There are new e-commerce businesses opening online all the time. However, over 90 percent of online businesses fail within their first few months. Indeed, it’s not uncommon to read a positive online review about an online store one month and then be unable to find that same business the next month.

So, what can you do to keep your online store from being one of the many that only last for a short amount of time? It starts with laying the right foundation for your small business and using the right resources. In this article, we’ll detail some of the resources you’ll need to launch a successful e-commerce business.

Business Plan

One thing most successful business owners will tell you is that you need a solid business plan before you begin investing in your business. The best way to think of your business plan is as a blueprint for the online store you’re building.

Let’s say you’re launching an online software company that builds apps for B2B companies. Well, you need a plan to help get your software company off the ground. One part of developing a solid business plan is doing market research to ensure there’s a market for your new business. Your research will give you an idea of who your competitors are and who their buyers are, and you can even learn what B2B services they use to keep their operations running smoothly.

Startup Capital

One of the things that attract people to starting e-commerce businesses is the fact that online businesses typically require lower initial investments. However, one of the main reasons a vast majority of online small businesses don’t last a year is that online business owners often don’t invest in their enterprise the way they should.

A great way to get the money you need to launch your small business is to apply for a business loan. There are plenty of lenders and investors looking for the right business to pour their money into—why not yours? The first thing you should do before applying for a business loan is to check your credit score. The higher your credit score is, the more likely lenders will be to give you a business loan. Indeed, eCommerce business loans are one of the best ways you can get started.

CRM Software

Whether you own an online business or a brick-and-mortar store, customer service is critical to your company’s success. CRM software helps companies get to know their buyers better and attract new customers. With the right customer experience software, you can get actionable insights into buyer behavior and use it to create a customer nurture program for your most loyal patrons. With the right B2B software, you can provide exemplary customer service that’s sure to look great in customer reviews.

Reading online product reviews is a fantastic way to ensure you find the best solution for your customer support needs. Lumiwise is a review site that offers B2B software reviews, rating everything from their ease of use to reliability, helping potential users get the right software for their e-commerce business.

Digital Marketing

Starting an e-commerce business is in no way for the faint of heart. Startups and smaller businesses don’t have a lot of capital to invest in talent, software solutions, and marketing the way larger enterprises do. Furthermore, having an online store also means you won’t have the occasional person who wanders into your business off the street out of curiosity. That means you have to go all-in with digital marketing. Your business’ website is your storefront, and you have to pull all the stops to attract potential buyers and facilitate growth.

With the right digital marketing platform, you can create marketing campaigns like the pros and attract potential customers from all over the U.S. The great thing about digital marketing is it’s as effective as many traditional means of marketing and much more affordable.