How to Scale Your eCommerce Business Without Burning Out

Starting an eCommerce business is a lot like climbing a mountain. Right now a lot of business owners are at a plateau. Your business is steady, and sales are consistent, but you aren’t really going anywhere.

As you’re on the flat section, you’re looking towards the peak (representing growth and a thriving business). But you’ve got no idea how to get up there without spending a whole lot of energy (or in this case, money). 

The secret is learning how to scale up – just like when you train for a climb and prepare ahead. Set yourself up for success by packing extra sustenance and making your climbing more efficient, and you’ll be able to grow your business without tripping and falling.

In this article, we’ve collected some simple and actionable tips to help you scale up smoothly. And if you’re looking for a starter guide to scalability, check out our basics blog post here!

Optimise your selling strategies

Sounds simple, right? What most business owners forget before scaling up is that they could save so much time and effort by improving their existing processes before looking to expand. It's like trying to carry sand in a bucket that has a hole in the base.

Start by using your sales data to find which products are selling the best. Use analytics tools like CloudFO, which can link to your website and pull your sales data into clear, simple graphs, so you can see the info you need at a glance.

A sure-fire way to increase revenue is simply doubling down on what’s working already. If you sell tech accessories, and the pop culture phone cases are selling quickly, invest in more stock. It’s certainly easier and more efficient than testing new products.

You could also try attaching them to less popular products through bundles, cross-selling, or upselling. These are sales techniques where you group products together or recommend related products to increase the customer’s cart value.

Example: Upselling involves suggesting a more expensive version of the item, while cross-selling involves selling related or matching items (usually from a set). If a customer was buying a running shirt from your sports apparel site, you might recommend a more expensive running shirt for an upsell, or a matching pair of leggings for a cross-sell.

Check your website is working properly

Optimise your website to make sure it’s loading quickly, easy to use, and works on mobile. Your website will be the first thing customers see, so it’s important to give them as smooth an experience as possible.

Consider highlighting good customer reviews to boost your brand image, and add a search bar or menu page so users are able to navigate the site easily.

Did you know? 47% of customers expect a webpage to load in two seconds or less, which could be a deal breaker for your website. Tools like Google's PageSpeed Insights can check if your website is under that two-second mark. Quick fixes like image compression can also up your site speed to keep your customers engaged.

Widen your audience with social media

We’ve touched on content creation and some simple ways to plan your content ahead of time, so we’ll keep this section short.

With 96% of small business owners using social media as a marketing tool, it’s important to focus your energy on one or two platforms (at least when starting out) where your target audience spends most time. Consumers aged 16 to 24 will almost always be active on TikTok, while Instagram users are on average between 25 and 34 years old.

Social media marketing is an affordable way to promote your brand and can help increase your visibility. Moreover, by sharing your struggles and exclusive behind the scenes content, you can connect with your audience and build a community around your brand.

Automate your processes

When you’re starting out as a small business owner, you don’t have a big team behind you. Most of the time it’s just you running marketing campaigns, packing orders, or getting in touch with customers. So with ten different things to do at once, maintaining your business can quickly get overwhelming.

Try using automation tools to save time and help your business run more efficiently. Email marketing tools can help you to set up a regular mailing list, send review requests, or update your customers on the latest product releases.

Top tip: All-in-one tools for beginners can help you best manage your business finances. CloudFO is the perfect tool for business owners looking to get in control of their finances, and comes equipped with clear and detailed monthly reports so you can stay informed. That’s not to mention the 24-hour chat feature, personalised feedback and insights, and seamless integration with Shopify, as well as major banking apps.

Scaling up doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process. Optimising your sales methods, updating your website, reaching out with social media, and using automation are simple, actionable tips you can start on today. Preparing your business to scale up will give you the boost of energy you need to reach the top of the mountain and grow your business.

Which of these strategies will CloudFO help you with today? Try a demo and see what a difference it can make to your business!

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