Is It Time To Take Your Business Online?
Even pre-pandemic (which feels oh-so-long ago now), businesses were focusing on building their online presence as consumers moved in droves to embrace the convenience of internet shopping.
Those that have not yet taken the leap to get their businesses online may soon find themselves left in the dust as the world of e-commerce continues its steady march to dominance.
If you are considering moving some or all of your offerings to the virtual world, now is the ideal time to do so. Let’s talk about why you should think about taking your business online.
Is It Time To Take Your Business Online?
How Popular Is Online Shopping?Have you increased your online buying habits in the last 12 months? If so, you are in the majority. Social distancing has kept most of us out of the malls and confined to our homes, with little else but the internet to keep us occupied.
Many businesses faced the tough choice of closing down or finding a way to serve their customers online. It makes sense then that online shopping has had something of a boost!
But even pre-Covid, online shopping was growing exponentially. Way back in 2018, a report on eCommerce in NZ showed that online shopping grew eight times faster than shopping in-store!
And 2019 saw similar surges. Feast your eyes on some of these staggering statistics from The Full Download report courtesy of New Zealand Post:
- There was a 13% increase in online spending in NZ in 2019
- 105% growth in spend using BNPL (buy now pay later) services
- 4.67 billion total online spend
- 17% growth in online spend on kiwi retailers
The report found that 50% of Kiwis shopped online in 2019 – and we can safely assume that number climbed a whole lot higher in 2020!
The Benefits Of Taking Your Business Online
As you can see from the data above, consumers are keen to buy their products online, so the demand for e-commerce and the trust in internet purchasing is already there.
Aside from the popularity of e-commerce, there are many benefits for business owners making the move to online sales.
Customer convenience – people are looking for fast, accessible shopping experiences these days. Offering them the option of purchasing your products or services online fills that demand and makes for satisfied shoppers!
Easy to scale – it’s far easier for your business to grow sustainably online than if you have a physical location. Online tools and automation make it easy to scale up (or down, if needed).
Lower costs – it doesn’t have to cost much to get your business online, especially if you start small. Compared to a brick and mortar shop, online stores can actually save you money! There’s no rent, no need for expensive equipment or in-store staff, and much lower overheads.
Increased reach – depending on what services or products you offer, you can secure a much broader reach with an online store. Instead of being restricted to local consumers, you can potentially sell your offerings anywhere in the world.
Freedom – dream of travelling the world or having long weekends whenever you want? Taking your business online can help you do just that. You can work from home, or even take your work with you.
Is It Time To Take Your Business Online?
Thanks to the events of the last few years, it’s now easier than ever to take your business online. The e-commerce platforms are top-notch, the courier services have scaled to match the demand, and there are plenty of resources to help businesses get going.
Creative Web Designs can help you move online by building the perfect Shopify eCommerce site.. We make it easy for you to turn your retail store into an online store and keep serving customers without missing a beat. Contact us to find out how!