Reset for Success in 2022: Six E-Commerce Lessons Learned
If you’re like me, you expected 2021 to be the year that your operations finally went "back to normal." Or at least some semblance of a "new normal." However, the e-commerce world faced a slew of new problems – from global supply chain snags that severely complicated two-day shipping promises to social media crashes that left us staring at blank screens.
And on top of those industry issues loomed what’s arguably one of the biggest problems facing e-commerce entrepreneurs today – burnout. The feeling that we're on a hamster wheel, always running in circles as we struggle to stay afloat in this new world.
But here's the good news: We made it, girl. Despite the curveballs, we're still standing and ready to start anew.
So, let's start 2022 with a positive mindset and practical e-comm resolutions (like business automations)!
In this article, I've compiled the biggest e-commerce lessons learned in 2021. From prioritizing personal health to investing in e-commerce automation, let’s break down six ways to reset in 2022.
Lesson #1: Normalize Rest and Prioritize Balance
Hear this in your best Oprah voice: "You get a break! You get a break! YOU get a break!"
The reality is that while you probably started your own business to have more flexibility, you’re probably reading this and thinking- rest, what’s that?! If you’re trying to keep up with the evolution of your e-commerce business, it’s easy to let it take over your life and mind 24/7.
But nothing is more integral to your company's success than maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Practice self-care by getting enough sleep, meditating, and unplugging from work a couple of times a week. By creating a self-care routine and setting boundaries for yourself, you can better manage your time, feel refreshed, and be ready to take on whatever life throws at you or your biz. When you have the right business automations in place, you’ll never have to think twice about taking that trip. (But, more about that later!) Plus, the extra energy will fuel your creativity and passion in a whole new way.
Lesson #2: Expect The Unexpected With Shipping
You’ve probably heard the saying, "time is money."
In the e-commerce age, speed is money, and shipping rules the day. Our society expects virtually instant gratification, and free or two-day shipping with sites like Amazon Prime and ShopRunner has become the lens of comparison. So, when purchases don't arrive on time, it's a huge disappointment and even relationship-ending frustration for your customers.
With the global pandemic *still* wreaking havoc on the supply chains, we learned that a well-oiled shipping operation is crucial. In 2022, it’s time to revisit your shipping processes and prep contingency plans. Ask yourself:
Should I still be handling shipping in-house or is it time to outsource to a skilled, third-party logistics provider?
What can I do to shorten the time it takes to get products into customers’ hands?
What e-commerce automation services can I take advantage of?
How will I proactively alert customers about shipping delays and communicate expected arrival times?
If you find it difficult to answer these questions, you’re not alone. I’m here!
Lesson #3: Business Automations Are Your Best Friend
Business automations are your clique, and when they’re set up correctly, no ops management challenges are messing with them.
From order management and fulfillment to customer service and marketing, you can optimize virtually all tasks through e-commerce automations.
Seriously, don’t wait. Take time to set up your systems and invest in the right tools. A centralized project management tool (like ClickUp), order management, store apps, chatbots, predictive analytics, automated emails (like Klaviyo), and CRMs can all help logistics run smoothly while maximizing revenues and customer satisfaction.*
And if automations and systems just aren’t your thing, I’ll get it done in a day, so you never have to worry about it again.
*Before I move on to lesson #4, I must share an essential caveat about automations. Though automations are great, and there are a lot of amazing tools out there, it still takes a team to run and manage your systems. Once you select the best tools for your business, and train your team on them, you’ll be able to step away and let that powerful combination keep things flowing!
Lesson #4: Social Media Isn't A Customer List
For a few short hours on October 8, Facebook and Instagram suffered a massive outage. I hope all e-commerce business owners saw it as a wake-up call, especially those who rely solely on social media to drive sales.
Are you focusing on lead generation and database building or just adding to your follower count? A fan base of social media followers and a customer list aren’t the same thing. Relying too heavily on any platform, especially when you don’t own or have contact information for those followers, can be detrimental.
Now more than ever, it's essential to have a diversified digital and lead-gen strategy. If social media disappeared forever, could customers still find you? Do you have an e-commerce website for your online store on a dedicated platform like Shopify? If not, make 2022 the year you do.
Lesson #5: Customer Service Is Queen
We all know that customer service is essential, but in 2021 we saw plenty of examples of how a customer-first approach leads to success. (I personally love these founder stories curated by Shopify.) Businesses that excelled in customer service thrived in 2021, while those that didn't, faltered. The importance of customer service can't be overstated, and it's something you should be focusing on every day.
Building loyal customers isn’t just about the strategy for when the good times roll. Strong loyalty comes from the way your brand shines when things are challenging.
Do you have a process for handling customer complaints? By anticipating challenges before they arise, e-commerce brands are better prepared to handle objections or unhappy customers. As you continue to scale, you’ll need to either implement e-commerce automations for customer service complaints or spend some time hiring the right CSRs (customer service ROCKSTARS) to help ease the burden on you as the business owner.
Lesson #6: You Can't Do It All Yourself
Just because you want it all, does not mean you need to do it all for your business, and that’s a hard pill for entrepreneurs to swallow. As your business grows, it becomes more challenging to do everything yourself.
Make an investment in business automations, creating systems, and building a team to help maintain them all, and I promise you it will be so rewarding. By partnering with a skilled e-commerce automation and logistics expert, you can supercharge your capabilities and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
Virtual Sidekic – Here For YOU In 2022
Are you ready to make 2022 the best year yet? It all begins with the right mindset and a few secret weapons.
As your virtual sidekick, I’ll help you set up e-commerce and business automations that streamline your operations, logistics, onboarding, marketing, and more, so you can sit back and enjoy life as a SH-E-O.
So, this year, let’s commit to building the best version of our businesses while also building up the best version of ourselves. Who’s with me?