There are many creatives out there who are starting e-commerce businesses to sell their creations and while that is great, it does make the market more competitive for newcomers. Some try to overcome it by making amazing products, others create stunning websites. Yet none of it matters if your customers don’t know who you are, and where to find you.

Once upon a time, starting your own business was an expensive and long process. Now it can be done with a few clicks. But creative entrepreneurs must not be fooled into thinking that this means getting customers will be an easy feed – growing a new brand or business is still tough, but thankfully there are more online tools to help us.

Personalize the customer experience

When you have your website set up, your products ready, and are excited to welcome your first customers or clients, it’s important to think about what impression they will get. What is their journey like through the site? Is your content targeted towards the right people? And is there more you can do to personalize the customer experience for each person who visits your website? To help you do all that, you need to find the right software for your business. Explore live chat functions, personalized email marketing, e-commerce products, design tools, and more.

Sell your products on the right platforms

Once the user journey has been perfected, it’s time to consider how you are going to sell your wonderful products. Maybe you already have a web shop on Instagram or Etsy, or perhaps you used Shopify to make your page. Regardless of where you are in the process, it’s a good idea to ensure you have chosen the best solution for your specific business and industry – and remember it’s okay to diversify how you sell your creations. After all, each target audience may use different sites. Some are on social media; others prefer more traditional shops. It all comes down to knowing who you are selling to.

Show empathy across your brand

Empathy is just as important as a solid strategy, especially if you have people working for you or selling products to customers. What we mean by empathy is to put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Think about what their problems might be and how your business can help address them. Speak to them like one human to another instead of like a salesperson. That improves how your brand is seen and can you help you connect with your customers.

Hone your leadership skills

As the owner of a new business, everything you do seeps through to the rest of the business, even if you have no employees that report to you. Don’t fall into the trap of taking your sales numbers for granted or believing that leadership is something you are simply born with. We all have things to learn. Books we can read. Strategies we can try to put to good use. Bad businesses never seek to evolve – good ones know they are on a journey.