E-commerce – Do I have the time?
Published: November 2017
According to the Office of National Statistics, in September 2017 the average weekly spending online was £1.2 billion; an increase of 14% compared with September 2016. This accounts for approximately 17% of all retail spending.
You may think that you don’t have the time to take your retail business online however there are some simple steps to ensure a smooth transition.
Understand your e-commerce requirements
What are you trying to achieve? Is it increased sales or a larger market share? Do you want reduced costs or more free time?
What is your unique selling point? You are going to be competing with the likes of Amazon; what customer experience can you offer that will make you stand out?
How will customers use your web site? The user experience will be different for mobile users to those on a laptop. You need to understand your client’s requirements as much as your own.
Invest time to save time
Start growing your social media presence now and speak to your customers so they know what to expect when you launch your website.
Use tools such as Hootsuite to schedule in promotional posts but set time aside to socialise online; remember, customers are investing in you as well as your product.
Plan your schedule in advance so that you have capacity. e-commerce is not an addition but a vital part of your business and you need to be ready for it.
Outsourcing – Understand the value of your time
What is your time worth? Consider how long it would take to learn and implement new skills rather than employing experienced professionals.
Are these new skills outside of your comfort zone or what you enjoy doing?
Concentrate on what you are good at and consider outsourcing the rest whether it is web design, marketing or distribution.
Talk to our Newcastle based web design team about how we can help your business grow whilst freeing up your time to do the things you enjoy.