Do you dream of owning your own successful business one day? With a little careful planning and the right motivation, you can make that dream a reality!
So, where do you start? How can you begin mapping out your plan?
Case studies. Reading famous successful case studies can provide motivation and teach you how to take your future into your hands. In this article, we bring 4 inspiring case studies to the spotlight so that you can see how others have weathered tough times and still managed to scale themselves into success stories. Case studies like these show real-life problems and explore the solutions that helped businesses get back up after being knocked down.
What is a case study?
A case study is an analysis of a few main issues a person or business has pushed through to get where they are now. Case studies can also be done for specific clients or projects. They highlight the issue and provide the solution to fix that issue.
Businesses often use case studies to promote themselves and what they have done as well as to find places for improvement.
Why should businesses review case studies?
Whether you are reviewing your own case studies or those of industry leaders, case studies are the perfect way for businesses of all kinds to see real-life challenges and the solutions used to fix those issues.
They can be used to teach entrepreneurs life-lessons without them needing to waste time or resources learning those same lessons the hard way. They are also a great way to learn how to think outside of the box.
Here’s why case studies are so effective:
● Case studies can promote your brand – use your business’s case study to create an impact on your target audience. Solid data and numbers are the best indicators of success and help build trust.
● They show how problems can be solved – case studies are real-life examples of how challenges can be solved.
● Case studies are industry-specific – your competition’s case studies are a great place to see what issues similar businesses have faced and how they have dealt with them.
● They lead to more content – if you published your case study on your website, insert links to other related pages on your website, or create more related content.
4 impressive e-commerce marketing case studies to get inspired
1. SumoJerky
Starting a business is a huge feat and there are many reasons why people hesitate when it comes to taking the plunge. Sometimes, it’s because of the fear of failing, sometimes it’s not knowing where to start. If you are thinking about starting a business, SumoJerky’s case study is a must-read!
Noah Kagan launched SumoJerky, a beef jerky subscription service, in 2014 as a 24-hour business challenge. The company made its first $1,000 in just 24 hours. Noah Kagan wanted to show his social media followers that he could make $1,000 in a day. And he did.
If he can, what’s stopping you? Often, the hardest part of entrepreneurship is taking the first step.
If you can move past that, know that things are not always going to be smooth (it rarely is in entrepreneurship), but you will have the drive to go even further.
2. Bees Knees Spicy Honey
A little clever thinking, innovation, and a small start were all that it took MixedMade to get their delicious spicy honey featured in large publications.
By using a well-formulated PR strategy and targeting the right audience with their product they found the key to success in their industry.
MixedMade is a food company that mixes bizarre ingredients, such as chili and honey, to create a flavor explosion in your mouth. The product was delicious, but it needed to get sales and media attention to scale.
MixedMade’s owners reached out to their friends and posted about the honey on Facebook. The goal here was to get feedback and make some initial sales.
The masterminds behind the brand managed to leverage their network and got the first $1000 of sales.
However, just selling to friends and family was not enough. They needed to scale the operation. The owners knew that getting media attention was a great way to do this.
MixedMade made a list of smaller press targets and pursued them carefully. Media outlets responded and the strategy created a snowball effect, as larger publications started to pick up the story too. This gave MixedMade’s Bees Knees Spicy Honey all the press attention they needed.
If you can leverage your contacts and network to get the ball rolling, that can be enough to create the momentum you want. Have a PR strategy in place from the beginning and target relevant publishing houses. Be persistent and strategic.
3. Mellow: Killing it in Pre-order Sales
Mellow is a smart kitchen appliance company. They make smart kitchen appliances that sync with your smartphone and bring a touch of convenience to your cooking.
The founders of the company found a gap in the market and created a high-tech solution that people would want to buy. The co-founder gathered a team of skilled people and got to work. The website’s design also caught the attention of news reporters.
They thought of customer acquisition as a long-term “mousetrap.” If you make a product that solves real-world problems and has quality, customers will flock in. A good product will reap referrals that lead to more sales.
Since Mellow’s founder knew a good PR strategy can help get mass attention, they reached out to hundreds of reporters directly. As publications picked up the story, more and more people became familiar with the product.
People started pre-ordering and Mellow made $200,000 in less than a month.
They were backed by an amazing team, had the right product for the right market, and pursued press coverage to get it off the ground.
4. Envelopes.com
All e-commerce sites have one common problem - cart abandonment.
Envelopes.com is an online seller of, well, envelopes. The site has many different product types and categories. They have different types of customers as well, each with distinct abandonment behavior. This data was gathered through their site analytics.
Envelopes.com realized that traditional cart abandonment solutions would not work for them. So, they sent separate emails for each abandonment type: product category, shopping cart, and checkout.
The product category e-mails were reminder e-mails for customers who spend time on their website looking at products but did not convert. The company sent an email with the variations of products in the category, clear and concise copy, and a call to action.
Cart and checkout e-mails were similar as well. Customers received a funny e-mail which reminded them about products left in the cart. The e-mail had a big company logo, clever copy, and a list of the items that were in the cart as well as a call-to-action.
Checkout abandonment mails were a bit formal but followed the same idea. They were sent to customers who did not convert at the very last stage of the shopping journey – the checkout.
Envelope saw a double-digit increase in conversion rates for all three types of abandonment e-mails. This goes to show that you can use site data and other analytical tools to find opportunities. Also, what may work for everyone, might end up not working for you. Sometimes, you will need to tweak a strategy to fit your needs.
Conclusion
These case studies show us that with the right attitude and clever business management ideas, everyone can create a success story.
You will need creativity, some ingenious marketing strategies, and patience to ensure the success of your business. Are you in the dropshipping business? Here are a few dropshipping success stories worth reading too.
So, are you going to be the next success case study we include here? The best time to start is now! What will your success story be?
