Key E-Commerce Tips for Small Business Owners in 2025

Navigating the world of e-commerce can feel overwhelming, but with the right strategies, your small business can thrive online.

By Bill Rollinson of SBTDC Chapel Hill

Based on my past experience and working closely with current clients that have online stores, I’ve put together some key e-commerce tips for small business owners. 

These tips include unique selling propositions, optimizing website user experience (minimizing friction), experimenting with marketing strategies (email & social media), and data analysis. Read on for more details.

Crafting Your Online Presence

Find Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Clearly define what makes your business and products different from competitors. This differentiation helps you stand out in a crowded market and attract your ideal customers. Think about what makes your product unique – is it handmade, locally sourced, exceptionally durable, or does it solve a specific problem in a new way?

Optimize Website User Experience: Ensure your website is easy to navigate, visually appealing, and mobile-friendly. A smooth user experience minimizes friction and encourages conversions. Consider conducting user testing or using heatmaps to identify areas where customers might be struggling. One way to improve usability is to focus on having the right payment methods and terms for your customers and making it simple to check out with a minimum amount of clicks. Make sure you stay up-to-date with your closest competitors and how easy (or difficult) it is to buy from their online store. 

Focus on Mobile Commerce: Your website and marketing efforts must be optimized for mobile devices. A significant portion of online shopping happens on smartphones and tablets, so a seamless mobile experience is crucial. For example, over 60% of the shopping on one of my client’s sites is made up of mobile and tablet traffic each day. 

Marketing & Engagement

Effective Email Marketing: Build and nurture an email list to engage customers, promote products, and drive sales. Suggest specific types of emails like a welcome series for new subscribers, abandoned cart reminders, or exclusive discounts for loyal customers. When asking customers for their email, make sure there is a benefit for them (perhaps a discount, or special offers, etc.) to give them an incentive to sign up. 

Utilize Social Media: Engage with customers on relevant platforms, run targeted ads, and build relationships with influencers. Consider platforms like Instagram for visual products or Facebook for community building, depending on your target audience.

Test and Experiment: Don’t be afraid to try different marketing tactics and A/B test strategies to find what works best. This iterative approach allows you to continuously refine your marketing efforts for optimal results.

Optimizing Operations & Growth

Prioritize Customer Experience: Offer excellent customer service, make returns easy, and reward loyalty to build customer retention. Happy customers are more likely to become repeat buyers and recommend your business.

Data Analysis: Analyze your sales data, customer behavior, and marketing results to identify areas for improvement. Data-driven insights help expand product offerings and improve overall customer experience. Consider tracking metrics like conversion rates, average order value, and customer lifetime value. Recently Shopify has added an AI Assistant that can help you analyze your customer data by asking simple questions. Now, you have your own in-house data expert at your fingertips to help improve and grow your business. 

Expand Product Offerings: As your business matures and you have a good understanding of your customer base, try adding related products or expanding into new categories to reach a wider audience. This can also include offering a free shipping option, if appropriate for your products and services. Additionally, consider adding bundles and subscriptions to increase average order value and customer loyalty, rather than solely focusing on one-time purchases.

Consider Automation: Use automation tools to streamline processes like inventory management, email marketing, and customer support, which can free up your time to focus on strategic growth initiatives. Try using tools like Buffer or HootSuite for automated social media posting and Nosto or Dynamic Yield for personalized product recommendations.

Staying Ahead of the Curve

Explore New Trends: Stay informed about emerging trends like AI-driven experiences that help the shopping process by Perplexity and OpenAI, voice search and payment agents. For example, Visa, PayPal and MasterCard all announced products at the end of May 2025 that will allow consumers to have an agent purchase on their behalf. Personal shopping agents will go out to numerous sites and do the research and purchasing for you, including paying for the items. These new products could streamline the checkout process and offer more convenience for your customers.

To stay on top of e-commerce trends and new offerings, subscribe to relevant blogs and newsletters like the one from Shopify. There are also numerous online resources that can help with specific questions and e-commerce optimization techniques. For more in-depth learning, I recommend this helpful podcast: 10 Shopify Mistakes Killing Your Sales.

By implementing these key strategies, small business owners can build a robust and successful e-commerce presence in 2025 and beyond. 

If you want to optimize your e-commerce business, we can help! Reach out to your local SBTDC office today.