Your store is up and running and the initial push to get started is over. But now comes the maintenance. To keep your store functioning, there are daily, weekly and monthly tasks you need to do. Once you get into the groove of things, you will (hopefully) find it easy to stay on top of things and your store will be running smoothly. So, what should you be doing to ensure your store is doing its best?
Daily eCommerce Tasks
1. Read and reply to customer emails
Whether it’s questions, feedback or product inquiries, customers want to know they’re not just another number in your system. Answering customer emails promptly lets them know that a human being is behind the digital shopping experience.
2. Read industry-related news
The digital world changes constantly. Stay on top of developments that might affect you, like eCommerce platform updates, new tools and software releases.
3. Social posts and interaction
Whether it’s replying to comments and likes, liking other posts or posting your own content, aim to do so daily. If daily posting isn’t realistic, aim to post at least a few times a week to stay relevant and keep your followers engaged.
4. Write down any ideas or problems with site
As you go about your day, you might be inspired to add or change something about your site. Perhaps you stumble upon a broken link or a listing of a product you no longer carry. Write it down before you forget! Whether it’s on a piece of paper, your phone’s notes app or even your wrist.
5. Fulfill, process, package and ship orders
In a best-case scenario, your busy store is getting daily sales. Customers expect quick-shipping times, so the sooner you package and mail their orders, the better. There is no one-size-fits-all solution here – factors including the numbers of orders you receive, your delivery partners, etc.
Weekly eCommerce Tasks
1. Test checkout process
Get into the habit of placing test orders on your website. Make sure to test all payment processors, ensure discount codes work and try to see the whole process from a shopper’s perspective.
2. Review sales
This one is pretty straightforward. At the end of the week, take a look at your total sales and analyze any large increases or decreases.
3. Review marketing initiatives
Whether it’s a social media campaign, an upcoming sale or an email blast, review your plans and confirm everything is set up and ready to go. You don’t want to be scrambling at the last minute to set up email lists, create graphic assets or implement sale prices.
4. Restock/reorder inventory and supplies
Did a particular product sell well this week? Perhaps you’ve seen a new product you’d like to carry in your store. Get into the weekly habit of restocking and reordering inventory.
5. Accounting
Yes, it can be tedious. But making sure your books are up to date is an important part of any responsible business owner’s weekly to-do list. Plus, with the many accounting software available, it can be a pretty simple process.
Monthly eCommerce Tasks
1. Check competitor pricing
It’s always a good idea to know what your competitors are up to. Don’t undersell yourself trying to have the lowest price, but have realistic prices that keep you competitive.
2. Define best/poor sellers
This is an important one. Every month, you should be analyzing which products are selling the most and which are selling the least. Consider doing some advertising for best sellers or even labeling them as a “Best Seller” on your website.
3. Test your site speed
The need for speed is real. Did you know that 40% of consumers will wait no more than three seconds before abandoning a site? Regularly test your site speeds and optimize it to load as quickly as possible. Learn more about site speeds here.
4. Plan upcoming sales (include important shopping dates/holidays)
Ideally, you are planning your sales a month ahead of time so that you can be prepared with banners, new products and how you’ll get the word out there. Keep a calendar of important holidays and shopping days and remember that shoppers often buy products for special occasions weeks before the actual event.
5. Review sales
As well as reviewing your weekly sales, your monthly sales will give you a bigger picture overview of the health of your business.
The Final Word
It may seem overwhelming, but your eCommerce checklists will keep you organized and on track. Remember, it’s ok to ask for help and outsource certain tasks when it comes to running your online store. Reach out to us if you have any questions about improving your site speed, functionality or offering a feature that you think your customers would love.
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