It’s 2022, and the world as we know it has changed drastically in the last two years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, businesses from Startups to Enterprise companies to SMB’s (small and midsize businesses) had to pivot to continue providing products and services to their clients.
Old and new customers followed these businesses during the lockdown to access their products and services, creating an uptake to digital/online shopping and thus increasing eCommerce’s popularity.
The Current E-Commerce Climate
A forecast shows that US ecommerce sales will grow 16.1% in 2022. In addition, a Kantar Catalyst State of eCommerce 2021 insight report shows that 66% of shoppers choose a retailer based on convenience over price.
What this means is that it’s essential that businesses make it easy and convenient for customers to search, find and purchase their products and services in order to be able to serve an evolving marketplace.
Does Your Website Need an eCommerce Solutions Update?
Because of the global lockdowns as a safety measure, many businesses had to close their brick and mortar stores and switch to serving their customers online. The switch to online made some companies realize that although they were thriving in the physical stores, they had no other avenues to allow their customers access to their catalogs. Having an information website with no e-commerce solution or functionality meant that the business lost revenue and access to their customers.
With the current trajectory of customers shopping online for anything from groceries to art to tools to luxury items, it shows that an eCommerce solution for a website is indeed necessary. Moreover, it will allow businesses to remain operational and continue serving their customers.
With the change in how customers shop by utilizing online platforms, there are more extensive market opportunities that businesses and individuals can take advantage of inorder to thrive and grow.
How is adding an eCommerce Solution on Your Website Beneficial?
Adopting an eCommerce solution update to your website is a brilliant addition as it allows you to go where the customers are. Online!
These are some of the benefits and advantages eCommerce solutions offer;
Enhanced Customer Experience
A well-designed custom website with an intuitive interface makes the difference when a customer uses your website or platform. For example, for customers shopping online is a more effortless and convenient experience of accessing a variety of products and services and making purchases in the comfort of their location without the need to commute.
An eCommerce solution helps businesses personalize their customer experience and ease shopping and communication with customers if they need assistance making the customer service transition seamless from offline to online.
Reaching New Customers and Markets
An eCommerce website means that anyone in any part of the world can type in the search space, find your business and easily make purchases. Putting your products and services online means that they can be accessed worldwide, which propels the business to global market opportunities.
An eCommerce website can even work as an extension of a physical storefront allowing a business to serve both in-store and online customers. It ensures that the business is making more revenue through reaching a bigger customer base.
Become a 24/7 Operation
With an eCommerce website, the business is always open. Products and services available for browsing and purchase are always accessible to customers at any time of day or night.
Even if you’re closed for business for the day, the website and business continue to operate and make money.
Streamline Business Operations and Costs
Businesses are shifting to using an omni-channel retail strategy to create a seamless and cohesive customer experience. This entails integrating offline (in-store) and online systems to offer customers a seamless shopping journey.
An example of an omni-channel experience is Barnes & Noble, which has brick-and-mortar bookstores, an app and a website. This means that customers can access their products on their desired platforms and even have in-store & curbside pickup options.
Strategies like omni-channel that use data integration help streamline business operations which in turn means that businesses can hire fewer staff members to handle clients. This helps reduce the payroll and allows the company to retain more profits from their revenue.
Insights and Data-Driven Decisions
Unlike the brick-and-mortar store experience that provides little insights, adding an eCommerce solution to your website that enables online shopping provides metrics on your customer’s journey
This data serves to assist the business in providing a tailored shopping experience for its customers and insights into customer behavior that will be useful in impactful and targeted marketing campaigns and giving data-backed products and services.
In Conclusion
Adopting an eCommerce solution to your website is a smart business move since it takes your products and services to where current and potential customers are both in local and global markets.
In order to succeed in the online marketplace, your business needs an eCommerce solution that takes user experience to the next level by integrating data across different platforms and analyzing customer data to provide a unique shopping experience for them.
Our experience and accomplishments in all things digital development at ScreamingBox.com and allow us to fully support your business as it transitions online. Our selected senior-level software development teams are available to build marketing, ecommerce, product websites and hybrid apps. Additionally, we provide business services on digital marketing, product marketing and product growth so your eCommerce website can thrive.
Let us know how we can support you when you’re ready to dominate the online marketplace!