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Public Relations · Published July 22, 2019

Ronn Torossian
Founder & Chairman, 5W

How to Make Your E-Commerce Business a Success

e-commerce online shopping and digital retail strategy
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The second decade of the twenty-first century will soon come to a close, and the e-commerce economy continues to grow in leaps and bounds. For entrepreneurs, this period has been an exciting time as the worlds of marketing and emerging technology have merged to create an entirely new marketplace- one unprecedented in its opportunity, intrigue, and global connections. Whether you’re already involved in the launch of e-commerce business or are looking to get involved in your first venture, now is the time to get your foot in the door. From 2010 to 2015, total US e-commerce retail sales grew by almost $1 billion to $263.3 billion. A year later, that number had jumped to $304 billion. Last year, consumers spent a whopping $513 billion online. While the e-commerce economy is well-placed for significant growth in the coming years, you can only expect to get a piece of the pie if you play your cards right. Here are some tips to give yourself the best chance of e-commerce success.

Don’t Rush the Launch

One of the biggest mistakes unsuccessful entrepreneurs make is forcing, and rushing, the launch of a website. You only get one shot at your website launch, so don’t mess it up. While it makes sense to purchase your domain early and throw up a “Coming Soon” page, avoid a big reveal until you lay the substantial groundwork, such as working out your SEO, content marketing, social media, and paid advertising strategy.

Put the Focus on the User

The biggest, and most obvious, shortcoming of any e-commerce business is the inability to give your customers the chance to touch, feel, smell and see products firsthand before making their purchasing decision. While there is no solution (as yet) for solving this problem, you can work around this limitation in other areas of your business. Good tips for this including appropriate pricing, giving free shipping, and making the checkout process easy with simplified shopping carts.

Test EVERYTHING

Before, during, and after you launch your e-commerce business, make sure you invest in testing and analytics, Think like your customer, and work hard to figure out what works, what doesn’t, and why.

Work Closely with the Social Media Team

Any e-commerce entrepreneur who tells you they have outsourced social media, or has outsourced it wholly to other team members, has their finger on the wrong pulse. In the modern marketplace, social media is the heartbeat of your business and gives you an uninterrupted view of the lives of your customers. Collect Information Unless you plan on launching a single site and taking a step back, it is critical that you collect customer information to build your databases. This will aid future launches when you have your next Big Idea; just be sure to keep abreast of changing regulation in this area. Ultimately, the e-commerce industry is an exciting realm for savvy entrepreneurs. Keep your eyes focused on market and technology trends, and you’re sure to reap the rewards.
Ronn Torossian

Written by

Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W , the AI Communications Firm. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States, with senior practitioners serving corporate communications , consumer brands , technology , financial services , health and wellness , beauty , gaming , crisis communications , and public affairs . Under his leadership, 5W defined AI Communications, building brand authority across ChatGPT , Claude , Perplexity , Gemini , and Google AI Overviews, alongside earned media, digital, GEO, and influencer channels. Industry Recognition 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s , Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards , Grand Stevie Most Honored PR Agency, a Ragan Top Place to Work in Communications 2026, Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year, and a PRovoke Top 50 Global PR Agency. Torossian has been recognized with the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Research Franchise 5W’s research franchise has become an industry reference for measuring brand visibility inside AI-generated answers, including the AI Visibility Index Series , The GEO Reckoning , The Missing Rung Report, and the 5W AI Power User Study , which identified a 99-point AI favorability gap. Crisis Communications Torossian is one of the world’s foremost crisis communications experts. He has counseled blue chip companies, public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, high-stakes litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. He has taught crisis communications at Harvard University . Media & Commentary Torossian appears on CNN and CNBC . He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer , his writing on AI communications and brand reputation is published on his personal site, and his commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal , Entrepreneur , Adweek , PRWeek , and O’Dwyer’s . Published Work Torossian is the author of For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations , now in its second edition and used in university and graduate communications programs. He continues that commentary on his own publishing platform , where he writes about reputation, crisis, and AI-mediated discovery. Owner and Publisher, Everything-PR Network Torossian is owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network , an independent intelligence platform covering public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across 30 publications. Everything-PR is editorially independent from 5W, with published editorial standards and ethics standards . The network is one of the most-cited sources inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini for PR and marketing queries. He is also an active investor and advisor, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) , and serves on nonprofit boards.

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