We have been getting used to online life for years, step by step. All of a sudden, 2020 made us all jump into deep water. A website, a dedicated application or an online store are today not only a source of knowledge about your brand, but even “to be or not to be” in the industry.
But as a reward, the benefits of doing business on the web are many. More than 28 million Poles use online shopping alone (source: Agencja Rozwacja Przemysł S.A.). Do you need more arguments?
1. You reach more customers
Stationary establishments of companies have very limited opportunities to reach customers. Only those who either live nearby or are on command know about them. In a slightly better situation are brands based in shopping centers or on the main pedestrian streets of cities - these are usually passed by by the way. Anyway: when compared to the ranges that the presence on the Internet gives, they fall pale. And even if someone wants to visit you in person anyway, they will first ask about you on the web. 7 out of 10 online customers made a purchase from a company that they found on the Internet using a search engine.
source: Fasttony.es
When you decide to do business online, you simply get rid of restrictions — not only geographical or linguistic, but above all barriers related to consumer trust.
2. You increase profits
Interest in products and services available on the Internet has skyrocketed — this can be seen at first glance. According to research, already in the first quarter of 2020, sales of online stores (compared to the same period a year earlier) increased by as much as 52%, and the number of online conversions alone by 8.8% (since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic). And this market is just starting up! In risky times, online business is beneficial both for the entrepreneur (who will maintain the liquidity of the business regardless of the situation in the world) and for the client. This is because he can shop where he wants, when he wants and how he wants - easily, quickly and above all without leaving home.
source: Research from the US market, according to the SaaS platform Quantum Metric
3. You save
Online presence is not only about generating profits, but reducing costs. There are three main arguments in favor of putting a mark of equality between the transfer of business to the network and savings.
- The tools used by e-marketing are cheaper than their traditional counterparts (printing materials, renting advertising space). According to statistics from Fasttony.es, they are also much more effective. Therefore, many companies say “yes” to the new possibilities that websites, dedicated applications or online stores bring.
- You can serve customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — all at no extra cost. When all your locations are closed or your office or hotline is down, customers can still shop with you. And if the competition is asleep at this time? Well. A customer who wants to make a purchase here and now, in this situation will choose you.
- If you are a beginner entrepreneur, you don't need that much money to start. Compared to opening a stationary business, expenses related to the organization of premises or warehouse are reduced. On the Internet, such costs do not exist.
4. You build your image
In a stationary institution, you build the image above all through its location, decor and service. And on the net? All you need is a website, an online store or an app. Online business already has an image advantage at the start, being considered modern and innovative if only because... it is online! The human psyche even goes one step further - today the absence of a website is even equal to a lack of trust in the company, and customers “just in case” choose competitors that can be verified online. Do you know the saying “You are not on the Internet — it means you do not exist”? Well... you don't have to be a fat fish or a market eater to drink the cream of the benefits that an online business offers. Even small, local companies benefit - who among us has not checked the services of a hairdresser or mechanic in this way?
5. You make life easier for your customers — they love it!
Among the main advantages of services and online shopping that customers mention, not only low prices reign - but above all convenience. Who doesn't like how their life is made easier? Buying, booking or contacting a company has never been so easy. In 2020, online experiences pamper us. They are fast, possible at any time of the day and can be done lying on the couch in pajamas. Even when the world recovers from the pandemic, it will not be the same. The bar of requirements has gone up, because comfort is easy to get used to. Customers who have moved to the network will already stay there — they will expect the same standards!
When you decide to do business online, you break down the walls that separate you from the crowd of potential customers. They are already there — ready to meet you. Let them find you.
