You have an amazing new product that you’re ready to unveil for your current and potential customers.
You know that launching a product isn’t as easy as simply picking a launch date and posting it on your site. But you’re not really sure what an e-commerce launch strategy involves.
An effective e-commerce product launch strategy can set your business up for success — both now and in the future.
In this guide, we’ll look at what an e-commerce product launch is and the steps involved before, during, and after an effective product launch.
What Is an E-Commerce Product Launch?
E-Commerce products are sold in an e-commerce ecosystem — where products are sold and purchased online.
An e-commerce product launch is when an online company begins selling their new product electronically — introducing their new product to the public to be purchased.
Companies launch new products all the time:
- Phone companies create hype for the newest version of their phone.
- Athletic shoe manufacturers promote new versions of the hottest, new style.
- Video game creators always have a new version of their NFL game to promote to gaming enthusiasts.
The list could go on. These companies may all create fabulous, new products, but if the public doesn’t know about them or doesn’t know why they need the said product, the company’s creative efforts may all be in vain.
A product launch takes care of that potential danger.
An effective e-commerce product launch strategy should be:
- Thoroughly examined; and
- Thoroughly tested
This type of strategy can guarantee that:
- The public is ready for the product when it’s launched
- Customers actively engage with the product campaign during the launch; and
- The company can gauge excitement and success after the launch is complete
What Is the Biggest Mistake Companies Make When Planning E-Commerce Product Launch Strategies?
By far, the most common mistake companies make when planning their e-commerce strategy is thinking that on day one of the launch, their product will take off and sales will go through the roof.
It would be amazing if that happened, but honestly, it’s not very realistic. Having the wrong mindset and expectations can dull your efforts and cause frustration and stress.
You can avoid all that by …
- Having proper expectations
- Remaining flexible
- Moving fluidly with the campaign; and
- Relying on the data
… for decision-making, both in the near and distant future.
A pre-launch is key to a successful launch — maybe even more important than the launch itself.
With experience and success, Pretty-Impressive is ready to guide you in your pre-launch and product launch, and we’ll celebrate your success with you.
Inspire and Engage
At Pretty-Impressive, each client is unique. Which is why we create strategies tailored to the needs of each company. Reach out and we’ll help you get your brand exactly where it needs to be — ahead of the rest.
3 Components of an E-Commerce Launch Strategy
A product launch doesn’t start and end solely on the day the product launches online.Good preparation and follow-up are key aspects of a product launch that can easily be overlooked.
Forgetting these two important phases of a product launch can end in less-than-stellar launch results. On the other hand, making these steps a priority can help guarantee successful results.
1. Pre-Launch Preparations
Preparation is key to just about any endeavor we embark on, and heavy work on the front end can make the other phases smooth and productive.
Step One: Pick The Best Product To Market
Choosing the right product — one that speaks to and gets the attention of your audience — is the first step in a pre-launch.
To choose the best product to launch, consider these recommendations:
- Study what the market research reveals about your product and if it will touch the customer at their point of need.
- Use SEO know-how to learn which keywords customers are searching for in search engine queries.
- Use surveys to gauge customer interest.
- Be on the lookout for trends that could affect your future strategies and product launches.
Step Two: Gather Data About Customer Preferences
What if you knew which type of product branding drew the most attention from potential customers? Having that information during a pre-launch can help you make the best decisions for the actual product launch.
For example:
Let’s say you’re getting ready to introduce your new coffee line for your up-and-coming coffee roasting business. You know there’s a customer base of both hip millennials as well as refined coffee connoisseurs. You want to know which type of branding appeals to the largest audience.
Creating two different branding landing pages can give you the critical data to make the right choice for your final launch page. Set your pre-launch landing pages to go live two months before the actual launch date. Simply keep an eye on the number of people who visit your pages during that time to see which page is the most popular.
Including clickable graphics customers can interact with can also give you valuable information about what’s most important to coffee drinkers. For example, your coffee business may want to include graphics with wording like:
- Coffee freshly roasted within days of your order
- Offering both whole bean and ground
- Decaf or fully leaded
- Offering coffees from around the world
Keeping track of how often those graphics were clicked can help you know what’s most important to coffee buyers, so you can highlight that selling point as you market your new product.
Step Three: Gather Customer Information And Use It In Your Marketing Strategy
During the pre-launch, it would be advantageous to gather customer information to use in other marketing strategies.
One simple way to do this is to offer a “get early access” field where customers can include their email addresses.
Then use their information to perform email marketing attempts to expand the customer base and further prepare for your product launch.
2. Product Launch
It’s finally here — the day you’ve been waiting for — launch day.
With the information you collected during your pre-launch, you can have confidence that your product launch goes off without a hitch.
Also, to plan for a successful launch, consider these two tips:
- Create excitement around the big day by:
- Planning giveaways and offering special discounts
- Host an online event and invite the press, your loyal customers, and social media influencers
- Choose a date that coincides with a popular shopping day like Black Friday or the Christmas holidays
- Sit back and watch the process by taking advantage of a marketing automation platformthat:
- Sends out the launch campaign that you planned for
- Gathers leads and follows up with customers
- Delivers thank-yous to customers who made a purchase
- Sends delivery and confirmation information
- Forwards a notice to potential customers who abandoned their cart or didn’t finish their order
3. Post-Launch Assessment
You might be tempted to sit back and take it easy after the all-important launch day. After all, you worked hard on the front end to prepare for the big day — surely you deserve a little downtime on the other side, right?
Taking a moment to catch your breath is a good idea, but regroup quickly and plan to do some assessing after the launch is over.
This step is critical to keeping your customer base and future success.
Step One: Keep In Touch With Customers And Reach Out To Those Who Didn’t Buy
Failing to follow up with customers can mean they turn their attention elsewhere.
It’s much easier — and cheaper — to keep a customer than to win one, so follow-up will save you energy and money.
Automation will be your friend in post-purchase follow-up. With this added strategy, you can:
- Ask for feedback
- Make future purchase suggestions to entice return customers
And checking in with customers who purchased isn’t enough.
Reaching out to customers who didn’t buy can also be beneficial. Let them know what they are missing out on by not buying. Or you could offer them the same product in a future sale.
Step Two: Gather Reviews And Testimonials
Chances are you’ve read reviews before purchasing products. Reviews give helpful information to potential customers. And in our social media world, people are listening to what others have to say.
Waste no time after your launch and ask buying customers to write a review or share a testimonial.
This is also easily automated and takes one more thing off of your to-do list. To encourage a review, include an incentive — free shipping or a discount on a future purchase — as a way to thank them for their purchase.
Step Three: Analyze Your Results
Analyzing your campaign after the launch will provide valuable information to help make future product launches a success. Failing to do so may mean that you continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.
Take the time to look at what went right and what went wrong with your e-commerce product launch. Ask questions like:
- Did our website hold up to the increased traffic?
- Did we have enough of our product on hand to fulfill orders?
- How did our purchase rate compare to our abandoned order rate?
After analyzing the good, the bad, and the ugly of your campaign:
- Learn from the info you’ve gathered
- Make some changes where necessary; and
- Start planning for your next product launch to grow your business
Inspire and Engage
At Pretty-Impressive, each client is unique. Which is why we create strategies tailored to the needs of each company. Reach out and we’ll help you get your brand exactly where it needs to be — ahead of the rest.
Pretty-Impressive Is Here to Guide You Through How to Launch a Product Online
If you’re ready to take your e-commerce business to the next level with a product launch, but don’t know where to start, Pretty-Impressive is here for you.
We’ll walk you through the process, step by step to increase sales and help you learn how to focus on your return on investment (ROI).
E-commerce is about:
- Long-term growth
- Turning ad money spent into profits
- Finding customers who buy more; and
- Making educated decisions based on reliable data
Pretty-Impressive offers marketing consulting services like:
- Email marketing
- Facebook ads
- Google ads
- Growth marketing; and
- Marketing analysis
Schedule a free strategy session today.
