Why have an e-commerce site in 2024? As you know, our digital environment is constantly growing.
The web offers several advantages to local businesses. An e-commerce site is an essential element that extends their activities. E-commerce and local commerce come together under the concept of omnichannel.
Still not convinced? Here are some excellent reasons to have a good online presence!
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What is e-commerce?
E-commerce has been booming since the start of the health crisis, thanks to the international measures put in place to curb the spread of the virus. With the closure of non-essential shops, confinement, curfews and border closures, consumers everywhere found themselves stuck at home with only the internet to entertain them and consume compulsively.
Beyond that, no longer able to buy their everyday products in their physical shops, the alternative became clear to everyone: E-Commerce.
In the age of distance selling, different relationships can exist:
- B2B: Business to Business, which involves commercial exchanges between companies.
- B2C: Business to Customer, corresponding to online commerce between individuals and businesses.
- C2C: Customer to Customer, which is e-commerce between private individuals.
Since this mode of consumption has now become part of everyday life, has won over even the most sceptical consumers (generally older people), and is now an integral part of current consumer habits, it is easy to see why retailers need to be trained in E-Commerce if they are not to miss the boat and be left behind by the modernisation of retailing.
Developing your online presence: what strategy?
When you want to develop your online presence, you can opt for several strategies:
- Improve your visibility to reach a wider (and more qualified) audience: One of the best solutions is a showcase site with an attractive design, relevant and regularly updated content and contact information.
- Increase your audience with an e-commerce site that takes care of the entire purchasing process, from search to secure online payment and promotional and seasonal offers. You can easily manage your online shop using e-commerce platforms such as Magento or PrestaShop.
- Shape your brand image, for example, by showing that you are a modern, dynamic company, maintaining a blog and active profiles on social networks, interacting with your audience, and organising online events (webinars, live events, etc.).
- Capitalise on your image as a business owner by communicating via the business owner, for example, on LinkedIn. This strategy makes it easier to communicate the company’s values by embodying them by the CEO.
How can you develop your online presence?
There are many ways to develop your online presence. Some websites provide resources on online marketing and will help you to draw up an action plan. In the meantime, here are a few ideas:
- Launch a website: a showcase site to explain your business or an e-commerce site to sell products/services online
- Create one or more company profiles on social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)
- Create a Google My Business listing so that you can quickly display your contact details, opening hours, geographical location, etc.
- Get listed in local online directories
- Launch online advertising or a paid search campaign (AdWords)
- Emailing and sending relevant newsletters to your customer base and/or prospects
- Finally, remember that Internet users’ opinions count! So, setting up an online presence also means devoting some time to managing your e-reputation.
What are the 10 reasons to create an e-commerce site in 2024?
Today, investment in e-commerce has become an unavoidable necessity. In the age of COVID-19, the social changes we have experienced throughout 2020-2022 have turned all the old norms of selling and buying on their head.
Companies with a well-digitised business process have been able to overcome the damage caused by the pandemic. The latest statistics show that e-commerce has boosted the work of many professionals and offers a number of advantages for business leaders, including:
- Borderless sales of products
- Improved brand awareness for your organisation
- Unlimited traffic to your point of sale
- A catalogue of products on display 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- A channel for communicating with your community
- An international showcase for your activities
- A flawless brand image
- A guaranteed return on investment
- Clearance of your unsold goods
- An essential position among your competitors
All the opportunities you can generate through an e-commerce site will improve your business and help you become the leader in your professional field. Of course, setting up your online shop requires the involvement of a web development agency specialising in e-commerce site creation.
The year 2024 should witness the digital transformation of all businesses and thus pave the way for a more agile and efficient world of work.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
