First, consider this fact from the year just gone, to get you feeling pumped up about the year ahead.

In 2021, more people Googled “How to start a business” than “How to get a job”. This is not just the year of the entrepreneur - this is the start of a new era where being an entrepreneur is people’s first choice for a career.

Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify

The progression of e-commerce from its humble roots is enabling more and more entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams. And, as Jason Goldberg, the Founder of Simple Token, highlighted:

In the beginning, e-commerce was really about getting commodity products online as cheaply as possible. Now, we’re moving into the more exciting phase of eCommerce, where it’s about emotional products – the things people really cherish.

Jason Goldberg, the Founder of Simple Token

Sites such as Etsy and Not On The High Street are prime examples of this, giving independent creators the opportunity to sell their unique and thoughtful wares to customers everywhere. And according to Michelle Peluso, a Member on Nike’s Board of Directors, there are plenty more upcoming leaps in e-commerce.

There are so many opportunities on the horizon, from mobile exclusives to geo-located offers to better filtering and searching. We’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible with personalization

Michelle Peluso, Nike Board of Directors Member

Looking to improve your website’s search? Here’s what to look for in a third-party solution.

So, how should you go about nailing down your e-commerce strategy? While it may sound obvious, the first step is one that’s often overlooked: pay attention to your customers.

Amazing things will happen when you listen to the consumer.

Jonathan Mildenhall, CEO of TwentyFirstCenturyBrand

Wonder what your customer really wants? Ask. Don’t tell.

Lisa Stone, Managing Director of WestRiver Group

With a net worth of over $201.7 billion, Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon, is living proof that this approach pays. Here are some pearls of wisdom from him:

If you're competitor-focused, you have to wait until there is a competitor doing something. Being customer-focused allows you to be more pioneering. We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.

Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon

Once you’ve improved and refined the customer experience, encourage your customers to spread the good word. Platforms such as Yotpo, Okendo and Foursixty will enable your happy shoppers to share reviews, pictures and videos on your website and across their social media channels. Because, after all…

Communications is at the heart of e-commerce and community.

Meg Whitman, Former President and CEO of Hewlett-Packard

When you say it, it's marketing. When your customers say it, it's social proof.

Andy Crestodina, Co-founder and Strategic Director of Orbit Media Studios

You can’t just open a website and expect people to flood in. If you really want to succeed you have to create traffic.

Joel Anderson, CEO, Walmart

Something particularly important to bear in mind for 2022 will be the ongoing blurring of physical and digital worlds. The pandemic meant that retailers had to rethink their strategies to enable customers to shop in more flexible ways, and this trend is one that will continue.

As Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify, articulated so well:

The opportunity in retail lies in creating a seamless experience between online and offline. Every successful retailer needs to look at these channels not as different businesses with different P&Ls, but instead as a seamless experience. That’s what consumers want.

Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify

And with the rise of social media, apps and the metaverse, there are plenty of e-commerce titans saying things in a similar vein:

People don’t call it e-commerce anymore. It’s called Omni-commerce, and it’s the idea that digital permeates every step of the purchase chain, from product discovery, to trial, to pricing, to actual purchase.

Tolman Geffs, Co-President of the Jordan Edmiston Group (JEGI)

In the future, instead of buying bananas in a grocery store, you could go pick them off a tree in a virtual jungle.

Yasuhiro Fukushima, Japanese business executive

By 2022, brick-and-mortar retail spaces will be little more than showrooms.

Eddie Machaalani and Mitchell Harper, Co-CEOs of BigCommerce

The task of creating a seamless experience between physical and digital worlds may be a tricky one, but sometimes, succeeding in business means facing hard truths like these:

In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.

David Ogilvy, Co-founder of Ogilvy.

The reason it seems that price is all your customers care about is that you haven’t given them anything else to care about.

Seth Godin, Founder of Squidoo.com, former VP of Direct Marketing at Yahoo!

Remember - every 'mistake' a user makes is not because they're stupid, but because your website sucks.

Peep Laja, founder of Conversion XL

Check that your user experience is one to brag about, with our hierarchy of UX needs. But ultimately, it’s you who’ll make or break the success of your business, as these tycoons knew so well:

Whatever you do, be different—that was the advice my mother gave me, and I can’t think of better advice for an entrepreneur. If you’re different, you will stand out.

Anita Roddick, Founder of The Body Shop

In every success story, you will find someone who has made a courageous decision.

Peter F. Drucker, Management Consultant and business visionary.

Always deliver more than expected.

Larry Page, Co-founder of Google.

Chase the vision, not the money; the money will end up following you.

Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos

But what should you do when things aren’t going according to plan? First of all, stay calm and bear these wise words in mind:

Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.

Donald Porter, Joint Managing Director at MSB Consultancy

Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.

Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft.

Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.

Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group

Having a strong community around you is also invaluable in success. Here are some top tips on establishing a good team:

Research indicates that workers have three prime needs: Interesting work, recognition for doing a good job, and being let in on things that are going on in the company.

Zig Ziglar, Motivational Speaker

Make your team feel respected, empowered, and genuinely excited about the company’s mission.

Tim Westergren, Co-founder of Pandora Media and the Music Genome Project

Making a profitable e-commerce store is hard work. I love the fact that Shopify clients help each other in our forums. I love the fact that everyone feels like we are in this together and that we all will succeed together.

Scott Lake, Co-founder of Shopify

Perhaps, above all else, the key to success is persistence. It paid off for these bigwigs:

You must be very patient, very persistent. The world isn’t going to shower gold coins on you just because you have a good idea. You’re going to have to work like crazy to bring that idea to the attention of people. They’re not going to buy it unless they know about it.

Herb Kelleher, Founder of Southwest Airlines

Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.

Biz Stone, Co-founder of Twitter.

I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.

Steve Jobs, Co-founder and CEO of Apple.

To sum up, there isn’t a single secret to success in the world of e-commerce but rather, a combination of perseverance, trial and error and maintaining that special something that makes your business stand out. And let’s not forget how important it is to build a good team around you, refine the customer experience, build trust and drive traffic with UGC and learn from your mistakes. And if there’s one key takeaway from this blog post? Follow Harley Finkelstein’s advice to create a seamless online/offline experience.

Want some help refining your e-commerce strategy for 2022, to make it your best year yet? Get in touch.