Online commerce has not finished conquering new buyers, especially since the health crisis. In 2020, France was the second largest e-commerce market in Europe and the fifth largest in the world. Creating an online sales site is therefore an idea that can pay off. Insofar as the number of Internet buyers continues to grow, developing an online store is a vector for the future. Moreover, the advantages for an entrepreneur who opens his market on the web are numerous. Here is why.
The advantages of an e-commerce site
They are numerous! First of all, the financial advantage is great. Apart from the price of the domain name and the hosting, you will have only few expenses to engage. Then, the web business allows you to offer your site a direct and immediate visibility. Unlike a local store that only attracts the eye of passers-by, the best online stores know how to attract customers from all over the world. It is therefore in your best interest to create several language versions of your site. This visibility and low initial investment are the major advantages of an online store.
Virtuality allows you to show the world an immeasurable amount of information without needing space to store it. Thus, you can expand your virtual store constantly and offer more products. Of course, you must not forget the storage of your products. Unless you operate on a just-in-time basis, which would not require you to store large quantities of goods. Another important advantage: online, the buyer has a higher budget. Indeed, your customers will often prefer to pay a little more to not have to pay the transport costs.
E-commerce: a market that pays
In 2020, online shopping has increased by 30%. A considerable advance that is not unrelated to the crisis and containment. In any case, the health situation has initiated, if not reinforced, a trend that has existed for the past fifteen years. More and more people are taking the plunge and opting for the simplicity of the Internet. Daily shopping, clothing, multimedia, services, travel: purchases on the web are diverse, but well marked.
For the entrepreneur, it is an important source of income. Our references of success in the field of e-commerce are Amazon, Cdiscount for the marketplaces, Fnac or Leroy Merlin for the French sites. In their image, your online store could become a reference. This being said, you should not forget that the management of a website requires a huge and regular work. Thus, you must behave as if you were managing one or more physical stores. Your phone and laptop should always be at hand.
Original and reliable products for a wide range of customers
"Why would a customer go shopping with you rather than another e-commerce seller? this is the question you have to ask yourself. To answer this question, you need to stand out. How can you do this? By offering original, quality products with added value. Your marketing action must be well-tried in order to create customer loyalty and to ensure that their test purchase is repeated. Discounts, vouchers or newsletters about your products are ways to pamper your customers. You must show that you are attentive to their needs and anticipate their desires. You have to follow the trend by bringing a plus.
Start your small business slowly but surely. Go for the qualitative rather than the quantitative. Display few tabs on your menu. You can develop many sub-categories, but the customer's eye must not get lost. Otherwise, you risk losing them. The main categories of items must be clearly visible, as well as the shopping cart and promotions. This is ultimately the most important part of your web store.
A practical tool to analyze the behavior of your customers
Analyze the behavior of online buyers: this is what physical commerce does not allow in an optimal way. The age of the consumer, his purchases, his product searches, his budget, his connection times: these are important criteria. These are important criteria that only an online analysis tool can find to improve your business strategy. By measuring the behavior of online customers, you can know which product to promote, at what time and for which type of prospects.
With an online sales site and intelligent behavioral analysis software, it is possible to get to know your customers better, to detect flaws in the buying process and to understand the most suitable promotional cycles. All this by surfing on current trends that correspond to the types of products or services you offer. It is also possible to innovate and create new consumer needs yourself. A bold undertaking!
Inexpensive, simple, fast and effective: the creation of an online store will bring you success and satisfaction. This is especially true if you work seriously in advance and if you bring a particular originality.
