Wine shops, clothing stores, and any business that sells a product must set themselves apart, providing excellent customer service. But, did you know that nowadays businesses should sell online?
I’ll give you four reasons why your business should sell online.
Flexibility and Freedom
The first reason to sell online is to allow your customers the flexibility and freedom to shop your store whenever it’s convenient for them. People, and your customers lead busy, and hectic lives with kids school and sport activities, church functions, social events, work, etc. They may not always have the time to make a special trip to your store to buy what you sell when your open. Selling online is almost expected now these days.
Make Informed Decisions
The second reason to sell online is being able to track what things are selling so you can make informed decisions about your products. I realize that if you have a brick and mortar store you will already have inventory tracking processes and programs, but selling online will further give you an edge in your decision making process because of the added dimension that you’re using.
Pairs Well With Social Media
The third reason to sell online is that it pairs well with social media and online marketing. Businesses are all about creating sales funnels, nurturing leads into converting them to sales. If your business has a website and social media you’re doing this because you want to nurture a lead into a sale. Why then, would you leave the most important part, that is making a sale, out of the funnel process online? For example, if you have an email list, you can simply email your list promoting your product with a “buy now” button. Your email list has already indicated they want to know when products are available, so why wouldn’t you make it easy for them to buy from you right from email or social media?
Increase Your Business’s Reach
The fourth reason to sell online is to increase the reach of your business. There’s a saying in politics that you should campaign locally but fundraise nationally. In a similar vein even though a business is located in one place, it doesn’t mean that it’s limited to that region. If you can logistically process and ship orders, your business is only limited by your manpower and time and workspace.
Collect Customer Information
Finally, the fifth reason to sell online is to collect valuable customer information. The most important piece of information that your business should have is a customer’s valid email address. Since all online ordering requires an email address, you’ll also collect an email. That email can be used for social media ads, building your email list, and a whole slew of things afterward.
Market Observations
Now, I think it’s time to close with a story. In my hometown of Frankfort, we lost a very old business, Selberts Jewelers, recently. In a State Journal article about their going out of business after 145 years, Tammy Wietzel said,
“Probably the internet has hurt us more than anything, I guess the personal touch isn’t as important to the younger generation. They’re growing up without it, so they don’t miss it.”
Tammy Weitzel – owner of Selbert’s Jewelry, Frankfort
The rest of the article reads like a defeatist tome. Things are changing and there’s nothing to be done about it. If I were a business owner faced with either closing or creating a new way of shopping and serving customers, I’d be doing everything I could to save my business.
Contrast that unfortunate situation with the story of ToyBurg, in Lawrenceburg, KY. Since 2007 ToyBurg has been selling primarily online. Their business is succeeding and employs lots of people to fill orders online all over the country. It seems to me that one business didn’t make a change, while the other embraced it. Which would you be?ConclusionSelling online is necessary for customers, helps make decisions, pairs well with social, increases the reach of your business, and helps collect information.
Question: Do you sell online? As a customer yourself, do you think businesses should sell online? You can leave a comment below:
