Blog Summary
- Brand loyalty and lower overheads are some of the advantages of having an e-commerce website.
- Having your own e-commerce business is critical even if you already sell on a marketplace.
- Boost 360 is a complete online business solution that can help you sell your products online.
Having your own online e-commerce website provides you with many advantages. For instance, your e-commerce business diversifies your retail presence and protects your retail brand.
In addition, it becomes your very own channel to allow shoppers to buy from you directly, allowing you conversions and profit margins.
Let’s look at six critical reasons you need to have your own e-commerce website.
1. Get unique opportunities to drive brand loyalty
Establishing your e-commerce business website allows you complete control over your retail brand. It empowers you to move beyond third-party marketplaces and sellers.
Having your own e-commerce website tells your customers that they’re buying directly from you, not from a marketplace.
When customers view your e-commerce website, it shows you own the brand, you’re responsible for sales, and it gives them the power to purchase directly from you, thus boosting brand loyalty.
It allows you to connect with your customers directly as a brand rather than just another business person.
Having your own branded e-commerce website will allow you to build a base of shoppers with positive customer experience who look forward to purchasing from you, trust you, and expect high levels of service and quality from your brand.
These customers, in turn, will spread the good word about your e-commerce website to their network, thus increasing your brand worth.
Finally, having your e-commerce website gives you control over your branding as you can concentrate on a focused online presence and direct marketing promotions unique to your brand.
2. Obtain omnichannel presence
Retail business on a marketplace typically gets lost among thousands of brands on the site. Lack of visibility may cause you to lose out on customers.
Hence, having your own e-commerce business is critical even if you already sell on a marketplace. It gives you an omnichannel presence without relying on third-party sellers or marketplaces.
Building your e-commerce website with your online presence on other marketplaces gives you a multichannel approach to spread risk around.
If something goes wrong with any marketplace, your e-commerce website will protect you and ensure that your retail brand is still generating revenue.
Opening up an online shopping website lets you set up several touchpoints for your customers to purchase from your retail business thus improving customer experience.
3. Get repeat sales and increase brand recognition
One of the main reasons behind having an e-commerce website is to ensure repeat sales.
Selling to existing customers helps build brand loyalty and gives you unique opportunities of creating repeat business. For instance, your e-commerce business will allow you to:
- Sign up new shoppers through email and ensure you stay in contact repeatedly.
- Encourage your customers to visit your social media pages and improve engagement.
- Offer improved value through blogs, videos, reviews and other helpful resources, thus enhancing customer experience surrounding your brand.
- Use marketing promotional initiatives such as coupons, discounts, free products and more to drive your retail brand and ensure upsell and cross-sell.
4. Receive better marketing opportunities
Your e-commerce website can power your retail brand and boost revenues through cross-promotional marketing.
For instance, if you sell gift tea boxes, you could work with other brands selling ceramic mugs and teapots to give your customers a discount on their first purchase of tea boxes through your e-commerce website.
Such promotional activities will be able to drive value for your retail brand, partners and customers.
But on the other hand, if you are working with third-party sellers or marketplaces, you must depend on the platform’s policies and capabilities and the customer’s readiness to buy from that marketplace again.
5. Cut down overheads
Every marketplace or third-party platform you sell your products on will charge you a fee or percentage as their commission.
On the other hand, owning an e-commerce website allows you to manage your store independently without additional cost, and you will soon find that it brings down overall expenses.
When selling on your website directly to customers, you will save on third-party seller commissions, fees and other charges and that will bring down your average cost per sale.
6. Get enhanced search marketing
Your online shopping website will give you several opportunities for various marketing techniques not available on third-party sellers or marketplaces.
For instance, SEO and SEM can ensure that customers and traffic are driven to your e-commerce website.
In addition, you can optimise search on your e-commerce website. Finally, launching your own e-commerce business will allow you to build blogs, videos and additional resources to create leads and build relationships with your shoppers.
All these activities unique to your online shopping store or e-commerce website can improve customer experience and build the potential of driving revenue over time.
Get started with online commerce
Having your own e-commerce business gives you the freedom to sell where your customers are. It allows you to explore your own logistics options and gives you consistency wherever required.
Boost 360 is a complete business solution that specialises in creating business websites. With Boost 360’s e-commerce website building capabilities, you can be assured of a one-stop intuitive website with easy-to-use tools, customisable templates and more to create your online shopping store.
So if you’re looking to get discovered and sell online, it’s time to get started with the right platform—Boost360.
