Have you wondered if your business should have an online presence? More and more people are searching online first for what they want to buy. Then they are making their buying decisions based on what they find and what their friends are saying as well. The only question is this. Are you part of their buying decision?
How could a customer benefit from online shopping? First of all, online shopping can allow for a faster buying experience. Secondly, they can shop from the comfort of their own home. Just think Black Friday and people getting trampled and pushed around. Lastly, products can be shipped to the customer’s address directly.
Why would a person want to shop online and not venture into your store in the first place? One good reason could be time. Many people are busy with their work and cannot find the time to get to your store during the day. Now I can hear you saying that all people are not like this. Well if only a few needed to do this, wouldn’t it still be beneficial to your business.
We are trying to encourage people to “Buy local” these days. Offering customers another way to buy from you could be helpful to your business. It could open up another stream of income. It could also extend your reach to new customers. Just imagine selling your products further out from your local area.
Is a website with an online shopping cart really expensive and beyond the reach of many small businesses? With the advent of technology and software that can create sites and shopping carts easier, the costs for creating an online shopping experience for your customers are going down. I asked a friend about what his company charges and I was surprised to find it much lower than what I expected.
So if you want people to buy local, make sure you give them as many options as possible for them to do so. If your business can create an online store, it should look in that direction. The cost is more reasonable than you originally thought.
It is certainly worth looking to see if online shopping is the next option for you and your business. After all, what could you potentially be missing? Sales. What could you potentially be gaining? Sales.
