E-Commerce Brands & Why Strategy Matters

From chatbots and augmented reality to voice search and on-site personalization, Uprise is helping e-commerce brands create a new standard for shopping online. With more than 21 percent of the world’s population buying online (Statistica), the need to delight online shoppers and create a hyper-personalized experience is at an all-time high. At Uprise, we understand the importance of creating an unparalleled shopping experience, which is why we’ve compiled a list of things to think about before creating your next e-commerce site.

Think Before Doing

Yes, you can in fact build a functioning e-commerce site in a single afternoon. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Websites, especially those with e-commerce functionality, need a thoughtful strategy behind them. At Uprise, we invest significant time in building strategies that support the unique needs and challenges of our clients. Depending on the client’s needs, we assess technical platforms, evaluate the shopping experience, and consider ongoing content essentials. This multifaceted approach gives clients what they need to confidently engage with their customers.

What happens if you don’t have a strategy before you start creating your site? Disorganization, frustration, and fragmentation. For shoppers to have a seamless on-brand experience on your site, assets like website copy, product descriptions, and photography must be organized and planned. A well-executed e-commerce strategy informs content creation and influences the direction of the site. Resist working fast to launch a subpar site. Instead, work with a team that can help you create a strategy that identifies who you want to reach, what assets you need to create, and how you want your shoppers to interact with your brand.

Picking and Choosing

We like reminding our clients that there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ e-commerce solution. Post strategy, we help clients select and implement technology that works for—not against—them. Collaborating closely to understand the unique challenges and needs, we offer clients solutions that ensure e-commerce goals are attained—without paying for unnecessary features or costly subscriptions. Sometimes that means optimizing a Shopify site that’s already launched instead of starting from scratch. (We like to save our clients money when we can!) Other times that means thinking about new inventory management systems that integrate with your soon-to-be launched Woo Commerce site.

We also help clients think through distribution (spoiler alert: Amazon isn’t for everyone). According to a recent Data Myths podcast episode that focuses on e-commerce, listeners are reminded that selecting platforms and distribution channels should be a thoughtful choice. Not sure you’re educated enough to make a choice on your own? Think about partnering with a team that can walk you through your options and help you understand the time and monetary investment for different platforms and distribution channels.

If You Build It…

Sorry, nope. Just because you’ve built a beautiful e-commerce store, doesn’t mean they’ll come. Launching a site is the first step in running a successful e-commerce business. Online brands and companies must commit to ongoing marketing and digital advertising efforts that will get interested qualified buyers to their site. This means investing in strategic digital advertising. Another thing to figure out? Not necessarily. Uprise develops multi-channel media plans to support our clients’ business goals. From audience targeting and ad spend to channel-specific messaging, we focus on maximizing our clients’ digital investment because what good is a site without traffic?

At Uprise, we are passionate about working with e-commerce brands and companies to launch thoughtful innovative sites. By focusing on strategy, technology, and marketing, we help our clients differentiate themselves and their products while delighting their customers and converting them into loyal brand evangelists. It’s an exciting time to be launching an e-commerce site—work with a team that can help you make your e-commerce business a success.

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