It probably comes
But, alas, not all e-commerce sites can live up to the success of Amazon. In fact, when operating in the shadow of
The short answer is a resounding yes — there is plenty of room on the Internet for e-commerce Davids and Goliaths alike. The key, however, is recognizing the advantages of owning a website over a brick and mortar store, and subsequently leveraging those perks to maximize profits.
Low Operational Cost
One of the most obvious perks to running an e-commerce site is there is virtually (pun intended) no overhead.
Since your product is hosted online, there is no need to invest in real estate, which is a huge cost-saving measure. Granted, many prominent e-commerce titans — such as Warby Parker and Zappos — are opening stores, but they are in the
Automated operational processes also greatly cut down on costs. Depending on the size of your company, you can likely get away with operating nearly independently. Thanks to automated checkout, billing, payment inventory management, etc. you can avoid high employee costs and operate as close to autonomy as you want.
Not only will operating online lower costs and help you increase your profit margin, but you can also pass those savings onto consumers in the form of competitive prices. Part of why e-commerce sites are so successful is their deals. How often have you experienced sticker shock in a store and said to yourself, “well, I’ll just buy it online.” You want to position your site as that affordable alternative that consumers can depend on for the best deals.
Reach a Larger Audience
There are
However, thanks to the Internet, niche e-commerce businesses are experiencing renewed life since consumers outside of your area can discover your product with the aid of a search engine. Do you think something like Dollar Shave Club, a $615 million e-commerce company, could have survived next to a Walmart?
Thanks to the decentralized nature of e-commerce, you can reach a much more extensive
Easily Scale As Your Business Grows
Available space is a major inhibiting
E-commerce companies, however, are easily scalable to growing business demands — there are no walls to barricade advancement. Don’t let space requirements dictate how far your company can grow. When you operate online, you are only held back by your own creativity.
Breaking into the e-commerce market begins with recognizing the merits of this exciting industry. While maybe not as firmly established as brick and mortar stores, e-commerce businesses offer many advantages over traditional stores that specifically accommodate contemporary consumer demands and up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
Ready to experience the advantages of e-commerce for yourself? Learn more about what it takes to buy, sell or run a website.