If you have a company website, there is a good chance you spent a lot of money on getting the design right the first time round. Money you may have had a tough time parting with as you were not able to see the value in a website initially. Now you are hearing you need to upgrade your website to include eCommerce, and you’re not sure if you want to spend the funds to do so.
Here is what you need to consider:
What Is Your Websites Goal?
Every website should have a call to action. The one thing you want customers to do when they first arrive on the website. This could be to sign up to your newsletter, call your phone number or read your blog. You need to question how important getting an online sale is going to be (could it become 20%+ of all sales?) as that will dictate how large a possible redesign will be.
Who Is Your Target Market?
If your company is made up of people who are 65+, then they are less likely to be buying stuff online. Are you selling hats to young males? They are happy to hand over any credit card information and wait for a couple days until the hat shows up on their doorstep.
The more tech savvy your target market is, the higher the need to get an online store will be.
What Does Your Sales Funnel Look Like?
For low ticket items the amount of trust required to make a purchase is a lot lower than for something like a spa. A spa is a once in a lifetime purchase and the buyer will probably visit your store multiple times to get a closer look at the spa itself and ask you plenty of questions.
The longer the sales funnel and the higher the price, the less demand is for an online store.
Do You Have An Accounts System Built In?
If you are a B2B company, you most likely have an account system with regular buyers and they can likely buy goods on credit with an invoice sent out at a later date.
While it is possible to make this happen when transitioning to an online store, the process may take longer and often businesses won�t like a change in process on their end, leaving you with a fractured customer base. Consider your current purchasing system and how it may affect your customers.
Ecommerce is growing fast, and every business should take a look at the above factors to determine how quickly you need an online store. If you believe you do not need to incorporate online shopping yet, keep a close eye on the industry as it is changing fast and you want to act early on potential big wins.
If you are ready to incorporate eCommerce into your website today, contact the Magento experts — Alinga — today.
