eCommerce site’s have been emerging over the past 15 years to accommodate approximately 8 million consumers who actively buy through Web based retailers. When set up correctly, eCommerce and eBusiness sites present many benefits for both the seller and consumer.

eCommerce…

Helps Create New Relationship Opportunities:

Expanding or opening an eBusiness that is accessible to users all over the world can help to establish new relationships with potential customers, potential business associates and new product manufacturers.

Open for Business 24×7:

An eCommerce site gives you the ability to have unlimited store hours where the costs associated with having your store open 24/7 are much less than maintaining a physical storefront or phone operator with 247 operation capability.

Increases Brand or Product Awareness:

Having an Online business means that you can reach out to millions of consumers looking for what you sell anywhere in the world. By reaching out to new markets and displaying your site prominently in front of them, you will be able to help increase your company/domain brand name and also increase awareness about your product line.

Potential to Increase Overall Business Sales and Profits:

eCommerce stores are a great way to boost overall business sales and potentially increase company profits across the board. Companies who already do business from a physical location are typically unaware of how much more they could be making if only they were to expand into their Online marketplaces.

Potential to Decrease Some Costs:

eCommerce stores can run with less employees including sales staff, customer service reps, order fulfillment staff and others. eBusinesses also do not need a physical location in order to stay operational, which can reduce costs related to building leases, phone bills, utility costs and other costs associated with running a storefront.

Expands Geographical or Customer Reach:

As mentioned, owning an eCommerce business typically means no limits as to who and where you can sell your products. Some countries outside the United States have additional regulations, licensing requirements or currency differences, but generally you will not be limited on the customers you can reach out to. At the very least, you should consider targeting U.S. buyers, but also consider, Canada, UK, Australia and others. Sell to anyone, anywhere, anytime!

Allows for Smaller Market or Niche Targeting:

Although your customer reach may expand beyond your local area, you may only wish to target smaller consumer markets and buyer niches for your eCommerce products. Owning an Online store gives the merchant much control over who they target and reach out to notify about the items for sale in their store. Currently, you can target women, men, a generation of users, a particular race and many more smaller niche markets. This is typically done by placing keywords that those niche markets use on a regular basis when shopping for the items you offer.

Allows for Easier Delivery of Information:

With an Online presence your customers will have direct access to product information, company information, specials, promotions, real time data and much more information that they can easily find just by visiting your site day or night. Not only does it benefit your customers, but it’s also generally easier for merchants to update their site rather than break down an in store display and put up another for the next event.

eCommerce Marketing…

eCommerce marketing began when the first shopping cart enabled sites started popping up all over the Net. As competition in major markets such as consumer electronics, gifts, clothing or apparel and outdoor goods started to grow so did the need for eCommerce marketing. Since the dot com boom, eCommerce marketing has evolved into a whole new mix of strategies and techniques designed to increase exposure from a multitude of channels to the eCommerce seller.

Marketing Strategies & Techniques:

eCommerce marketing today is typically made up of several creative or unique mixes of traditional and new-age marketing strategies that can include techniques related to direct mail, email marketing, search engine optimization, CPC or sponsored listings, building related links, establishing brand recognition and social media marketing.

eCommerce Marketing Benefits...

Tax Breaks for Conducting Business Online:

Many eCommerce merchants qualify for such tax deductions and may find that they can save more in taxes than if they sold using traditional retail or a physical storefront. Home-based eBusiness can deduct many of the same things traditional businesses can. Traditional businesses can write-off utility, rent or mortgage bills as costs of doing business and Online merchants can also write-off certain portions of utilities. Vehicles are another common deduction along with office equipment and other time spent on setting up or running the business.

Cheaper than Print Advertising:

Traditional advertising is still a quality form of marketing, however it is not always cost effective, especially for small businesses. Print advertising can get expensive as there may be a need to update regularly, which requires new work be planned and generated. It is much quicker and more cost effective to update and maintain eCommerce marketing campaigns, especially as technology continues to improve. By conducting business Online and using the proven form of eCommerce marketing, merchants have the potential to generate far more in ROI with less spend than they could ever hope to expect from costly print advertising campaigns.

Interactive Ads or Marketing Campaigns:

Using advertising that engages potential customers is key in todays fast paced, little time consumer shopping space. One benefit to eCommerce marketing is the merchant’s ability to develop and improve a number of interactive advertising or marketing campaigns designed to reach out and engage shoppers.

Flexible Ad or Marketing Campaigns:

Many traditional marketing strategies are limited in what they can offer and what kind of flexibility each initiative has. Merchants can develop more creative marketing ideas and launch them using the power and assistance of the Web (for both delivery and functionality). eCommerce marketing initiatives can be automated and are much more flexible than many of the traditional marketing or advertising methods.

Builds Lasting Customer Relationships:

The relationships you form with shoppers and existing customers can very well determine the overall success of any business, Online or off, however eBusinesses have a lot more tools, methods and means of building long standing customer relationships than traditional businesses do. That, combined with tools that make customer management and servicing more efficient, using up less time, has also sparked more creative ways to market to customers Online. eCommerce marketing and conducting business Online can have a direct influence on how customers view the overall brand or product. If done correctly, it will help build lasting customer relationships, which in itself has benefits.

Helps Build Brand Credibility:

With the ever expanding list of Online marketing channels, it’s getting easier for eCommerce merchants to spread the word and saturate certain areas of the Web with their products and brand. As shoppers scour the Web for information about a product that interests them they notice the companies and brands that they see, many take note and store them away for next time. By utilizing the proper marketing channels in your niche, you may very well find yourself building long standing credibility and brand awareness among shoppers and existing customers. Better brand awareness and credibility also helps to increase word of mouth buzz.

Gather Feedback from Customers:

eCommerce marketing initiatives aren’t always about a promotion or selling the product, some are meant to gather information or feedback from customers about how the business can improve. Conducting business Online and offering polls, questionnaires and feedback forms is a great way to get direct input from existing customers and even shoppers who haven’t yet purchased.

Conduct Cheap Market Research:

It’s much easier to catch a glimpse into a particular selling market using the resources and data from Online businesses, including your own. With the availability of data on the Web and through the use of new technologies offered on the Web, eCommerce merchants are able to conduct market or product research quickly, efficiently and without hassle.

Lower Startup Costs Increase Efficiency:

Many times it is much cheaper and takes less startup capital to open up an eCommerce business compared to a retail store location or chain. Online business does not require as many of the ingredients needed in business as a traditional business does. There’s typically no permits, fewer licenses, no lease to pay on, smaller utility bill, less or no employees to hire and no inventory to stock or manage on shelves. By starting out the business with less investment capital or startup funds, it can help to increase efficiency and leaves more funds available for actually marketing the brand or products.

Lower Startup Costs Increase Profitability:

As mentioned, eCommerce marketing is cheaper than traditional advertising, so if it costs less to conduct business Online and costs less to market Online, than it will take less in return to actually turn a profit, helping anyones chances for increased profitability.

Increases Growth or Opportunity Potential:

Marketing Online has the potential to increase store growth at a much quicker rate than traditional marketing or retail business. The Online market offers a much fairer playing field and opens up doors that otherwise might be closed off to a retailer. It allows nearly any business, no matter their size to grow and have the same potential opportunities as larger sellers do.

Global Market Reach:

The World Wide Web spans across and reaches exactly that, the world. With the reach and technology offered through eCommerce, merchants have the ability to target consumers anywhere in the world, even smaller sections or local regions. eCommerce marketing initiatives can be deployed in a variety of ways, but the reach may span globally, rather than only within a certain city or region. Having this type of reach opens up the possibility that customers can find the business from anywhere and buy from them without having to travel to another location.

Potential to Market Any Product:

eCommerce marketing and selling Online allows merchants to target and reach specific audiences, even on a limited budget. This creates the potential for anyone to sell anything online (assuming it’s legal to sell). Merchants can now offer niche items and market those items to the right individuals using creative and innovative eCommerce marketing ideas.

Flexible Schedule or More Personal Time:

Running an Online business can be as time demanding and require just as much attention as a traditional business; however it does give merchants the ability to maintain a flexible schedule. Conducting business Online and marketing through the different channels the Internet provides finally gives more of us the freedom we desire. As mentioned, it typically takes far less time to startup and launch an Online business, however that doesn’t necessarily mean it will take less time to manage. The time you save can be used however you please.

Streamlines Sales Process & Ad Copy:

eCommerce marketing and offering products for sale over the Internet can help businesses streamline sales processes and advertising copy used within marketing campaigns. With more customers and a greater reach it is easier for merchants to gain insights and feedback as to how marketing initiatives are performing and whether or not each one is generating the desired ROI.

Helps Promote Brick-and-Mortar Businesses:

So, what if you own a brick-and-mortar business already and you are thinking of expanding into eCommerce? Don’t think long, it’s a great idea and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Many traditional business owners are finding that by expanding their business model and marketing plans into the Online space that they in turn get more exposure to their physical stores. eCommerce marketing initiatives work great for promoting an offline business, however you still need an Online location for customers to reference on the Web.

eCommerce Web Design…

eCommerce design today typically consists of several unique features; a database, shopping cart, ability to accept payments, security certificate, products, and policies.

Allows for Faster, Easier, Efficient Discovery:

An Online business’ ability to be discovered by shoppers, current customers and search engines is extremely important for merchants who hope to grow their eCommerce venture into a success. Quality eCommerce design allows for quicker, easier, more efficient discovery by consumers or search engines. The faster, easier and more efficient you can make your processes of discovery the faster your business will grow to the next stage. For best results, keep improving, keep testing and always refine your designs.

Potential to Improve Accessibility:

Having an eCommerce business that is easy to discover is only part of the formula within eCommerce design. In addition, merchants will need a store that is accessible to their shoppers, existing customers and even search engines. Accessibility is a major factor when designing and implementing a site, if users and search engines cannot access ALL your important pages you will find that it may dwindle your chances of success or at the very least slows down chances you would have had if the store was originally built with accessibility best practices in mind. Utilize a sitemap, keep track of indexed pages and link your site together in an organized, easy to understand, easy to use way. Make sure that pages that lie deeper within the site can be accessed from pages higher up in the site and vice versa.

Potential to Improve Usability:

Using quality eCommerce design methods will not only make your site easier to discover and access, it can also potentially improve how shoppers, current customers and search engine use the site. The way in which a site is built can interfere with how users interact and use the site. If you put up features that turn into roadblocks, the site will become less usable. If you put up features that are designed with usability best practices in mind you’ll find that shoppers will be happy with their experience, customers will return and search engines will give you the placement you deserve within their listings. Many merchants have no idea that the way in which a site is designed can actually make or break the sites usability in the end. Study what users in your niche want, give it to them and make it easy to understand, within a visible location that is easy for anyone to use.

Easier to Maintain Over Time:

If an eCommerce design is done correctly from the very beginning, it will make the task of design maintenance much easier over time. Typically, merchants will have to update their site regularly anyway, but using design best practices from the start will make you updates less frequent and easier to implement. not only that, but whenever new eCommerce design guidelines are discovered, you’ll find that it takes you less time and less steps to catch up with the pack, giving you more time to actually run the business, manage customers, products and things like marketing strategies or promotions. In short, make your site easy to discover, make it accessible to users and make it usable to anyone who may eventually land on your page. In the end, you’ll spend less time updating and maintaining your site than others who were not aware, ignored or didn’t pay close attention during the design and implementation phase of the business.