10 Reasons to Own your Branded e-Commerce Website
While there is no argument against the benefits of adopting e-commerce for your business, many sellers face the tough question of having to choose between selling on a third-party online marketplace and having a Direct2consumer (D2C) branded e-commerce website.
Find out how your own Branded D2C eCommerce Website can reduce cost per sale, increase market opportunities and grow your sales online & offline.
1. Own your Brand to Own your Customer
Having a branded e-Commerce website helps you to solidify your brand presence online. Unlike with a third-party e-commerce platform like eBay or Daraz, consumers will always identify their purchases and goods with your brand, build a brand reputation and eventually increase brand loyalty.
Moreover, you can connect your brand’s social media channels with your website to engage with your consumers and sell across multiple channels, interconnecting your brand’s online presence effectively. At the end of the day, the stronger your brand presence online more traffic and sales are going to come on its way.
2. Stand Out from the Crowd Online
Having your own branded website that also connects with your social media platforms helps you carve your niche online. With a little help from social media promotions and occasional email marketing, your branded shop can have its online consumer base.
In addition, your e-commerce website can be a platform to engage directly with consumers by answering their questions and concerns, which in turn would build your brand a strong customer loyalty.
3. Fast Go-to-Market Time
Setting up your e-commerce website has never been easier before. With easy to set up e-commerce platforms like ShopOnCloud you can now create and set up your e-commerce website in just a few clicks. Use pre-made templates to create and develop your store the way you want and you will be ready to sell online in just a matter of hours.
What’s more, create online and offline word of mouth or a social following to tap into and drive traffic to your new website the moment you get the site up and running.
4. Reduce Cost per Sale
Any third party online marketplace or a platform you use will usually charge a percentage for the use of their platform. Moreover, third-party vendors can also include hidden fees and commissions which can tap heavily into your income.
Thanks to the reducing cost of building and maintaining an online store, you will soon realise that owning a web store can reduce costs and pays for itself once you start driving a higher volume of sales through it. By reaching your customers through your website and social media channels, you will save on seller marketplace fees, and be able to reduce your average cost per sale.
5. Give your Business Global Access
An e-commerce website has no boundaries to sell and provides you with more tools to sell how and what you want.
Whether you want to drive sales to your brick and mortar store, integrate many online selling channels like Facebook and Instagram shops, and Google Merchant Center with your website or just sell online through your website alone, a branded website helps you reach markets and geographies you never reached before.
What’s more, having your online store allows you to explore independent delivery and order fulfilment options and maintain consistency in shipping wherever you want to.
6. Improve your Online Visibility
No matter what you sell, the purchase journey of the majority of users starts with a search online. Even if they end up buying from a physical store, shoppers are more likely to start their search online to compare prices, quality and bargains as well as to read reviews and check inventory levels.
But in times like today, when social distancing seems to be the rule of the day, more consumers opt to purchase online as opposed to visiting physical stores for convenience and health reasons.
A branded website makes sure that your business has a front seat in the Search Engine Results Page when consumers are searching for products and services you sell and gain traffic to your website without spending on advertising.
Meet your customers where they want to buy, with your branded online store.
7. Crisis Proof your Business
The e-commerce model tends to thrive in crisis and recession, regardless of how poorly other industries are faring. While many wonder whether it is a coincidence, research points otherwise.
E-commerce websites focus more on relationship building activities and customer loyalty than brick-and-mortar retailers and have much data on consumers at their disposal, allowing online store operators to know exactly which offers and online marketing channels drive the most business to their and test offers and creative on the web in real-time.
8. Know your Customers
Unlike physical retailers, e-commerce websites have access to a wealth of data into user behaviour through free tools like Google Analytics.
With data to track your customers’ online buying patterns, offer discounts and promotions to user groups, and roll out customer retention methods like customer loyalty programs, online marketing of your online store has never been easier.
9. Easy to Market
E-Commerce marketing can reach beyond knowing your customers and targeting them through offers and promotions. You can integrate multiple channels like Facebook Shop, Instagram Shopping, Google Merchant Center as well as third party vendor platforms like Amazon and Daraz to drive traffic and leads to your online store for multi-channel marketing and fulfilment.
10. Promote your Brick and Mortar Business
Sometimes customers can use your website to find information about your physical store including its location, open times and availability of a product. It can be a channel of two-way communication for consumers to ask questions about products and raise complaints and concerns.
By integrating your website with your physical business location through Google My Business and Social Media pages, you can ensure your business grows online as well as offline.
