Today, the rising popularity of the internet and the digital revolution has made it easier to buy and sell products online.
More and more people are using their mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and other devices to purchase products on the internet. In fact, the number of online buyers is expected to increase at 2.14 billion in 2021.
So, if you have a business and want to grow your brand, having an eCommerce site is essential. Here are ten reasons why you should get right into the action and start selling in an eCommerce platform:
People are Going Online
More and more individuals are shopping online, leaving the traditional way of shopping in a brick and mortar store.
For you to sell your products and get significant returns, you cannot just sit it out and wait for customers to come to you.
You need to learn and adapt to what your competitors are already doing. That way, prospects could buy your products or avail of your services, where they want, whenever they want.
Read More: 5 Things That Will Immediately Enhance Your Visitors Experience
Wider Customer Reach
An e-commerce website allows you to sell and offer your products and services to interested prospects from all around the world.
It breaks that barrier of a business’ geographical location, giving you a wider set of audience, with the possibility of boosting your sales. You can sell despite the distance and the timezone.
Since it is up 24 hours a day, seven days a week, customers will be able to enjoy round the clock convenience of having to buy what they want, whenever they want to buy it.
Establishes Your Brand
When selling products in the marketplace, they are usually listed generically, with very little room for branding or customization. Apart from that, the forefront is the marketplace’s brand, and not yours ‒ making it almost impossible to build brand recognition and awareness.
Most customers also assume that your product belongs to the marketplace without being aware that you exist. Meaning, when they buy your product, they will remember the marketplace and not you.
Your main goal here is for people to associate your brand with your products. When you run your own eCommerce site, you have full control of what you want your site to look, what it says, and how it works. The best thing about it is that you will gain credits from your products instead of a third-party marketplace.
Your eCommerce site will help you showcase your products and services in detail. You can also create short video tutorials and downloadable PDF instructions for other consumers that are more hesitant to make a purchase.
Learn More About Your Audience
Having your own eCommerce site will help you understand your customers better. This usually includes demographics like your location, as well as how they came across your site and knew about you.
Maybe you have a product page that did not have enough customer reviews or people are abandoning their carts because of high shipping costs. You can easily analyze their behavior, as well as the path they took to buy from you.
Not only can you use it to gain information from your current customers, but you can also use it to learn more about the ones that did not end up making a purchase and where they fell off.
It Provides Social Proof
According to a survey conducted by Dimensional Research and sponsored by Zendesk, 90% of customers are claiming that online reviews are influencing their buying decisions.
Your prospects are probably looking for you online, so including customer testimonials on your eCommerce site is an excellent way to impress these prospective buyers.
More Convenient
These days, a lot of people appreciate online shopping. It is easier for everyone, including busy parents that have pushcarts or those who use wheelchairs to shop and make decisions without the hassle of being in an environment that is not entirely accessible to them.
Customers who want to check out your whole product gallery can do so in the comfort of their own homes. You can suggest products that are related to what they are looking for.
An eCommerce site will help people save time, making price comparisons easy. Not to mention that it removes the headache of fighting their way through crowded stores. It also incorporates quick payments, check-outs, order tracking, and shipping.
Read More: Best Ways To Increase Inbound Leads
Gain New Customers Through Search Engines
The majority of customers will first do an online search before ultimately making a purchase.
They will go to search engines and type one or two keywords related to the item they are searching for. If you do not have a website yet for your business, then the chances of you showing up on search engines are next to zero.
Meanwhile, if you have an eCommerce site, you can easily optimize it for search engines and improve your chances to show up on the top results of Google and gain more visibility.
Titles, long-tail keywords, and meta descriptions are just a few things that you can customize to improve your search engine rankings.
Ability to be Open 24/7
Having an eCommerce website lets customers buy anything, anytime. Unless you are fully staffed, your physical store could not offer this type of coverage.
With an online store, people can easily browse through your products, check if a particular item is in stock, and do other customer processes even if your brick and mortar store is already closed.
Nobody wants to work at 3:00 AM, but there are still some people who would still like to shop then. You might be sleeping, but your website (and your business) never will.
Fewer Overheads
It is cheaper to sell your products and services in an eCommerce platform because you do not have to think about other expenses such as your business rental, utility bills, security, and the payroll of your staff.
As a result, you are able to sell your products at more competitive prices.
It is also easier to set up and run a physical store. There are a lot of reputable website development and management platforms that allow you to do this task at reasonable prices. Not only is it easy, but it is also more affordable.
Since your expenses are lower, you can easily turn your revenue into profits.
Increase Company Responsiveness
Back in the day, purchased orders have to be called in, sent, and dropped off. Depending on your team, it could take hours ‒ or even days ‒ to fully process an order.
Now, the internet allows you to deliver your products and send the order information quickly to your clients. Then, your eCommerce store will process the order and then confirm it to the buyer.
With a competent eCommerce site, you can easily track your inventory, sales, orders, and more! Quicker response time means happier clients and less work on your part.
Conclusion
Setting up an eCommerce site will give you a competitive edge over those who have not embraced the world of online selling yet.
So, do not let your apprehensions and initial fears get in the way of creating and operating your eCommerce site that will bring great products to people and drive more revenue to your business.
