If you’ve dreamed of launching a cosmetic eCommerce store, you may want to consider doing it sooner rather than later. The global cosmetics industry has experienced significant growth over the years and is expected to grow annually by 4.3 percent to reach $429.8 billion by 2022.
While online beauty products may be flying off the shelves, a growing industry alone doesn’t guarantee that your eCommerce store will be successful. To save you some time, we’ve pulled together five healthy habits that will guide you towards online beauty store stardom.
A Strong Social Media Presence
An active social media presence is a requirement for a cosmetic eCommerce store. There is no better way to show off beauty products and attract loyal customers to your online store than reaching them through the most popular social networks.
Today, beauty brands can tell a compelling visual story using Instagram Stories, or give expert advice to consumers in real time with Facebook Live. Many of these brands are tapping into paid advertising to promote their products and attract new followers.
To be competitive in the cosmetic industry, your eCommerce store needs an effective social media strategy. Keeping track of social media behaviors and trends is essential if you want your online store to grow.
Transparency Is a Priority
Like the food industry, cosmetic brands need to be authentic and transparent with their products if they want to be successful online. People are understandably nervous about applying questionable substances on their bodies, which is why it’s important that your eCommerce store manages to ease their anxieties.
A simple way to evoke transparency is to allow user-generated reviews on your website. A recent survey by BrightLocal revealed 90 percent of consumers read 10 online reviews or less before they decide to trust a business. Make it easy for your customers to trust your brand and products by allowing them to leave online reviews — yes, even the bad ones!
They Reward Customer Loyalty
Customer trust is getting harder to achieve these days, but it’s incredibly valuable to your eCommerce store’s bottom line. Loyal customers who make repeat purchases are far more profitable than your average customer and spend 3x more per order than your average customers!
Successful beauty brands, like Sephora and Urban Decay, foster customer loyalty and retain it with their customer rewards and programs. With the right customer loyalty program, you can keep your existing customers engaged and returning to your eCommerce store.
They Establish Authority in Their Niche
If you take a closer look at beauty brands like Sephora and MAC Cosmetics, you’ll notice that they provide valuable information to their followers on social media. Instead of pushing their products 24/7, they realize the importance of demonstrating their authority and expertise to their audience.
Publishing content that educates your audience is an effective strategy to establish authority in your niche. Create video tutorials, start a blog, and create content that highlights your expertise and makes your brand the go-to place for valuable knowledge.
Test, Test, Test
We are going to let you in on an insider’s secret—beauty brands like Julep and Benefit Cosmetics didn’t get to where they are now without a fair share of trial and error. It often seems as though beauty brands achieve success overnight, but the truth is that these well-known brands had help along the way.
Who helped them? Not necessarily a who, but a what. Top eCommerce stores all leverage marketing solutions to enhance the customer experience and track their ROI. Our own marketing platform has helped countless eCommerce brands achieve marketing success with our advanced tools and features.
Conclusion
There is no single path to success when it comes to launching your eCommerce store. However, there are some key habits that your business should adopt. With the right strategies and marketing tools in place, you can launch an online cosmetic store that is well-poised for growth and success.
