There are plenty of ways to tell someone has been bitten by the travel bug:
- They’re always receiving flight notifications even when they don’t have a trip planned
- Their first question after coming home is: “OK, where are we going next?”
- They always have a suitcase packed in their closet, just in case
- Instead of reading a book at night, they flip through their passport and look at the stamps
- Their internet bookmarks are TripAdvisor, Kayak, Skyscanner, and more
- They have a lot of maps in their house or room
Eventually, some of those people decide that taking a vacation isn’t good enough, but instead, they want to be living in vacation mode.
The world is one big oyster, and there are so many places to see.
These dreams often need one thing to make them come true. They need money, cold-hard cash, dollar bills, lotsa dough, moola. You get the idea.
Lots of people have found success in turning their careers upside down. Instead of showing up to an office every day, they’re jet setting around the world with their laptop. One month could be in southern Australia while the following month could be in Vietnam.
Becoming a digital nomad is much easier said than done. For some jobs, you need a certain set of skills or client base to become successful.
That’s why today, we’re going to focus on one of the world’s faster-growing job markets: e-commerce. Set to become a $5 trillion (yes, trillion with a t) industry by the year 2021, e-commerce is an ideal job choice for many who have taken up the role of a digital nomad.
Below, we’re going to run through a few reasons why it’s the perfect match.
It’s Available Everywhere
There are plenty of jobs out there that claim to be 100% remote. Then, you start reading the job description and it turns out they prefer you to be in X city or at least a certain time zone. Plus, they may request that you come into the office at certain times throughout the year.
With an e-commerce store, you’re the boss. You’re the one who sets up where you work, when you work, how long your work, and so on. As long as you have a solid internet connection, you’ll be good to go wherever you find yourself that day.
You Don’t Need to be a Tech Genius
Is it going to help if you’re a bit more tech-savvy than the average joe? Definitely, but running an e-commerce business doesn’t mean you’re going to have to be coding your own website and doing everything from graphic design to security.
The biggest tech moves you’ll have to do are decisions. You’ll want to choose a unique domain name, choose backup services, antivirus software, and a few other things.
You might need some support on the way to take care of the extra technical things, but if you’re a fast learner then you should be able to handle those in no time at all.
Having a great laptop is a must though, as you’ll be processing plenty of orders and needing one that is reliable and runs fast. Opt for one with great RAM (at least 16 GB) and an SSD, which will help boost load times and make your computer run faster and smoother.
You’ve Already Got Experience
Even though you may not feel like an e-commerce genius, you’ve got plenty of experience from the consumer side. Think about it.
For the last few years, you’ve been looking up flights, comparing hotel prices, reading reviews, checking out tours, browsing museum websites, and so much more. You know how important all of that is to the traveler.
All of that is just as important to the average consumer. Consumers want to be able to read about products or services in a voice that’s clear and easy to follow. They want the buying process to be simple and safe. They are going to be scanning through reviews, either with stars or written, and love a good testimonial.
Just think about all the factors you take into account whenever you’ve made a reservation. Make a list of those factors in order of importance and be sure to stress the same level of importance when making your website.
It Has Low Overhead
One of the things any business needs to start is cash. Starting a business isn’t free, and you’re also going to be investing a lot of time and money into getting your e-commerce site up and running. Plus, you want to save all of your hard-earned cash on your next weekend getaway.
But thankfully, e-commerce businesses have low overhead compared to similar stores. One of the more popular e-commerce stores to run are dropship stores. As a dropshipper, you’re going to be acting as a middleman in between the consumer and the manufacturer, factory, etc.
The easiest way to explain it is that order will come to you and you’ll pass that order along to the manufacturer. Some dropshippers act a little differently, in having the product sent to them before sending it to the client. If you’re going to be living internationally, then it’s probably not a good idea to go this route.
Travelers Make Great Marketers
In your adventures around the globe, you’ve taken plenty of pictures, given out plenty of recommendations, talked to plenty of people, and may even start a travel newsletter or blog. You post photos and descriptions on social media, bringing lots of eyeballs to your adventures.
You might be surprised to know that you’ve already got one foot in the door when it comes to digital marketing! Social media and content play a huge role in getting your business out there. While you may not be a professional social media manager, you’ve already got a great grasp when it comes to social media in general.
You’ve seen plenty of other posts that grab your attention or are successful. While you don’t have to copy these people, it definitely helps to take notes from those that already have a system.
Even though you may think you have zero experience in the area, you might have more than you think!
Would You Consider An E-Commerce Business?
The post E-commerce and the Digital Nomad: 5 Reasons Why it’s the Perfect Match appeared first on Always Wanderlust.