Big data is playing a more important role in the future of ecommerce than ever before. Launching ecommerce with big data utilization is helping online retailers in countless ways, including:
- Expanding less energy testing marketing strategies. They can use Hadoop tools to extract data and identify correlations without having to manually run data audits on their own. This helps them optimize their marketing campaigns without delving through massive amounts of split-testing data.
- Identifying the most profitable ecommerce markets. They can tap endless sources of consumer data to see what products are in demand.
- Finding new markets to penetrate. Big data helps ecommerce marketers track regions with the most growth potential.
The benefits of big data cannot be overstated. It is going to change ecommerce forever.
Getting Started Using Ecommerce and Big Data
Ecommerce entrepreneurs are beginning to recognize the incredible benefits of using big data to penetrate new markets and optimize their campaigns. However, they must understand the principles of ecommerce marketing before they can get started. This includes launching an ecommerce site.
Ecommerce has been flourishing for quite some time now. Maybe this is why it has become one of the most attractive industries for people all around the world. If you are interested in starting an ecommerce business, you should know that your most important asset is your ecommerce website. At the same time, it is the most important factor that directly affects your business success and revenue.
For many of you, launching an ecommerce site may as well be launching your first website ever. Once you are done setting up your business plan, you might feel confused, not knowing where to start or which problems to address. This is why we have decided to provide you with a list of 5 technicalities to consider before launching an ecommerce site.
Come up with a Domain Name
The domain name gives your online business its unique identity. If you already own a brick and mortar shop, you already have a business name. If this is the case, you need to use one of the free domain availability checkers online to see if the name is available for use.
If you don’t own a physical store, you will have to come up with a domain name for your business. It will be your business’s online identity and it would be wise to consult digital marketing experts on this one. Once you have a few options written down use the tool that we’ve mentioned above to check the domains’ availability. Once you’ve decided which one you want, register for it.
Now, you will need to get web hosting.
Choose your Web Hosting Well
Web hosting is the name of one of the most popular services online. Web hosting service providers are companies specializing in providing technologies and services needed for a website to be accessible via the Internet.
Going with some of the most reputable web hosting companies is essential for your success. Why? Because a good company will make sure that your website has no downtime, and that it loads fast, and they will offer you 24/7 customer support should you need it.
Today, you can choose options like shared hosting, cloud hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers. With so many hosting options, you might easily get confused. The most commonly used ones are cloud hosting and VPS. HostGator, one of the most renowned web hosting companies, has a great guide to help you determine the winner in the cloud hosting vs VPS battle.
Choose an Ecommerce Platform
An ecommerce platform is the next thing you should get familiar with. There are several options that you can choose from: an ecommerce website built from scratch or any of the existing platforms prebuilt to support the ecommerce business model, including WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, Ubercart, and VirtueMart.
Each one of these may require specific web hosting services which is why you should always closely look at what web hosting services providers offer. As you might have already guessed, each of these options will also dictate how much money you have to invest in website development.
The other aspect that you have to address is website maintenance. Some platforms are really complicated for maintenance and may easily require you to partner up with a web development firm. While the others can be set up and maintained with minimal technical requirements, deeper customization will put you in a position to hire a developer. You can find a more detailed description of popular ecommerce platforms here.
Plan Customer Support in Advance
Customer support is crucial for ecommerce. You have to plan your customer support efforts in advance because they will dictate the changes you need to make on your website.
Live chat software, for instance, is the most popular option in this niche. It enables you to proactively engage potential customers as they arrive on your website. On top of that, it is very convenient for customer support agents who can, thanks to it, serve multiple customers at a time.
Get Ready to Rely on Big Data
Leveraging big data in the ecommerce industry has become a must. With so many competitors fighting over one and the same slice of the market, big data analytics are the only way to stay ahead of the competition. Big data can help you personalize your offer, optimize pricing, predict trends, and more. This is why you should learn big data ecommerce tricks to maximize your sales.
These are the 5 technicalities you have to consider if you want to successfully launch your first ecommerce website. Web hosting, big data, and ecommerce platforms are the most important here. This is why we encourage you to continue your search online and learn as much as you can about the available options.
Ecommerce is Changing the Rules of Big Data Forever
Big data is changing the ecommerce market in fascinating ways. Savvy ecommerce entrepreneurs are going to take the time to understand the role it can play and find creative ways to utilize it to boost their ROI and streamlining their business models.