e-Commerce is the easiest and most effective way of buying and selling products and services online. Companies across a range of industries have already embraced the potential of e-Commerce, from consumer-focused retailers to businesses selling services to clients. This large-scale adoption of e-Commerce is due to the several major advantages that the online version possesses over its more traditional counterpart, including:

Your business – open to anyone, anytime

Importantly, e-Commerce poses no time or distance constraints – there are no opening or closing hours so consumers can buy anytime, anywhere. This can all be done from the comfort of their own homes, saving them both time and money. e-Commerce is therefore a faster, more efficient and more convenient process for both customer and business.

This absence of restriction, on distance in particular, can really help niche markets. Before, customers may have had to travel intolerable distances to find specific items but, in the vast marketing space of the World Wide Web, customers can now search the world over for what they want. This also grants companies access to a much larger consumer base.

Save money through the transaction process

The cost of an online transaction is much lower than that of traditional commerce as there is a diminished need for face-to-face interaction. e-Commerce can help reduce costs by eliminating the need for a high street presence, or streamlining business-to-business transactions.

Catalogue distribution and order-taking can also act as a strain on finances, particularly as printing costs for catalogues can be substantial. e-Commerce has the potential to eliminate these costs, as it facilitates expansive online catalogues and automated ordering processes. Creating and hosting a website is also relatively inexpensive, leading to significant cost-savings.

This financial gain for a business means products can potentially be sold at a lower price – keeping you ahead of the competition and your customers happy.

If it benefits your customers, it benefits your business

And talking of keeping customers happy, there are some other considerable advantages. Adopting e-Commerce means less time is spent resolving invoice problems or other discrepancies. Also the buyer’s sorting time is reduced, and there is a greater choice of alternative products to buy.

Another benefit that you may well have seen implemented in sites is the ‘people who ordered this also liked…’ section. This feature can encourage e-Commerce customers to purchase more than was originally intended, and similar features let the consumer quickly compare other stores’ prices.

The boundaries between the two differing methods of commerce are becoming increasingly blurred as businesses transfer aspects of their operation online. As they do so, popular applications including email, electronic tickets, online shopping, order tracking and banking will all be increasingly embraced.

How easy is it to sell online?

e-Commerce is one of the most significant business developments in recent times. Many experts believe that we’ve only scratched the surface, and with web design packages boasting flexible features allowing seamless integration of e-Commerce into your business, it has never been easier.

The key components to include are an online store and order form, so customers can browse and purchase products. To sell, you require a merchant account to take credit card transactions. Or you can even let a third party such as PayPal® handle it all for you.

Your store will also need to employ a shopping cart system, product catalogue, customer basket and ‘buy it now’ option, meaning you can quickly add selling capability to your business’s site without being a software whizz.