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You have a great idea, a great product, and all signs point to your new company moving past being an initiative into a full-blown success.
How can you avoid the critical errors so many new eCommerce brands have made that result in stumbling right at the starting gate? We’ve put together a list to help you learn from others’ mistakes so that you don’t have to learn them the hard way.
1. Listening exclusively to your friends and co-workers.
If you believe your direction is a great one because everyone tells you it’s great, you’re in for a very rude awakening. This is not an ego trip; it’s a brand strategy that either connects with consumers or it doesn’t. Sometimes the best route is to engage with individuals that can provide an outside perspective from the same things you and others stare at every day. Embrace humility and ask others for feedback that eclipses your personal blind spots and biases.
2. Not defining your audience.
Brand strategy works best when it’s specific. Your product may be suitable for a wide range of consumers, or it may work best for a specialized niche or industry. Either way, your brand must zero in on the demographics and their respective emotional requirements necessary in making a purchase. No matter what you sell, your brand must convey the correct emotion, as buying is itself an emotional action. Spending time on a deep dive into your target consumer’s sensitivities will result in your brand becoming visceral and meaningful.
3. Unable to state the benefits of your products.
Many nascent brands make the rookie mistake of centering exclusively on the features of their products while neglecting the actual benefits. As the old sales adage goes, “features tell, benefits sell.” While product specifications certainly have their place, it’s important for your new brand to highlight how products will impact people’s lives. While that may sound lofty, it’s not. The first rule of marketing is to make sure it answers the question “What does this have to do with me?” If you can satisfy that in a way that helps someone realize how their life will be easier, more efficient, or perhaps even more fun, you’re on your way to a viable and long-lasting brand.
4. Not making brand promises.
On the heels of stating the benefits, now it’s time to make some promises. This isn’t about product guarantees unless you offer those as a policy. It’s more about what your brand communicates about the services your company will provide. Everyone says their customer service is great, but what can you promise in the way that it will be exceptional? What can consumers expect in the way of shipping? What is it about your company culture that only you can deliver upon? Branding is all about differentiation, and you must state those differences in a way that becomes a rock-solid promise.
5. Mis-matching the look of the brand to the product.
We’ve seen it countless times. The legitimacy of the products can sometimes be undermined by bad branding. If you are also manufacturing the products, the labeling and packaging are critical to success. How the products are then merchandised is the necessary follow-up to making sure your offerings connect with potential buyers. That logo you thought was cute might end up being illegible and confusing to customers. If the branding omits addressing what’s important to consumers, you’ve missed the boat entirely.
6. Not keeping your eye on the data.
If you’re a new brand, you are just starting to collect real data from consumers—the only kind that matters. Be careful that you don’t jump the gun and make drastic panic changes just because you’re first seeing something that concerns you at first. Not everyone is going to love you or what you sell. You’ve defined your audience, but your customer base will define it even further. As the data flows in, your campaigns will be able to incorporate real facts.
7. Thinking the data will answer everything.
Your spreadsheet data is never going to provide inspiration in and of itself. Your brand strategy is only as creative as the ones leading it. You can A/B test ideas all day long, but both “A” and “B” could be terrible ideas. You can always comfort yourself in knowing that the current version is what tested the best, but good branding is built on being uncomfortable. Never let the data lead to a point of complacency, or your brand will become lifeless and boring.
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Avoiding these seven mistakes and heeding the advice we’re giving here will help you avoid the pitfalls emerging brands commonly fall into. Enthusiasm is great, and you should never lose that spark. Seasoning that optimism with practicality will give your brand the directional environment needed for success.
