As more of the world moves online and more companies realize the power of working from home, today’s labor force has been granted a unique working situation. One portion of the workforce has taken this freedom to the next level. Solopreneurs, individuals who create and run a business by themselves, have turned to eCommerce as a unique start-up method.
Previously we have talked about how you can become an eCommerce solopreneur. But in this article, we’ll be taking a look at this incredible subset of the workforce. We’ll delve into exactly what a solopreneur is, and how you, too, can run a successful eCommerce solopreneur business by yourself.
What is a solopreneur?
The word solopreneur comes from the combination of two words: ‘solo,’ in this case meaning by yourself, and ‘entrepreneur.’ At heart, being a solopreneur is about building and running a business on your own.
Solopreneurs work alone, without a team of employees. While this means there is more work for the solopreneur to do, it also means that any profits go directly to this founder. Similarly, successful solopreneurs often receive an immense sense of pride, having created a business without the help of others.
If you’re already a solopreneur, then this article will point you in the right direction to ensure your success. We’ll walk through 4 tips that can supercharge your eCommerce business:
- Clear customer support services
- Utilizing the power of a blog
- Using a reliable data-management platform
- Chatbots and on-page help
Remember, these tips are for those solopreneurs that already have an eCommerce business up and running. If you’re not in the business yet, we recommend you to read our article about the benefits of being a solopreneur.
We’ll focus on how to improve and sustain what you’ve currently created. Let’s jump into it.
Customer Services
Considering that of 2021, there are between 12 and 24 million online eCommerce shops currently running, you need to try and stand out from the crowd. If your customer service isn’t up to scratch, customers will simply leave your store and head to another one.
Important customer documents like refund policies are vital to keep clear. Ensure you have a designated section of your website that gets into the nitty-gritty of refunds, exchanges, returns, and other support features. For example, if you offer a warranty on some products, you should take the time to explain how this process works explicitly.
By putting in more time upfront to clarifying all of your various policies, customers will then be less likely to reach out by email asking for them. Not only does this save the customer’s time, but it also means you’ll have fewer late nights answering seemingly endless emails.
Create a blog
Blogs are the unsung heroes of the eCommerce world. While some companies are large enough to have clients naturally come to their pages or find them through advertising, a solopreneur’s marketing budget may be slightly less flexible.
One way to make the most out of your website and score more original traffic is by opening a blog. Depending on what you’re selling, you should do keyword research into your niche. You should aim to write articles that will be read by your target audience. Think of potential questions they would have or things they’d be interested in.
These articles will bring people onto your website naturally over time. Once they’ve arrived, they will then be significantly more likely to progress onto your eCommerce store.
Remember that it’s 5x harder to gain a new customer than to keep an old one. Due to this, any opportunity to get a new customer onto your website battles against that statistic. Once they’re on your site, if you’ve optimized your sales funnel, you’ll be able to get them to your checkout screen.
Use a reliable data-management platform
Data is one of, if not the most, powerful tool that a solopreneur has at their fingertips. Customer data, both historical based upon your customers and potential future predictions, can give you an insight into how people react to your site (we’ve talked about how customer data management works here).
By analyzing your customer data, you’ll be able to make data-driven, informed decisions on your website. You’ll never be left wondering which landing page is more efficient for your business as you’ll have data to back it up.
But data doesn’t stop there. With advanced data-management platforms like Verfacto, you’ll be able to discover actionable insights from your data (we’ve talked about this topic here). For example, once Verfacto segments your customers into various categories based on behavior, you’ll then be able to target these users to a greater extent.
You can launch target campaigns that appeal to users’ interests. Not only does this mean your advertising campaigns will stretch further, but you’ll also have a higher CTR from them.
If you’re looking to save yourself money in the long run while making your website as user-friendly as possible, then a data-driven marketing service like Verfacto will pay dividends.
Implement intelligent chatbots
There is nothing more frustrating than entering a webpage and immediately being bombarded with pop-ups and chatbots. Although chatbots can point users in the right direction and help answer common questions, when used incorrectly, they do more harm than good.
Due to this, be sure to use a service that provides intelligent chatbots. For example, those designed by Verfacto calculate the average time a user will spend on your site. From there, it’ll work out which moment is the optimum time to launch the chatbot.
These intelligent bots will give users enough time to peacefully browse your store, only arriving when customers are most likely to need a helping hand.
Final Thoughts
Being a solopreneur is far from easy. While juggling the daily strife of running a business, you’re also in a unique position of having the whole weight of a company fall on your shoulders.
One of the best ways to alleviate some of that weight is to partner with a data-driven marketing system. From handling user segmentation to providing a constant stream of actionable insights, a platform like Verfacto will make the day-to-day running of your business that little bit easier.
Verfacto has recently created a free-tier subscription, so you’re in luck! Why not try this service out today and see the benefits your small eCommerce business can have.
But, although stressful, when done successfully, the life of a solopreneur has a whole host of incredible benefits. Best of luck with your own solopreneur journey!
