Testing Ecommerce Before Retail

Testing Ecommerce Before Retail

A few large retailers have been testing the success of new products by first selling through their ecommerce platform before making the commitment to sell in retail. For business owners and executives, this is important to consider when launching (or even developing) a new product especially due to the different factors involved in ecommerce.

First and foremost, is your product ecommerce friendly? Will consumers be interested simply by what they see online or is your product the type that people will want to see, feel or experience firsthand before purchasing? Knowing this will make a huge difference when determining how successful your product will be especially if it is being sold strictly through an ecommerce platform.

Second, you will need to consider how your product will reach the consumer. Typically when the large retailer is testing your product on their site, you and your business will be responsible for delivering it to the consumer. If this is how you plan to launch in retail, then DO NOT skimp on the quality of your shipping and fulfillment process.

Once a retailer knows that consumers are interested in your product and will continue to purchase it, then they will likely invite you to sell within their brick & mortar location. Your well-rounded shipping process aids in this success because you have proven that your business is capable of handling high-volume orders while keeping customers happy.