Ecommerce.co.za

How to make your business idea digitally compelling

In this series, xneelo will be helping those with a killer idea take their ecommerce business online.

First up, how to make your business idea digitally compelling. 

What’s your elevator pitch?

A great idea is the first step to any successful business. Now you have to set it apart from similar ecommerce businesses with a tagline or description you can use on your website and all your other online channels.

To determine your elevator pitch, try to describe your business in one or two sentences. The goal is to make it easier for customers to understand what you do in as few words as possible. You should include how your product or service will make your customers’ lives easier. In other words, what problem are you solving for them? Another important aspect to consider is what differentiates your idea from other businesses doing something similar.

For example: My business is a flower delivery service for Cape Town. I offer same-day delivery no matter what time of day an order is placed. We accept last-minute deliveries.

Your elevator pitch could be:
Fast, fresh flower delivery in Cape Town and surrounds. Same day guarantee.

What makes your idea different?

Before any great idea evolves into a full-time business, you need to establish what the competitive landscape looks like, and if there is sufficient demand for what you offer.

Conduct a competitor analysis of ecommerce businesses similar to yours and take note of their range, pricing and shipping terms. Don’t just limit yourself to local competitors – watch the market leaders in your industry, no matter where they are in the world and learn from them.

Once you have an idea of what’s out there, determine what your special ingredient is that will get people talking online and off. In other words, your differentiator. A differentiator can be anything from the types of product you offer, your price point, a hand-written thank you note, or even the customer service you offer. It’s what makes your business unique.

Let's take our flower delivery service as an example. Flower arrangements are expensive. What if you offered budget options or a create-your-own-arrangement product to make flower delivery more accessible?

“Arrangements from as little as R150” is a great differentiator and selling point.

The practicalities

With any great business idea, proper business planning and market research is essential. Before taking the plunge and creating your website, first make sure there is enough demand for your business so that you can afford to run it full time. You should also establish whether an online presence will be enough or if physical premises will be required.

Once you’ve decided that the time is right to turn your idea into a business, whether it’s because it makes financial sense or there’s an opportunity in the market, it’s time to put your plan into action. 

Next time we’ll be looking at finding a hosting partner, how to choose the perfect domain name, and what content management system (CMS) you can use to build your website.

Useful resources:
xneelo
xneelo offers web hosting and business enablement to more than 500 000 South African websites.
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