The benefits of eCommerce for Small Businesses and Startups

Having a brick-and-mortar business is great, but the internet has invaded the lives of everyone, changing the game for small enterprises like yours. You need to position yourself as an online source of what your customers are seeking. 

Whether you ship or operate a local curbside pickup, e-commerce has advantages you shouldn't ignore. Do you want to learn more about how e-commerce can help your business thrive? 

Stick around and continue reading! 

Benefit #1: Search Engine Visibility

Most online experiences begin in one place — the search engine results pages (SERPs). The SERPs are crawling with potential customers. With your e-commerce site present on the SERPs, you maximize your chances of being seen, visited, and recognized. 

In other words, your business can be visible after a customer searches for the services or products you offer. With this visibility comes higher chances of closing a sale. 

Benefit #2: Lower Overhead Costs

Having a brick-and-mortar business is great. However, it does come with overhead costs. For one, you need to pay for utilities just to keep the lights and AC (or heat) on. In addition, you also need to pay higher rent prices for your location. 

E-commerce allows you to operate from anywhere. All you need is an e-commerce platform and service to communicate with customers and showcase products. Also, this platform or service can help you manage finances with a point-of-sale system (POS). 

Benefit #3: 24/7 Operation

Your business is bound to operate within office hours from its brick-and-mortar location. Commonplace and effective as this practice may be, you will miss out on orders made after-hours. 

Your e-commerce site does not need to close. Have your site online, and you can continue to take orders and make sales. 

Benefit #4: The Chance To Take Advantage of Social Proofing

Every e-commerce site will have a section on reviews. Few things can advertise your business better than praises sung about your products and services. 

Reviews on your e-commerce site can be the deciding factor for your customer to add something to the shopping cart. With enough positive reviews present on your site, your business can enjoy better visibility and close more online sales. 

Benefit #5: Product Tracking Is a Breeze

E-commerce sites facilitate online sales in two ways: with delivery or curbside pickups. Either way, your product will end up in the hands of your customer safely and in a timely fashion. 

Between the time you prepare your product and your customer receives it, you need to know where it is. This is where a well-equipped e-commerce site somes in. Your business e-commerce site can have plugins that allow you to track your products during shipping. 

In the case of a local curbside pickup, you will be able to keep tabs on where the product is. This allows you to estimate the time your customer can pick the shipment up from your brick-and-mortar location. 

Either way, you can bet on your customers receiving their purchases on time. 

Take Your Business Online with E-Commerce!

The benefits mentioned comprise merely the tip of the iceberg. If you wish to experience the full advantages of ecommerce, get in touch with a company that specializes in e-commerce site design. 

At Advancify, we have helped small businesses close online sales since 2013. Learn more about our ecommerce design and support services to give your business the online presence it deserves!