Being an entrepreneur can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. With how technology is accessible nowadays, it’s much easier to start, maintain, and grow a business if you focus on making e-commerce your primary line. Of course, those with existing businesses and a brick-and-mortar location need not worry. Adapting your current services to work in a digital setup isn’t hard. And utilizing e-commerce growth to propel yours is a clever way to go about things. Below are more reasons why you should consider adding e-commerce into your current business format.
Wider Reach, More Audience
Even as a small business, reaching a wider audience is a great advantage. Compared to the traditional brick-and-mortar store, having an online store allows you to target audiences for your product offerings even outside your local area. With an e-commerce website, you won’t be limited to your local market. The wider your reach, the more you can sell, which means faster growth for your business.
Another advantage of having an online store is being able to sell to different countries. This can open you to more business opportunities like trade, and you could even get into travel and tourism markets through e-commerce. For example, if your business deals with local handcrafted bags and shoes, there are many potential target groups you can tap into online, like tourists, fashion enthusiasts, or those interested in authentic, handcrafted products.
Ease of Communication
E-commerce platforms have customer service features wherein your clients can reach you faster through chat. And more importantly, your business contact information would be on the site, making it easier for customers to send email queries or concerns. This is of particular importance as this means that you can connect with your clients better and address their needs. Such a level of instantaneous communication is never seen before, and many smaller businesses flourish.
DIY Digital Marketing
In this digital age, it’s much easier to do your own marketing campaigns on social media platforms and other online avenues. Especially with the number of people who are always online and pay more attention to digital media. You can control your target audience better even with a small budget, and you can also control your branding and be consistent on all platforms.
There are many resources (both free and paid) when it comes to learning about digital marketing. Truly, as the years go by, investing more in learning about digital marketing is fast becoming a necessity. It has become the latest in-demand skill, and its value is definitely undeniable.
Cost-cutting Measures
Traditional brick-and-mortar stores can be costly to maintain especially if you are planning on expanding. With online stores, though, not only will you be saving costs on staff and rent, but you can also save costs on advertising. Digital marketing is generally cheaper than traditional marketing, especially if you already have an idea and can do it yourself.
Many tasks such as auditing, tracking inventory, and other necessary business tasks are now automated. With the efficiency and accessibility of automation, even one-man businesses now flourish. Truly, starting a business has never been easier- but making it successful still requires a considerable amount of work.
Efficiency and Ease of Use
Many services offer quick and easy startup e-commerce websites, and these often come with good step-by-step instructions and back-end support. Customers can also take advantage of this ease of use feature because of the convenience of handheld devices and the internet. You no longer have to drive around town looking for shops. Instead, you can type in what you need, and you will get results. You can find shops selling Barnwood for your projects; you can find companies that offer 3D printing at a large scale- almost anything you need is one search away.
It’s the Future
The statistics around e-commerce are convincing. In the year 2020, more than 2 billion people participated in the use of e-commerce. It has gained a staggering 4.2 trillion US dollars in profits. This, perhaps, is the greatest factor why businesses of all kinds should incorporate e-commerce into their business. More and more people are choosing to make digital purchases over physical ones. Transactions are now becoming cashless. It’s undeniable that e-commerce is the future and taking advantage of it is a strong business decision.
Despite e-commerce’s apparent popularity, this doesn’t mean that older business strategies are obsolete. Of course, they have their purposes, but the world has a rather different way of approaching things now. The awareness of these changes is necessary to remain competitive as a business and eventually grow and expand.
