Some people take the stance of, “It’s one of those things that sounds like big corporations are focused on, so it’s probably over my head. And whatever it is, I surely won’t be able to afford it.” In all reality, eCommerce can be utilized as an essential part to any business plan. And no, it’s not super expensive. In fact, you can find several really inexpensive DIY setups online today. If you've ever asked yourself is eCommerce a good fit for my business, we'll do our best to asnwer that in this post.
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What is eCommerce?
So what is it? Sometimes the “experts” get rolling on their technical jargon about SEO, and ranking, and backlinks, and white hat, and black hat, and content development, and yadda yadda. Sure, that information is probably really quality stuff, but what they seem to forget is that small business owners, when it comes down to it, don’t care about that crap. They need to know in easy-to-follow terms what exactly something is, and whether or not it’s something they need.
eCommerce, Plain & Simple
To put it simply, an eCommerce website is a site that sells products online. Woah. Life changer. Eye opening. I know… big deal. Pick up your jaw, and read on.
The term is derived from the phrase, “Electronic Commerce.” Businesses who utilize eCommerce strategies typically build a virtual storefront with an online catalog of products. For our clients, we build unique and clever product placement pages, utilizing various techniques that are constantly evolving with internet technology. Then we put into place a marketing plan that focuses on keyword targeting and landing pages to capture that specific audience that is specifically looking for what you offer. In all reality, the concept can be a major game changer for small businesses who see how eCommerce can enhance their company’s nature of business.
By using the internet to sell products or services, you expand your reach to not only a local influence, but also a global one. Now your Main Street Storefront in Smalltown, USA that has a daily reach of about 50 people, is accessible to the masses by just a few keystrokes. Not only that, but you’re giving people the power to shop any time of day, and even in their undies if they feel like it. You just made your daily reach in the possibilities of thousands, on your customers terms – not your terms. How cool would it be for someone 10 states away who has no preconceived notion of your business, to easily find you online when searching for solutions to their roadblocks?
Questions To Ask
Is eCommerce A Good Fit For My Business?
More than likely, yes. If you sell a product, it absolutely is a good fit. If you’re selling services, it gets a little grey, but the overwhelming majority of businesses can still utilize eCommerce strategies for bringing in new business. For one, it takes away any kind of “hard selling” a client would need, making the situation less awkward for both of you. They have the power to pick and choose what’s right for them, and can be at peace without worrying about getting an ugly sales pitch over the phone or in person. The beauty of selling services with eCommerce, is that you can collect the contact information of every person who buys from you. You just generated a lead for your next product launch or the next service in your back pocket (pending they have a good experience with you).
Is It Too Expensive For My Business?
Definitely not. eCommerce can actually be quite cheap. There are tons of resources for building your own eCommerce site on the internet today. You can’t get too creative with them, and it’s not really the best for Search Engine Optimization, but if you need something quick and cheap, you can absolutely get that.Can I Maintain It Myself?
Well absolutely! Yes! This one’s kind of a dumb question. It’s well into the new millennium now. If you don’t have access to change things on your site by now, you’re doing something really, really wrong.
Further, the tools and systems that exist to update and maintain eCommerce sites have gotten much friendlier and easier to work with.
How Can I Guarantee It Will Make My Business Money?
We know from experience when pairing an eCommerce package with a very strategic marketing and SEO plan, that your chances of shattering sales goals are, well, really high. For most of our clients, for example, they have sales figures that are much bigger than they could have ever expected or had hoped for.If you custom tailor an SEO plan to what your target audience is looking for, you are golden. If you don’t go after the super competitive search niches every other competitor is aiming for, you are golden. If you find a client base on various long-tail search terms, and find out where your best chances of profit are, you are golden.
The Takeaway
I can tell you I have never seen a company invest in eCommerce solutions and not at least tripled what they put into in profit. When you tackle online selling and market your business to the right people online, your world of business development just keeps growing and growing!
Photo credit goes to Flickr user Travis Isaacs
