Ecommerce management is the backbone of a successful online business. The foundation involves using a reliable website builder to create a user-friendly digital storefront. An effective solution also helps you manage inventory, process payments and handle customer service efficiently. A well-managed eCommerce website not only enhances the customer shopping experience but also significantly boosts online sales.
Ecommerce goes beyond physical goods and can include digital products and services, although this guide will primarily focus on physical products. By exploring the best practices, common challenges and future trends in e-commerce management, you can learn how to start a business in the digital marketplace that excels.
What is eCommerce management?
In simple terms, eCommerce management is the process of overseeing all the moving parts of your eCommerce platform to make sure everything works as expected.
It involves running the various operations of your online store, including:
Managing inventory
Handling customer service
Processing payments
Optimizing the digital storefront
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Ecommerce management best practices
Let's look at some best practices to help you manage your e-commerce business and engage customers effectively.
Create a user-friendly eCommerce website
An optimized eCommerce website helps shoppers find products quickly and complete purchases without a hassle.
Build an eCommerce website with a clean, uncluttered layout. Use straightforward navigation and clear categories so users can easily find what they're looking for. This improves the user experience (UX) and, ultimately, the success of your online store.
Here’s a good eCommerce website example of a straightforward user experience:
Other ways to boost your eCommerce website performance include:
Ensuring your website is fully responsive on smartphones and tablets since so much of online shopping occurs on mobile devices. According to eMarketer, 44.9% of all U.S. retail eCommerce sales in 2024 will occur through mobile devices.
Minimizing your website load times. According to a 2022 analysis by Portent, an eCommerce website that loads in one second has a 2.5x better conversion rate than a website that responds in five.
Using clear, attractive product photos from multiple angles, along with different media types, such as videos and 360-degree views. This gives customers an excellent shopping experience even without physically touching the product.
Making your website accessible to all users. This includes using readable fonts and offering screen reader compatibility.
Optimize inventory management
Optimized inventory management ensures you have the right products in the appropriate quantities, which reduces the risk of overstocking or stockouts.
Use a platform like Wix Stores to track your stock levels in real time. The system will automatically update the inventory amount when you make a sale. You can also manually assign the status from "In Stock" to "Out of Stock" when you run out of a product.
Likewise, leverage data analytics to predict future product demands so you can adjust your inventory. With Wix Analytics, you gain actionable insights that help you make data-driven decisions.
Also, consider a dropshipping model where the supplier ships your products directly to the customer. This can reduce your inventory holding costs and free up resources for other areas of your business.
Enhance the customer experience
According to a 2024 Consumer Trends Report by Qualtrics, an excellent customer experience is among the biggest drivers of shoppers' buying decisions.
With that in mind, here are some ways to boost customer satisfaction:
Use customer data to personalize interactions. Show product recommendations based on browsing and purchase history to make shopping more engaging.
Provide exceptional customer support by being responsive and proactive. Implement tools like chatbots and customer relationship management software (CRM) software to handle customer inquiries efficiently.
Offer multiple shipping options, transparent pricing and real-time tracking to keep customers informed throughout the delivery process.
Seek feedback through surveys and customer reviews to uncover opportunities to continuously improve your products or services.
Offer flexible buying options, such as buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) or home delivery.
Implement efficient payment processes
Efficient payment processes streamline transactions, which enhances the user experience and reduces cart abandonment. A 2023 Radial survey reveals that 58% of consumers say the availability of various payment options is a crucial element when buying from an e-commerce business.
Therefore, provide a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay and other mobile wallets. This flexibility allows customers to choose the payment method they're most comfortable with.
In addition, incorporate innovative features, like Wix Stores' My Wallet and My Orders pages, that allow customers to save their payment details and easily track their transactions. This speeds up the checkout process without compromising security.
Tip: Wix provides various payment options, such as credit cards, payment gateways like PayPal and manual payments (accepted outside your website).
Integrate omnichannel strategies to maximize reach and impact
An omnichannel approach gives potential customers a consistent brand experience regardless of where they interact with your business. This can eventually boost metrics like customer retention.
According to a 2024 Omnichannel Report by Forrester, 46% of businesses saw a rise in their customer lifetime value (CLV) due to omnichannel customer engagement.
Use omnichannel to maximize the impact of your small business by:
Mapping out the typical customer journey to identify all possible touchpoints. That way, you can understand how customers interact with your brand across different platforms and create a more cohesive experience.
Ensuring consistent messaging across all channels. Whether a customer visits your physical store, website or social media pages, they should receive the same core message and branding.
Ecommerce management challenges
Managing an eCommerce business presents unique challenges that can test even the most seasoned entrepreneurs. Let's explore some of these hurdles and strategies to help you overcome them.
Cybersecurity threats
Cyberattacks can disrupt your e-commerce operations and even put them at a standstill. They can also result in the theft of sensitive customer information, like credit card numbers and personal identification details. This not only affects your immediate business transactions but can also lead to long-term trust issues with customers.
A 2023 Radial survey reveals that eCommerce customers face various security risks. These include unauthorized credit card charges (41%), phishing scams (40%) and fake websites or retailers (40%).
To counter these threats, implement website security features like Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates and two-factor authentication (2FA) and comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) to safeguard customer data. You can also display security badges on your payment page to reassure customers.
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Supply chain volatility
According to a study by Ernst & Young LLP, 72% of companies reported that the 2020 pandemic had adverse effects on their supply chain. Businesses across the globe experienced unprecedented disruptions. These ranged from delays in raw material delivery to unexpected factory shutdowns and logistics issues.
And these disruptions continue to cause problems for companies. Ecommerce brands, in particular, can face supply chain issues when:
Managing inventory in different locations
Handling rapid shifts in consumer demand
Navigating the complexities of international shipping
To avoid these issues, diversify your suppliers to avoid depending on a single source. You can also integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for better predictive analytics. Tools like Wix Analytics can enhance demand forecasting and inventory management, which allows you to adapt more swiftly when market conditions change.
According to a 2022 McKinsey & Company report, using AI-driven forecasting to manage the supply chain can reduce product unavailability and lost sales by up to 65%.
Learn more: Ecommerce tools
Competing in a saturated market
The number of e-commerce stores grew from 9.2 million to 26.5 million globally between 2019 and 2023. And this number increases daily.
Competition among online retailers is intensifying, which can make it difficult to stand out and attract customers.
It poses several other challenges, including:
Marketing costs going up since you must vie for consumer attention across digital platforms
A downward pressure on prices, which can erode profit margins
Having to continuously innovate product offerings and customer experiences to remain relevant
To stand out, offer niche products and exceptional customer service and leverage eco-friendly practices. Also, implement a robust digital marketing strategy that uses data analytics to target specific customer segments. This way, you can carve out your own space and build a dedicated customer base.
Ecommerce management future trends and direction
The AI market size is projected to reach $184 billion in 2024 and $826.7 billion by 2030. Given these projections, it's evident that the future of AI is incredibly bright.
AI's many applications in eCommerce offer opportunities to streamline operations and enhance the customer experience.
For example, Wix’s AI Website Builder makes creating an online store much more straightforward. The tool will build a customized, fully functional website in minutes. All you have to do is answer a few questions.
Some of the best use cases for eCommerce AI include:
Automation: You can delegate repetitive tasks to AI, which saves time and reduces the probability of human error. For instance, AI can be trained to manage inventory, process orders and handle basic customer service inquiries through chatbots. This frees your employees to handle more complex issues.
Data analytics: Generative AI can process vast amounts of data and offer insights into your marketing campaigns and customer behaviors. It can help you make informed decisions, like tailoring your marketing efforts to specific customer segments.
Content creation: AI can give you ideas for engaging product descriptions, blog posts and even personalized marketing emails. It can help you create a consistent brand voice across various platforms and improve your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.