Ecommerce is forging ahead. Even as retail stores receive an ever decreasing number of shop visitors, the number of people who use the internet to shop and find deals is increasing. This can be attributed to a number of factors, most notably the pressure to find cheaper prices.
The annual holiday benchmark from Experian Marketing Services actually revealed that 1 out of 5 consumers in the US (around 26 percent) are already using the World Wide Web to get deals and discounts. It is safe to assume that all companies that have become successful in ecommerce have secure and reliable web hosting providers.
This report – which also includes consumer behaviour to holiday offers – also tend to show that for the next year, 24% will still be comparing prices. Around 22% will make a purchase from their mobile devices. There is no longer any doubt that online tools have a big impact on the bottom line of retailers. It is not only due to direct purchases being made online. The information consumers find on the web also significantly affects their offline buying behaviour.
For example, if they receive an in-store only discount special through email, they are likely to open this. If this interests them, the retail store in question can experience a boost in profitability. Gift cards also surge in popularity during the holiday season, especially during the 2009 season. There is no reason to doubt that consumers will embrace this for the coming holiday season as well.
If you’re running a brick-and-mortar business, now is the time to explore the opportunities of opening an ecommerce store. Sure, you might already have a static website and a blog page online but beyond having a web hosting provider and an online presence, giving searchers the ability to buy on the internet may increase your long-term profitability. Below are some tips that may help in this initiative:
User-Friendly Storefront – products that are for sale should be easy to find and the whole website easy to navigate. If you’re engaged in selling products that can be categorised into sections, organise these accordingly on your online storefront on the web hosting interface. That way, shoppers can simply click on the product and buy it without any hassle.
Use Good Descriptions – because shoppers are not able to physically see or touch the product, they need as much information as possible. This means that aside from posting the image, a clear description should be posted as well.
Secure Your Site Against Fraud – security is one of the main concerns in online shopping. Make sure to have a SSL certificate to provide assurance that your ecommerce storefront is trustworthy.
Aside from these basic considerations, it is also crucial to ensure that the web hosting company you choose can guarantee 99% uptime, has sufficient backup infrastructure in place, and has good customer support.
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