If your business hasn’t already taken to the web, it’s vital that you do. Not only does having a successful website help you reach more customers, but it also allows you to sell products and services online.
According to statistics from Shopify’s Global Ecommerce Playbook, online sales accumulated over $2.8 trillion in 2018, and this is expected to grow to over $4.8 trillion by 2021. Many consumers nowadays prefer the convenience of online shopping, and accommodating this can result in huge success for your business.
Here are five reasons why your business should sell online.
1. You’ll Instantly Increase Your Sales
Businesses often have to bend over backward to keep increasing their profits. While you may have a loyal base of customers already, it can be hard to acquire new customers and keep them coming back.
Taking your business online can quell this problem almost instantly. Providing your customers the convenience to order online and have products delivered straight to their doorstep gives them more reason to buy from you. What’s more, your website will be visible on Google and reach even more customers.
Consumers are now able to buy the things they need with just a few clicks. Many people even shop straight from their smartphones. When you sell online, you’ll reach many customers who use the web to find the things they want and need to buy. You can rapidly increase your sales, customer intake, and customer retention all at the same time.
2. You Can Market Your Business Better
In 2019, the most effective forms of marketing are generally done via the internet. That means that having a website which you can sell from directly can be a huge advantage. When you tie your digital marketing into your website, you can keep customers pouring in.
For instance, many businesses nowadays focus on SEO (search engine optimization). SEO involves using web pages and web content to make your business more visible on Google. Customers might find you for the very first time when they search for a particular product or service that you offer.
Selling online also helps with other digital marketing methods. You can promote products on social media and even create videos and infographics to reach more people. What’s more, you can use blog content to direct people straight to your product pages.
3. It Can Increase Customer Retention
Although pulling in new customers is a good strategy, encouraging repeat sales works even better. Research from Bain & Company found that a 5% increase in customer retention can account for a 75% increase in profits. Customers who you impressed in the past are more likely to shop with you regularly and spend more.
Selling online boosts customer retention in various ways. For one, customers who become interested in your business can browse your full product or service range online. Offer them a way to view everything you have to offer, and they’ll be even more enticed. What’s more, they now have the convenience of buying from you in the convenience of their own home.
You could even boost customer retention further by giving customers a reason to come back. Many online stores allow customers to make accounts where they can collect points for customer rewards. Giving customers online rewards can inspire them to return to your business in the future.
4. It Can Save You Money
Making more sales helps boost your income, but cutting costs can help increase your profit margins even further. Selling online can actually help you cut down on costs in certain parts of your business to increase your profits even more.
When you introduce new products to a physical store, you often have to spend extra on storage, displays, logistics, and other parts of the process. However, selling them online instead can instantly save you money on all of these areas.
Some businesses sell certain products exclusively online, so all they have to deal with is shipping. You can even use fulfillment centers to help you with the logistics. Some retailers nowadays even operate exclusively online to save money on opening new locations and dealing with expensive maintenance and staffing costs.
5. It Helps You Beat Out Your Competition
Taking your business online can also help you stand out ahead of your competition. Any retailer that doesn’t allow customers to buy from them online will be seen as outdated. Simply having a fast and easy-to-use online store will instantly make people more likely to buy from you instead of your competitors.
Selling online also has its advantages when it comes to convincing customers you’re the best in the industry. Your website can inform customers about your sales, the quality of your products, and why they should buy from you. You can also show customer reviews, so people know they’re buying from a reputable brand.
Any advantage you can get over competing businesses is a plus, and selling online gives you many advantages. It helps with your marketing, makes you more accessible to customers, and can instantly help you reach a wider market. All in all, every business needs to sell online to get ahead of their competition quickly.
How Your Business Can Sell Online
Selling online is now easier than ever, thanks to the wide range of e-commerce platforms available. At GoEmerchant, we are a one-stop-shop for everything you need to bring your business online. We make it easy to build an online store and accept payments for your goods and services.
One of the fastest ways to get started is to use a hosted payment page. This enables you to easily configure your own payment page and begin accepting payments online to build, market and grow your business. Choose from our large selection of design templates to customize the look and feel of your page in a matter of minutes!
Some online stores have specially designed e-commerce software to sell their goods. However, it’s also easy to use e-commerce software such as 3dcart, Shopify and BigCommerce. These platforms can plug directly into your website so you can start selling online straight away.
You can also sell your goods externally. Huge online retailers such as Amazon and eBay allow you to set up your own online storefront on their platforms. Although you’ll have to pay a small amount of commission, the scope of these websites can result in huge sales for your business.
Conclusion
Selling online has huge advantages for any business. It makes you look modern and professional while also helping you reach a much wider market. You can even start selling internationally. Whether you’re offering products for delivery or services, online storefront software will help you make more sales instantly to more people.
