The product is almost ready and now its time to go to market. Well what’s next? You need to start marketing, make a website, figure out logsitics. Trust me the 0-1 of building your business starts here. Here are a few essentials you need to focus on and handy tips that I have seen work well for first time founders. And if you’re an experienced one, you probably know all of these things
Where can people buy from you?
You have studied the 4P’s of marketing, and the one “P” that doesn’t even start with a P, is usually where brands fail. I am talking about distribution. If you believe in being at the right place at the right time can lead to success, chances are you want to be everywhere to makesure your brand succeeds. But this is impossible on day 1. So this blogs tells you what sales channels can you look to get started in order from easiest to a bit challenging.
Your own website
Today most brands start by making their own website, this way you are in control, the logistics, the look and feel, the information about your product going to users. If you are a founder, get started with your own website, not because this is going to be your biggest sales channel but for 2 reasons:
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You control the information if someone Googles (or ChatGPTs) then you want them to pick up information that you give them, not from Amazon Reviews or some random Reddit Article compaining about a delayed delivery because your logistics partner messed up your delivery.
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You figure out what you want your brand is writing copy and obsessions over what goes on the “About” page of your website leads you to introspect and sit down and think what you want people to know about you. Not what an agency or the freelancer building your website thinks
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Direct to customer will most likely be your most profitable channel, with no marketing comittments, no 20-25% Amazon/Flipkart comissions and freedom to choose your logistics partner for each order you get, DTC is one of the most profitable channels for brands.
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Collecting User Information customers are looking for experiences with every purchase and the product while being core to the experience is not the only part of the experience.
Take Bombay Shirt Company for example, while they’re selling shirts you will walk out of their stores with a 15k bill, ice cream and a fresh trim.
E-commerce Platform (Amazon/Flipkart)
While selling on your own website is a really attractive proposition, sometimes you just need to be present where users are already going to shop. Amazon and Flipkart have made it really easy for brands to get their products listed on their platforms.
Trust me I set this up Amazon marketing as a business offering for TYS Performance Marketing Consultants as a 22 year old.
It will take you less than a week to get your products up and running on both Amazon and Flipkart if you have your information handy. And not more than another month to get fancy A+ listings and having your brand page live.
However, listings is not everything, selling on Marketplaces is the real challenge. A few tasks you may have to look at to sell well on Amazon and be discoverable include:
- A+ Listings & Brand Page
- Pay-Per-Click Ads and Display Ads
- Amazon Keyword Research & SEO Optimization
- Distribution method (Fulfilled by Amazon)
- Listing Optimization (Bestseller/Good Deal Tags)
Q-Comm and Delivery Apps
This is a tricky one, Q-Commerce Apps are that 10/10 at the college party that a different guy/girl is hitting on every 30 minutes. And even if she responds back to you, you know she is going to be demanding.
From just industry chatter what I hear the treshold for getting listed on Q-Comm includes:
- Sales Traction
- Listing Fees per SKU + Marketing spend comittments
- Brand Presence - Social traction, website traffic, keyword volume and people looking for you.