eCommerce - It’s an Ultra, Not a Cake Walk

Something you may not know about me is that I am a runner, and when things are good and my body and mind are in sync I love to run really long distances. You may know that a marathon is a standard distance of 42.195 kms. What you may not know is that a select few (or possibly seriously crazy individuals) love to regularly run further than this distance. Anything longer than a standard marathon distance is known as an Ultra Marathon (or Ultra). When I am not running at events I help run the events as part of the event crew that are in charge of the run.

This past weekend was the return of one of my all time favorite ultra running events the Great Ocean Trail Ultra (previously known as GOW). This event starts from my absolute favorite place in the world Apollo Bay and goes all the way through to the 12 Apostles just shy of Port Campbell. This is a run of about 100 kms, we send the runner off from the start line at 5 am and they have until 1 am the next morning (or that night depending on your perspective) to complete the event. Yes, this really is a thing, yes, there are people that LOVE it and yes, I absolutely love being able to support these awe-inspiring humans. Now stick with me – I am not explaining all this to get you into running but hey if it helps then I am all for it. I am taking you through this because I want you to understand the process.

The runners set off from the start line together but each of them is running their very own race. A bit like every single eCommerce store owner. You are running your own store deciding which foot you step off with, which trail path you choose, do you go around the puddle or straight through it? You are making the individual decisions about your business, day in day out and the long-term strategy decisions, are you going to take that sip of water now? Or are you going to have some energy food instead? Every single runner has a different approach, there are lots of similarities but just as many differences as well. Plus, each runners individual experiences will shape their approach to the race. The exact same thing can be said for eCommerce store owners.

Each one has their own approach, their own way of doing things that makes them unique. Every single one has had different experiences that will shape decision making and the overall approach. The way you may handle a sale could be very different to me. That’s ok! That doesn’t make either approach wrong, just the right approach for you given the situation and information you have at hand right now. A bit like all the runners out on course. If they are cold, they put on their jacket (think of that like sending out an email if your stores sales are slow), whilst others might just pick up the pace instead (posting more organic content to social media).

Whilst Ultra Running on the surface is a solo sport (a bit like running your own online store), it really is a team sport.

You have your family and friends that support you, cheer you on and help you stay on track to achieving your goals no matter how far they are. The same thing applies in eCommerce stores. Your family and friends normally support you and help you achieve your business goals.

Before you even start your training though you need a plan of attack, a way to train, what types of sessions to do and when. You set a goal and then you get help to achieve it. You get a structured training plan from a coach or trusted advisor. Or you do lots of research and make educated decisions on what you need to do to achieve your goal. This should be exactly the same for your online store. You set your goal of what you want to achieve in your business, you either get help from the start to achieve it with a plan or you do lots of research and upskill on the things you need to do and learn.

One great way to do this is to get a coach or mentor or upskill yourself doing amazing training in the areas you are not knowledgeable in, or that you don’t quite understand. This is not a sign of weakness, asking for help is a sign of strength because you know what you need but you also know that you are not the best person to achieve this one action. That doesn’t mean that you can’t still steer the ship!

When you run an ultra you are also learning to watch things like your pace – so you don’t get cut form the course, or to ensure you have the ability to reach the finish line. You also learn what distance you are from the start and how far you are from the finish line so you can time your breaks, food intake and liquid intake. You also realise that it isn’t just about one single metric – you may be able to run fast on the downhill but when the gradient is super steep you are likely to run slower. This is exactly the same in eCommerce you watch all your websites stats like Average Order Value, Conversion Rate, Session, Bounce Rate, Time on Site, Referrers etc. BUT you also realise that none of the metrics give you the entire story, nor can they be looked at in isolation they only ever tell part of the story and give you a guide as to what the story is, remember you always need that little bit of context to get the full picture just like you need to know how steep the hill is so you can get an idea of if the person was running really slow or really fast.

Sometimes though even with all the best training, perfectly executed nutrition strategies and amazing support things don’t always go to plan on race day. The weather could be nasty, you may stub your toe, or you may even chafe in areas that you can’t mention. That doesn’t mean that your race is over. It simply means that you have to adapt your plan to the current situation. Sometimes things will get impossibly hard. So hard that you want to sit on the side of the trail curl up in the fetal position and cry. Sometimes you do just that. I have done this both on trail and in business – why? Because its really hard sometimes and it can be super lonely sometimes. Know that it is not only perfectly acceptable to do this on trail, it is also perfectly acceptable to do this in business too! What really important here though? To adapt. Adapt your plan to the current situation. This may mean that you have to take a side step, instead of spending thousands on advertising on both Facebook and Google you switch it up to only  spending on the platform that is giving you the highest return. Or instead of doing 10 promo events the next month you do the ones that are going to give you the most reliable result. Using your metrics and information at hand and adapting your plan and strategy in your eCommerce store is THE way to not only survive but also thrive. Heads up though, difficult decisions will need to be made and it will not be easy. But lean on your supporters and your coach if you need to – they are honestly there to help you!

Aid stations on trail rock! They are the source of all the extra goodness on course like chips, lollies, Coke, baked potatoes, fruit, fresh water and so much more. They really are there to fill you up, and keep you moving they are also very generous support givers. Aid stations are like people like me. Magical Unicorns that really are there in your corner to support you, and help you achieve your goals in whatever form you need. Sometimes that a little bit of tough talk, sometimes its encouragement and sometimes its help you gain the skills you need to achieve your goal. No matter what people just like me are here to support you, top you up and be your “Aid Station” to smashing your goals.

The final point I have to make on why running your own eCommerce store is just like running an ultra is to keep in mind that it doesn’t happen overnight. It happens one little step at a time – literally and building on each past step by trying, learning and always adapting. Making the very best decision you can with the information you have at the time and seeking outside help and skills when you need it.

No matter what if you are part of our Unicorn Herd you will ALWAYS have us in your corner cheering, supporting and helping you achieving your goals, even when it gets so hard you want to sit on the side of the trail and cry. Because honestly sometimes that’s the very best ting you can do!

Sarah

Chief Unicorn Motivator