The wholesale environment has been in a continuous state of flux for well over 20 years. From the threat of large chain stores to recent advances in mobile technology and the rise of eCommerce sites, retailers have had to adapt to various trends and innovations to attract consumer attention. One of the most common ways small businesses navigate these changes is by transitioning to selling online.
If you own a brick-and-mortar business and are unsure whether to jump online, here are why you should set up and add online shop to the website.
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Cost-effective expansion
Launching an online store is more budget-friendly than the conventional brick-and-mortar expansion. You can stop worrying about additional rent, employee salaries, or the yearly renovations; expanding into the digital eCommerce world demands minimal overhead costs.
As for building your website? You don’t need to hire professionals to do the job. You can find the fastest eCommerce platform at a very affordable price, and with minimal coding, you can set up an online store for the website.
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Increased brand awareness
Running a small or medium-sized business does not mean you cannot have a large customer base. You cross borders and get international shoppers when you take your business online. Moreover, it helps locals shop from the comfort of their homes.
Implementing a solid search engine optimization strategy is key to getting your eCommerce website to the top of search engine results pages and onto shoppers’ radars. Selecting an eCommerce platform that offers SEO optimization capabilities can dramatically boost your site’s search ability and in-store and online sales.
Round-the-clock sales
The wholesale industry has transformed into a 24/7 business in the past few years. Depending on a brick-and-mortar store, you might miss out on sales. With eCommerce, you can sell your products and maintain a solid content and sales strategy.
Added brand value
You must have heard the phrase “content is king.” You establish brand authority and build trust by adding detailed, SEO-friendly product descriptions, customer reviews, an ongoing blog, and other helpful, entertaining content such as videos. The more consumers trust you, the more likely they will purchase from you and become loyal customers.
Increased customer engagement
It should be no surprise that an online presence creates additional consumer touchpoints for your business. The more points you create, the easier it is to engage with the customer base, and they keep coming back to your store or website.
With eCommerce, the customer data, like their bank accounts, preferred products, etc., is at your disposal. You can also use eCommerce features such as social media integrations, live chat, product suggestions, and automated email campaigns to further engage customers with relevant content likely to elicit conversions.
Increased customer satisfaction
Shoppers want options. It is beneficial to provide your customers with choices regarding where they interact with your products and how they walk away with them.
By making products and services available in person and online while maintaining a consistent brand identity and by providing options when it comes to payments, shipping and pick-up, consumers can shop with you on their terms. Who wouldn’t want that?
CONCLUSION
It’s time to turn your brick-and-mortar business into an online store. A level-up is a great decision. And with all the reasons mentioned, you should give it thought. So, don’t juggle up and get started while you are at it. And if you already have a website, you can simply use a website builder tool to turn it into an online store.
