How To Level Up Business By Integrating eCommerce

Part of running a successful business is to know when you have hit your limits, or when there are other opportunities that you could be taking advantage of. Taking your business online in the current economic climate makes perfect financial sense. Before we go any further let’s outline what eCommerce is: 

Commercial Transactions Conducted Electronically On The Internet 

This article will be looking at the benefits for you and your customers by taking your products or services online and integrating eCommerce into your business. 

Having a successful brick and mortar store is no easy feat, but by switching it up, and taking your products online, you are going to take your business to the next level. As well as having a host with great uptime, you’ll need a cohesive communication strategy - to keep your online store easy to access and find. 

Make sure that all of your email and social media have the company name (so you will be easily searchable), you can earmark those before you are ready to use them. Shopify email hosting provides a solution for companies who use a Shopify store and need a matching email address. This will get your branding off to a great start. 

It is worth noting that people are using their mobile phone to shop while they travel to work, or while they’re in bed - sales that you simply can’t make any other way - it pays to have a host that has the highest uptime. Check this massive guide for some of the best hosting options. 

Before we get into the plethora of reasons you should be considering taking your products or services online. Let’s talk about the last few years in eCommerce from a shopping perspective. 

Let’s take a look at the data chart from Statista to give you a deeper insight into the growth in worldwide sales from 2014 to the predicted global sales in 2022. 

Online sales in 2014 sat at a healthy 2.3 trillion dollars, and in 2022 we will see an astonishing 5 trillion in sales. Of course, you have to show up to the party to get a piece of the pie. 

It is essential also to know what makes people happy to spend so much cash online, you’ll need to keep it in mind as you build your online store. User experience can make or break loyal customers. In fact, more often than not, people will take a look at an item in store then purchase from the comfort of their sofa. 

Reviews Encourage Conversions 

Reviews play a huge part in why someone will spend money on something they have no experience with. Consider this - when you are walking around a store, you have no idea what people think about that mobile phone, or if that lipstick has the coverage that you are looking for. But, online? There is an opportunity for everyone to have an opinion. 

People share photos of products that they love, they head to the website and give reviews in the shape of stars. Value for money? Delivery time and cost? Quality? Buyers can share the stuff you really need to know. And this will benefit you as a store owner too. If you are shipping products or providing services people can leave reviews to let other buyers know they had a good experience and this will encourage more purchases. 

Price Comparison 

It gets incredibly competitive. With multiple comparison websites, it has never been easier to make sure you are getting the best deal. And it isn’t just that. It is first buyer discounts, lowest shipping, free gifts, samples, or exclusives. Excellent for the average consumer to feel like they are getting a great deal - and that happy feeling will happen the next time they think of that store, creating loyalty and familiarity that keeps people coming back, and spending money. 

No People 

Ever seen the lines and lines of people outside of a store on release day? Well, online pre-order is there for people who don’t mind waiting a day or two longer to avoid the scrum. It also works very well for people with anxiety, mobility issues or people with young children. Avoiding the crowds can mean that online shopping is peaceful and comfortable. Not to mention the savings on travel, gas or petrol prices, parking charges, extra stops for refreshments. 

And, of course, you can purchase just about anything in your pajamas or a bath. 

Consumer Convenience 

No queues, no other people, no cash exchanges, no heavy baskets… The list is pretty endless for reasons why online shopping is more convenient. In fact, a shopper could start a basket on Monday at 8am, and finish a purchase at 11pm Wednesday. This is made even easier with things like Apple Pay, PayPal and PayPal Credit and computers and mobile phones remembering the card details. 

All of those tend to relate heavily on the sale of products, rather than services though. When people are looking for consultants, freelancers, or business coaches almost all of this will apply apart from one: Immediate transactions. 

If you sell eBooks, workbooks, orderable services like webinars and other tools they will all be instant. Booking live calls etc. will need a decent booking system that you have control over and maintain well. 

Once you know the ins and outs of why people purchase online, you will have more insight into why the overall user experience is so valuable when building your website. And, why an eCommerce store is essential to take your business to the next level. 

A Bit On UX 

UX has been slipped into the digital world as the way the user experiences something they are using, in this case, a website. However, the user experience can be applied to any life experience according to an article on UX Design. Basically, the people who use your website should be happy, relaxed and enjoy the experience that you have designed for them. 

More Reasons To Get Your Business Online 


Rebrand Or Cement Your Brand 

You might decide when venturing into the great vast internet that it is an ideal opportunity to rebrand a bit. If you’ve had the same logo for a few years, now is the perfect time to get a bit creative. Think about the image that you want to portray and go for it. 

Alternatively, if you are happy with your branding, then it is time to double down and use it on your website and all of the social media channels you are intending on using. 

More Versatility 

There is so much more room for exploring the limits (or lack of) for your website. Timing your pop-ups, and call to actions, how your products look new promotions. Your site is something that can change as often as you like to make it work for you and your customers. Regular customers might like to shop online for a change, and new online customers might want to come and visit the store. 

Bigger Reach 

Remember the days when an advert in the newspaper would be the start and end of your marketing? Well, a single tweet can reach more people than a newspaper ever would. Which is impressive considering a tweet is virtually free. Once your website is hooked up correctly, people can share your content and do a big chunk of your marketing for you - which is brilliant. However, with that comes a lack of total control. While you can control what you share, and the message that you put out there - you can’t control every conversation that is had about you. 

Another perk to being online is you can track all of that reach. What platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest) are doing well and which aren’t. Where it would be wise to add some paid advertising and where the organic traffic is coming from. Being social is great for communicating with potential customers and clients, and also sharing new about your products. A healthy mix is necessary to not oversaturate timelines with links to products. 

All Day Every Day 

The internet is there no matter what time of day you decide to pick up your phone or turn the screen on. That means you can be making sales at 3am, or on a Sunday afternoon. In fact, while you are sleeping, you can be earning money - which sounds silly but is true. As long as you have great hosting that doesn’t have a lot of issues. 

Harder Working Marketing 

As mentioned above, sharing things on social media is free. Combine that with adding some share buttons on products, and you are putting the power of your marketing in the hands of the people who are already enjoying your goods. Add in your own social media channels, and the ability to easily share links. Word of Mouth will be your biggest asset and comes at very little cost, allow reviews on your website and social channels too. 

You get much more bang for your buck once you integrate eCommerce into your business model. 

DIY Friendly 

When you are initially getting to grips with what you want, you can do a lot of it by yourself. By using websites you already visit as a reference guide, you can create something that you enjoy using and would be proud to have as part of your business. WordPress with WooCommerce and Wix are both great options when you are first starting out, and further down the line, you can work with a web designer. 

Canva and Picmonkey are ideal places to start building out your branding, creating cover photos and display pictures for your social media and even a new logo if you want one. 

Excel By Incorporating eCommerce

Taking your business online has never been easier, or smarter than it is right now by integrating ecommerce. When it comes to getting your business online, what do you think are your roadblocks? Were you surprised with the 2022 global online spend? Tweet us @MikeSchiemer #BootstrapBusiness with your thoughts and experiences with business sales and e-commerce!


I hope you enjoyed this blog post about how to take your business to the next level by integrating eCommerce marketing into your sales strategy.

Interested in more articles about eCommerce marketing and sales?

Read Related Resources:

• How To Increase Sales With eCommerce Analytics

• The Top 9 Technologies Needed To Build An Ecommerce Store

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