No Buzzwords, Just Stuff That Works

Let’s skip the corporate mumbo-jumbo for a second.

Running an eCommerce business is wild. It’s not just about having a Shopify store or posting a few Reels on Instagram. It’s about juggling products, customers, shipping delays, returns, ads, margins, and that voice in your head that’s constantly whispering, “Is this even working?”

Here’s the truth: scaling an eComm brand takes more than trendy tools or copying what big brands are doing. It takes real strategy—backed by trial, error, and a lot of “wtf just happened?” moments.

I’ve worked with brands selling everything from handmade soap to industrial tools. And the lessons? They’re always the same.

So if you’re stuck, plateauing, or just tired of spinning your wheels—here are 5 unfiltered strategies that can actually help your eCommerce business progress.

1. Stop Driving Traffic to a Broken Website

Let’s start here because I see it every day.

You spend money on ads, influencers, social media… but when people land on your site, it’s slow, clunky, or straight-up confusing.

Ask yourself:

Does your homepage clearly tell me what you sell and why I should care—in 5 seconds or less?

Is your mobile experience clean and scrollable?

Can I get from product to checkout in under 4 clicks?

If not, pause the ad spend. Fix your site first. Because there’s no point in driving traffic if your site leaks like a broken bucket.

Real Talk Tip:

Install Microsoft Clarity (it’s free). Watch real recordings of how people move through your site. It’s the fastest way to spot what’s working and what’s frustrating them.

2. Don’t Just Post Content—Create Content With a Purpose

It’s 2025. If your social strategy is still “post pretty pictures and hope for likes,” you’re already behind.

Social media is no longer about showing off. It’s about storytelling, community, and trust.

Instead of this:

📸 Product shot, “Available now!”

Try this:

🎥 Behind-the-scenes of how your product is made

📣 A customer talking about how it helped them

🤳 A scrappy iPhone video showing the unboxing moment

People aren’t buying your thing, they’re buying the why behind it. Show them that.

Real Talk Tip:

Pick one customer. Tell their story using your product. Post it as a Reel. Then boost that post for ₹500. Watch what happens.

3. Collect Emails Like It’s Black Friday

Here’s something you need to tattoo on your brain:

Social followers aren’t yours. Email subscribers are.

Instagram could tank your reach tomorrow. But if you’ve got an email list, you can reach your customers anytime, for free, on your own terms.

Don’t just offer “10% off” as a signup bribe. Make it personal.

Try this:

“Get early access to new drops before anyone else.”

“We only email when we have something good. No spam, ever.”

“Join 10,000 others getting free advice, product hacks, and offers.”

Then actually deliver. Send 1–2 emails per week. One should sell. One should add value. That’s it.

Real Talk Tip:

Your emails don’t need to look like Vogue. A plain text email from a real person often converts better than a fancy graphic-filled newsletter.

4. Build for Retention, Not Just Acquisition

So many brands obsess over new customers, but ignore the ones who already bought from them.

That’s a mistake.

Because here’s a stat no one talks about:

Returning customers spend 2–3x more than first-time buyers.

So if you’re not doing anything to keep them in your ecosystem, you’re bleeding money.

Simple retention plays:

After someone buys, send a thank-you email (written like a human, not a robot)

A week later, send a usage tip or care guide

After 30 days, offer a discount for a complementary product

Ask for a review or referral—give them a reward if they follow through

Real Talk Tip:

If you’re not running an email flow after purchase, you’re leaving at least 20% of your revenue on the table.

5. Get Obsessive About Customer Feedback

Let’s be honest—most eComm founders assume they know their customer. Few actually talk to them.

That’s a problem.

Your next product, your next campaign, your next hook—it’s all buried in customer feedback.

Start small:

Send a simple post-purchase survey: “Why did you choose us?”

Call 5 recent customers and just talk. Ask what they loved, what confused them.

Read every review (even the salty ones). What words keep coming up?

Then use that language in your marketing. Literally copy-paste it into your ad copy, website, product descriptions. That’s how you stop guessing and start connecting.

Real Talk Tip:

The best-performing headline I ever wrote for a client was stolen word-for-word from a customer’s review. Because that’s what people actually say.

Final Thought: Progress Doesn’t Look Fancy—It Looks Focused

There’s no magic button. No secret growth hack.

Progress in eCommerce comes from doing the boring, unsexy stuff consistently:

Understanding your customers

Building real relationships

Tightening your site experience

Creating content people actually want to watch

Following up like you care

Every big brand you admire? They didn’t get there by throwing money at trends. They got there by figuring out what works and doing it on repeat.

You can, too.