Five reasons your business needs an online store
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Word of mouth will always be valuable to your business, but in today’s digital world, it’s not enough. The pandemic has accelerated the inevitable changes in consumer buying habits, and your business must adapt quickly to remain competitive, relevant and profitable. Here’s why your business needs an online store ASAP:
To Attract Knowledgeable Customers – The shopping experience is no longer just about walking into a store / physical location. Consumers today have more information at their fingertips and tend to research online before making a purchase. Even if you have a physical location, you should be able to connect that location to the digital world and display your products online with effective product descriptions, answer frequently asked questions, and accept payments online. Plus, testimonials have become more important than ever and with your online store you can encourage customers to leave reviews of specific products on the site. Positive reviews can then lead to increased income.
To personalize the customer experience – One of the reasons Netflix has been so successful is that it has managed to combine technology and personalization. Think about the last time you went to Netflix, you probably watched a movie / show that they recommended based on something you’ve seen before. The same applies to your establishment. You can customize the content of your online store based on your customers’ shopping preferences as well as up-sell and cross-sell, for example display different products, special promotions based on previous purchases. By simply being online, you can collect important customer data that can be used for marketing purposes.
To promote your store offline and have multiple sales channels – You can acquire customers from all possible channels, in various locations with a multi-channel presence. Gradually, you will be able to direct traffic from your online space to your physical store. Keep in mind that your products / services may be suitable for different generations; While some customers prefer the ease and convenience of the whole online shopping experience, there are others who first browse online and then visit the store to make a purchase. Consider the marketing funnel mentioned in last week’s column, before a customer decides to buy, they go through several stages, including realizing and considering the different options available.
Acquire new customers – Your commercial establishment and by extension its visibility, contributes enormously to its success, particularly in the retail trade, or even as a distributor. With your online store, you will be less affected by the limitation of not being in a central location. Through digital marketing, your brand can gain good search engine rankings, making it easy for your potential customers to find you online.
Reduced operating costs – Rent and utilities are among the most significant expenses incurred by businesses. With an online store, you don’t necessarily have to invest in a “storefront†or pay staff all day. Instead, you can spend that money to build the online store and use marketing tactics to drive traffic to the said store. It’s much easier to start small online with just a few products and scale over time by adding more items.
Candice Sealey is the Founder and Senior Consultant at Ignite! a comprehensive marketing and public relations consulting service that helps businesses / brands stand out, engage and connect with the right people through strategy, marketing, media and design solutions.
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