Starting with e-commerce, 7 reasons.

Starting with e-commerce seems impossible for many entrepreneurs. At wekreate, we have the necessary experience to make the start-up process painless. We already give 7 reasons why starting with e-commerce is an excellent idea!

1. Available 24/7, when the customer wants it

An online store enables you to let your customers order wherever and whenever they want, including outside office hours. Orders you would otherwise have missed.

You may be thinking now, my customers can already reach me, namely by email. That’s right, but the customer does not see by email whether a product is in stock, or whether the order has arrived and has been confirmed. Your customer therefore does not know whether he/she will actually receive the products and when delivery can be expected.

2. More Sales Opportunities: Cross Selling / Upselling

E-commerce is ideally suited for cross- and upsell opportunities. Upselling introduces your customers to related products. Products they may not have known you offer.
Your customer can see your complete range via a webshop. If the customer originally came for a product, he may just find more interesting products. If the product is not in stock, the webshop can immediately offer alternatives or additional products.

Customers are more receptive to purchasing other products from you through online sales. Research by RetailMeNot has shown that the average order value is increasing.

An example: you supply engines or aggregates. The customer can find the product he needs via the webshop, but you also offer two alternatives with better specifications. Or you offer an engine, but also a water pump and, as a service, the option to deliver and install the product assembled.

Another example: you work in the agricultural sector. Your customer, the farmer, is hard at work in the field and he notices a possible threat to his crop. The day goes by or it’s the weekend and he wants to order. Unfortunately you are not open and he has to wait. Your competitor does have a webshop and he orders there.

3. Better order processing

An online sales channel (a webshop) that integrates with an ERP system is the solution for you if you want to save time and increase the reliability of the order information. Too many companies still rely on the accuracy of sellers in the ordering process, but a mistake is made humanly and quickly. With a webshop linked/integrated with your ERP system, delays in processing orders are a thing of the past and you save time and money .

4. Lower overhead costs

Because your online store also functions as an information portal, you save time and money. Your customer can easily find all kinds of generic questions about size, technical specifications, stock or (customer-specific) discounts in your online store. This is so easy for both you and your (potential) customer. It saves a lot of time on phone calls and emails.

Your customers also have insight into order status and invoices. Your employees spend much less time with invoice/order questions.

5. More customer satisfaction

A webshop offers your customer an extra information platform that is more accessible. You can think of product/service range, technical information and prices (also customer-specific).

E-commerce will not immediately replace the telephone and e-mail and personal contact. It offers your customer an extra option to order from you. Your salesperson can also discuss options and assortment during a visit via the webshop. In short, a webshop contributes – if used properly – to customer satisfaction.

6. Don’t miss out on customers anymore

More and more, your customers are orienting themselves online before they come to you. Forrester research shows that 2/3 of your prospect’s orientation takes place before they interact with you. With a good website with information and a good webshop linked to it, you can attract the potential customer through a trap.

This change in the “customer buying journey”, namely getting in touch with you later and later and buying online yourself, is also referred to as ‘digital transformation’ with an expensive term.

To illustrate: in 2005 the average person visited the showroom 6.5 times before buying a car. Today, the average is only 1.5 times. Tesla offers the possibility to configure and order your car completely online.

PS You also become more discoverable for potential customers by having information online.

7. Long term investment

Because you offer self-service in the web store, you spend substantially less time dealing with questions from low-end customers. With the time you save, you can focus on relationships with your top customers. This will generate more revenue in the long run.

Would you like to know more about e-commerce and the possibilities?

Please contact wekreate.
Check out our services page about webshop and e-commerce .