Buying and selling have never been easier or more accessible. Whether you’ve started selling online in addition to your brick-and-mortar businesses model, or your entire storefront is virtual, you’ve already experienced the convenience and success of implementing an eCommerce strategy.
Unfortunately, because selling online is so popular, you’ll have to stay ahead of your competitors if you want to build an eCommerce empire.
Secrets to a Successful eCommerce Business
Niche Down.
If you haven’t already, focus on a specific need or niche that keeps customers coming back for more. If you offer a little bit of everything, it will only clutter your website and confuse your customers.
By niching down, you’ll be easier to find in an ocean of online businesses. It will also simplify the marketing, search engine optimization, and visibility of your business.
Test Your Product.
Product testing and market research go hand in hand. Is what you have something that people want? How well does it work? Is it a quality product?
While you might be able to get away for a little while selling something you don’t know a lot about or haven’t tested in real life, eventually, cutting corners will catch up. You’ll be stuck with a lot of something that nobody wants.
You need to be especially careful if your products ship directly from the manufacturer to your customer.
Design Matters.
Whether it’s the graphic design of your logos or the layout of your website, the overall look of your eCommerce business will either attract or repel potential customers.
Make sure your logo and other graphics reflect your branding accurately and that it’s consistent across your website.
Your website should also be easy to use and load quickly. Nothing will prompt a customer to leave your webpage faster than if a product description won’t load or if the design of your website makes it difficult to navigate.
How Section 321 Can Help Build Your eCommerce Empire
The Problem with Importing Goods.
China is the world leader in manufacturing, making it a great place to get products to sell to your customers. When you do it right, you can buy quality goods for a fraction of the price of other manufacturers.
Unfortunately, importing goods is expensive because of the ongoing “trade war” between the United States and China. The current fee for importing goods from China into the United States is 25% of the estimated value of the goods.
If you want to grow your eCommerce business by selling goods manufactured in China, utilizing the statute known as Section 321 is a must.
What is Section 321?
Section 321 allows up to $800 worth of goods per day to enter the United States from Canada without any hefty fees.
At the same time, China continues to have a good relationship with Canada, so there are no heavy fees to import goods from China to Canada.
Knowing this, many eCommerce business owners have found a loophole that allows them to import goods from China without paying the steep import fee. You can buy goods directly from China and have them shipped to Canada before being forwarded to a United States address.
How to Use Section 321.
Receiving goods in Canada while your business is based out of the United States can get complicated if you try to do it independently. Ideally, you will need to hire a Canadian fulfillment company to handle the shipping imports and exports.
Most Canadian fulfillment companies receive your shipment and wait to export them until a purchase is made. Then the product is shipped directly from their warehouses to your customers in the United States without the high tariffs.
That way, you won’t have to pay for a second warehouse in the United States if most of your goods are received from Canada.
How Section 321 Can Increase Your Online Profits.
For an eCommerce business to boom, high-quality, low-cost products are a must. If you find that China has the best options for you, you’ll want to use Section 321 to save money and increase your online profits.
Not only are you saving money with low-cost goods, but you’re saving by importing first to Canada before fulfilling orders. If you decide to hire a Canadian fulfillment company, you’ll save even more by not having to spend time away from your business to deal with customs.
You might also be able to cut the cost of a warehouse in the United States. If you don’t have a separate US warehouse, you’ll save money on operations, shipping, and property.
Adjusting Your Business Model as You Grow
You know, as an entrepreneur, that businesses evolve as they grow. By implementing these tips, online profits will soar, and you’ll be on your way to advancing your ever-growing eCommerce empire.
