How Can E-Commerce Transform Your Business?

Almost everyone will have come across e-commerce while shopping online as it has absolutely boomed in recent years. E-commerce is the purchase and sale of goods or services through electronic channels, most commonly the Internet.

E-commerce enables businesses to operate around the clock, reach more customer groups and overcome limitations like location. Social media, blogging and SEO is pushing the growth of brands further and further. Therefore, having a strong, successful e-commerce website can ensure your company’s success.

The right e-commerce system provides you with powerful functionality, with easy to manage capabilities and easy product management. It can also provide a user-friendly content management interface to allow you to design and edit your website using templates or extensions, rather than coding. So, if you are considering creating or updating an e-commerce store, don’t be daunted by the prospect.

As e-commerce is now hugely popular, it has become incredibly beneficial for businesses, so how can you make the most of the benefits to grow your own business?

Benefits of E-Commerce

A well-designed, informative and fully functioning e-commerce website is essential for success. You want to entice customers in, provide a positive user experience and turn them into conversions.

Convenience

E-commerce has become a preferred way of shopping for many around the globe because it is so easy. Offering the ability to browse at your leisure, across many different products and brands, any time of day or night, without having to leave home is invaluable for a lot of consumers.

If you are selling products or services, your customers will expect you to have an online presence, and you won’t miss out on a purchase because of restricted opening hours or location.

Monitoring Consumer Behaviour

Having an online store gives you easy access to the performance data of your website. Analysing your customers’ viewing history and orders gives you the advantage of tailoring specific offers that will suit the customers’ needs. Basically, being able to give a customer what they want is great customer service and will go a long way to building trust and a loyal relationship.

Cheaper Running Costs

An online store means you don’t need to rent commercial real estate, are likely to need fewer staff to assist your customers with their shopping, and advertising and marketing costs are lower. Using a website content management system to run your store also brings down the operational costs of inventory management.

E-Commerce Solutions

There are a number of fantastic platforms available to build your new e-commerce website. Web Force 5’s team of experienced web developers are specialised in all major e-commerce platforms to ensure we can tailor a solution that is best for your business.

There are several elements to consider when making a selection and they should be carefully researched to ensure the correct fit for your business. Four key things to take into account are:

• Running costs - this includes both the initial setup costs and the ongoing costs.
• Growth of your business - what are your goals for success and which platform can help?
• Customer experience - you want your customers to engage and have a great experience, to build loyalty and repeat sales.
• Delivering your objectives - what tools do you need to meet your business goals?

BigCommerce

This platform is one of the best, offers incredible versatility and lets you be in total control. You create the web pages including products and images, process the orders, and design promotional material. BigCommerce functions in the cloud, integrates with shopping and comparison sites, and covers a wide range of industries.

While BigCommerce offers a lot, there are many tools that make it easy to use including a page builder and tools to optimise images. It hosts excellent SEO features and is affordable with four different price plans.

Adobe Commerce

Personalise your website and offer a great user experience with Adobe Commerce. With AI-driven product recommendations, flexibility on order processing and advanced SEO functions, this platform is intuitive and very visual. The CMS is versatile and highly customisable, and it is powerful and secure.

Shopify

Considered to be one of the most affordable and user-friendly e-commerce platforms, Shopify is suitable for any sized business. It is easy to use, with many stylish themes to choose from and is mobile-friendly. Shopify has a comprehensive app store so it is simple to improve your online store any time. Powerful SEO and marketing tools and good security are also key benefits.

WooCommerce

This is a reliable, secure and cost-effective e-commerce solution. WooCommerce offers extensive customisation options, powerful SEO tools and comprehensive analytics. It integrates with WordPress and many plugins, and the intuitive interface is really easy to use.

Continuum

Built in-house by the team at Web Force 5, Continuum is an advanced e-commerce solution that is affordable and suitable for businesses of all sizes. Easy to use, intuitive and with vast editing functions, it allows you to build the online store you want. Continuum is constantly upgraded, and you will have full support at any time. It has several functions that include e-commerce, CRM, email marketing and integration with Google Analytics for critical data at your fingertips.

Keen to find out more? Get in touch with one of our specialist consultants for a free, no obligation chat about your e-commerce solution.