An e-shop works perfectly when:
there is a bricks and mortar shop which also sells online.
there is a commercial business which only sells online.
In addition, it's an ideal choice for retailers (B2C) and wholesalers (B2B).
Online shopping is growing so fast that the global online shopping market size is predicted to hit 4 trillion in 2020. And in the US alone, they are expected to have 300 million online shoppers in 2023. That's 91% of the entire country's population! These statistics were of course released before the coronavirus pandemic. Now, according to J. Clement, “Retail platforms have undergone a six percent global traffic increase between January and March 2020. Overall, retail websites generated 14.34 billion visits in March 2020, up from 12.81 billion global visits in January 2020.”
Therefore, even a small but specialized e-shop can succeed. The secret is to follow the right marketing strategy and to choose the right platform for you and your customers.
What are the advantages of an online shop?
Purchases 24/7 365 days a year.
Special online offers
Reduced operating costs
Direct relationship with customers
Sell wherever in the world you so desire
So, does the fact that while you sleep, you will be receiving orders appeal to you? An e-shop is open all day, 365 days a year. There's no such thing as bank holidays or Sundays. However, it must be well set up and include all the necessary information about the products, payment and delivery time.
It is up to you when and how often you have special offers and sales. Whenever you want you have the opportunity to promote products at a special price. Customers always love a bargain so, if you do it right, consumers will love your e-shop and become loyal customers.
An online business has much lower operating costs. Imagine renting a space just to store your products without having to consider bills, high rent costs, shop windows and cleaning costs.
Customers are immediately informed about new products, new offers and services as soon as they visit your e-shop or, if subscribed, by newsletter. At the same time, they can shop from the comfort of their own homes and, within a few days, receive their order delivered to their doorstep.
A physical shop inevitably has a limited audience. In contrast, e-commerce allows you to sell to customers throughout your own country and to wherever you want in the world. This allows you to increase your clientele and, of course, your sales.
What to keep in mind when creating an e-shop.
Choose the right e-commerce platform for your business as you will want it to work properly and be mobile friendly. For B2B, Fabrago would be an ideal choice or Salesforce for B2C.
Add correct descriptions and product features. In a short paragraph explain why your product is better than the rest - what makes it unique!
Upload lots of photos and videos of you products so as to present them in full. Where possible, use models in photo shoots.
Your e-shop must be secure so as to protect your customers' transactions.
An online store is very easy to implement. Trust a capable developer and create a site which will serve you and the average user and potential customer! Pay attention to what you've read above and in no time at all you will start selling!
