Ecommerce is, of course, electronic commerce -- basically the idea of buying and selling things online. Some sites exist purely because of ecommerce such as Amazon, eBay, and Etsy -- whereas for others, ecommerce is only a portion of the site such as an artist’s store alongside their blog. Most brick and mortar stores also have dedicated ecommerce sites and if you sell anything -- whether physical or digital, and whether or not you have a storefront, you will probably need to consider ecommerce now or at some point in the near future.
In 2012, Canadian consumers made 4% of all retail purchases online (compared to 11% made by American consumers). This may seem small, but still accounts for a significant dollar figure -- a portion of the $763 billion in online purchases globally.
The benefits to ecommerce include ease of setup, low overhead, and the ability to sell directly to the consumer (b2c) or business market (b2b) you are trying to reach.
- Ease of Setup: Whether you set up with a store like Etsy (for handmade goods), Kindle (for ebooks), or a storefront through shopify (for other goods); or you integrate ecommerce into an existing site (most CMS systems have add-ons or plugins to suit your needs), ecommerce is moderate to advanced level for DIY web managers and usually a straightforward assignment for web developers.
- Low overhead: Unlike a bricks and mortar store, there is no rent to pay -- though you may have to consider bandwidth -- and far fewer staff needed to manage the store.
- Sell direct: targeting the right audience can be easier with ecommerce -- espeicially when those already visiting your site can be offered the option of purchasing without leaving.
The difficulties of ecommerce can include shipping and the expectation of 24/7 customer service. However, shipping can be streamlined with a little forethought (for example: Canada Post and UPS both offer ecommerce solutions) and customer service expectations can be clarified at the outset with a contact page that includes hours of availability.
Need ecommerce but don’t know where to start? Contact Those DeWolfes Creative; we can help you find a solution that matches your needs.
This article is one of a series of The A to Z of tech by Those DeWolfes Creative. Read the rest at ThoseDeWolfes.com