WHAT I LEARNED LAUNCHING MY DIGITAL EMPIRE
Study First
One thing that I know helped me to be successful at launch is preparedness. Reading every relevant piece of information I could find gave me ideas and helped me to implement my plans seamlessly. Pictured is one of the final books I read, covering how to choose a niche, create and maintain a sales funnel and more.
Compare & Contrast
During the my study time, I followed through on some of the information I uncovered. I compared the different hosting options, CMS solutions, business models a.k.a dropshipping vs. Amazon FBA and software integrations and plug-ins like Mailchimp, and Mailpoet as email solutions.
By the time I launched I had a good idea of how the different options stacked up against each other and this made the decision making process easier to manage allowing me too quickly engage the solution and move on to different aspects of my business. It’s worth noting that in the end I chose to integrate both Mailchimp and Mailpoet as pictured. Both provided some of the functionality I desired but neither included everything I wanted, particularly in the freemium versions of the software.
Adjust, and then…
Seems one of the most important lessons learned, or perhaps the most useful skill is the ability to adjust ones vision to what is possible within the software solutions. When using templates through software integrations such as WordPress and Woocommerce, you come to find out that flexibility is limited in a variety of spaces.
Adjust again
The ability to implement something functional, user friendly and aesthetically pleasing while sacrificing what may have been the initial vision is crucial.
In most cases, feel free!
I was pleased to find out that the freemium versions of WordPress and Woocommerce plugins were sufficient for my needs. My site was highly functional without me having to invest a lot of money. In fact, the only plug in I upgraded to a paid version was Mailpoet to satisfy my desire for more control over email distribution list.
Branding
When we were deciding how to launch our store, what products we would sell and how to promote, we decided to focus more on our brand, business model and customer centric approach as opposed to advertising the products we would sell. We wanted consumers to know they should shop with us because of our initiatives to improve communities and the lives of everyday people by helping small businesses succeed, our dedication to charitable efforts and commitment to outstanding customer service.
By the time we launch our own branded products we will have established relationships and a reputation that will keep our consumer base engaged. We will maintain our goals of high quality, integrity and service with a smile.
Words to live by
If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.
