altReboot
  • Startup
  • Growth Hacking
  • Marketing
  • Automation
  • Blockchain Tech
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Contact
    • Write For Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Startup
  • Growth Hacking
  • Marketing
  • Automation
  • Blockchain Tech
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Contact
    • Write For Us
No Result
View All Result
altReboot
No Result
View All Result
Home Startup

This Entrepreneur Shares Key Takeaways from Launching Her Direct-to-Consumer E-Commerce Brand

Brandine Strand by Brandine Strand
May 21, 2020
in Startup
1
SHARES
4
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

This post originally appeared on startupnation.com/start-your-business

As a child, I watched my mother’s generation attempt direct-to-consumer business in a, shall we say, clunky fashion. They held Tupperware parties and loaded up the car with Avon deliveries. Before I knew what direct-to-consumer was, I wasn’t interested. However, technology has changed virtually every aspect of business in this day and age—and revolutionized the direct-to-consumer (D2C) business model as we know it.

Related articles

How to Make an App When You Can't Code (a Step-by-Step Guide)

The Key to Finding Success? Start Moving. Here's How to Get Going.

January 17, 2021
How to Make an App When You Can't Code (a Step-by-Step Guide)

Lessons Learned from Launching a Skincare Brand in a Pandemic

January 15, 2021

With blogging and social media offering easy ways to build awareness, and online shopping giving customers the ability to purchase a product or service virtually, reaching consumers and making sales is now scalable and seamless.

A recent study by eMarketer found that there are over 400 true D2C brands. When I launched Cali Raw two years ago, I knew I wanted it to be a D2C company. I had worked in many aspects of B2B businesses, and I wanted to challenge myself and try something new.


StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings on Dell products and accessories: Learn more here

Direct-to-consumer offered the following benefits for my business:

Benefits of direct-to-consumer e-commerce

One of the biggest advantages for entrepreneurs in the D2C space is the ability to control all aspects of the customer experience.

If I were to sell our raw dog food through a big-box pet store, I’d lose control of how the product is stored and how educated salespeople are to answer customer questions. Selling direct allows me to employ very well trained, knowledgeable staff, control the supply chain and ensure that customers have a personalized experience.

Challenges of direct-to-consumer e-commerce

If you don’t have prior experience in D2C, expect a steep learning curve. One of the biggest challenges novice entrepreneurs face is building and managing a company while executing day-to-day at the same time. For me, it felt like going to grad school while holding down a full-time job.


Related: How Your Brand Can Adapt to Rapidly Changing Consumer Needs with E-Commerce

Based on my own experiences in the D2C space, these are the things I believe are four key areas where anyone looking to launch a D2C business needs to focus:

SEO

As a D2C business, your website is your lifeline. I originally spent a lot of money outsourcing our website optimization until I realized that no one knew our customer avatar and keywords better than I did. Trying to teach someone proved problematic, so I delved into learning everything I could about SEO. You may find you’ll save money and have better results if you keep website optimization in-house.

Automated marketing

I’m a big fan of automated email marketing throughout all points of the sales funnel. I also use it for surveys to help me continually evolve our customer profile and make sure the business is giving our customers exactly what they need. The key advantage to automating this process is that it allows you (the business owner) to focus on what you do best—running the business!

Otherwise, communicating with customers, prospects and other important audiences would constantly be pushed aside for more pressing day-to-day business issues.

UX design

UX (user experience) design is critical to the D2C process, and is an area everyone in the space should invest in.

All brands hope to elicit customer satisfaction and loyalty, and D2C companies must design easy-to-use interaction through their online storefront. A UX design expert will know how to build functionality for your site, as well as how to educate and inspire customers while building an emotional connection, as well.

Your digital storefront is everything, and it must be user friendly. Getting outside help from a UX expert is one of the smartest investments I made.

Content is king

This is a phrase most of us have heard, but we should all know that our web content can take several different forms:

  • Providing education to your customers
  • Sharing case studies and client testimonials
  • Highlighting media coverage
  • Offering FAQs, bios of key employees, company history, etc.

And, all of the above forms of content must feature an attractive layout, photos, and an easy to read font.

Providing several angles through which to see your business, its values, and third-party validation helps enhance customer loyalty, and also assists prospective customers, media members and potential partners to be more confident in your brand.

Providing information to the world, combined with links to other reputable websites, builds that relationship and also helps your SEO. It’s a win-win situation.


Sign Up: Receive the StartupNation newsletter!

Conclusion

Thanks to innovations in technology, creating a direct-to-consumer brand is allowing more and more aspiring business owners the chance to make the dream of entrepreneurship a reality by lowering many traditional barriers to entry for startup brands.

The post This Entrepreneur Shares Key Takeaways from Launching Her Direct-to-Consumer E-Commerce Brand appeared first on StartupNation.

ShareTweet

Related Posts

How to Make an App When You Can't Code (a Step-by-Step Guide)

The Key to Finding Success? Start Moving. Here's How to Get Going.

by Eric Beschinski
January 17, 2021
0

When it comes to your company, a stationary ship cannot be steered.

How to Make an App When You Can't Code (a Step-by-Step Guide)

Lessons Learned from Launching a Skincare Brand in a Pandemic

by Joy Chen
January 15, 2021
0

Despite the difficulties, the pandemic has provided opportunities to develop new solutions for a new world.

How to Make an App When You Can't Code (a Step-by-Step Guide)

Starting a Business Post-COVID: Your Three-Year Plan

by Paul L. Gunn Jr
January 15, 2021
0

Formulate a clear business plan accounting for acquiring a good online customer base.

The Buddha and the Business

StartupNation’s ‘Key Moves’ Podcast feat. Andrew Blake (Episode 1)

by Jeff Sloan
January 15, 2021
0

Welcome to the inaugural edition of StartupNation’s ‘Key Moves’ podcast, hosted by Jeff Sloan! In this podcast, Jeff goes beyond...

How to Make an App When You Can't Code (a Step-by-Step Guide)

9 Steps to Craft a Perfect Business Name

by Ademola Alex Adekunbi
January 13, 2021
0

Customer perception is a major part of any success, and getting your business name right is the first step to...

Load More
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
7 Advanced SEO Strategies I’m Trying to Implement Before 2020

7 Advanced SEO Strategies I’m Trying to Implement Before 2020

September 10, 2019
What Do Successful Sales Look Like for the Rest of 2020?

13 Expert Tips to Increase Online Conversions in 2020

September 26, 2020
Creating SEO-friendly how-to content

Creating SEO-friendly how-to content

October 24, 2019
8 Simple Steps to Use Your Book to Grow Your Business

8 Simple Steps to Use Your Book to Grow Your Business

September 10, 2019
A Beginner’s Guide to Facebook Insights

A Beginner’s Guide to Facebook Insights

0

Which Social Media Sites Really Matter and Why

0
The 12 Ironclad Rules for Issuing Press Releases

The 12 Ironclad Rules for Issuing Press Releases

0
How to Get Started Building Links for SEO

How to Get Started Building Links for SEO

0
Launched Your Dream Business? Now Hire Your Dream Team.

Launched Your Dream Business? Now Hire Your Dream Team.

January 17, 2021
How to Make an App When You Can't Code (a Step-by-Step Guide)

The Key to Finding Success? Start Moving. Here's How to Get Going.

January 17, 2021
How to Begin Writing Your Lead-Generating Non-Fiction Book

How to Begin Writing Your Lead-Generating Non-Fiction Book

January 17, 2021
The Buddha and the Business

How to Build a Better Brand Through Content Curation

January 17, 2021
altReboot




altREBOOT is committed to sharing the game changing advancements that are revolutionizing how you do business. From startup to goliath, innovations in technology are changing the face of the business landscape. We are committed to exploring these and how to apply them to your business at any stage of development.





Categories

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Blockchain Tech
  • Growth Hacking
  • Marketing
  • Startup
  • Uncategorized

Tags

blockchain branding guest post marketing mobile apps
  • Home
  • Topics
  • Write For Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Powered By Treehouse 51

No Result
View All Result
  • Startup
  • Growth Hacking
  • Marketing
  • Automation
  • Blockchain Tech
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Contact
    • Write For Us