From 2014 to 2021, the growth of e-commerce rose from 57 billion to 112.2 billion euros, according to the FEDAD (Fédération du e-commerce et de la vente à distance). Until 2025, the French trade association also forecasts a meteoric rise of 5% of its annual growth. These figures confirm the rise of the e-commerce sector. Despite these exciting statistics, some retailers are being held back and are reluctant to enter the online market. The fear of failure in a difficult terrain affects their ambition. To persuade you, the top 4 reasons to create an e-commerce site compiles the advantages of setting up an online shop.
1- Boost your sales and make your digital project profitable
The creation of a sales site marks the start of your online business. The tool marks the beginning of your permanent presence on the Web.
Adding another channel to your business
The creation of a merchant site requires a huge initial investment. However, it is a necessary evil for your e-commerce. The placement adds a new channel that will be a real driver. The e-commerce site increases your sales.
The immaterial shop encourages you to embrace the new consumer habits, i.e. the assertion of a permanent presence on the Web.
It centralises all your business, stock, sales and profit data in one digital location.
The site is part of a modern commercial strategy. The digital tool frees you from the physical hazards of a traditional sales outlet. It saves you from the technical constraints of using a shop, such as construction work and maintenance chores.
Running out of stock at full speed
Selling in a physical shop exposes you to a permanent material constraint: the difficulty of selling off stocks. A dematerialised presence on the web frees you from this inconvenience.
An online shop increases your turnover. Your online shop highlights the characteristics and specificities of your products. It also builds customer loyalty. As purchases are made, regular customers will become more aware of your brand and will turn to your e-commerce site. This habit will build trust between e-merchants and connected consumers. Your goods are selling out fast. Your stocks will run out quickly.
Increase the average basket
Your immaterial presence does not penalise your physical business. On the contrary, it adds value to your business. The digital solution offers a boost to your business.
The online shop relieves introverted customers of social pressure. The site eliminates the endless queues at the checkout and the tiring trips from one department to another under prying eyes. The absence of social constraints boosts the average customer basket, i.e. the average expenditure of each Internet user on each visit.
In addition to these advantages, the dematerialised payment is faster and more secure. The shop thus offers your customers an exceptional digital shopping experience.
To boost your sales, you can even waive delivery charges when a certain purchase threshold is reached.
Multiplying sales opportunities
The lack of a physical shop erases the restriction of space. The e-commerce site expands your storage space as well as your niche. It encourages the multiplication and diversification of stocks.
The display of a wide range of products is the first step towards satisfaction for the customer. It attracts Internet users who are fond of authentic and unique items.
In addition, a rich offer, a wide catalogue and a variety of products are essential criteria for a successful commercial business even in a competitive market.
In physical shops, expert advice is appreciated, as it speeds up the purchasing decision. The concept remains the same online. Although there is no human contact between seller and buyer, visitors get recommendations based on their search, visit and purchase.
2- Establish your digital visibility
A physical shop reduces the targeting to people in the geographical area. Conversely, the use of an online shop increases the audience.
Expand your catchment area
The physical shop makes you dependent on your sales location. In order to assert your presence, you must open several sales outlets. However, this is an expensive and time-consuming option.
If you want to reach a wide audience at a low price, consider an e-commerce site. The online shop expands your sales prospects and your catchment area nationwide. You can even go beyond borders and expand your audience across the globe. Of course, large projects require extensive work, such as setting up several language versions, partnering with international delivery services and studying customs protocols in advance.
Increase shop visits
A digital presence is a springboard for in-store visits. The e-commerce site maintains your visibility. It showcases your company logo and exposes your image to the public. Through local referencing, it encourages locals to visit your shop while encouraging customers to take a look at your website.
In this way, your physical shop and your online shop create a synergy.
Maintaining the image of your business enterprise
In the digital age, a company worthy of the name must be present on the Internet, its reputation depends on it. Your intangible shop puts your name in the digital spotlight. It highlights your assets and strengths.
Moreover, having a simple online shop is not enough to survive in the Internet jungle. Neglecting your e-reputation and even the smallest mistake will tarnish your image and damage your online business. Your multifunctional website will not only serve as a weapon of persuasion, but also as a tool for maintaining your visual identity.
Ensuring a presence without time constraints
Being everywhere and anywhere at the same time and reaching thousands of people is possible with an e-commerce site.
A brick-and-mortar shop is subject to a time constraint. It is open for a certain period of time in order to fill a quota of 12 hours per day. Moreover, it is only accessible 6 days a week.
The human constraints of physical shops also limit your productivity. If a salesperson is unfit, your shop will remain closed.
An e-commerce site takes the pressure off you. Whether you're attending an event, staying in bed, or doing your shopping, your e-commerce site will stay open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It continues to sell, register purchases and make deliveries without your intervention. Its only downtime will be for construction, maintenance, programming and updates.
Accelerate customer purchasing processes
The strength of a web shop lies in the speed of the purchasing process. The products are just a click away and save customers precious time. Instead of going to the shop, they click and in a few seconds to a few minutes, validate their purchases. They wait a few days for their delivery in due form.
To convince the confused and persuade the perplexed, adopt a policy of transparency. Post reviews and testimonials. Show both good and bad reviews and don't leave out any messages. The practice requires the installation of a customer review module. This demonstrates your goodwill and your willingness to improve your products and services.
3- Getting closer to the world's targets
E-commerce is a subtle technique for connecting with your audience.
Communicate differently with targets
The Web is a modern communication channel. It not only brings geographically distant people closer together, but also companies and their customers.
Building and managing an online shop requires a cost-effective digital strategy, such as SEO. This is an approach that involves the development of quality and unique content. The technique, combined with other web marketing strategies, will move your shop to a higher position in the search engine index.
Social networks are an integral part of a successful communication strategy. Linked to your e-commerce site, your Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram page will reinforce your proximity with your customers.
Knowing customers inside out
Your e-commerce site collects relevant data. Acquisition involves the capture of essential information, in this case :
- the name ;
- the first name ;
- the amount of expenditure ;
- address;
- the customer's bank details.
The visits determine which pages are attractive and which are not. In short, the site highlights information and behaviour at each stage of the conversion funnel (the process from site visit to purchase). It indicates the points likely to slow down the process. From these observations, you can then make the necessary adjustments, which often focus on
- in the product details ;
- payment terms ;
- delivery processes.
The FAQ (Frequently asked questions) section plays a key role in your survey. It highlights the recurring problems faced by Internet users in their journey.
Attracting prospects
On average, connected consumers spend 2 hours browsing sales sites. It's hard to ignore an online presence when the number of Internet users is exploding. Your prospects are undoubtedly among the billions of consumers in circulation on the Web. With a solidinbound marketing strategy (the art of attracting customers to your product), attract prospects.
An online shop is not just about displaying goods. The site devotes a good part of its space to your business. It includes a landing page, an about page, even a blog - as many click generators as possible.
Bringing together a community of online shoppers
Your online shop becomes the meeting point of a like-minded community. In the comments, reviews and ratings your customers discuss.
The online shop is also an advertising tool. Do not skimp on promotional techniques and customer loyalty policies such as: newsletters, competitions, discount codes... Then, mobilise your efforts on the commercial aspect of your activity.
Assessing the profitability of your marketing actions
An online shop incorporates powerful behavioural analysis tools such as Google Analytics. In addition to collecting data, the computer application measures the effectiveness of your digital marketing techniques. It discloses key figures that reflect the attitudes of visitors in real time.
Furthermore, setting up an e-commerce site is now easy. If before, the complexity of its development slowed down the ambitious, today, the operation is accessible to all entrepreneurs. E-commerce sites can be created in a few clicks in just a few minutes with a minimum of human intervention.
4- Manage your dematerialized sales activity
Bringing your entrepreneurial project to fruition has never been easier with an e-commerce website. Work for yourself and become your own boss.
Develop your business at your own pace
Start your business smoothly, without rushing. Test your projects and move from one idea to another. If you are still in your job, keep your position until your site has grown. You can hand over your position after the official launch of your project.
In the beginning, take advantage of popular channels such as Facebook and YouTube to promote your business. If your project is taking up your time, it is a sign that your business is taking off. Over time, recruit and assemble a management team to work on your business.
Managing the risks of e-commerce
There are many causes of online business failure:
- strong competition in a saturated market;
- a low-key promotion;
- a lack of interest from targets;
- a lack of control over market fluctuations.
Fortunately, several solutions reduce the failure rate, the dropshipping is one of them. Dropshipping is a practice that involves the use of a supplier. The latter takes care of stock management and delivery of your customers' products on behalf of your company. The technique therefore relieves you of the constraints linked to logistics and stock management, allowing you to focus on your commercial site.
Reducing costs and waste
Creating an online shop frees you from transaction costs. The strategy saves you from the costs of using premises. It also saves you from additional expenses in case you expand your business.
Apart from the savings in labour costs, the solution eliminates the additional costs of rent, electricity and utilities. However, the use of a webshop requires some expenses: hosting costs and possibly management costs.
The digital instrument comes with all the equipment, namely: a stock management system, an inventory and a cash flow control.
Reduce your workload
Managing an e-commerce site is no longer a problem thanks to theautomation of tasks. Your role is limited to supervising the entire project. You make sure that the business is running smoothly. You review the orders placed during the day and at night. You monitor delivery stages and payment processes.
The only drawback is that you have to deal with problems and bugs on your own. Repairs and maintenance require the expertise of a programmer. The cost of this service varies depending on the size of your e-commerce site.
Creating an e-commerce site: summary
There are many reasons to set up an e-commerce site, the first being to increase sales. The addition of another channel speeds up the flow of your stock. It increases your sales opportunities tenfold and enriches your average basket.
The online shop boosts your visibility on a national and even international scale. At the same time, it maintains your brand image on the Web. It boosts shop visits. It extends your catchment area. It gives you a permanent online presence. The tool also facilitates the purchasing process.
The creation of a merchant site is a way to get closer to your targets. The tool makes exchanges more fluid. It attracts prospects. As well as the visits, the data accumulates. The figures reveal customer behaviour and highlight the improvements that are essential for the tool to function properly.
The merchant site manages your entire business. It limits your risks, controls your cash flow and reduces your workload.
So, have these arguments convinced you of the importance of an e-commerce site in your business project? Are you now ready to embark on the great adventure of e-commerce? Let us know!
