A successful online shop is not only the result of a market-ready offer but also of strategic management, clear organization, and the right combination of employees and efficient processes. Companies aiming for e-commerce success must therefore consider numerous aspects to sell profitably online. As long-standing experts in e-commerce, we at BREITETIEFE offer a checklist of the key factors and approaches necessary for good and sustainable online shop management. 

The attempt to dump slow sellers from offline stores online is a thing of the past. What used to attract one or two bargain hunters has now turned much more towards quality demands from customers: 

• Broader customer knowledge: Customers often inform themselves online about a product’s features and price before purchase – poor products therefore barely sell online anymore.
• Unique selling point: Leading a product exclusively is hardly possible today with worldwide marketplace offerings.
• David versus Goliath: Amazon & Co. often carry the same or very similar products – usually cheaper and faster available.
• Service as a USP: In customer engagement and personal 'attention', many providers find the opportunity to stand out in the online market and retain customers long-term.
  

Having the right range is one thing. An intuitive and appealing online shop is another. As in offline business, we want to feel well-taken care of and comfortable when entering a shop. Aesthetics, matching the brand's image, play an equally important role as the fast and smooth functioning of the shop.

• Responsive Design vs. User Design: The shop is tailored to the customer and their needs. Responsive with a 360° approach.
• Fast Loading Times: Slow websites are annoying and lead to high bounce rates. Every second counts!
• Easy Navigation: Customers want to find and buy products effortlessly. The navigation should reflect the search customer’s logic, not the company’s.
• Data Quality: Outdated or incorrect product images, poor product features, placeholder texts, ... please no!
  

The technology of an online shop is mostly hidden. But nothing works without it. At BREITETIEFE, we rely on the award-winning Shopware system from Germany. The proven e-commerce platform guarantees 

• High Performance: SW6 runs reliably fast and solidly, even under maximum load, both in use and in the background. 100,000 products or more are no problem. Special, self-developed performance plugins contribute to this.
• Interfaces: No matter which ERP, payment provider, or carrier your shop works with – Shopware's open API interface standard integrates smoothly with any system.
• Hosting: Using AWS server structures allows the perfect performance package for every shop. Failure guarantee and ongoing scalability included.
• Security: SSL certificates, regular security updates, and data protection measures are self-evident for a professional and reputable online shop.

Behind every good shop is a good team. The team’s size plays a secondary role. What matters are clear tasks and responsibilities – and true competence for the respective areas. An online shop can be seen as a new, additional branch and should be managed as such if you want to take your online business seriously. The following professionals often work in the background – the smaller the company, the more often in personal union: 

• E-Commerce Manager: Responsible for the shop's overall strategy and day-to-day business – in a sense, the online business manager.
• Marketing Specialists: Focused on online marketing, SEO, content creation, and social media – do good and talk about it (well).
• Content Manager: Responsible for the right content, product data & Co.
• Logistics Manager: Coordinates inventory management, shipping, and returns – the larger the shop, the more important it is to keep this competence in-house.
• Customer Service Team: Handles customer inquiries and ensures high customer satisfaction – this team can often be crucial to success.
• IT Experts: Responsible for the shop’s technical infrastructure, security, and maintenance – this part can also be effectively outsourced to third-party partners.
  

It's like a good meal: The better the ingredients and the chef, the more enjoyable the taste. Good SEO (search engine optimization) and content marketing are essential to attract visitors to the website. Storytelling surrounds the product world with the necessary emotion and encourages customers to click on the purchase button faster. This includes, among other things

• high-quality intelligent content: engaging product descriptions, regular publication of interesting blog posts, and creation of further in-depth, genuine content;
• keyword research: identifying the most important search terms to not miss the target audience;
• link building: building backlinks and networks to sustainably improve search engine ranking – repeatedly declared dead, repeatedly newly important;
• affiliate: collaborating with online distribution partners to improve overall reach and gain allies at the online front;
• social media marketing: spreading your content on Facebook, Instagram & Co. for more visibility and to reach potential new customers;
• email marketing: newsletters remain one of the most efficient online sales tools and also allow personalized offers;
• AI: artificial intelligence IS already intensively in use with all the above points and will likely completely reshape the e-commerce landscape in the future.

This topic is repeated deliberately. One of the biggest shortcomings in most online shops is the data quality around products – quite peculiar, given that products are, in essence, what online shops primarily deal with. To transition from a low-quality and often incomplete online catalog to an attractive online shop requires

• product data maintenance: complete product information, regularly updated and enriched with appealing images and other attractive data.
• assortment optimization: analysis of sales figures and adjustment of the range according to customer needs and market situation.
• storytelling: emotionalizing product details sell easier than dry product lists. Customers want to be thrilled.
• set sale: You are the pro and can suggest suitable product combinations to the customer – generating more sales and satisfied customers in the process.
  

An intelligently connected and smoothly running administration of the entire infrastructure behind the online shop is indispensable. Interfaces automatically exchange data within the company’s individual areas. This enables error-free and effective handling of all customer inquiries, thereby promoting customer satisfaction.

• inventory management: automated systems for monitoring stock with direct live availability in the online shop.
• shipping processes: fast and reliable deliveries with track & trace for continuous customer overview of delivery status.
• returns management: packages may come back too – easy and customer-friendly return processes are needed without a safety net.
• multichannel customer support: accessibility through various channels such as phone, email, messenger, and live chat by regularly trained service staff for continuous improvement of service quality.
  

Selling is good, knowing why is better. Often, time or the know-how to review, analyze, and generate effective future actions from all sales data surrounding the online shop is lacking. Often, these are the most valuable sales pushers that slumber unused like an unlifted treasure in the depths of web servers. Therefore, it is advisable to engage with the following topics or to commission someone externally for it:

• web analysis: from Google Analytics and similar tools, user behavior can be determined to optimize the shop accordingly.
• quality seal: so-called online certificates help to continuously test the shop and also provide customers with an additional guarantee of shopping at a trusted shop.
• reviews: by integrating external review platforms, valuable customer reviews can be obtained. This builds trust and allows customers to actively give feedback.
  

Standing still is not an option in e-commerce. Competitors are just one click away! But where is e-commerce heading in the future? The future of e-commerce will be shaped by several trends. Artificial intelligence will likely become the strongest influence and enable a completely new, personalized shopping experience. Shopping via voice assistants will continue to increase. Virtual fitting and product demonstrations will become technically better and more realistic. And a growing, sustainable awareness of environmentally friendly products and processes will further influence the market. Companies recognizing and implementing these trends early can gain a competitive advantage and be successful in the long term.

A successful online shop management therefore requires careful planning, the right employees, and continuous adjustment to new developments. With this – and the right partner by your side – your company is well-equipped to be successful in e-commerce and to grow steadily.