If you sell products on a marketplace such as Amazon, eBay or etsy, then you need an ecommerce website to complement it. You might be wondering why you need an ecommerce website if you’re already selling on a well-known platform that has everything you need to get started, like built-in tools for managing listings and orders. The answer is simple: having your own ecommerce website gives allows build credibility and authority in your industry.

While there are benefits and drawbacks to both selling on a marketplace and having your own website, we believe that businesses that prioritize ecommerce should have their own website.

BigCommerce predicts that customers will want to “elegantly move between devices and platforms when shopping”– which means having a presence on multiple marketplaces (like Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and Walmart Marketplace) is not going to cut it. There are too many limitations that come with depending solely on these sites.

We get a lot of inquiries from business owners who are unsure whether or not an ecommerce site is the right option for their company.

Is an ecommerce website right for your business? Keep reading to find out…

An ecommerce website is ideal if:

• You sell a lot of products. You sell a wide range of items. Websites are capable of displaying far more goods than a brick-and-mortar shop, and if you have a lot of various products to offer, an ecommerce site will almost certainly be the most efficient method for you to sell them.
• You want to target a larger audience. By only selling from a physical location, you’re capping your market to those within travelling distance of your storefront. Even if you have multiple locations, it’s still nothing compared to the reach an ecommerce website could provide – imagine what could happen if you made your products available worldwide!
• Your website already gets a lot of traffic, but it’s not an ecommerce site. If you want to be competitive in this digital age, it’s imperative that your website offers ecommerce functionality. This will not only improve the user experience and reduce customer acquisition costs but also put YOU at an edge over other brands new or old with inferior sites thanks largely due having already established links from search engines like Google which rank websites based on their quality scoreline so upgrading now makes sense no matter how big/small budget are!

An ecommerce website probably isn’t right for you if:

• You aren’t able to handle a large number of orders. The Internet has made it easier than ever for customers to get their product without hassle. If you’re not able take care of the demand, things will turn sour quickly and your company could be ruined by angry consumers who find out that there are suppliers closer them!
• You want to focus on a small area. If you want to maintain your business locally, ecommerce may not be right for you unless you’re able to fill orders coming from outside of your locality. Although we have created successful ecommerce sites for businesses that only serve one region, it’s important that visitors are immediately aware upon entering the site that it only caters to one location!
• Many products are too complicated to sell online. There are some products that can only be sold directly to customers. However, it is possible for companies who specialize in bespoke items and customization features of an ecommerce website (for example we have built sites which sell personalized clothing) but at point too complicated become end user once they’re on-line shop users rather than telephone salespeople providing better solutions according their requirements by upselling yours product line as well making more money!

Click here to get a quote for your own ecommerce website, or – if you’re still not sure – feel free to email info@bevirtual.co for more information.

Ecommerce in 2021: The Importance of Going Digital

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the move to digital shopping amongst UK consumers. Consumers from all sorts of backgrounds formed new habits during last year’s national lockdown, and these are predicted stay with us for years after this crisis has passed – as a consequence post-pandemic hit on physical retail will be felt deeply into its future generations too!

The Power and Importance of an Ecommerce Website

With e-commerce, people can do their shopping from home with a few clicks on their smartphone. This means they don’t have to worry about fuel or traffic while driving to a nearby mall to purchase items like perfume, ties, garments, etc. With most companies, customers can log onto the website and place their order using “Cash on Delivery (COD).”

Companies Who Do and Don’t Have an Ecommerce Website

The number of e-commerce outlets is growing every day but there’s no denying that many established corporations haven’t invested in their online shopping platforms. As a result, they’re losing out on potential customers who want convenience and will do everything possible to avoid travelling distances for product purchases–a trend which has only increased over time due with today’s competitive marketplace! The solution? Investing some time into building your own website or using one built specifically for small businesses like yours because not only does an ECOMMERCE WEBSITE give you access to new consumers within seconds instead than waiting days (or weeks) until someone walks by.

The Advantages of Having an Ecommerce Site

There is no doubt that an ecommerce website may provide a plethora of advantages to customers. Shopping online allows them to acquire a wide selection of goods, save time, find the lowest price, and avoid leaving their homes. But what about you as a company owner? Here are our top ten reasons for investing in an ecommerce website.

What are the benefits of e-commerce in business?

Online retail is on the rise, and it’s time to get yours set up! If you have a small business with only one physical location (like an independent franchise), creating your own online shopping website will help get word out about all of that product selection. In addition, if there are other stores in competition for those same customers nearby—especially ones close by where they can walk or ride their bicycle without too much difficulty while carrying along any purchases made during this trip- then chances are good some else has already got themselves established first before trying anything new like us at bevirtual. This makes sense because people desire value.

Why your ecommerce company needs its own website

If you want to increase your business revenue, an ecommerce website is the way to go. Small businesses need to move online in order to stay relevant and reach consumers where they are – on their mobile devices.

These days, it seems like everyone has their nose in a screen. You can’t go anywhere without seeing someone looking at their phone or tablet. That’s why having an ecommerce website is so important – it allows you to reach people where they are and meet them where they’re already spending their time.

These observations are only the beginning; reports project that the value of global Commerce sales will be around 3.45 trillion dollars in 2019.

It’s evident that there is a pattern here, which suggests an enormous growth in online sales over the next few years.

So, how does this affect you? If you’re still considering whether to invest in an ecommerce site, think no further. We’ll look at the top reasons why ecommerce is so important for your business and how you may profit by going online. But let’s take a quick look at some numbers following a year of significant volatility in the UK economy.

Reasons sellers should have their own eCommerce website

Migrating to other platforms, including your own website, is an essential step for any business looking to expand. By owning your own domain, you can better safeguard your brand against rule changes and suspensions from third-party sites.

Below are a few reasons why having a dedicated website is crucial for eCommerce sellers:

Customer Convenience

Small business owners understand that their focus cannot only be on the dollar value. Another benefit of having an online eCommerce website… It will have a huge impact on your client experience. There’s a lot of convenience to having a website. Customers may look up essential information such as your store hours, phone number, and address, which drives in-person purchases. Furthermore, if consumers are too busy, move away, or can’t get out to your shop for any other reason, the internet allows them to do so from anywhere.

Your eCommerce website lets you to show potential customers your hours, address, and contact information.

Increased Customer Reach

By having an ecommerce website, you are giving your customers the ability to purchase your products 24/7 no matter where they are or what device they’re using. You will also be able to reach a larger audience of potential customers that you haven’t been able to serve before. This is beneficial for businesses of all sizes as there’s always room to grow.

Build a customer email list and market directly to them

The ability to target website visitors and consumers is one of the most essential aspects of having your own website. Unlike marketplaces, where buyers are the marketplace’s customers, selling directly to consumers on your website allows you to collect their contact information. You may send email marketing offers, discounts, and announce new goods if you have your consumers’ email addresses.

Unlike a retail setting, marketplaces make it tough to bring customers back–you don’t have direct contact with them so it’s more difficult to offer amazing customer service and promote other products. Given that retaining a current customer is less expensive than acquiring new ones, staying in touch with your buyers is key to making money for your business.

You can build out a detailed profile of your buyer persona, not only by what they’ve purchased from you in the past, but also by what they’ve bought and how much they spent, as well as any future interests. You may utilize this data to influence and persuade future purchases.

Owning your brand means owning the customer

Diversifying away from selling on Amazon or eBay as a third-party seller provides you with more authority over your brand as you expand to new places. By anchoring that brand on your own website, you notify potential customers that they would be buying directly from, not an eCommerce platform. This gives you more chances to nurture customer loyalty because the sale–and therefore the customer–belongs to you.

When a customer purchases from your site, they are buying directly from you, which means that they are familiar with it. When consumers buy from your store on Amazon, eBay, or Walmart, though, you may brand your items, drive traffic to your primary website, and maintain control as the brand behind the transaction.

It doesn’t have to be a pain to fulfill customers across several channels. For end-to-end fulfillment, clear pricing, and rapid delivery, work with Deliver.

Branding your store increases the chances of customers who are familiar with you and what to expect from your level quality or service. Having your own website allows for a more efficient way to reach potential customers as opposed to other branding avenues.

Establish and strengthen your brand

If you sell your products on a marketplace, they are usually displayed in a generic way that doesn’t allow for much customization or branding. This makes it difficult to build brand awareness and recognition because the marketplace’s brand is always in the forefront instead of yours. Most visitors and customers assume your product belongs to the marketplace without realizing you even exist. In other words, those who purchase your product will remember the Marketplace better than they’ll remember you.

You want potential customers to see your product and think of your brand instead of the other way around. Having a website gives you creative license with an uncapped number of possibilities. You can also control how users interact with your brand during the unboxing experience by using custom boxes that will make a lasting impression. And finally, you get credit for your product unlike on third-party marketplaces!

Learn more about your audience

The data you collect on your website can help with customer acquisition. This includes information about where people come from, what they look at and how to better reach out in future marketing campaigns so as not miss any potential customers who might be interested but have left without making a purchase yet!

It’s important for ecommerce sites because it gives us insight into our current buyers as well new ones that could buy from us if we knew more info first-hand – like their location or browsing habits before checking out . For example: maybe one major traffic source is bringing good profits but another isn’t doing quite enough job; then there’ll only focus efforts towards those latter two channel.

Perhaps your homepage is complicated to navigate and lacks a user-friendly website design, or your checkout process lacks the payment methods and payment choices that your target customers would expect to find on an ecommerce store. You just need to use these insights to make improvements and optimize your website in order to boost conversions and help you sell more.

Sales Opportunities At Every Hour

Online stores, like eComm websites, are open 24/7. Customers can browse and buy items at any time, day or night. If an item is out of stock, they can check back later to see if it has been restocked. And because you’re always open for business on the internet, you could say that your website (and therefore your business) never sleeps! You might sleep, but your  website will continue making sales while you do.

Low Start-Up and Running Costs

Ecommerce websites are an excellent way to offer your products without the hefty price tag that comes with brick and mortar stores. With digital marketing agency help, you can have a fully functional e- Store in no time at all! We’ll make sure it ranks well on Google so customers find their way back again soon after browsing away–and we won’t stop there: They will also automate customer relationship functions like sending out emails or pushing notifications when certain events happen related directly to what’s being purchased by each individual person who visits our site (like receiving discounts). The sales process simply passes through pre defined steps meaning buyers get exactly what they want while shopping

You Can Run Your Business From Anywhere

An ecommerce website gives you a distinct edge over the majority of brick and mortar enterprises in that it may be run from any location. In fact, this is why so many company owners now say they are living the “laptop lifestyle.” You can manage your business from anywhere provided you have internet connection, email, a phone with data capabilities and a laptop computer.

You Can Go International

If you want to steal customers away from your competitors, an ecommerce website will let you do that. Why? Because you’ll be able to sell products or services to people all over the world without any trouble. It’s great for business growth because it helps you build up your company faster, makes it easier to find new customers and could help increase profit margins compared to other businesses in your industry.

Diversity: Give Omni-Channel experience with reduced risk

Brands that invest in their own website and apps often find themselves at risk when one channel goes down. For example, Amazon periodically suspends healthy accounts with no red flags – even if they go back up online again the business still suffers financially as well as losing customers who turn elsewhere due to lack of trustworthiness or accessibility issues (e). It’s essential for these businesses move away from single-channel marketing models towards omni–channel strategies which give you greater control over your brand messaging across all channels while spreading Risk around amongst different platforms should anything happen.

Speedup Business Operations

Today’s most successful businesses are able to blend the physical and online shopping worlds into a multi-channel experience. For example, a consumer orders an item online and has it delivered to their home.

Some businesses are able to combine the physical and online shopping worlds into one, multi-channel customer experience. When they arrive at your store then their item is ready for purchase as well has already paid through any means imaginable including mobile payments or credit card swipe machines! This can help keep queue times down while requiring less employee effort which equals more time spent on other important things like running errands during lunch hour since you don’t have those pesky lines form up outside again today unlike last week when everyone wanted food right away before going back to work.

Sell through social

The popularity of online selling has exploded over the last decade, so it’s no surprise that online advertising has overtaken traditional print methods. eCommerce websites allow you to integrate your online shop with social media platforms, so people can buy directly from your Facebook or Instagram page – all handled through your store! You can also make the most of online advertising by promoting specific products or services on social media. This lets people make purchases with just a few clicks.

Make your own rules for your ecommerce site

Running your own ecommerce store comes with the additional benefit of being able to more directly impact the customer journey and user experience:

• You can add product photos and videos in certain places.
• You can alter the layout and navigation.
• You can change the color scheme and website theme.
• You can edit button placement and text.
• You can tell your company’s story.
• You can add a blog.
• You can feature certain customers.

With an ecommerce website builder, you don’t have to worry about other businesses’ products appearing alongside yours as you would on a marketplace. Ecommerce website builders let you organize your website with distinct product categories, descriptions, pictures, and any other features which give store owners control over their site’s design.

You can also tailor product groups and pricing to your liking, as well as offer free shipping. Oftentimes, customers feel more inclined to make a purchase if they perceive that they are getting a good deal – in this case, something for nothing.

A website gives you the opportunity to be creative with your offers and less restricted by guidelines. You can also experiment without worrying about how it will affect a third-party’s business, as would be the case if you were selling on a marketplace. In other words, having complete control over your online store allows you to find what works best for your eCommerce business through trial and error.

Encourage loyalty and brand recognition

One of the primary reasons eCommerce is growing so rapidly is because selling to an existing customer costs 20% less and is easier than acquiring new business. By creating your own website, you have more chances of driving repeat sales, as customers will view your store as the source of their satisfaction.

A web store allows you to:

• Sign customers up via email for repeat contact
• Drive customers to social media pages to continue engagement
• Video content and blogging are great ways to connect with your audience and offer value. By marketing a branded line of products, you can create consumer trust and encourage repeat sales.
• Use package inserts and coupons to drive return business or ordering accessories/refills

Because around 65% of all sales come from loyal customers, implementing each of these tactics should greatly increase your chances in driving sales. However, on platforms such as Amazon where you’re not allowed to use branded package inserts or send follow-up emails (aside from those necessary for excellent customer service), staying in touch with customers is more difficult.

Increased marketing opportunities

Cross-promotional marketing, powered by your own website, may increase income. For example, if you sell coffee filters, you might collaborate with a company that sells coffee machines to provide a 25% off discount on the first purchase of filters for their customers. This would provide value for all three groups: your brand, your partners, and your consumers. This sort of promotional marketing opportunity won’t work on platforms like Amazon because you have to rely on the platform’s features, policies, and consumer willingness to buy through it again.

Reduce cost per sale with your own store

All marketplaces will charge you a percentage for using their platform to sell your products. However, once you reach a higher volume of sales, you may find that building and managing your own online store is cheaper than paying those fees. If you can connect with customers through your own website instead of the marketplace’s, then not only will save money on seller fees but also reduce the average cost per sale overall.

Reduce Payroll

By having an ecommerce website, you have the ability to cut back on payroll expenses. When your store is able to run faster and some sales are transferred online, you won’t need as many employees. This means that your profits will be higher because you’ll have less people being paid.

Improved search marketing

Owning a website gives you access to marketing that’s not available through most platforms. The power of SEO and SEM allow websites promote their products, while also driving traffic into your store with relevant search engine results pages (SERPs). There are many benefits when starting an eCommerce business; launching one on top complicate things even more than before!

Start private labeling

As a private-label seller, you have more control over the products you sell and can build trust and loyalty with your customers. You can also collect customer data to improve your products over time and customise them to suit your customers’ needs.

Data Sync with POS System

With a point of sale (POS) system you can integrate your inventory with an online website to sync it between the physical store and digital space. This eliminates any potential hassle from adding another platform onto what we’re already doing: running a business! We have all this data at hand thanks in large part due our POS technology – which automatically pulls together information about sales & purchases into one central location so that there’s no missing report or record ever again.

POS systems that integrate physical and online stores are becoming increasingly popular, especially because many of them have low-cost or free offers. This allows businesses to try out the benefits with no financial risk.

Gain the freedom to sell where the customers are

The many benefits of owning your own eCommerce store are endless. You can drive sales by setting up pop-up stores and brick and mortar locations like Anker, Bonobos or REI; offer customers an option for picking their items from the comfort zone (especially if it’s during busy seasons); actively get involved with them in ways that platforms won’t allow – all this while maintaining consistency on shipping rates no matter where you go!

Allow Customers To Share Orders Online

Aside from search and new market purchases, the most common approach for companies to acquire new internet consumers is through social media.

eCommerce websites help businesses reach more consumers by giving customers the ability to share their favorite brands and products on social media. When customers post about your business on social media, other consumers who see those posts can find your business and make purchases of their own.

Adapt to the changing external environment

The most recent COVID-19 lockdowns were unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, and we hope that they are the last! People have had to alter their routines, and it’s likely that those effects will linger for some time. Many businesses were forced to close down and have only been permitted to reopen recently. Online retailers, on the other hand, have remained unaffected by the lockdown. Making adjustments is straightforward with a well-designed eCommerce website, so you may change your online presence as often as you need to in order to meet changing demands.

It’s never been easier with plug-and-play ecommerce platforms

With the easy-to-use ecommerce platforms Shopify, Magento, Squarespace, and WooCommerce available today, anyone can create a website quickly and efficiently. You can select from various free or affordable templates to build the perfect shopping experience for your customers through drag-and-drop site builders.

Many ecommerce platforms available are hosted and simple to take care of, you won’t need a web developer or design team. These tools allow you to update content, add products, and make other changes on your own. Reconnecting your ecommerce platform should be easy once it’s set up– one popular example is connecting it to the system that manages order fulfillment.

Outsourcing fulfillment to a professional third-party logistics company (3PL) can save you time and hassle by automating the process of sending orders. When you connect your store to a 3PL, your orders are automatically routed to their facilities for picking, packing, and shipping. This frees up your time so that you can focus on other aspects of running your business, like creative marketing campaigns.

Customers won’t just come to your website because you have one. After you’ve opened a store, you’ll have to work to attract customers. The first step in attracting consumers is to drive traffic to your site by employing both SEO tactics and a strong online presence on social media. It’s not always simple to create the proper campaigns; nevertheless, with how you may get people interested in and buying from you, there’s a lot more room for creativity. eCommerce companies can tailor their marketing approach to match their target audiences and shopping patterns.

Some ways to reach your target audience are using Facebook and Google ads. You can also make content for your website by finding out what keywords people use when searching for a solution that is similar to yours. Additionally, you could do things like promotions or flash sales in order to generate interest and bring past customers back.

According to Clutch, 37% of shoppers say discounts or coupons would cause them to returnto a retailer’s website. In conclusion, there are many methods – like making videos oconducting competitions –that could lead totransactions.

Conclusion

Never before has it been more important to have a presence online. Websites provide you with the opportunity for success and growth in e-commerce! A site can be your very own retail store that shoppers visit when they are looking specifically buy something from YOU or one of YOUR items On top if being able reach new consumers through this platform – especially since competition is at an all time high-, giving priority sales opportunities based off what works best suited towards their needs will allow them help improve profitability by giving preference during different points throughout each day.

The answer is almost always an unqualified “yes,” ecommerce is a wonderful approach to grow your business and attract new clients while also increasing income. We occasionally encounter consumers who believe that an ecommerce website would be pointless; it’s sometimes preferable to have a simple brochure website that generates numerous questions than an inconvenient ecommerce website.

Click here to get a quote for your own ecommerce website, or – if you’re still not sure – feel free to email info@bevirtual.co for more information.