As a business idea, an ecommerce venture is quite attractive. You can approach it as a side hustle or a full-time gig.
Unfortunately, it would be foolish to expect smooth sailing, particularly if you still have little experience with ecommerce.
There are certain challenges that one needs to overcome to find success in ecommerce. And even if the initial steps are fine, challenges are there. In other words, so long as you are working, you can expect certain obstacles to get in your way.
As a rule of thumb, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with potential challenges in advance so that you know what to expect and how to handle each of them. You will find the most common ecommerce challenges in this article.
Figuring Out the Niche
The first challenge on the list is figuring out your niche. Every business needs an idea first and given how saturated ecommerce is, determining your niche is tricky.
Some people go for products they are knowledgeable about. Others do thorough market research and follow the numbers to determine how likely they are to make it.
Another approach could be finding a market and trying to see how you can twist it in a unique way. For instance, instead of selling just socks, you could go for knitted personalized socks.
Different methods work in different cases. You might find it necessary to test various options before you find one that suits you.
Finding Reliable Suppliers
It is likely that you will stick to the dropshipping business method. For one, it involves fewer risks as you do not have to worry about overinvesting in your own inventory. Moreover, dropshipping is easier to carry out, which leaves you more resources for marketing and customer service.
Nevertheless, it also comes with certain drawbacks. Most notably, having to find a reliable supplier.
In dropshipping, you have to depend on the supplier a lot. And it is not just about the struggles of finding a reliable supplier. Certain niches might not have a supplier in the first place. And if you find one, there are no guarantees that they will work with you. Commitments to other businesses or not trusting a newcomer are common reasons for refusal.
Overcoming the Competition
The competition is another hurdle to overcome. Even if you manage to find a relatively small niche, the odds are that it still has some brands that have already established themselves.
The good about this challenge is that it will exist regardless of your niche, so you do not have to worry about it. As a priority, focus on your own marketing and goods enough so that you grow an audience. And once things pick up, you can look to scale the brand and try to establish your dominance.
Coming Up With Effective Marketing Ideas
Speaking of scaling the business, you will have to work hard on coming up with a proper marketing plan.
A lot comes down to the budget. It would be foolish to expect to overcome other brands that have more money to spend on search engine optimization, social media, PPC, and other advertising methods.
Nevertheless, that does not mean that you should feel down. Just because you lack the money, it does not mean that you cannot come up with a decent marketing strategy. The start might be slow, but you have to start somewhere, right?
Dealing With Returns and Refunds
Returns and refunds are never fun, but you should prepare for them early so that it is easier to accept the problem and move forward.
Consumers are not necessarily committed enough to do the necessary research before they purchase something. It is only when the goods get delivered that they notice how the size is wrong or that the compatibility with another item is not possible.
If there is one thing to help with returns and refunds, it would have to be an automation system. Make sure that the process is automated and smooth.
Offering Excellent Customer Support
Dealing with returns and refunds is part of customer support, but there is much more to it. Depending on how many customers there are, dealing with all of them could prove to be quite tricky.
A reliable customer support department that is available 24/7 should be part of the business. And you need to make sure that customers can reach you not just on the website but also via social media and email.
Solving Security Issues
The last challenge to mention is related to various cybersecurity threats trying to expose customer information or take your website down.
These are two examples of the most common security problems that are crucial to address. In fact, it is better to take the necessary precautions in advance by investing in reliable security tools.
Even minor cybersecurity threats can snowball and cause unforeseen problems, so it is crucial that the security is in check.
