How to get into ecommerce? This tempting business prospect might seem a bit challenging for newcomers – but nothing is impossible for a determined entrepreneur. Fernando’s story of his ecommerce experience is a shining example!
Hi, please introduce yourself!
Hi, my name is Fernando, I am originally from Colombia, South America, but I live in the city of Houston, Texas, USA. I am an audio engineer and a musician: I had multiple jobs in different industries, but music is my passion!
Why did you become interested in how to get into ecommerce?
I know some people that’ve been doing it for years, so I researched it for a little bit. After the pandemic, we all went into this virtual world and I think there is no better time to actually explore it and take advantage of it.
It has always somewhat intrigued me and sounded like something too good to be true. I wanted to know a little bit more and to try to pursue the freedom this business gives, to be able to do music or whatever I wanted to do, especially working from anywhere in the world.
Essentially, I was looking for an opportunity to build a strong business that would allow me to spend my time on music and not worry about expenses. So, I started researching it and I landed here with Sellvia.
What happened next?
I walked into ecommerce brand new, with no experience, and got an AliDropship-based store in February, 2022. It is a home decor and useful gadgets store, and it’s completely unrelated to my hobbies or personal life.
Through this store, I became familiar with the Sellvia which seemed to be the best option among the ones I researched. So far, it’s perfect for my business.
Why did you choose this offering after researching how to get into ecommerce?
It was a combination of things: the ease of working with you guys, the simple and seamless processes Sellvia offers, and on top of that, fantastic customer service. I honestly haven’t had many issues in terms of orders processing or anything, but a couple of times I had to deal with customers claiming something, and it was resolved in a matter of minutes.
How is the business performing?
The numbers have been good. I have had a few months when I stopped working on the store because I was focused on something else, so the earnings were affected by that and shifted a little bit. I had to adjust the marketing aspect here and there, and I still need to adjust it more to optimize the ad spend and make it more profitable.
My first goal is to make $5,000 a month in profit (with product cost and ad spend excluded). The next one is to get to $10,000 which is very important to me because it solidifies the idea of this business actually working out. After that, we’ll see.
Do you remember your first sale?
Yes, it was actually pretty early on, after I started following the guide and doing Facebook ads and all that stuff. I think it was a matter of days. After I actually got control of everything and launched the ads, within 3-4 days, I got the first sale for $69.99.
It was the first one and I didn’t really know how to fulfill it. So, I freaked out for a little bit and started emailing the support like “What do I do now? I’ve got my first order, I’m excited, but how do I fulfill it? I need the package to get there!” In minutes, I got the answer explaining it step by step like “Go here, click here” – three clicks, and that was it!
It was a cordless vacuum cleaner. I’ve been working a lot on this one, so I was pretty excited and I think I’ll never forget that one.
What does your daily store management routine look like?
Honestly, on a daily basis I don’t do a lot because once I set the ads and let them run, they have to do their magic. And when the orders come in, then I’ll just have to dedicate a few minutes of my time to go and finish the orders processing – that’s pretty much it! After that, if customers have questions or any claims or they want to return their purchase (I had 1 or 2 returns maybe), I’ll look into it closely. Other than that, managing the store takes a few minutes every day.
What’s your overall feedback on getting into ecommerce with Sellvia?
Honestly, I think it’s great. It’s easy to work with, like I said, and customer service is right there. Thanks to the on-site online chat option, I get my answers within minutes.
The fact that it’s so easy and everything’s so automated and so fast makes business better. People place their orders, I process them, and I know the order is going to be at the destination within 3 days. I don’t think there is a better service than this one.
For me, the idea of being able to work from anywhere, just from my laptop sounds too good to be true, and it’s inspiring to know it’s possible. I’m saying this from the point of being just a beginner trying to get there and adjusting my numbers.
I see the potential it has. I need to find the right guidance and make changes to really scale it. Even my wife, who was a little bit skeptical about it at first, is like ‘Hmm, maybe we should fix whatever is not working fast so we can scale it’ after seeing the numbers!
That’s the determination that is sure to lead to success! If you’re wondering how to get into ecommerce with zero experience or formal training, we’re sure Fernando’s example will inspire and encourage you!