Why Add Ecommerce to your Small Business Website

With the Covid 19 pandemic, many more people are using online shopping. Even older consumers are becoming comfortable doing online transactions. This trend will continue. Adding ecommerce to your website may offer you an opportunity to serve your customers better. Even if you are in a service industry which relies on face to face service, adding an ecommerce shop may be beneficial. For example, beauty and hair salons can have an online shop for purchases of products between visits. Dentists can offer an online shop for specialist products between visits.

Widen Reach and Engagement

When you add ecommerce to your website, it may provide an opportunity for you to reach customers within a wider area as well as develop an ongoing relationship. This can allow you to expand your business without adding a physical store to other locations. Additionally, you can more easily market to your customer database. For example, I recently visited an artisan store which until last year, sold mostly to tourists. Fortunately, they had worked to develop a good database of overseas customers who receive a newsletter, and although they do not have many overseas tourists due to Covid, they have been able to make online sales from repeat customers.

Convenience and Customer care

An online store means your customers can always make an order even late at night. Certain seasons of life are hectic and online shopping can make life easier. I appreciate avoiding the traffic, the time to shop during times when there are long queues and the convenience of shopping late at night without interruptions.

Ecommerce may offer your business additional marketing opportunities, widen your customer base and make products offers and sales.