There are a number of things to handle if you are from the Small and Medium Business (SMB) space and starting your own e-commerce business. The load can be a little overwhelming, resulting in branding taking a backseat. Add to this the conception that branding is an expensive affair and a company’s branding efforts can be unduly postponed. While branding was indeed expensive in the pre-digital era, e-commerce allows for budget-friendly brand building techniques.
Consider the 3Cs essential for building a strong brand for your e-commerce business.
When operating an online business, customers are going to have concerns. So, an e-commerce business must have top notch customer service. Since word of mouth travels fast online, having a good reputation in customer service can set a precedent.
Today’s customers expect exceptional customer service and experience when they buy from your website. It is important to have highly qualified and competent executives who can set things right if anything goes wrong while shopping online. Sometimes customers may have difficulties when paying online, or face other issues. This is where tools like customer service tools like Delight Chat make it easier and efficient to handle customer queries on emails, Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp from a single dashboard.
Therefore, a customer service team that will patiently hear out issues and resolve them quickly is imperative to build a good brand image. If you fail to handle customer problems efficiently, your brand will not receive good online reviews, either.
In e-commerce, collaboration with like-minded brands leads to better market reach and opportunities. You can collaborate with a friendly competitor who is also looking to improve sales and grow. Additionally, there is the advantage of tapping into each other’s contacts, increasing the current market visibility.
Co-branding is not a new concept, many companies in the past (for example, Martha Stewart and Kmart) have used it as a tactic to create a large customer base and foster a positive perception of both their brands. One business tries to promote the other’s product line, thereby contributing to increased revenue for both. Collaboration and co-branding encourage the e-commerce companies involved to present something new and innovative that customers will love to buy.
An e-commerce business can be successful only when its payment avenues are safe and compliant with banking and government regulations. If there is a doubt that their credit card information is being compromised, or if they suspect a fraudulent transaction, customers will stop visiting the website. Moreover, e-commerce websites are prone to threats from hackers who steal bank information, SSN, and other personal information about users. This makes cybersecurity a top priority for new e-commerce businesses.
To be known as a trustworthy website, offering high-quality goods is the best review an e-commerce business can get. Additionally, if you are in the business of beauty or food supplies, FDA compliance is a must. There are FDA consulting firms that will help you make sure that the products you sell online are safe and within regulations. When you are compliant with specific rules and regulations, your compliance status can be mentioned on the website to ensure customers are at ease when they shop. Compliance builds assurance of a reputed brand, solidifying your brand image.
Along with the 3Cs, going mobile can be a tremendous boost to building your brand. Having a mobile app for your e-commerce business expands your reach, and improves customer engagement as they browse and shop, or interact with customer support anytime, anywhere. If you are interested in a mobile app, but aren’t sure where to begin, Vajro can help you. We’ll have your mobile app up and running almost instantly and you get a free 14-day trial. Get in touch with us to learn more.
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