The Advantages of E-commerce for your Business

If you ever looked at products online and felt the rush of adding a product to the cart you would know that online shopping has some fantastic benefits as a consumer. But have you considered the Advantages E-commerce might have for your business?

Let’s look at E-commerce and its benefits for your small business. Before we dive into all the advantages of E-commerce, let us get a better understanding of what E-commerce entails. E-commerce can be defined as the sale of goods and services via a digital platform. These platforms include online shops, social media features such as the Instagram store, or online service providers like Takealot. In short, it refers to a commercial transaction done via the internet.

E-commerce websites can be divided into three categories. The first is direct sales via your E-commerce website, this service is not provided via an external supplier, and your profits are not shared. The second is via social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Here traffic is owned by the service provider and the service comes at a cost. The third would be via an E-commerce service provider such as Takealot or Amazon, where you pay the service provider a fee to use the platform and their expertise in logistics. 

Now that we have a better understanding of e-commerce, let’s have a look at some of its benefits over traditional retail.     

Lower Costs

There are a few ways in which E-commerce merchants save in comparison to traditional retailers. From saving on retail space to staff. Without the need for a physical shop, you can save a lot on rent. Another benefit of an E-commerce site lies in its automation. This wonderful feature will save you time and money on managing inventory levels, lowering the number of operational staff needed. E-commerce can save you money, by removing the need for a physical store and lots of staff.

Fewer geographical limits

With a traditional shop, you only attract clients within your immediate area. However, the advantage of an online shop is that you determine the radius of your sales area. You can market wherever you prefer, or as far and wide as your courier service allows. With no limits to where you can deliver, E-commerce opens the door to a whole new world of clients whom you would not have been able to reach previously. 

Around the clock convenience  

Another Advantage of E-commerce is the round the clock convenience offered to your clients. Perhaps your clients prefer to do a bit of shopping during their morning commute, or perhaps after the kids have gone to bed at night. The advantage of an online shop is that its doors are always open to clients whenever they are ready to shop. The orders can roll in while you are attending to other things in your business, as your website will never sleep. Another advantage of online shopping is that no matter the time zone of your clients, your virtual doors are always open. 

Greater reach as buyers can easily find you

In today’s digital age every business needs to be online to connect with potential clients. With a single search, clients should be able to find your business. Don’t miss out on clients actively looking, get your business online and your E-commerce shop working for you. The benefit of search engines is that they send actively looking clients directly to your shop. Clients will be attracted by the convenience of online shopping. Ensure that your products are labelled correctly in your shop so that the search engine bots know where to send buyers looking for your product online 

E-commerce promotes buyer ease 

We should always keep the ease of our clients front of mind. With E-commerce sites, clients can locate products quicker. They can also compare products and browse through a list of products faster to find the ideal product that fits their requirements. Search functions are a must in all E-commerce sites, it allows clients to find what they are looking for with ease increasing the probability of a sale. Think of it this way, have you ever walked into a shop where the isles are crowded, and the items not categorised logically? Did you stick around and sift through the mountains of stock, or did you move on to another store? The same principle applies to online stores, it should be categorised and items should be easy to find. 

It is easy to Retarget Customers

One of the benefits of digital sales is the ability to re-target customers. You can direct ads towards previous clients through social media ads to remind them of your amazing products. Another great feature is the abandoned cart reminder, where you can remind clients via email of their abandoned cart waiting for them. In addition, you can share coupons or send details on specials to previous clients to motivate them to come back.

Plentiful sales information.

Another great advantage of E-commerce is providing clients with ample sales information to motivate a sale. From client reviews to product descriptions, you can offer potential clients everything they need to make an informed purchase. Include images and product measurements, be sure you offer your clients all the details they need. It’s the perfect salesperson that never sleeps. Be sure to include as much detail as possible in your product specs to ensure your clients have every detail, they need before making a purchase. 

E-commerce is ideal for Niche products and services

From used parts to hobby equipment, there is a market for everything. No matter how niche the product that you sell, the advantage of online sales is that finding ideal clients will be easier than ever. Whatever the product, you can find a buyer online using targeted marketing. With a single online search, your specific clients will be able to find you.

It’s a great way to scale a physical store. 

Perhaps you already have a physical store with wonderful employees. Consider going hybrid and adding an online store to target a new group of clients. E-commerce is a great way to scale an existing business. Remember that your existing client base might find the convenience of online shopping appealing resulting in more sales. 

Reviews and ratings offer us buyer insight 

Another great advantage of E-commerce is the interactive element it offers clients. Encourage clients to leave a review or rating of products. It’s a fantastic tool to learn more about customer satisfaction. Reviews will reassure potential clients of the quality of your products. With time you will also notice what products clients frequently buy together, allowing you to offer bundles and specials based on buyer data. 

We hope that you found this article informative. If you have more questions about E-commerce, or if you are wondering if E-commerce is right for your business, get in touch with us today. 

Yours in E-commerce & web development 

The Qum Studios Team