As the e-commerce industry continues to grow and develop with technological advances, some companies have risen to the challenge while others have struggled to achieve success. Though online businesses have significantly expanded how and where people do business, entrepreneurs of all experience levels are learning or re-learning how to establish themselves and successfully navigate a constantly changing business environment.
Below, 20 Forbes Business Council members discuss differences between companies that are successful in the e-commerce space and companies that are having trouble finding their footing. Read on to hear their advice for those struggling to find their place in e-commerce.
1. Select And Master A Niche
E-commerce success is about mastering a niche and iterating fast. Online business moves faster than brick-and-mortar retail because you’re competing against everyone in the world. That means successful companies are agile, constantly experimenting and market-focused. They find their niche and dominate it while others drown in the chaos of competing against other people’s strengths. – Joseph Drups, Drups Ventures
2. Have A Clear Value Proposition And Seamless Customer Experience
Successful e-commerce companies have clear value propositions and seamless customer experiences. In contrast, struggling businesses lack focus, which can frustrate buyers. To improve, companies must refine messaging, optimize the user experience, leverage data and align vision with execution to build trust. Just like clear eyesight sharpens focus, a well-aligned strategy removes confusion and boosts conversions. – Dr Chibuzor Uwadi, Eat Well & See Well Ltd
3. Develop A Detailed Marketing Strategy
The biggest difference is a successful marketing strategy. Many struggling e-commerce companies lack strong branding, targeted advertising, SEO strategies or customer retention tactics, leading to low visibility and sales. To improve, they should invest in SEO, social media, paid ads, email marketing and influencer collaborations. This will increase traffic, build trust and boost conversions. – JC Serrano, 1000Attorneys.com
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4. Establish A Clear Voice, Tone And Brand Strategy
I tend to notice that successful e-commerce companies have a really clear voice, tone and brand strategy while less successful companies are too generic. Don’t be afraid to be bold and flaunt your unique brand online because it’s a great way to stand out and attract the best audiences for your products. – Emily Reynolds Bergh, R Public Relations Firm
5. Leverage Advanced Data Analytics With Marketing Expertise
Successful e-commerce companies leverage advanced data analytics paired with expert marketing guidance to drive sales. They use customer behavior data to refine marketing campaigns, optimize sales funnels and boost conversion rates. However, data alone isn’t enough—a team of skilled digital marketers and data analysts is crucial for turning insights into actionable strategies. – Ron Browning, Intellibright
6. Focus On Content And Connections
Successful e-commerce companies build a network of tactical expert connections to get tips on what’s working and what’s not. They also create brand content daily because it’s all about being the brand media source. – Jeffrey Herzog, Avenue Z
7. Focus On Deeply Understanding Your Customers
The biggest difference is a successful company’s ability to truly understand its customers and adapt quickly. The best brands don’t just sell; they listen, analyze behavior and refine their approach constantly. If your company is struggling, focus less on pushing products and more on learning what your customers actually want — then move fast to deliver it. – Romain Pison, NoviCarbon
8. Build Out A Great Customer Experience
The most successful e-commerce companies build out a great customer experience. Create a virtuous cycle of continually asking for feedback and identifying pain points so that the experience improves dynamically on a constant basis. This customer centricity drives operational excellence, as well as pricing, product and fulfillment strategies, ultimately enabling a profitable business model. – Jackie Shoback, 1414 Ventures
9. Elevate Buying Processes
Buying is a process, not a single decision. Successful companies reduce the number of decisions and the cognitive load of those decisions to get a buyer to the customer journey quickly while also ensuring the euphoria of purchasing the product doesn’t fade. Invest up front in components that vertically integrate the buying process and in creating policies that ensure customers won’t need to make a cascade of decisions just to buy your product. – Cameron Deemer, DrFirst
10. Invest In SEO
SEO strategies are a must. Some companies can do fairly well on ads alone, while others cannot. Our nursery business has never converted well on ads, so having an effective SEO strategy is the main tool we have. Being online only, if shoppers can not find your company, they can’t make purchases. SEO helps your company get out there for all shoppers to see. Keep working. – Jackie Nance-Sons, Native Wildflowers Nursery
11. Prioritize Sustainable Profitability Over Vanity Growth
In e-commerce, revenues are ego while margins are intellect. Successful companies prioritize sustainable profitability over vanity growth. Obsess over operational efficiency, customer retention and intelligent pricing to turn top-line hype into bottom-line strength. – Gaurav Tewari, Omega Venture Partners
12. Understand The Cost Of Customer Acquisition
Successful companies quickly understand what their customer acquisition cost is through each channel and go all in on the channels that are working. From there, they work as best as they can to keep those customers happy in order to increase the lifetime value of every new customer. Struggling companies often dilute their budgets by trying out 20 different marketing channels that may or may not work. – Ismail Ahmad, ISH & CO / RASTAH / CLOUTER
13. Be Customer-Centric
Customer-centricity wins in e-commerce. Top e-commerce brands don’t just sell—they listen and adapt fast. They leverage data, optimize touchpoints and foster loyal communities while struggling brands rely on outdated tactics or ad-driven growth. To succeed, focus on a seamless user experience, fast fulfillment, direct engagement and personalization to drive retention, build loyalty and create recurring revenue. – Rohan Sharma, Zenolabs.AI
14. Focus On Building Trust And Long-Term Customer Relationships
Successful e-commerce companies focus on building trust and long-term customer relationships. Struggling companies often chase quick sales without a solid brand foundation. Winning brands invest in a seamless user experience, personalized marketing and organic growth, whereas failing ones rely too much on discounts and paid ads. – Arpit Jain, SEO Sets
15. Develop A Presence Across Multiple Platforms
The most successful e-commerce businesses have developed a presence across multiple platforms to engage customers wherever they are. This includes social media, marketplaces, physical stores and even mobile apps. Companies falling behind should explore omnichannel strategies to ensure they meet their customers through multiple touchpoints and create seamless transitions between channels. – Ran Ronen, Equally AI
16. Build Strong Customer Loyalty And Engagement Loops
Successful e-commerce companies build strong loyalty and engagement loops, turning customers into repeat buyers. They focus on retention through personalized experiences, rewards and seamless post-purchase interactions. Struggling companies should prioritize customer engagement by optimizing retention strategies, building a community and creating compelling reasons for customers to keep coming back. – Shubham Nigam, Questera AI
17. Optimize Purchase Paths Using Data
Success comes from continuously optimizing the path to purchase. We focus on extensive A/B testing to refine every step of the customer journey, leveraging data to improve conversions. Additionally, we prioritize lifetime value growth, as it’s one of the most profitable strategies in any business. Struggling companies should invest in data-driven decision making to scale effectively. – Egor Karpovich, Travel Code Inc.
18. Enable Quick Delivery
A key difference is in how fast a company can deliver products. Successful e-commerce companies usually get items to customers within a few days, while struggling ones take longer. Quick delivery matters because people don’t like waiting and want their stuff now! If you’re a struggling company, focus on speeding up shipping. Maybe partner with reliable delivery services or put open warehouses in more locations. – Vikrant Shaurya, Authors On Mission
19. Own Your Distribution Channels
Winning e-commerce companies own their distribution; failing ones rent it. Amazon, Shein and Tesla built direct demand channels, while weaker players relied on fragile ad-driven arbitrage. Struggling brands must pivot to proprietary ecosystems—subscriptions, community-driven commerce and network effects—to escape platform dependency and create sustainable, high-margin customer relationships. – Yves Remmler, Endeavor Elements, Inc.
20. Remain Adaptable
A key difference is adaptability. Successful e-commerce companies continuously innovate and adjust to customer needs, trends and technology. Struggling companies should focus on improving the user experience, optimizing their digital presence and leveraging data insights to make informed decisions. Building strong customer relationships and staying flexible can help them thrive. – Wayne Liang, Liang Holdings
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