Opening a business in Brazil today is not as complex, especially given the many opportunities that the online world offers. However, making it grow and prosper becomes challenging for many. The retail market has many opportunities for success in the digital environment, provided there is effective planning in its management in view of the scalability of its products. Otherwise, even this vast universe that the digital world offers will not be able to sustain a good business idea.
Having a successful and leading brand in the segment requires a lot of care and smart strategies that boost its competitiveness. After all, even though, in our country, data from the Business Map show an enormous ease in opening a business – requiring an average time of one day and five hours – the corporate mortality rate is also high. Data from the IBGE indicate that 48% of businesses close their activities within three years, mainly due to the lack of efficient management.
Far beyond bureaucratic issues, efficient management is reflected through a series of practices aimed at the organizational structure as a whole. Something that, given the high competitiveness of online retail, becomes even more important to stand out.
With that in mind, check out five strategies that can help retailers successfully scale their products in the online environment:
#1 Brand Building: Time is a fundamental ally in the construction of a well-established brand in its segment. After all, it is through a continuous process of exposure, interaction with the audience, and intelligent actions that a company gains relevance and recognition – something that requires patience and consistency. The rush for immediate results will be the number one enemy of entrepreneurs, who need to respect this time for consumers to associate the brand's name with its values, products, and experiences.
#2 Distribution of products: The conveniences of online shopping cause many businesses to have an immediate "boom" in growth. However, the lack of structure in the distribution of their products prevents this momentum from being sustained in the long term, creating a bottleneck in operations. It is necessary to pay attention to the logistics of your products to achieve this scalability, otherwise, in addition to generating negative experiences, a bad reputation can sink the business before it even has a chance to reverse such damage.
#3 Community and Influencers: Once the brand establishes its purpose and communication, a sense of community naturally emerges, encompassing its target audience. This natural group of people who identify with the business will include the well-known influencers in the industry – who need to be won over and considered allies for corporate prosperity. After all, they are authorities in the segment, with a reputation, knowledge, and experience in the field, capable of driving the scalability of their products in the online environment to their loyal followers.
#4 Offline: Many retailers still prefer physical stores to conduct their business. As much as the in-person experience has its benefits, there is no way to completely avoid the advancement of market digitalization. Even those who achieve significant results in their establishments, it is important to reconcile them with, at least, a social network or an online platform, giving one more option for their consumers to know their products and even conduct part of their journey there. This union will certainly optimize the sales process of physical retail.
#5 Marketing: It is still very common to observe brands growing, generating revenue, and not investing in marketing strategies that support this movement, associating them with a separate cost and not as something valuable for their perpetuity. Marketing can be a driver for the scalability of online products, positioning them competitively to stimulate their purchase and customer retention. But, those who apply this investment will also need to dedicate time and effort to it, so that it achieves its purpose.
Selling online in retail is challenging. It takes just one click to find other businesses that offer the same products and services as yours. So, how to stand out in the face of so much competition? The answer is also complex, as there is no single manual applicable to every company, but rather a guide of good practices that must be analyzed and invested in according to the conditions and objectives of each one.
The digital environment offers countless opportunities to scale products and make a brand a benchmark in its sector. According to the Digital 2024 Report, Brazilians spend, on average, 9 hours and 13 minutes connected to the internet per day. However, it is not enough to just create a website or a social media platform to direct your consumers.
With the above strategies, the chances of achieving such results will certainly be higher, provided that the entrepreneurs dedicate time, efforts, and resources to put them into practice, offering close and available service to their customers.
