What I would do if I was launching a new eCommerce business

Starting a new eCommerce business is overwhelming, but if I were launching a brand today, I’d focus on a few key things to set myself up for success. Here’s pretty much the exact approach I’d take to create a strong brand, build a solid website, and drive qualified traffic that turns into sales.

Step 1: Create a strong brand & product differentiation

Before even thinking about a website, I’d start by defining my brand’s unique position. With so much competition online, it’s not enough to just sell great products – I need a clear differentiator that makes my brand stand out and that resonates with my ideal customer.

I’d ask myself:

• What makes my product different or better than competitors? (Is it quality, the process, ingredients, sustainability, pricing, the story, or exclusivity?)
• Who is my ideal customer? (What do they care about, why would they choose my brand? What aspiration does my product help them achieve or what problem does it solve for them?)
• What feeling or experience do I want my brand to create? (Luxury, fun, simplicity, girl next door, etc.)

Once I have this mapped out, I’d create a compelling brand story, a strong and simple visual identity (logo, fonts, colors), and core messaging (marketing copy) that resonates with my audience.

Step 2: Build a simple, professional website

With my brand identity in place, I’d focus on building a simple but effective eCommerce website. Here’s what I’d prioritise:

• A clean, easy-to-navigate Shopify store that loads quickly and works smoothly on both mobile and desktop.
• High-quality images and videos that showcase my product from multiple angles and in real-life use.
• Strong product descriptions that are clear, engaging, and focus on benefits, not just features.
• A frictionless checkout experience with multiple payment options and clear shipping/returns info.
• Focus on growing verified customer reviews.
• SEO so my store is optimised for search engines from the start.

I wouldn’t overcomplicate things—just a polished, trustworthy website that makes a great first impression and makes buying easy.

Step 3: Leverage instagram influencers for content & buzz

To build trust and excitement around my brand, I’d partner with Instagram influencers to:

1. Get user-generated content (UGC): I’d send my products to micro-influencers (1K–50K followers) in my niche in exchange for honest photo and video reviews. This way, I’d have authentic content to repurpose on my website, social media, and ads.
2. Create buzz for my launch: I’d arrange influencer giveaways, discount codes, or launch-day collaborations to increase brand awareness and social proof ahead of my brand / website launch.

Step 4: Learn how to drive qualified traffic

Once my store is live and I have great content from influencers, I’d focus on getting the right people to my website. Rather than blindly running ads, I’d first educate myself by taking:

• A Meta (Facebook & Instagram) Ads course to understand how to set up and optimise paid campaigns.
• An SEO course to learn how to improve my store’s ranking for relevant search terms.

This way, I’d have two reliable traffic sources—paid ads for immediate sales and SEO for long-term, organic growth.

Step 5: Be consistent and active with email marketing from the beginning

Hardly anyone buys from a website on their first visit, which is why I’d build an email marketing strategy to stay in touch with potential customers. My plan would include:

• A sign-up incentive to encourage people to subscribe to my mailing list.
• An automated welcome email sequence to say hello to new subscribers, introducing my brand and best-selling products.
• An abandoned cart email to recover lost sales.
• Regular newsletters featuring new arrivals, customer stories, and exclusive offers.

Email marketing is an underrated sales driver, and I’d make sure to build my list from day one.

Step 6: Choose one primary social media channel to grow organically

Instead of trying to be everywhere at once, I’d focus on one social media platform—likely Instagram—to grow my audience and build brand awareness. My goal would be to create real, relatable content that connects with my target audience.

Here’s how I’d approach it:

• Show behind-the-scenes content: I’d document my journey, from product creation to packaging and order fulfillment, to make my brand feel more personal.
• Share customer experiences: I’d feature user-generated content, customer testimonials, and real-life product use cases.
• Create engaging reels and stories: Short-form video content is key, so I’d focus on making fun, informative, and visually appealing reels that showcase my products in action.
• Be consistent and interactive: Posting regularly and engaging with followers through comments, DMs, and story polls would help build a strong community.

Step 7: Scale What’s Working

Once I have a solid way to drive traffic and convert customers, I’d increase my investment in paid ads and influencer marketing. By analysing my data and doubling down on what works, I’d confidently scale my eCommerce business without wasting money on ineffective strategies.

Final Thoughts

If I were launching an eCommerce brand today, I’d keep things simple:

1. Create a strong, unique brand.
2. Build a professional, conversion-focused website.
3. Leverage influencer marketing for trust and buzz.
4. Learn how to drive traffic through ads and SEO.
5. Use email marketing to increase conversions.
6. Focus on growing one social media channel organically.
7. Scale once I have a proven system.

This approach ensures I’m not just launching a store—but building a brand with long-term success in mind.

About us

Nutmeg Studio is a boutique web design studio in Cape Town, South Africa. The Shopify and WordPress websites we build are simple to manage, beautiful by design, and created with care to help your business grow with confidence. Get in touch if you’re needing help with your website.