The Art of E-Commerce: Your Guide to Selling Your Makeup Online
The cosmetic and beauty market’s set to hit $438.38 billion in the next 6 years. Coupled with the $9.09 trillion e-commerce market value, it’s never been a better time to sell makeup online.
These numbers reflect a booming digital world in which businesses are thriving. The entrepreneurial spirit’s at its peak and there are many resources to build your own online store.
As society changes, so does the beauty market. If your passion for makeup has brought you to the masses, it’s time to be part of the evolution.
Your dream to start a beauty brand awaits you. Here’s what to know.
Sell Makeup Online
While beauty and business may pose as opposites, they go hand-in-hand. That said, having a passion for makeup’s not enough. If you’re seeking success in the e-commerce world, there’s a lot to learn.
1. Establish Your Demographic
First thing’s first. You won’t get too far if you don’t know your audience. Ask yourself the following:
- Why do I want to sell makeup online?
- Have others encouraged me to open my store?
- Who’s expressed interest in my offerings?
- Who would enjoy this service?
Getting clear on your motives clarifies the rest of your creative pursuits. It helps with marketing, tone, branding, and staying authentic.
Since makeup serves different functions, it has various contexts. Different makeup angles include:
- Costume
- Anti-aging
- Professional
- Everyday
- Natural
- Organic
Makeup’s far more than just colors and brands. How it’s made, when to use it, and who it serves are top focuses.
2. Type of Product
Once you know your demographic, you can identify what you’re offering. Before you sell makeup online, there are a few things to consider.
What type of makeup is it? Do you want your own operation, or to scale the business?
Personal Products
If you’re selling personal products, you’ll have to abide by the Federal Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) guidelines. The good news is once you do, you’ll gain rapport with your audience.
Personal products involve branding, manufacturing, and selling all on your own. One person operations are manageable for smaller businesses.
White Label Products
If you’re struggling to scale, you might transition to white label products. White-labeling means using a third-party manufacturer while using your branding and logos.
It’s simpler to manage your own products, but it’s more efficient to white-label if you have a high demand.
Once you get into packaging, you’ll want to know about the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA) to meet appropriate standards.
3. E-Commerce Methods
If you want to sell makeup, you’ll need an online store. The e-commerce world gives you options. You can:
- Hire a web developer to build your store
- Use online marketplaces like Amazon
- Sell through social media
Successful businesses require big-picture planning. Consider which platforms you’ll use for customer engagement. That way, whatever you choose as your selling method can complement your outreach strategies.
If you want to start an online store, consider it a game. There are options and it’s up to you to choose your route.
Learning the language is important, but finding what’s best for you is the way to make it work.
4. Online Presence
Consider prioritizing your online platforms. If you already have a website, that means you likely have a following.
Incorporating an e-commerce platform is easier with a following. While you’re building, you can tell your audience what’s coming.
If you don’t have a strong online presence, your store will be your big break. Consider how a website or social media platform can drive traffic to your shop.
5. Digital Marketing Strategies
Once you establish your online presence, you’ll want to implement digital marketing practices. One of the smartest ones to adopt is SEO—or search engine optimization.
The goal’s to become a trustworthy vendor and build reviews. Using keywords, strategic phrasing, and links can drive traffic to your site and boost your sales.
6. Follow Through
The easiest mistake to make with online stores is focusing on the building more than the follow-through. The good news is the solution rests in shifting your focus.
Amongst the many moving parts of building a business, it’s easy to focus on selling. While that’s exciting and important, things like order fulfillment need proper attention.
To some, making sales and order fulfillment sound like the same thing. The reality is there are many steps between a consumer’s sale and them receiving the product. The backend tasks are as important as the frontend—if not more.
Order fulfillment services have the following benefits:
- Meet demand
- Get the product to the consumer fast
Order fulfillment services ensure customers are literally fulfilled with their order. Customer service remains the greatest tell of a successful business. That means tending to the consumer the whole way through.
Remember, consumers don’t know you, they only know your product. As a result, your product is their experience of you. Thus, manufacturing, labeling, buying, and shipping must be seamless.
Start a Beauty Brand
Once you fuse your business and beauty inspiration, you’re ready to start a beauty brand. Brands are impressionable, bold, and representative of you and your products. Building your brand means knowing the following:
- What makes you and your products different?
- What makes you memorable?
- Why should people come back?
- What’s worthwhile about this brand?
While there’s ample opportunity for beauty brands in e-commerce, the market’s laden with competition. That means one thing. Do your research!
Then, knowing what makes you stand out won’t be a pipedream—it’ll be factual. Find gaps in the industry and fill them with your passion and expertise.
Get Big in the Beauty Biz
Let the booming beauty business numbers encourage you to become part of it. Entrepreneurs fuel the economy with their small businesses. That means there’s ample proof that you can do the same.
If you want to sell makeup online, it’s not a question of whether you should, but how you will! Learn for yourself how both your beauty and business inspirations make a fierce combo.
For more on maximizing your business development plans, check out our latest blog posts.