How to choose the right assortment
The focus of the shopify development e-shop is the most important step . Highly competitive segments such as electronics or fashion can be too challenging for a startup e-shop. Established and large e-shops have a huge selection of goods, they can afford lower prices and large investments in promotion.
We recommend that you choose products that you understand or can quickly find your way around in the field. Specialized e-shops can compete with the big ones with a personal approach, customer care and quality content.
Marketing is also easier if you focus on a narrow group of customers , for example fishermen, ski alpinists or growers of old varieties. Find out what the margins are on the products you have chosen and whether you can find a suitable supplier in the market (unless you plan to sell your own products).
Preparation of a business plan
When starting a business, it is good to draw up a plan. Even if you don’t know in advance how sales will go, and the resulting numbers may turn out differently than you imagined, it’s good to have at least some basis on paper.
A business plan for an e-shop should include:
- Portfolio of selected products
- Customer acquisition channels
- Estimated monthly cashflow, margins and profits
- Your goals for at least a year ahead – from the launch of the e-shop
- Draft marketing strategy
Competitive analysis
Find out what the competition what is digital marketing strategy in the healthcare industry and … has to offer and how you can differentiate yourself. So that you can offer people a clear reason to shop with you. Competitor analysis is the starting point for building a marketing strategy. Remember that your competition is not only the biggest e-shop in your segment. Target a wider range of competitors.
The following questions will help you:
- Who is the absolute number one on the market?
- How many products do competing e-shops have on offer?
- What are their turnovers?
- Do they have their own blog?
- What modes of transport do they use?
- What payment options do they offer?
- Does it work on social networks?
- What are their competitive advantages?
TIP: Choose the five most important keywords for your segment. Enter them one by one into the search engine and write down who is on the first page of the search results.
Think about what added value you will offer people . What sets you apart from the competition? Will it be better service, faster delivery, more detailed product information, lower prices or useful blog content…?
SWOT analysis
What are your strengths and ef leads weaknesses? What could threaten you from the outside? A so-called SWOT analysis will help you , in which you write down your strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and risks that you face. It will be easier to prepare a SWOT analysis if you first map out your competition and the market in which you want to operate. You also need to know your customers and find out what they are looking for and what they will respond favorably to.
Recommended reading: You will understand your customers better if you define the so-called personas at the beginning. This will also make your marketing easier. You can find instructions on how to do this in our article on personas .
Suppliers and logistics
Quality products and a fast supplier are the basis of success . Look around the internet and compare different suppliers. Focus on product quality, country of origin, price and speed of delivery. The advantage of foreign suppliers is significantly lower prices, but you have to put up with longer delivery times. In contrast, Czech suppliers will handle complaints faster and it will be easier for you to come to an agreement with them.
Think through the entire ordering process in advance and find out the shipping prices of individual carriers. Also think about insurance and delivery time.
Basic transportation options:
- Czech Post
- Courier (PPL, DPD, Geis…)
- Outlets such as Zásilkovna or Uloženka
- Personal collection
- Collection points at your partners
