Ever wanted to start your online store but never got around to it or didn't know how to do it? We're happy to share our story with you where we've outlined a few basic rules you need to make sure to cover in order for your online store to be successful. There's obviously many other things to take into consideration but we have outlined the basic ones here...
Rule#1 - Customers always come first
It might sound like you've heard this all before but over the last few years at ozdingo, we've learned that taking care of all your customers is always a top priority. No matter what your customer bought or whatever question they are asking, always make sure you take care of your customer.
Never forget that they are the reason you even exist in the first place!
By doing that, you break the distance and online barriers of any online business with your customers which is what we focus on and striving to always be a "local" online store.
Rule #2 - Offer quality products
The main hurdle of anyone buying something online is that they cannot actually hold the product in their own hands and check it. Because of that, a lot of customers shy away from buying things online if they can't be sure of the quality. No matter what you sell, don't make the same mistake as other online sellers where you try to get the cheapest product for you and compromise quality for your customers.
At ozdingo, we've always dealt with trustworthy suppliers for all our products. By doing so, we do pay an extra premium for our products however, this allows us to confidently offer warranty and 30-day money back guarantee on all our products in Beauty, Fitness, Gadgets, Health & Wellbeing, Home & Kitchen, Pet Supplies, Tools & Safety, Technology and more.
Rule #3 - Present your product as is
Present the product as clearly as possible so that your customer knows what they are buying. Many online sellers out there will describe their product as "top quality" and "premium quality"... well, why would you describe the products you sell otherwise? It should be a given that your products are "top quality" or else you shouldn't even be selling them!
Rule #4 - Don't delay your shipping
How good is it when someone buys something online and they get it delivered the next day to their home or maybe a few days later? Isn't that almost like a "local" store experience? Whatever you've got going on, know that when someone buys one of your products online, it means they either "want" it or "need" it at the moment they buy it. So the sooner they get it, the better it is for everyone.
Also, imagine piling up days and days of postages in just one day of work. This will block your whole day and you won't be doing anything else other than packing on that day... which eventually will leave you no time to take care of your customers.
Rule #5 - Be honest
That should actually be rule number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and all of them! For example what's worst than if a postage with tracking number is delayed to a customer and it turns out its because you actually waited 4-5 days before shipping it? And then when your customer asks & you say "it must be the courier who's delaying it"... Guess what, the tracking number will show the exact date where you posted the item and you've got yourself a very upset customer.
Just be honest, if you had some personal matters to attend to and you couldn't actually post the item, know that your customers are human too and that they would understand if you mention the "truth" about why this or any other thing happened.
Who would want to be lied to? Are we right to say "no one"? Yes, from our experience, we've seen that honesty is always key whether it's in dealing with customers or presenting the products that you are selling.
Rule #6 - Run your business as a "business"
In no way you should consider your online store as a "hobby" that you just do in your spare time. An online store is a fully fledged business that requires much time, patience, focus and common business sense. Just think about the personal experience you have when you go into a store to try on some shoes for example; the staff that welcomes you, assists you in choosing the right pair of shoes for you, gives you options, colours, suggestions to help in making up your mind. Well, this is how you want to treat all your customers and can you do that if you're just doing it as a hobby? The answer that we've learned is a big "no".
What does this all mean?
Well, in summary, it's always nice to think in theory but when it comes to apply what we've learnt we somehow get lost in the daily burdens and lose focus of the things that matter.
From what we've learned at ozdingo is that if you focus on your business, take care of all your customers, offer quality products, finish all your tasks daily and most importantly be honest in everything that you do, well... you then break the distance and online barriers with all your customers and you've got yourself a working formula for a successful online store...
Having said that, we'd love to know what you think & share your own experiences with us so we can spread a more honest online culture across the web.
We would also love to get your support for our family business... so if you already are a customer, we know that you are happy with us and would really appreciate your support in spreading the word about ozdingo by reviewing us on Google, liking our Facebook page, following us on Instagram & sharing your experience with Australia.
And if you're not a customer yet, give us a go and we won't let you down. We are, your local online store :)
