No one doubts that electronic commerce represents the future of exchanges between people. A few years ago, who knew you could buy a handmade product created by an overseas merchant in just a few clicks? Yeah. It is speculated that in 2040, 95% of all purchases will be made online. In this unprecedented reality, new business models are created, ranging from small virtual stores in garages to large marketplaces, which host millions and millions of salespeople.
It is always like this: new technologies appear and the world adapts. If you want to be part of this transformation, know that it is perfectly possible to have your own e-commerce and be successful in it. Visit Webpage Scientist for more details. If you want to know everything about e-commerce and how to create yours in 2020, read on.
Creating the website
Fortunately, creating an e-commerce is no longer as difficult as it once was. At least, from a technical point of view. All you need is to hire an experienced programmer to develop your online store. Although, there are various ready-made platforms on the Internet, but their services are limited and quality is poor. There are various platform to choose from, such as Word Press, Joomla, etc. Professional developers trust Word Press as the ideal platform. There are several Word Press themes aimed at this purpose.
However, this does not mean that you can treat the issue carelessly. Remember that e-commerce needs to be attractive and functional. An indispensable feature is the good organization of the products, using categories and subcategories that are easy to understand. You must ensure that the customer can find what they want quickly.
Choosing the server
Thinking about scalability, you should also take precautions against technical problems by investing in a good server. This will avoid problems typical of poorly planned e-commerce, such as slow page loading or the website “falling” when many people try to access it at the same time.
Planning the billing system
And what is the Achilles heel of an e-commerce? The billing system. It needs to be extremely secure, as your customers will put personal and bank details in that system. Among the available options, you have the creation of a direct system. This means that the “cashier” is within the e-commerce website itself. Another option is to use an indirect means of payment – a third party, such as PayPal.
The direct system has the advantage of being faster and more practical for the customer’s checkout. However, many users may be uncomfortable with putting their bank details in the system of an unknown website. For this reason, for a small e-commerce that does not yet have an online reputation, using a sub-buyer can eliminate some objections that hamper sales. There is no denying that the use of a direct system greatly increases e-commerce’s responsibility for the digital security of the website.
Managing inventory and delivery logistics
Despite all the points we’ve listed so far, perhaps the biggest challenges of creating an e-commerce have nothing to do with the creation of the virtual store itself. The real critical points are in inventory and logistics management. To be successful, it is necessary to know how to estimate the demand for the products well, preventing them from being out of stock and causing “lost sales”. Excess is also a problem. As it causes “stranding”, forcing e-commerce to carry out promotions.
And don’t forget to plan the storage of the products well. Certain items require special storage conditions. Finally, after a certain sales volume, you will probably need a dedicated storage space, such as a warehouse. Nowadays, you can outsource this service. In addition, you must have good options for transportation. Many small e-commerce use the post office, which is widely accessible. However, it is necessary to take into account the suitability of this transport for the type of product being shipped and the degree of urgency of the customers.
The partnership with carriers must be made based on the volume of dispatches. This can guarantee lower freight rates, an advantage for the customer that becomes a competitive differential for your store. Another crucial point is the carrier’s coverage area, to ensure that it is compatible with the location of its customers. Finally, it is essential to have channels for communication with customers, to receive feedback. A dissatisfied buyer needs to have a way to contact e-commerce and request an exchange or refund. And, having lost the user’s trust, the negative effect will certainly come on sales and billing.
Increase the average ticket
Another typical e-commerce strategy is to bring, on the product page, options for the user to buy more. In technical terms, “increasing the average ticket”. That is, increasing the average amount that a customer spends per purchase. That is why we usually find suggestions like “Whoever saw this product, also saw it”, or “Whoever buys this product, also buys it”, or even “Buy it together”. Basically, this strategy works like organizing the windows or shelves of a real store, trying to get consumers to buy on impulse. Of course, these suggestions need to be consistent with the user’s profile, to increase the likelihood that they will actually be interested in what is being offered.
Conclusion: Build customer loyalty
While this strategy is useful to get consumers to buy more immediately, there is a strategy to get them to come back more often and buy again. These are discount coupons and loyalty programs. These are not exclusive e-commerce strategies, but they have become much more practical through the digital environment. Right after completing a purchase, the customer can already receive in your email a code for 10% discount.
Or, in the shopping cart itself, he can choose to use the points accumulated in the program and deduct the final amount. Some online stores also bet on sending free samples along with the customer’s order. Thus, he has the opportunity to know more products and can decide to buy the original version. In addition, these strategies also improve customer satisfaction in relation to e-commerce service, as they feel more valued and feel that they received more added value in their purchase.
