Have you recently set up a new business and wondered whether you should start selling online?
You may currently already have an office or a shop from which you sell your products and services to customers. However, an ecommerce online shop can be an effective way to increase your sales, reduce your overheads and increase your profit margins.
Online shopping is increasing every year, with many millions of shoppers now preferring to shop online, instead of visiting their local stores; customers like choice and the convenience of being able to buy at any time in the day.
Below is a summary of reasons why you should take the plunge and start selling online:
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You can operate your business from any location
Office or shop-based businesses have a geographical location from which they are based. An online shop can run remotely; a laptop and internet connection being the only essential items needed from which to run your business.
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24/7 shopping
It is not always convenient or practical for customers to be able to visit your business premises i.e. work time restrictions may permit some customers being able to visit your shop when you are open. An online shop however provides those customers with the oppoortunity of visiting your online shop when it is convenient for them.
An online shop also provides another seller benefit, in that the customer can browse and purchase your products, without you needing to be physically present, saving both time and money.
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Reduced running costs
If you are wondering whether to opt for an online shop, or business premises, one significant benefit of an online shop is reduced running costs; the whole sales system is automated online, saving on staff, wages and other business costs such as rent, heating and electricity costs.
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Less time intensive
Once your online shop has been initially setup, you should not have to invest too much time running it. This is simply because your ecommerce shop will manage itself - customers will buy products and you can fulfil those orders. The additional time you have available can be spent on marketing your products online, launching new products and this will ultimately lead to an increase in sales and revenue.
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Reach new customers
An online shop has the potential to reach a global audience as anyone from any location can view your website. Unlike physical business premises, online shops aren't limited to who can actually visit your shop.
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More than just selling
Ecommerce is vital if you have products or services to sell, but there are also many reasons why having an online shop is vital:
- Providing customers with product information (product descriptions, pricing, images etc).
- Check stock availability
- View store opening times (if applicable)
- Read blog posts which provide useful information on the products and services on offer
- Providing incentives for customes to repeat visit i.e. via coupon codes, email marketing
Fancy a free ecommerce website?
At Zenetic, we design and develop ecommerce websites for our customers. We offer various pricing models, including a commission based model; many customers when first setting up do not want to take the risk of investing heavily / have the capacity to invest in an ecommerce solution. If you want Zenetic to build your online shop, then get in touch now.
