6 E-commerce Myths That We Wish Were True

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All of us who own our own businesses know that it can be difficult at times. You worry about staying in the market, achieving sustained growth, or, most importantly, being profitable.

Apparently, there's a widespread perception that an online business is something different, and with this, a series of myths are established, so blindly believed that they persist over time.

If you want to create or redirect your online store to improve its results, or if your goal is to lead a company's e-commerce department, at IM Digital Business School , we recommend that you take a look at our Professional Master's Degree in E-Commerce Management .

Today, I'm going to guatemala mobile database debunk some of the myths new entrepreneurs face every day, challenging the reality of what their business strategies should be.

After fifteen years in the digital sector, I've been able to be on both sides of the fence, managing digital departments at global brands like Gucci and Nivea , and also running my own business as an entrepreneur from scratch. I have to say here that the corporate mindset led me to make some mistakes early on in my entrepreneurial journey, which I now try to ensure my clients and students don't make.

These are the digital myths we're debunking today:
1. E-commerce is not about having passive income
If you don't want to work 24/7, I advise you to continue working for a large company/brand. Having your own business means never stopping. Since I began my journey as an entrepreneur, I've worked harder than when I managed a team of people.

E-commerce businesses aren't for people with a weak work ethic, a lack of consistency, and a free-for-all attitude. If you sell purely digital products, your schedule may be a bit more open, but if you're going into the retail world, where you'll be selling physical products, forget about ending your workday at 6 p.m.

There's nothing passive about a digital business (especially in the first two years). Quite the opposite. Ecommerce is very, very active.

2. Create your online store and the sales will come (you have the whole world as your market, right?)
Fake.

Anyone with an idea can create an online store these days. WooCommerce , Shopify, Prestashop, and Wix are just a few of the CMS platforms anyone can get started with in a matter of hours.

This is, of course, a nonexistent barrier to entry that can lead to the danger of unprepared people launching digital businesses that are doomed to fail because they lack the right strategy in place and the necessary training to make them successful.

This is precisely what's happening right now. With an increasingly saturated market, people won't discover your store unless you clearly mark the path. Therefore, you must understand how conversions (sales) work, create paths between the user and your business (conversion funnels), communicate these paths to people so they can follow them through marketing actions, and be well-versed in the people you can/will attract.

3. I can sell anything online
The statement is correct! Selling—you can sell almost anything online. It's another matter to be able to create a profitable business out of it.

The variables required to achieve a profitable digital business are many and varied. Depending on whether your business sells physical products or services, calculating your costs will be more or less complicated.

But, of course, you have to understand your numbers and calculate your margins correctly if you want to survive in the digital environment (actually, it would be in any environment). And I'm not referring to a rough estimate; these calculations are dangerous. I mean, knowing every cent of the calculation. What percentage of profit do you have on each product? Don't know? Don't launch yet!

If you don't know your CAC (the cost to acquire a customer), it's impossible to properly implement your business model. Keep in mind that if your CAC and cost of sales are too high, your business's profitability will be constantly compromised.