It might seem like a strange question to ask, but a surprisingly large number of UK retailers don’t offer their customers the ability to buy their products online, or at least not a fully fledged service. H&M, Primark & Gap currently don’t offer their product range online for purchase in the UK at all. The latest incumbent to the field, TK Maxx, only offer the ability to purchase handbags.
So if these large companies don’t provide their customers with an e-commerce solution then why should you? There are some very clear and convincing reasons why you should be considering an e-commerce website for your retail business, if only to capitalise on the fact these big players aren’t participating…
Cut down on customer queries and related costs
Sick of answering the phone all day (or paying someone else to do it), only to field the same questions again and again?
A well constructed and thought out customer service section of your website can save you a fortune in dealing with these types of FAQs. An intelligent strategy in this area can also have both a positive effect for your sites SEO and provide insight to your customers thinking and needs.
Become a 24/7 business, without the associated costs
Don’t you wish you could be taking orders and making money whilst you slept?
Of course you do but the thought of taking the chance of opening up such a store in your local area probably seems unrealistic, or if not, prohibitively expensive. An e-commerce solution solves both these issues and opens the doors to your business around the clock.
By selling online you are also exposing your business to markets who could never have reached before, such as consumers who are at work from nine until five and those who choose to shop at home after work.
Increase your brand exposure and improve offline sales
The introduction of an e-commerce website can also have a positive effect on offline sales.
Savvy (and increasingly not-so-savvy) consumers are using Google as a research tool to find the goods and retailer for the product or service that they desire, regardless of where they end up making their purchase. Without an e-commerce website you’re not even in the running to seen by those people and gain the extra brand exposure.
Escape the high street
Clearly the number of retail outlets you have puts a cap on the number of consumers you can reach and sell to. Moving online opens your business to a much wider potential audience allowing you to sell your products nationwide, or even internationally, without the associated cost of opening a new retail outlet.
Your exocentric niche product could sell millions online
Exploit the long tail! Whilst there may not be many individuals interested in ornamental china chopsticks in your local area, worldwide there’s probably a sizeable audience out there desperate to purchase just that.
E-commerce is still growing
The amount of people turning online to shop continues to grow and this trend is only being re-enforced by the recession, as consumers increasingly turn online to find the best prices. It’s not too late to get involved with selling online as the market continues to expand.
An affordable option for all
E-commerce websites are affordable for all. No matter the size or scale of your business you can find an e-commerce solution that will suit both your needs and your budget. Be it an SEO ready e-commerce platform design to achieve maximum market penetration and best conversion rates, or a simple e-bay store, there is something out there for everyone.
The bottom line: increase your sales
As many retailers experience a downturn in sales on the high street turning to the web can be a great way to offset these losses and even increase the number of overall sales as you expose your products to a wider audience, and all at a relatively low cost and risk to the business.
Perhaps the real question we need to ask here is why wouldn’t you launch an e-commerce website?