Advantages of e-commerce

Global e-commerce sales are expected to reach $4.8 trillion by 2021 according to the latest statistics. This is a great opportunity to discover the advantages of e-commerce and start or consider moving your business into e-commerce.

However, since the arrival of the Internet, there are still many questions about the benefits of e-commerce. A question that we will answer in this article. It is important to note that merchant sites have become popular and many Internet users order online.

While traditional commerce has other advantages, thousands of businesses rely on e-commerce. Especially today with the global crisis we are all facing. Indeed, the e-commerce activity is very complementary and investment is low. It will allow you to gain visibility and offer you new prospects for development.

In addition, for many customers making a purchase in a few clicks is very practical.

E-commerce allows you to develop your business in markets that were previously inaccessible in shops. It is also an exciting activity because of the web environment and the existence of influencers and social media.

A booming sector

To begin with, the fact that this sector is in full expansion remains a definite quality.

Today, it is so easy for consumers to grab their keyboards and find what they need with just a few clicks.

The success of e-commerce is largely due to this ease and speed. Chances are that online shops will continue to increase their performance, so this is a great opportunity for you!

Betting on e-commerce means making sure that you meet the expectations of Internet users and get on the train to success.

Nevertheless, beware of the products you choose! Some sectors are saturated and to stand out from the competition, you’ll have to use your brains to find a niche.

E-commerce a low investment cost

One of the primary advantages of e-commerce is the cost of investment. This is much lower than that of a shop. Indeed, the rental and charges of traditional shops amount to thousands of euros. Not to mention the cost of staff.

The technology of e-commerce sites makes it possible to reduce many tasks. Furthermore, if you opt for direct delivery, no inventory is required. You can thus add new products to your catalogue without worrying about shipping.

Reduce your advertising and management costs by choosing the best marketing solution: a good website, natural referencing, Adwords campaigns (PPC). Or generate traffic on social media, reducing the number of employees and management costs.

Development of niche markets

Selling jewelry or handmade crockery does not ensure large sales volumes. But small niche markets are more profitable than products found in mass distribution. On the other hand, buyers and sellers of niche products can hardly meet, as some things have no place in the shops. Whereas online, all you have to do is search: sale of spare parts, telescopic mirrors, the vehicle for the disabled, fishing tackle…

Today we can easily find products online and contribute to reducing our expenses and consumption.

Having a product catalogue

The amount of information that can be displayed in a shop is limited. And it is difficult for the seller to give technical information on all products.

Online merchant sites can display additional information through a catalogue and product sheet that is easily accessible to Internet users.

Most of this information is provided by suppliers and costs nothing to create and manage.

Selling internationally

E-commerce is global, its coverage is very comprehensive. The whole world is a playground. This is where the power of e-commerce sites lies. Expand your customer base, in the United States, South America, even from a remote corner of the world. Anyone can easily order a product with just a few clicks.

You can operate and manage your business 24 hours a day, all year round. In turn, get orders quickly, benefit from faster transactions. Offer affordable express delivery and delivery tracking (ePacket) services or free shipping. This allows you to price and ship your products internationally.

With the rise of delivery drones, this is becoming much more convenient for customers than going to the shop. Having to find the right item, and waiting at the checkout to buy it.

They can order by phone, browse nearby shops and restaurants, order and compare everything they need.

Online shopping experience

Website customization can improve the online shopping experience. You can also segment email lists based on the purchases made, location, or amount spent by a customer.

Indeed the ability to display bestsellers, facilitates the presentation of products. Also, you can redirect a customer for a product he had forgotten in his shopping cart.

You can display a welcome message on the site and propose bundled offers for a better price. And you can even influence Internet users to buy certain products.

To propose additional sales as a result of the customer’s product research and buying behavior. Introduce new products to customers with up-sell ads. Whether with e-mail marketing or behavioral tracking methods.

E-marketing development

You can develop your notoriety. As well as increase your audience through the distribution of articles. Integrate videos into your blog, all of which can generate more traffic and sales on your e-commerce. Without having to spend too much money. Whereas a shop in town needs to encourage visits. And be located in a high-traffic area to attract customers.

E-commerce is determined by the image of the brand and its network. But there are other ways to generate traffic on a merchant site. By creating rich content to convince Internet users to come directly to that merchant site.

More than 30% of e-commerce traffic comes from search engine searches. In addition, there is the possibility of creating advertisements. And even to attract more traffic via networks and social media.

A good e-commerce strategy provides a lot of information about the customer: (registration form, site cookies, artificial intelligence…). The AI application can offer complementary products. For example on Amazon: if you search for a product, you will see lists of other similar products. In addition, Amazon may also send you emails about other related products… Learn more about the best marketing strategies.

Customers benefit from a less invasive experience

Some people fear going into a shop and coming out empty-handed, others fear the influence of salespeople. For example, some people prefer online shopping as it can be less invasive. Which is another advantage of e-commerce.

Most people do not like to give their email addresses to shopkeepers. Whereas in e-commerce it is easy to get the customer’s name, postal address, e-mail address, and telephone number without asking.

It is possible to obtain marketing surveys at Fevad, to share birthdays, to get more information by creating an account. All this is to improve the after-sales service.

Sometimes the customer wishes to have information about the product. Either by chat, e-mail, or Facebook Messenger. This communication allows us to build a real customer relationship.

24/7 income with e-commerce

Another major factor in moving from traditional to e-commerce is selling at unusual times. On public holidays, on Sundays. E-commerce shops are always open.

Similarly for online advertising, you can sell during the hours when your shop is closed.

You can also sell to Internet users who do not have time to shop during the day and get orders at night.

Moreover, buying online is a real-time-saver for consumers, as they have access to more offers, can compare prices, and take more time to get informed.

There are no timetables, the website remains open and accessible to the customer all day long. You can shop at any time of the day. This is the advantage of e-commerce.

Finally

The advantages of e-commerce are numerous as you can see. And there are many more advantages that are not mentioned here in this article. The final decision is yours to make.

If you are interested in the subject of e-commerce, you can see the other articles written on this subject here.

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