Zappos is clearly one of the great success stores of the past few years. In fact, you are fully aware that there are countless e-commerce companies normally receiving millions of dollar when they started a company. Zappos didn’t begin with fancy investors when they started a company! They just knew what to do. There are some lessons from Zappos that I believe it will benefit you in the future.
What is Zappos Anyway?
This company started out selling nothing, but shoes. From there, they expanded and entered a new marketing by selling clothing and other items in the same way that Amazon did the first thing was just an online bookstore, then expanded to more options. Now they became the all in one online supermarket. Zappos is obviously far away from what Amazon has accomplished, but they are definitely on the right path to where Amazon is today.
What does this mean? You need to start out with a specific product that defines your company instead of selling countless products to customers. Why? It’s better off to sell a specific product to customers, so customers will know where to buy the next same product. If they want a shoe, then they come to your company. If they want a book, then they come to your company. The main reason is that they noticed your company is specialized in this product, which means your company is more likely to have all good shoes or books.
Interesting fact is that the name Zappos was chosen specifically to allow the company to expand beyond the shoe market. Let’s guess the first domain name they created? Maybe thezap, zapp, zapposen, or whatever it is? No, the first domain name was called shoesite.com, but they came to realization that they have to come up with something more generic that would allow them to expand. They created a word based on the Spanish for shoes (Zapatos).
Whenever you strive to set up a new business, always be sure to think of many names that you could come up with, and figure out which one you believe it will help your company to expand. Name defines what company is all about.
The Zappos Difference
There are many things that have made Zappos so popular. It is known for doing things in a way that puts people before profits. For instance, Zappos always ensure that customers come first and always right. Zappos allows customers to return the product with a full year, which has really attracted customers. Zappos even surprised some customers by delivering them the product within a day or two days! Zappos have been ranked as one of the best places to work in America and customers continued consider them as being one of their favorite companies!
If you own a company now, maybe it is time for you to start out with something difference in your company. You could change the way your company treats customer or the way your employees do. You will definitely see a big change if you do these.
A Philosophy of Treating Customers Like Human Beings
Zappos has proven countless companies that they should treat their customers like king or queen! Zappos will make sure that their customers are fully satisfied. Zappos designed the website content that it is simple and easy to navigate the website so customers can find the product quicker and easier! Zappos normally replies their customers quickly when they ask a specific question that are related to the product they want. A customer tends to change preference in a shoe quickly, which means Zappos has to answer them quickly before a customer changes his/her mind about the product. Zappos will listen to what customer says. When a customer says something that they do not appreciate, then your company has to give what this customer wants, so that way this customer can be satisfied or more appreciated, which means this customer is more likely return to your store. That is what Zappos has been doing.
Treating Employees Right
You cannot expect to have your company to follow what you want. If you want them to follow what you want. Do you want them to respect your belief? Do you want them to feel motivated? Do you want them to feel excited when they come to work at your company? You can do these if you do what Zappos has been doing!
There is a reason people love working at Zappos! There’s nothing to do with cherry attitude or a positive energy. In fact, Zappos recognizes that their employees are people too. Zappos simply open and fun about how things are done and they allow people to explore their passion, even going far as to encourage people to learn more during company time. For instance, Zappos did host some events or contests that their employees can involve in to get to know others more in the company. Zappos wants to make their employees to feel that Zappos is their second home. Zappos also wants to get their employees to feel comfortable working with others in the same department.
From there, employees will ensure that they do the job at their best so they can continue being part of the company because they cannot afford to leave the company they truly love. Now your company should do the same by creating a culture or getting all employees to feel that they are important or get them to get to know others more. That way will increase their motivation to work and respect the company’s belief.
There are many things that you can really learn from Zappos or other companies’ belief that has made them successful. What you need to do is to identify all problems you have in your company and figure out how to improve these problems. When you improve these problems and please be sure to create more ideas that can make things more excited for your company and employees. You have to respect customers and employees, then they will return the same to you. Customers are your power to make your company successful, but how to increase the power from customers? You will need to treat your employees right and find multiple ways to get your employees to love working at your company. That way your employees will be more committed to make sure that your customers love your company.
Subjective Mind 
I agree that online companies need to focus on one or two products before expanding their online product line. Companies that try to do to much in the beginning often fail because they don’t have the know how or brand recognition to succeed.