Written by Fernando Maciá
Índice
Until very recently, creating your own online business was a very expensive process that very few could undertake. The development of an online store entailed a high initial investment that only a few could afford. Large companies had sufficient resources, while SMEs, smaller businesses or entrepreneurs were left by the wayside. Today , the creation of an e-commerce is an uncomplicated process, which requires a lot of time, but can be done by almost anyone.
From the traditional store to the online store: the need for renewal
There are many who have gone from having a physical store to having an online store or both, because we already know that either you upgrade or you get left behind. But there are also many others who have launched their project entirely online from the very beginning.
Many have seen the need to change and adapt to new market needs, and they have not been wrong. Renew or die, that is the question. Online has come on strong and has pushed traditional businesses aside. New business models are here to stay and now everyone decides whether to take that big step into the unknown online world or to stay in the comfort zone.
The million-dollar question is, what benefits does e-commerce bring us that traditional stores do not? Well, here we go!
Main advantages of online stores
Possibility of reaching a larger volume of people
The Internet is a medium to which almost everyone has access today. Therefore, one of the advantages is that you will be able to reach a larger number of people from any geographical area. The traditional village stores, even if they sold good products, could not attract customers from anywhere other than, at most, the surrounding villages (and that’s saying something!). In addition, if you take care of the positioning of your online store, you can get good results in the first pages of Google results. Potential customers will come from all over the country and even the world, if you want to start a business in other territories as well.
Obtaining valuable inputs with web analytics
Taking your business online has other advantages. By implementing a web analytics system you will obtain valuable inputs when applying sales techniques and business strategy. You will be able to discover new market niches, find out if you are interested in expanding your business to new frontiers and much more.
New market niches
The Internet provides us with a wide variety of tools to carry out market research and studies: Google AdWordsKeyword Planner, Google Trends… With these tools we will be able to design our e-commerce strategy. Through them you will have the possibility of knowing the user’s buying trends. Based on these, we will be able to expand our product portfolio and eliminate others that are not so necessary, and all this with a moderate investment. Find out which products will generate user interest and which will not.
Study of your target audience
In addition, with Web Analytics tools such as Google Analytics, you will be able to know the profile of your customers. Find out what they buy, when they buy it, at what time they buy it, from what devices… This way you will be able to carry out personalized marketing strategies that will translate into future sales.
Expansion into new territories
An online store also offers you the possibility to expand into other, hitherto untapped markets. Study the visits that come to your website, where do they come from? Many users from Latin America? Well, maybe it’s worth targeting my marketing strategy to users in these countries! There are many tools that will give you really relevant data on this topic. Take advantage of them!
Maximum segmentation: remarketing and email marketing
You can offer a fully personalized attention to your customers, thus improving their shopping experience. Offer each one what he or she needs. Through techniques such as
remarketing
or email marketing you will be able to make a purchase that was initiated, end up being carried out. A user who visits the ‘sports shirts’ section of our website, but does not finish their purchase, will encounter a banner during their navigation that will show them the garment they were interested in, or we can send them an email reminding them that there is a product in their basket and offer them a discount voucher on that garment.
Store open 24 hours a day
You will have a store available to users 24 hours a day. You will be able to sell your products at any time, whether it rains, snows or thunders. Potential customers will be able to shop and access your store whenever they want, even on Sundays! This will help you increase your sales while improving the user experience. You can also go on vacation without worrying about anything! It looks good when you can sell 365 days a year, doesn’t it?
No need to queue or wait
Make it easy for users to buy. Now they will no longer have to wait in line or have to look for the sales clerk to ask for that pant size they need and can’t find. Online stores are a very convenient way for users to make their purchases. With an electronic platform they can browse the store as long as they want, view the product catalog as many times as they want, at the time they want and from wherever they want. Today, we face a more demanding type of consumer. Customers now don’t always have time to go shopping. They prefer to place their orders over the Internet, which is a much faster and instantaneous method. We no longer like to wait: we want to arrive and have everything ready. And that, in a traditional business is completely impossible, especially on those days when there are huge queues that go all the way to the end of the door.
Lower costs
The maintenance of a physical store involves a series of fixed costs that an online store does not have. With an online store you will not have to pay for electricity, rent and general maintenance costs. With a monthly fee, affordable to all budgets, you can have an online store tailored to your needs.
Your users, your most valuable asset: take care of them as they deserve
In every business, whether online or offline, we must know that what is most valuable is our customers. If you are what you are, it’s because of them. Thank them every day by correctly attending to their requests, treating them with respect and kindness, constantly implementing improvements that enhance their buying process and creating unforgettable experiences that keep them coming back. Have you already decided if you dare with e-commerce?
