Stop Running Online Store on Social Media
Posted onOf course, it’s easy to get started with your online business on social media. But then when it comes to real business, chaos kick in. Here’s why it’s a bad idea to start your online business on social media.
A quick look through popular social media platforms, such as Instagram, will show us many aspiring solopreneurs, hard at work. Home bakers, clothing line dropshippers, hair products creators, boutique owners, the list goes on.
It goes without saying that many of us wouldn’t have crossed paths with these folks had it not been for social media. After all, that’s the very purpose of it. Isn’t it?
While social media helps us to amplify our business, we’ve come across many owners who bet all their eggs in this basket alone. Is that good for a business? Or, does it backfire at some point in time or the other?
Shall we find out with this blog, then?
Getting Started on Social Media Is Easy
Social media is easy to use, isn't it? It's as simple as signing up and adding the information you want the world to see about your company. Sharing the new venture with your friends and family and having them do the same for you creates initial traction.
The sole objective on social media for marketers is to raise brand awareness, according to a recent study by Sprout Social. In most cases, social media is used by marketers to promote rather than to sell.
Getting stuck on a social media plateau
Eventually, it fades away. You may find yourself confused if your visibility drops. There are a lot of articles and videos on the web about getting out of this social media plateau and bringing back that mojo.
Are you still not convinced?
According to Google's keyword research tool, the number of people who searched for "how to get followers on Instagram fast" was between 10K and 100K.
It hasn't been a new thing to search (read struggle) for followers. The initial success seems very attractive, but most business owners struggle to meet their expectations later on.
Businesses assume that since social media platforms are utilized by millions around the world, they can easily connect with their customers through these platforms.
Most people don't realize, however, that building a presence through this channel requires patience and time. Every message, every comment asking for prices, every order took time to process.
Additionally, social media platforms are powered by advertisements. When a business account does not run paid ads, its reach is much lower than that of a personal account. Invest generously, and you can expect the desired result.
Amplifying our business using social media is effective. Running a business with it isn't necessary. Let’s see why.
Lack of Unified Business System
For your business, they are merely auxiliary support systems. Advertising and publicizing an account/brand are their core objectives.
Because of this, processing orders, tracking shipments, verifying and cross-checking orders, and processing payments safely becomes too complicated. Even if you end up running everything on social media, you still need other platforms to complete the order cycle.
Resources being wasted
You'll feel stretched too thin since there's so much going on. When you can't be in more than one place at once, running a business becomes difficult. You might need to hire a new employee, increasing your overhead costs. Note that e-commerce platforms are available that will make your life much easier.
In the case where you already have resources, the multiple back and forths would mostly result in underutilizing them, when in fact they could be used for something more meaningful
Issues of Exclusive Ownership
There is a process for handling disputes that may arise on social media platforms. Accounts can be suspended or banned in some cases. It isn't sturdy enough to prevent a company from doing the same if another account steals your identity.
Alternatively, your competitors might report your profile without reason, and you could lose all your hard work overnight.
Hacking of business data
We all know our data isn't exactly secure on many leading platforms. Data security for businesses could be particularly difficult in this situation. Others could gain access to your sensitive information.
What are the alternatives?
Is it not also likely that you will have to set up a business website if not social media?
The same can be accomplished by either hiring a graphic designer and developer. Couple that with website domain hosting fees, payment gateway charges, shipping & logistics. the horizon doesn’t look promising.
A platform that makes all this work for you could be an option, as well. As it’s obvious, in both cases, you need to dish out cash. A good chunk for that matter.
You can't sign up for free like you do on social media.
Oftentimes, you may need technical knowledge to accomplish a task or set up the platform the way you want.
Non-tech-savvy individuals, or those who do not desire such sophistication, will find this a deal-breaker.
How eStoreApp can help
Build your online store in minutes without any technical experience. eStoreApp is a powerful eCommerce software that allows you to create and manage your own virtual store with ease.
Signing up can be done via the app or through the web browser. Provide the details of your business, such as the name, email address, and so on. Put products on your store, set their prices, and offer discounts immediately.