There are many things to think about when setting e-commerce goals, especially if you want to set goals that you have a good chance of achieving, but goals that will also push your business in the right direction. Here are some questions to consider when setting your next set of business goals. 

• What are your main goals for this year? – When setting e-commerce goals, choose between one and three main focuses, and dedicate yourself to achieving them. If you set too many goals, you risk stretching yourself too thin, which reduces the chances of achieving everything you want. Start with a handful of key goals, and then decide on more as you tick some of them off. Business objectives are often created using the SMART acronym. SMART objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. They are a helpful way to set marketing goals that are more likely to be achieved. For example, a SMART marketing objective could be to increase website traffic by 10% in the next quarter. This goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

• What new product ranges will you be adding or creating? – It’s much easier to achieve e-commerce goals with a clear project idea. If you will be adding or creating new product ranges, factor these into your goal setting. You could set a goal of adding a certain number of new products, or perhaps you want to make a certain number of sales of a new product range.

• What are your secondary goals to these? – As well as having one to three main goals, come up with a few secondary goals. These are smaller, less important goals, but those that would be nice to achieve along the way. Setting secondary goals can help you to stay on course, focused and with your eyes on the prize.

• What video or photo shoots need to happen? – If achieving your e-commerce goals requires new videos or photographs, you must organise the shoots. This needs to be done ahead of time, so you need to plan accordingly. Leaving this until the last minute could delay your goals.

• What apps or app edits will be worked on? – Many e-commerce businesses have a mobile app, and many goals – such as selling new products, offering bundles or deals – will require you to make some app edits. Consider whether these are things you can do yourself or if you will need to enlist the help of a professional e-commerce team. 

There could be other questions that you must ask yourself, but the key is to plan ahead. To achieve an e-commerce goal by a specific time, you must have everything else in place. Otherwise, you could find that your efforts are held back.