Making a quick transition to Ecommerce
With covid-19 set to restructure consumer behaviour in Australia and increase the demand of online services it is essential to understand ecommerce businesses and how to transition from brick and mortar to online.
About ecommerce:
Covid-19 has changed consumer behaviour in Australia, it is now essential to understand ecommerce businesses and know how to transition from brick and mortar to online. The world of ecommerce can be defined as the purchasing of goods, services or funds and data through electronic networks. Here are six transactions which can be made depending on your type of business and who the transactions are between.
How to transition from brick and mortar/ info about square:
With COVID-19 still affecting many businesses, continuing to create revenue and ensuring your customers remain interested is the priority. This can be achieved through diversifying your business model and creating more than one way to reach your customers.
If you have an existing website most services have an ecommerce plugin which allows you to connect to your point of sale system. However, without an existing website you want to ensure your sales system can be integrated into your ecommerce platform. For example, square is a useful tool which works alongside point of sale systems. Selling anywhere at any time and ensures your existing in-store inventory will sync with your online store.
When making the transition from brick and mortar to ecommerce there are many elements which can benefit your business overall. These include around the clock availability as this allows your customers to access and view your shop at any time. This also correlates with the speed of access as well as the wide availability being provided. This is because you’re able to quickly release a large variety of products whilst also reaching an international market. Ultimately, boosting your business identity and your ability to meet the needs of more consumers.
Important ecommerce features:
When building and designing your ecommerce platform, there are many important features which should be included. “Studies show that 76% of consumers say the most important characteristic of a website is ease of use”. Therefore, the most important feature is to ensure your site is user-friendly. This also includes being mobile friendly and creating sections within your site, which include:
- Find in store
- Related items
- FAQS
Features such as high resolution photos allow your customers to see every angle of the product as if they were in store. Ultimately giving them a more realistic and genuine experience.
A main tip to remember is images sell, not text. With so many businesses being online, ecommerce sites are big targets for cybercriminals. Therefore security features are extremely important for your site and business. This is because if your site is not trustworthy and secure, your customers will lose their confidence in your business and potentially shop elsewhere. The use of a privacy policy link in the footer which addresses the websites polices and assures customer data is not shared with a third party ensures the business is covered if anything happens. Therefore, when making a decision on your ecommerce platform choosing one which offers fraud protection and secure socket layer encryption will guarantee protection for both you and your customers.