Oz Online Retail To Reach $37 billion - Is Your Business Online?

A recent report commissioned by PayPal forecasts that online retail sales in Australia will reach $37 billion by 2013, growing at an annual rate of 12.5%. This rapid expansion presents a major opportunity for traditional retailers to move beyond their local markets and tap into national and even global demand.

Why Most Online Business Launches Fail

Many business owners mistakenly assume that having a slick, beautifully designed website will guarantee sales. Unfortunately, we’ve seen countless retailers pour their entire budget into building an ecommerce site only to find it gets little to no traffic. Months—even years—can be lost trying to perfect a website, only to miss the market entirely.

Our Proven Low-Risk Online Launch Strategy

At Dolman Bateman, we’ve developed a strategy that reduces risk, conserves cash flow and delivers a higher return on investment. Here’s how we help our clients build a successful online presence, one step at a time:

Step 1: Research Your Market

Identify the exact keywords your potential customers are using to search for products in your niche. This will shape your content and ensure your site appears in relevant search results.

Step 2: Launch a Simple Website

Use a cost-effective platform like WordPress to build your initial site. Keep it clean and simple—no need for a shopping cart or payment system just yet.

Step 3: Build Foundational Content

Create 10 core pages targeting the most important keywords in your industry. This builds SEO credibility and helps Google understand what your site is about.

Step 4: Start Blogging Consistently

Blogging weekly (or ideally daily) helps you target long-tail keywords—those highly specific 3+ word search terms that often convert best. Your blog content also builds trust and authority in your niche.

Step 5: Drive Traffic and Build Links

Promote your blog and content through social media, email marketing and link-building. The goal here is to generate consistent, organic traffic from Google.

Step 6: Analyse and Identify Your Niche

Use Google Analytics to monitor visitor behaviour. See which pages are getting traffic and which search terms are performing best. This helps you discover a profitable niche in your broader market.

Step 7: Add Ecommerce Functionality

Once you’ve identified your niche and are getting consistent traffic, it's time to layer in ecommerce capabilities. Start with products you already know your audience is interested in. Plugins like WP eCommerce, or platforms like BigCommerce or Magento, allow for scalable solutions depending on your budget and technical skills.

Step 8: Build Out the Back-End

Once your first sales come through, build efficient systems for payments, delivery, customer service and admin. This ensures your growth is sustainable and scalable.

One Step at a Time

There’s much more to online marketing, but the secret to success is starting small and building strong foundations. By focusing on one achievable goal at a time, you avoid the overwhelm that often stalls online projects before they begin.

Ready to Take Your Business Online?

At Dolman Bateman, we combine business, tax and internet marketing expertise to help you launch and grow your online business in a sustainable way. Contact our team today on 02 9411 5422 or visit our Contact Page to schedule a consultation.

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Disclaimer:

The information provided in this article is general in nature and does not constitute personal financial, legal or tax advice. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this content at the time of publication, tax laws and regulations may change, and individual circumstances vary. Dolman Bateman accepts no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage incurred as a result of acting on or relying upon any of the information contained herein. You should seek professional advice tailored to your specific situation before making any financial or tax decision.