Why Your Business Needs an Online Store - 3 Reasons You Need to Consider It

According to the U.S. Census, the general retail sector employed more than 17 million people in 2016, with combined annual sales of $5 trillion. In other words, the general retail industry is massive and only growing larger every year. If you have a business idea that can take advantage of this growth, now is the time to get moving on it before someone else does first. An online store is a must for any business to succeed in today’s marketplace. Here are three reasons why your business needs an online store — and why you need to consider making one sooner rather than later:

Consumers expect online shopping.

It’s no secret that consumers are increasingly turning towards online shopping. A 2017 survey estimated that the share of online sales in total retail sales reached 11%. This means that one out of every 10 items sold in the U.S. is done so through an online store. A decade ago that number was less than 5%. While online sales have become more popular, offline sales have also increased. Consumers are simply spending more money than ever before. This is good news for online retailers as they can reach a far more diverse range of customers than most brick-and-mortar shops. If you can tap into this growing market, you can reach customers around the world who might never set foot inside your store.

A website allows you to build your brand.

Building a website for your business is your first step to building a brand that people recognize and trust. Visitors to your website will get their first — and often only — impression of your business from what they see on your website. This makes it even more important for your website to accurately reflect your brand. Your website can be the hub for your business where you can post your products, services, blog, and any other information relevant to your customers. An e-commerce website can also help you to create brand awareness and generate leads by bringing in fresh traffic. You can drive traffic to your website by using paid advertising channels such as Google AdWords and organic social media marketing. The more people who visit your website, the more likely they are to become customers.

An online store lets you collect customer data.

This is one of the most important and valuable benefits of having an online store. As soon as you start collecting and analyzing customer data, you’ll have a wealth of information at your fingertips. This information can help you to better understand your customers and improve your products and services. You can also use this data to develop new products and services that better fit your customers’ needs. As your business grows, you may eventually want to offer your products and services internationally. Online stores are a great way to reach a global audience. With a website, you can translate your content into any language. Doing so lets you reach customers who might not be able to understand your native language, possibly increasing your sales with each translation.

So, what’s the catch?

The only real catch is that setting up an online store takes time and effort and Tommy House Studios can help you with that. An online store allows you to reach customers around the world and the cost is significantly less than opening additional brick-and-mortar locations. It’s also important to remember that your store doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking. An online store doesn’t have to be complicated or advanced. It doesn’t even have to be an e-commerce store. You can create an online store as simple as a landing page and a shopping cart with our tools. This is a great way to start growing your online presence. As your business grows and evolves, you can add new features, functions, categories, and products to your store.

Conclusion

An online store is one of the best ways to grow your business and reach customers you might never be able to access otherwise. Consumers are increasingly turning towards online shopping and you’ll want to be prepared for this shift. An online store also allows you to build your brand and collect customer data, allowing you to better understand your customers and improve your products and services. The only catch is that setting up an online store takes time and effort, but it’s an investment that will pay off in the long run.

We can help you build your online store large or small. Reach out to the Tommy House Studios team, contact us today!