customers has truly become a challenging task. Additionally, e-commerce is constantly evolving. Consumers are becoming more demanding, and trends are changing at a rapid pace. So, how can you build a prosperous and sustainable e-commerce store? To achieve good results, in this article, Minea reveals five effective secrets!

Secret 1: The first shop – a solid foundation for the future

Launching your first e-commerce store is a real challenge. It’s possible that your initial attempts may not be immediate successes. However, this experience shouldn’t discourage you. On the contrary, consider your first failure as part of the process. It might be the path that leads you to success.

Before you launch, it’s essential to develop your first shop well, as it forms the foundation for your store’s future. But how? Here are a few tips to maximize your chances from the start:

Create high-quality websites

Building a high-quality website is the cornerstone of your online store. Your virtual storefront must make consumers want to stay. Furthermore, with a well-made and professional website, you inspire trust and reassure your customers.

To create high-quality websites, define your goals by considering the products and services you will sell, your target audience, and your budget. Then, choose a platform to host your store, opting for turnkey solutions.

Regarding the design of your website, we recommend that you:

• Design an attractive layout to draw and retain customers,
• Offer quality content (product photos, detailed descriptions, etc.),
• Optimize your site’s SEO with relevant keywords, meta tags, links, etc.,
• Secure your site to protect your customers' data,
• Integrate different payment options.

Use effective creatives

Visuals (videos and photos) and messages (product descriptions and features) are your customers' first point of contact. They must capture attention and generate interest. These elements directly impact purchase decisions by helping customers visualize and understand the products you offer before buying.

To create impactful creatives, you must know your audience. It will then be easier to adapt your tone and vocabulary to your target. Also, choose the best visuals considering their quality, relevance, and originality. For descriptions, write concise and compelling texts, highlighting the strengths of the products sold on your e-commerce site.

Choose the right products

Product selection is crucial when launching your first shop. Indeed, simply selling is not enough to succeed in e-commerce. The products your store offers must meet a specific demand from your target audience.

By choosing the right products, you increase the conversion rate – turning visitors into customers. You also foster customer loyalty and reduce returns. Therefore, select products based on your audience, prioritizing those that stand out in the market.

Manage your budget wisely

To make your first shop known and quickly generate traffic, don't be afraid to spend on advertising. However, stick to a defined budget cap to avoid unnecessary losses.

Investing in advertising increases visibility. Moreover, a good ad campaign can significantly boost your conversion rate.

Keep learning

Technological advances, changes in consumer behavior, and the emergence of new trends all impact e-commerce. To improve your skills and remain competitive, you need continuous learning.

For entrepreneurs, training allows mastery of essential e-commerce tools, like design tools. It helps them adapt to new trends. Additionally, by acquiring new skills, you can improve performance, increase revenue, and reduce costs.

Minea offers training and coaching sessions to help you successfully launch your first shop. By choosing Minea, you’re opting for a trusted partner that will support you throughout your e-commerce journey.

Appreciate the journey you have taken since the beginning

Sometimes we focus so much on the final goal that we forget to celebrate the small victories along the way. However, appreciating the journey keeps you motivated and boosts self-confidence. Celebrating success also contributes to personal and professional well-being. Each step is progress, and it’s important to recognize your achievements.

In any case, remember that your first shop often reflects the future ones. So, prepare it well.

Secret 2: The key to quick success – test and persist

Most new entrepreneurs wonder: “Why do some achieve good results in just a few days, while others struggle for months or even years to succeed?” If you're one of the entrepreneurs asking this question, know that each situation is different. In fact, the key to quick success lies in testing. You must quickly and effectively test every aspect of your e-commerce strategy before fully committing.

Testing allows you to assess the potential of a product, niche, or marketing approach. It gives you insights into your strategy without having to invest large resources upfront. It identifies what works and what doesn’t. Moreover, by using testing solutions offered by Minea, you can test your ads, creatives, or products. Minea helps you easily achieve your goals and succeed.

However, even with good testing, failure may still occur. But remember, failure is also part of the entrepreneurial process. The difference between those who succeed quickly and those who fail lies in their ability to persist. Some see failure as an opportunity to learn and adjust their strategy, while others give up too early. When starting in e-commerce, persistence and adaptability are essential qualities. They allow you to overcome obstacles and achieve sustainable results. So, persist and don’t get discouraged by the first failure!

Secret 3: Techniques to achieve concrete results

To succeed in e-commerce, the results must be tangible. Here are some practices to help you achieve that:

Avoid the trap of “Miracle Methods”

When you start in e-commerce with no experience, it’s easy to be tempted by “miracle methods” that promise quick, effortless results. But be aware that there’s no magic formula for success in e-commerce. Instead, prioritize an approach based on hard work and consistency. How? By developing a solid strategy, using effective digital marketing channels, tracking your performance, and constantly working on improving your business.

Surround yourself with the best

To succeed in e-commerce, surround yourself with experts in the field by joining e-commerce communities, like the Minea Club, for example. The Minea Club has millions of members. It’s a community dedicated to e-commerce and digital marketing.

By joining e-commerce communities, you:

• Access the expertise of e-commerce professionals, experienced entrepreneurs, or enthusiasts,
• Meet other players in e-commerce, form partnerships, and expand your professional network,
• Share with other entrepreneurs to put your problems in perspective and find new solutions,
• Update your knowledge through shared insights and advice.

Continuous learning

Once again, we emphasize the importance of continuous learning in e-commerce. By continuously learning, it becomes easier to adapt your store to market changes. Participating in training, whether through courses or online resources like Minea’s videos, also helps you acquire new skills to develop your store, optimizing your results.

Multiply attempts smartly

To succeed in e-commerce, we recommend multiplying your attempts while carefully analyzing the results you've already achieved. By multiplying attempts, you learn through experience. You reduce risks while developing new skills. Persistence and the ability to learn from mistakes are key to achieving success.

Focus on one area

To succeed in e-commerce, focus on mastering one area at a time. It will be easier to scale your business once you’ve mastered the fundamentals of a business model, a traffic source, and a specific market. You can also fully concentrate on learning the basics and optimizing each element. This approach simplifies processes, as managing several projects at once is always more complex. Thus, choose one business (e.g., dropshipping), one traffic source (e.g., Pinterest only), and one market (a single country) to master every aspect.

Secret 4: Managing bans in e-commerce

When starting out in e-commerce, it’s common to face bans. These bans need to be managed efficiently to succeed.

What is a ban in e-commerce?

A ban in e-commerce refers to a suspension or a block imposed by a platform such as Facebook, Google, or Shopify. It typically occurs due to a failure to comply with platform rules, such as non-compliant marketing practices, prohibited products, or violations of payment policies. When you launch into e-commerce, bans can affect your ads, your merchant account, and even your website, rendering access to some services impossible. Therefore, to avoid blockages and restricted access to your products, as a merchant, you need to address bans effectively.

What to do in case of an e-commerce ban?

If you encounter an e-commerce ban, stay calm and begin by understanding the reasons behind the block. To do this, consult the platform's notifications or messages. This will help you identify which rules have been violated. Once you’ve reviewed the information, if possible, contact customer support via message or phone call. During the call, clarify the situation. If you notice an error, provide proof (such as product or ad compliance, for example). Simultaneously, reassess your practices to ensure they align with the platform's terms of service. It's also worth noting that you can diversify your sales and advertising channels to avoid depending on just one platform, thereby reducing the risk of future bans.

Secret 5: Building a strong branding strategy

To stand out in the long term, you need a strong brand. A solid branding strategy will help you grow your business and increase sales.

What is a brand?

When it comes to e-commerce, a brand is more than just the product you offer. It is the soul of the online store, its identity, and the promise made to customers. A brand reflects the company’s values, its commitments, and the experience consumers can expect. With a strong brand, your e-commerce store inspires trust and loyalty. It builds an emotional connection with customers who choose the brand not only for its products, but for what it represents.

Branding vs. Brand with stock

Branding and having a brand with stock are two entirely different concepts that shouldn’t be confused. Purely visual branding focuses on a company’s aesthetic and graphic identity (logo, colors, design). On the other hand, a brand with stock goes further. It ensures the availability and continuity of its products. A brand with stock reinforces customer trust by guaranteeing a consistent experience, reliable delivery times, and a stable offering. Thus, it combines visual identity with effective product management to create lasting value.

How to create a strong brand image for your e-commerce store ?

To be profitable and stabilize your e-commerce store, you need a strong brand image. To achieve this, focus on a high-quality store and a responsive, professional after-sales service (customer support).

To launch a quality online store:

• Choose an attractive and easy-to-read design scheme.
• Make it easy for customers to navigate by offering a clear structure and well-organized menus.
• Use high-quality photos and videos to showcase your products.
• Provide detailed and accurate product descriptions, including information on sizes, colors, and materials.
• Offer features such as image zoom, customer reviews, size guides, etc.
• Ensure that your store is fully responsive on smartphones and tablets.

For effective and reliable after-sales service, we recommend offering your customers multiple contact options. For example, you could choose to offer phone support, email, or live chat. Additionally, respond quickly to customer requests, complaints should generally be handled within 24 hours. Finally, treat each request in a personalized manner. Even if the customer is at fault, show that you are attentive to their concerns.

Looking for the best solution to build a strong brand image? Minea is here to help. We offer tools and training to assist you in creating and optimizing your brand image. With testing strategies and branding advice, we guide you in developing a strong identity. We can be your best ally in helping you retain customers sustainably and ensure the long-term profitability of your online store.