Tag Archives: I want to start an online store

Why your online store must be different

If you want to start an online store, you better be prepared to be different than everyone else, that is unless your product is your own creation that nobody else has. It’s just way too easy for everyone else to sell the exact same thing that you are selling through multiple platforms. Gone are the days when you can just throw something up on the web and expect it to sell. There are way too many players in the market.  I’m not saying you wont sell some of your products, but you will work way too hard if you do not have some sort of niche or something that gives your site value that other online competitors do not have.

It used to be that taking your store online when the web was new was very profitable, but now everyone has an online presence of some sort. Also,  social media is a very big part of most peoples lives and to keep your social media sites relevant is very important. Some people are even using social media sites to sell their products. Times have changed how people buy online.  Review sites are also very important to most buyers as they probably have not heard about your company and need to feel comfortable that the products that you sell and the experience is going to be a smooth one.

I used to be in the original group of online companies that simply threw thousands of items on my online store and for many years we were very successful and had 20% growth rates per year, but all of this has changed. With Amazon and Ebay, people are using multiple platforms to sell, not just their online store.  Think of Starbucks. Why do they have so many locations? They want the ability to be able to sell you a cup of joe very easy and convenient, not just one location every 20 miles. The same is true for online stores. You can’t just sell it at one location. You don’t know who is going to click on your page vs. another platform such as Ebay, Walmart or Amazon.

Being different isn’t just the only thing. You will need to have all of your social media accounts up to date with helpful information that people can actually use, not just “Hey buy this because it’s on sale.” Relevancy is huge if you are going to use the web. The search engines algorithms will rank your site based upon relevancy and how people are searching. If you don’t take this into account, your site will be buried on page 3.

I would like to say that owning an online store is easy, but it just isn’t anymore. You have to be up to date on how people are buying as well as what you can do to separate yourself from the pack. You do not want to be in the Red Ocean where everyone is fighting for that same dollar. You want to be in the Blue Ocean of low competition.  So, make a decision today to BE DIFFERENT!