Buying and selling online is easier than ever and a necessity for a company’s sales strategy considering there will be over 2billion online buyers in 2020. With people searching for online sales solutions rather than physically going to stores for shopping and research is indicating that by 2040, around 95% of all purchases are expected to be via e-commerce, the necessity of owning an online store is a must. With Internet of Things and digital transformation, online shopping can be easily done from the comfort our homes, either by shopping from mobile devices, tablets, laptops or computers.
We note some of the key reasons why companies should consider going online and creating their own eStore:
- Better opportunity to gain customers, not only on a local level but globally as well.
- Attract more customers by setting up audience/target groups and making your online store SEO friendly.
- Increase the number of sales by online ads.
- Your store will be open 24/7 where your competitors may be open during ‘regular’ business hours.
- A better case for not missing a sale as buyers are more likely to make an online purchase rather than waiting for a physical store to open.
- Payments through online stores can be safe and secure via credit cards or other Point of Sales’ 3rd trusted parties.
- Online stores can be fully personalised to meet your customers’ needs and wants and to maintain your brand presence.
- Have full control of analytics and data by integrating with Google Analytics.
- Online stores can operate on any device both (iOS or Android).
- An unlimited number of products or services can be showcased on your online store.
- Combine your content and eShop sales strategies, as it has been proven that 61% of online shoppers are likely to make a purchase based on recommendations from a blog.
- Let’s not forget that some big data: 93.5% of global internet users have purchased products online!
There are multiple methods of creating a personal online store. The best way is to speak with experts in the field who can ask the right questions and consult with the solutions which would be applicable. The information that needs to be considered includes the store size (how many products/services, their types, the connection to a database for ease of logistics management, the interconnectivity with other digital areas of your business and so on).
A solution being discussed below includes using WordPress with WooCommerce plugin. WooCommerce is an open-source eCommerce plugin specially designed for WordPress which powers over 28% of the online stores globally. It supports many features, such as displaying products, the shopping cart, checkout pages, shipping options which will include label printing and taxes that in many cases can be automatically generated according to which country the sale will be completed in, etc. WooCommerce is also available on Facebook as a plugin. By downloading and installing a specific Facebook Pixel you will be able to synchronise your online store products with your Facebook page. Social Media and your store integrated!
WooCommerce has a big community of developers and there is a wide range of plugins which are available to support unique business needs. These are affordable solutions that can be integrated in an easy and effective WordPress design (whether a template or a custom-built website). Compared to other eCommerce platforms in the market, the combination of WordPress and WooCommerce is SEO friendly. WooCommerce can be used to sell anything – it is incredibly flexible and whether your business sells subscriptions, digital products, physical products and more, it is a solution to consider. Last but not least, it is important to think about the future of the online business strategy. WooCommerce is an application that can grow with your growth and is scalable, supporting from a few products to many thousands of products.
At Techlink, we offer a wide range of web solutions that support the entire process of creating an online store. Our team of experts, is here to help you.
For more information and a consultation on your eCommerce requirements, contact us here.
