Ecommerce is More than Just Shopping Carts: “Add-to-cart” is Just One Type of Ecommerce.
The following is the text of a newsletter we recently sent to our clients and subscribers. If you aren’t on the list already, you can subscribe below; you’ll find the messages are not over-frequent and the list is not shared.
Whether you are in a pack-and-ship industry or not, you need to get your customers to reach out to you online. When customers find you online, they expect to be able to initiate with you online.
We are seeing businesses reduce their admin burden and find success in ecommerce even if they don’t have a product they can ship.
We are seeing businesses that used to have a heavy admin burden with monthly or annual subscriptions change to online systems, where customers can update their credit card numbers on their own. This allows company admin staff to focus on other work and not have to answer the phone all day. It also allows customers who don’t have time to call during the day to self-serve.
We are seeing businesses in very hands-on industries like construction and health care allow customers to pay invoices online.
We are seeing businesses that don’t have a product they can ship find success in ecommerce because they can get a customer’s commitment, or the beginning of a commitment online. This might be done by confirming inventory, pricing, or product information, and maybe taking pre-orders.
The Main concept in ecommerce now is “conversion” and not “sale.” Sometimes they’re the same, but a conversion might also be just one step toward a sale.
Many businesses need to meet with a potential customer, either in person or on the phone, or online before they can close the deal. Lawyers, accountants, roofing contractors, and many others fit into this category. That doesn’t mean that they can’t do ecommerce though.
What is a “conversion” for you? Each business needs to figure this out, and make their online presence work toward it. Book an appointment. Call now. Request a quote. Add to cart. These and other calls to action are all ways businesses bring in new customers.
Some conversions include an online payment and some do not. Some are invoiced later, and some still need to have a meeting to sign a contract. Don’t shy away from the idea of ecommerce, no matter what category you are in.
A few customers over the years have said to me, “Yeah but my customers all prefer to buy in person.” That might be true, (probably not) but even if it is, there is a much bigger pool of customers that like to shop online. It’s the bigger pool, in every industry. Even if the purchase is made in person, the decision is made based on web searches.
Ecommerce has evolved a lot over the last thirty years. People were selling online in the 1990s, but the difference now is that there are so many tools available that the barriers are much smaller.
Any business can enter the ecommerce arena. Let us show you how.
Funding Help for Ecommerce Websites
Did you know that the Canadian Federal Government has a micro-grant program for businesses getting started in or improving their ecommerce websites? Ask us about it!
