B2C Business? Find Out Why an Ecommerce Solution Has to Be ...

This year, Boxing Day sales saw many shoppers starting to queue up outside stores from midnight onwards all in an effort to bag a bargain once doors opened at 6am.

Of course, B2C businesses love the seasonal sales boom, and most retailers? do all that they can to encourage shoppers to get on board with the seasonal spending and to make the most of the discounts on offer.

However, some B2C businesses are missing a huge sales opportunity.

Early Reports of 2012 Boxing Day Online Sales

Boxing Day 2012 has certainly proven to be a record breaking day for retailers, especially where online sales are concerned.

• Nearly ?3bn of sales in less than 24 hours ? Approximately 10 million Brits took to shopping centres and the internet to spend a total of 2.9 billion pounds on Boxing Day alone.
• ?500 million spent online on Boxing Day ? It is estimated that ?500 million of the total sales figure came from online sales; an increase on last year?s sales figures.
• Online Boxing Day sales increase by 17% - which had increased by 17% when compared to Boxing Day 2011.
• Millions of hours invested in the internet ? it has been estimated that Brits spent a staggering 14 million hours online trawling retail websites for discounts. It has also been estimated that a total of 113 million visits were made to retail websites in a single day.

Whether you?re a service provider or a retailer if your business is not setup to accommodate online orders and transactions then it?s crucial that your business?s new year?s resolution is to invest in a strong (yet simple) ecommerce solution.

Sell Online or Open Your Store Doors?

Many retailers, just like consumers, are feeling the economic pinch of the last couple of years; and it?s absolutely essential that as a business owner you choose to invest in the right areas to encourage sales all year round.

An ecommerce website may seem like a big short term expense, however it is an investment that is cost effective in the long term and extremely beneficial for your business.

With an effective ecommerce solution in place, online shoppers can easily and quickly view your entire range of stock or services to find the perfect item that they wish to purchase.

The beauty of an ecommerce website is that your store is open for business 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Online retailer Amazon UK has seen Christmas Day sales increase by 263% over the last five years; demonstrating that there is money to be made even when you can?t physically open your store doors.

Four Rules for Running an Ecommerce Website

It?s important to spend some time considering how you will implement your ecommerce solution to ensure that you are meeting the needs of your customers and getting the maximum amount of sales for your business.

Here are four simple rules you need to follow in order to run a successful ecommerce website:

1. Make the online ordering experience enjoyable and easy ? The online shopping environment is similar to that of the physical shopping environment; the environment provides an experience for the customer, and if they are not enjoying the experience they will look elsewhere. Make sure your online ordering process is easy to follow. From viewing your range of products to handling payment and monitoring the delivery of the order, the entire online ordering process should be clear and the customer should feel that the process of buying was not just simple but enjoyable.
2. Get up to date with online trading and data protection legislations ? As well as making the online shopping experience easy and enjoyable, you?ll also need to quickly familiarise yourself with the rights of the consumer as well as the legislations related to online trading. A recent BBC News Business article (dated 11^th October 2012) sets out to consumers their rights as internet shoppers; however, it is well worth familiarising yourself with the legislation and regulations that govern online trading.
3. Use a tried, tested and trusted payment facility ? One of the biggest barriers to securing an online purchase is the payment method. Online shoppers are not just savvy, they are weary, and they are more likely to follow through with a purchase if the payment method that is being offered is tried, tested and most importantly trusted by the consumer. PayPal is one of the biggest and most well known online payment services in the world, however, you may also want to consider Sage Pay or an alternative payment management service.
4. Ensure your online store works on tablets and mobiles ? Access to the internet via smartphone and tablet devices is on the rise, and this includes online shopping. More and more people are using their smaller digital devices to order their goods online, so it is imperative that your ecommerce solution includes solutions for these devices.

Whether you already have an ecommerce website or whether you need to implement an ecommerce solution, chances are that you need to review the processes and practices of selling your good or services from your website.

If you run a B2C business then this is especially important, and you should make it your new year?s resolution to review and update your ecommerce solution!

If you would like to discuss the different ecommerce solutions that are available, simply contact us today on 0121 288 3688 or tom@future-visions.co.uk and we?d be happy to help walk you through the latest technology, processes and online sales techniques to help ensure that your website is able to accommodate online sales all year round.

Source: http://www.future-visions.co.uk/blog/2013/01/b2c-business-find-out-why-an-ecommerce-solution-has-to-be-your-new-year%E2%80%99s-resolution/

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