Online shopping is on the rise these days. According to Statista, global e-commerce store retail sales are expected to reach $1 trillion in 2025. However, this represents only about 11.9 percent of the total ecommerce market share, up from 3.5 percent a decade ago.

What does this mean for aspiring business owners? First, there is still a tremendous opportunity to profit from this industry. However, opening a store is one thing; getting noticed in the marketplace is another.

You can create and share visually compelling content. You can accompany it with great product videos and a copy. However, you can also use the best ecommerce software to draw customers to your ecommerce store. That is why you must create a community around your ecommerce business.

But how do you get your ecommerce store to have a community? Which practices should you follow and which should you avoid? In the sections below, we’ll look for answers to all of these questions.

5 Ways To Build A Community Around Your eCommerce Business

1. Know Your Business & Customers

You can’t build a community around your business unless you know what you’re doing and who your customers are. As a result, first and foremost, understand what your company stands for, as well as how your products/services differ from those of your competitors.

Next, get a sense of the kinds of people you’d like to attract or accumulate in your business community. Once you’ve figured out these ideas, you’ve taken the first step toward establishing a business community.

2. Emphasize On Customer Service

The success of any business starts with happy customers.

Consider customer service as a source of competitive advantage. It is the foundation of your e-commerce company’s expansion. The type of experience your customer had with your brand determines whether they will return or get diverted to your competitor.

Furthermore, keep in mind that every industry has strong competitors with lots of capital and resources. While such brands can get you the product quickly, they may not have enough time to answer all of the questions and concerns customers may have about it. That’s where your small business comes in. Build a relationship with every customer by providing them with excellent and on-time customer service.

3. Go The Extra Mile With Your Services

Learn about the most recent developments in your market. Always be on the lookout for new ways to engage your customers and what they want. Analyze your competitors to see what they’re doing wrong and what they’re doing right.

Improve the speed of your website. Everyone appreciates a hassle-free shopping experience. If you already have a CRM, you can keep track of the problems your customers are having. You can also keep track of customers’ birthdays and due dates. Once you have all of that information, you can check in on them on a regular basis to see how they’re doing. That way, they’ll be drawn to your brand.

Customers want to talk to real people who understand their problems. So, you should offer live chats. Therefore, make sure you have someone available 24/7 to respond to your customers’ questions and concerns. By opting for live chats, your company will stand out among the muck of competitors.

4. Contribute To The Community

What is your customer’s opinion of your product? If they see it as a commodity, you can count on their loyalty to last as long as your prices remain low. However, because you can’t compete with established brands in price wars, you’re more likely to go out of business sooner.

For this reason, you must provide compelling reasons for your customers to do business with you that go beyond price. According to a Cone Communications and Echo Research study, about 80% of consumers in the United States consider the social responsibility of the company when shopping, among other things. For this reason, you must emphasize giving back to society.

Remember, budget is not an issue. Even if you have a limited budget for CSR, you can still give back a little to the community.

5. Create A Support Group

Building fantastic customer support groups is one of the keys to your online store’s success. These are the business community groups where your customers would talk about the issues that are important to them.

For example, you can make a private group on Facebook, WhatsApp, or Telegram or create a discussion page on your website only. Using these groups, you can engage your customers and assist them with their problems by using the channels. Besides, customers can also bring up issues and discuss them with one another, and they can also give each other advice on problems with your products or other topics not related to your field.

In addition, you can also request reviews from the customers and allow them to express their opinions on your products and their overall shopping experience. These interactions aid in the improvement of your product’s quality. Above all, your candid responses will attract more customers to your brand.

Summing Up: 

Making your brand stand out in a sea of competitors is easier said than done. You need to put in lots of effort. You can use Best Free and Open Source eCommerce Platform Software to draw customers to your ecommerce store. However, creating an online community around your company could give you the most significant competitive advantage. Building one, of course, takes time but, once you’ve done it, it’ll drastically reduce your workload and give your business a significant boost.