How To Launch a New eCommerce Product Successfully
Launching a new product can be the most rewarding and challenging experience you've ever had as an eCommerce store owner. There's nothing more exciting than bringing a brand-new item to market, but there are also many details that need to be taken care of before you can successfully launch your new eCommerce product.
In this substack, I'll go over some strategies for generating demand for your new eCommerce product launches so that your customers will already be excited when you launch it.
Send samples
Sending out samples is one of the most effective ways to generate buzz and excite customers about your new product launch.
The more people try it, the more likely they will share their experience.
Send samples in advance of your launch date.
Try sending samples of your product several weeks before it becomes available for consumers.
This gives your potential customers time to get familiar with what they're buying but also give them an incentive not to wait until release day if they want an early taste—they'll have had enough time between receiving a sample and when everyone else gets theirs that they won't feel like they're missing out on anything exciting at all.
Plus, this gives those who receive freebies from this campaign something tangible (a free sample) as well as intangible (excitement), which makes them feel good about supporting projects like yours in any capacity possible – whether financially or emotionally/psychologically.
Use your eCommerce customer base to generate buzz.
You can also build demand for your product launches by using your eCommerce customer base to generate buzz. Asking for feedback and recommendations will help you get more people interested in the product, which will help you increase sales.
Post about your upcoming product launch on social media to elicit engagement from your shoppers.
Ask them what they think about a product idea or concept before it's finalized so that you can make sure it meets their needs and expectations.
All of this information is useful for marketing—you'll gain valuable insight into how people react to certain things, like colors or designs. It's also a great way to market directly to people who already buy from you.
You'll never know if this kind of content leads to other product launches down the road.
Get creative with your product packaging and delivery.
A critical element in building demand for your new eCommerce product launches is to ensure that all aspects of the buying process are seamless. This includes how you package and deliver your products.
Packaging can be an afterthought at many companies, but it's an area where you can create much buzz by being creative with what comes in the box.
In fact, some studies show that as much as 80% of shoppers will make a purchase based on their first impression when holding a product.
Your packaging should protect your product from damage during shipping and give customers information about what they're ordering and why they should buy from you instead of another competitor — all while making them feel excited about opening up their order.
For example, if you sell jewelry on Etsy or Amazon FBA, then consider including tags with handwritten messages such as: "Hope these earrings bring as much joy into your life as they have mine" or "These earrings make me think about my grandmother who wore them every day."
These touches speak volumes about what makes your business unique compared to others selling similar items at similar prices. In addition, they can ultimately lead consumers down paths toward purchasing decisions over competitors' offerings.
Establish a launch goal
Before starting your next product launch, you must define your goal. This isn't just a casual suggestion: It's one of the essential steps in succeeding at your launch.
Why?
Because setting goals is critical for staying motivated and moving forward—and if you don't have a specific plan for your product launch, all of that motivation will go to waste.
According to research conducted at University College London and published in The Journal of Consumer Research, around 70% of people who set goals tend to achieve them (with another 20% falling somewhere between "somewhat" achieving their objective goal and not achieving it at all). But when people don't set goals first.
That number drops significantly: only 1-2% reach their target.
So what should be included in this "goal" part?
Here are some examples:
What do I want my sales numbers to look like after three months?
Are they realistic? Ambitious enough?
How do I know if they need to be more ambitious or ambitious enough without testing something out first by launching the product early?
Use social proof and UGC in your marketing and ads.
Social proof is a way to show that your product is popular. UGC, or user-generated content, is when you use reviews and testimonials from other customers in your marketing materials.
Let's say you're trying to sell sneakers online. Integrate social proof by showing the most popular colors of shoes currently being bought at a specific price point or testimonials from people who have purchased similar products.
If you're selling something more intangible, like an online course or digital download service, UGC can come in handy here, too – ask current clients how they feel about their experience working with you.
Create bundles and kits related to your product launch
A bundle is a group of items sold together, while a kit is a set of components that make up a larger product. Both bundles and kits are popular strategies for increasing sales on product launches because they allow you to offer products related to each other at lower costs than if purchased separately. To illustrate, if you're launching an eCommerce site selling skateboards and apparel with your logo, bundling these two products together in one package would make it easier for customers who want both things simultaneously (think of the skateboarder who wants the shirt).
How do I find good bundles/kits for my product launch? The most effective way is by brainstorming what potential buyers might want from your newest product—you may have already thought about this when deciding which products will go into your initial lineup; now it's time to come up with some creative ways those products could be packaged together or combined with others.
Recap
Use your eCommerce customer base to generate buzz. This one is super simple and effective. Look at the people already buying from you and ask if they would be interested in something similar to what you're thinking about creating. If they say yes, then great. You have some validation that this could be a good idea.
Get creative with your product packaging and delivery. I've noticed on Amazon lately that some products have really unique packaging or come with freebies (like stickers or other small items). It's like getting a bonus because they know they'll get more purchases from consumers who want whatever comes inside the box. Creating an experience around purchasing something can go a long way toward generating interest in new products too.
Establishing a launch goal helps keep things on track without adding unnecessary stress and helps set realistic expectations for yourself as you prepare for launch day/week/month. I recommend writing out all of the tasks related to launching into categories such as marketing materials production, etc. look at each type individually, then set deadlines based on how much time each task will take so you have enough time left over during this window period before launch date arrives.
In summary
Launch day can be an excellent learning and sales experience, even if your product still needs to hit the mark. You learn so much, and it’s not just limited to numbers.
You can also look at data like user engagement and social media reach. Implement these strategies to help you create buzz around your new eCommerce product launches.
Wishing you much success, your friend ParrotFish.