Unpleasant times await e-shoppers. How to maintain a profit?

There aren’t as many orders as there used to be. People don't respond to the millions of ads they see every day. The growth is disappearing, and the competition is unmercifully eating up the remaining parts of the market.

Yes, that is a sad situation for many e-shoppers.

But what is far worse?

Costs are increasing exponentially.

Profit disappears in “bottomless” advertising tools, energy, warehouses, transport bills, and, of course, payrolls.

Warehouses are overcrowded because no one could have expected people to slow down the pace of online shopping. "After all, everyone is used to online shopping, isn’t it?!" Said the e-shopper and ordered a bigger amount.

This step was taken by many e-shops, which are starting to pay painfully for it.

Don't you believe it? Look at the profit and loss statement for the first half of the year. Study your marketing costs, cost per click or conversion, and so on.

What to do with that?

It's time to look for efficiency where it hasn't been looked for before. Job description, marketing budget, and operating budget, this is all overlooked when you grow quickly.

It is time to sell only where you have received a crown (not a percentage) margin.

It's time to take advantage of the tools that help successful companies manage inventory levels.

It is time to analyze "why" people do one thing and not another.

 

That is easy to say, right? So where to start?

Let's start with your accounting / ERP system.

Many people in business tend to overlook the huge amount of data that can help them with their decision-making process.

Making decisions based on real data is going to be what separates profitable and unprofitable e-shops. You might think otherwise, but our experience speaks clearly.

Why?

Because we are spoiled.

Previously, customers bought everything they clicked on. A few years ago, it was enough to build a primary PPC campaign and we could debate whether the PNO would be 5 or 10%.

This motivated you to grow. Take more credits, warehouses, products, pieces, and more of everything.

But now? 

Advertising increases prices inconspicuously.

Warehouses are sitting in storage and capital is becoming more expensive, same as rent.

It hurts, we must adapt.

How?

It needs an outside view.

You do it often as you have been doing it for a long time.

It requires a step back and a review of everything the firm is working on.

Improve the e-shop according to the latest UX recommendations.

Improve the marketing mix and especially targeting.

Not to stock products that do not bring us a real net profit.

Not borrowing expensive money just to feed growth cash flow.

Don't want a loss? There might be a way

We can save the situation.

I may be going to save you unpleasant layoffs or inappropriate budget cuts where they're needed.

I'm no magic savior, but I have techniques that work for me.

Such techniques are recommended by many top professors, but also by successful businessmen.

Charles Darwin said, " It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest, but the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment."

That should be the motto of the next year and a half, as this is the time that I think will put many e-shops out of business.