You’ve probably heard about the growing successes of E-Commerce and online sales. Well that trend is not about to slow anytime soon. In fact, according to a sales forecast from Forrester Research Inc., online retails sales are predicted to grow 57% by 2018, growing from $263 billion to $414 billion. Forecasts of these rising sales continue to be pushed higher and higher as online retail sales become more and more popular.
These increasing sales are a result of many different factors such as mobile phones and tablets, user-friendly online storefronts, ease of price comparison, and the fact that digital natives, who have used the Internet from their earliest years, are coming into their prime spending years. Generation Y (25-33) already spends more online than any other age group, averaging $563 per person in only three months. Experts say this generation is more likely to spend a larger share of their retail dollars on the web.
As exciting as this news can be to current businesses who utilize E-Commerce, and those who plan to in the not-too-distant future, it’s important to remember to stay focused on site performance and execution. Website functionality is always changing, updating, and adapting to make the buying process easier for the consumer.
Other challenges include being prepared for busier times of the year such as holidays and products that sell seasonally. Your online server needs to be prepared to handle larger capacities to make sure your consumers are able to find the product they are searching and check out with ease without long loading times.
It is critical for retail businesses to jump on the E-Commerce train if they desire to build sales and stay in business. Our professional world today revolves around the ease of technology and the need for convenience. But it’s just as critical to make sure you are fully prepared before you have a functioning online retail presence.
1) First, it’s important to make sure the online storefront has proper functionality and your online server can handle the number of projected online buyers.
2) Next, it must have an appropriate design appeal to entice the consumer to buy and close the sale by clicking the “place order” button.
3) Finally, you must have a pricing and delivery plan in place. What digital payment system do you use and is it compatible with online buying? What parcel service will you use to fulfill your orders? Will the consumer have a tracking code to track their order? Do you want to offer promotional codes? All these questions are things to consider before rolling out any E-Commerce site.
If you are only beginning to think about joining the online retail side of business, this all may sound rather overwhelming. You aren’t alone. Triscari can help develop an exceptional E-Commerce solution and will work with you from the smallest decision to final launch of your new online retail site. There’s no risk in finding out the facts. Give us a call at 717-975-3348 or email us at info@triscari.com. We’d be happy to talk with you and help you decide if an online retail solution is right for your business.