SIDEBAR: Getting Back to E-Commerce Basics

This is a sidebar to the article: Is Your Distributorship Hitting its E-Commerce Milestones?

If your company has already missed multiple e-commerce milestones, it may be time to go back to the drawing board and kick off a new effort. Rex Kimball, founder and president at Mirex Marketing, tells electrical distributors to keep these six points in mind this time around:

• Be consistent. Building a successful website is not possible solely by publishing unique and useful content, products, or services. Instead, building the best website possible requires consistency, dedication, and plenty of creativity while making a name for your website, brand, or business you represent.
• Use the tools. Knowing the tools and resources to put to use to build the best website possible is a way to outperform your competition while creating a positive professional reputation for yourself online in any industry.
• Pick a good domain name. Selecting the right domain name can ultimately mean the difference between success and failure, especially if you use a name that is confusing or difficult to spell. Use a name that is catchy, relevant, and easy to remember for the best chances of gaining the attention of new followers and online customers.
• Select a high-quality web host. Choosing the best web hosting company for your website is essential to ensure uptime and fast loading speeds for visitors and potential customers. Kimball recommends GoDaddy, Bluehost, SiteGround, and GreenGeeks for shared hosting.
• Use a content management system (CMS). Platforms like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal maximize your ability to optimize your website for search engines while providing content in a modern and appealing way. “Using a CMS allows your website to be dynamic,” says Kimball, “and it allows you to interact with your visitors and control your website easily.”
• Use social media. Create social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to help promote your official website while expanding the networks of followers you have. “The more networks you participate in with updates,” says Kimball, “the easier it is to gain traction with promotions and other posts you publish.”