Customers' expectations on e-commerce? It's rising. As a small business, it’s more important to get it right.

When you are running a startup or small business online – e-commerce is your lifeblood. It is the infrastructure both you and your customers rely on to connect and do business. So what are some of the key skills you should consider when creating your startup or small business plan?  
 

Understand the tech basics
You don’t need to be a fully fledged developer or programmer. But it helps if you have a basic understanding of how an online store works. Knowing how to make small changes to your website can save you time and money.

Having a working knowledge of hosting fundamentals, HTML & CSS will allow you to edit and add elements to your e-commerce site, as well as locate and fix broken pieces of code. Plus, when you do need to engage a developer or programmer, you will be able to speak and understand their language!
 

Get comfortable with content and SEO
Good content that’s engaging, valuable and, importantly searchable, is essential if you want to grow your small business online.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the key. Understanding how SERPS - (search engine results pages) work in different browsers is critical if you want your small business to be discovered and found online.

What’s also fundamental is researching what keywords your customers use to find similar products and services online. Then incorporating them throughout your website and content.
 

Become logistics and payments savvy
We’re all in the business of speed. If you can't give your customers the quick and frictionless experience they want, it’s going to be harder to turn them into loyal customers.

Above everything, the right time-definite e-commerce delivery and return option is important in turning cart abandonment to checkout. So what do they want - same day, 1-3 days or a week? The only choice is giving them the flexibility they want.

The end goal here is not to become a web developer. But instead, have a fundamental understanding of what’s needed for your e-commerce business to succeed. The journey is continually evolving, so knowing the basics will empower you and your business to keep pace.