An online store has several benefits, whether you use it to sell products alongside your conventional business or as a standalone e-commerce venture. Here is our list of reasons why an online shop can be good for your business.

Lower costs, better targeting

  • Reduced overheads. In general, an online store costs less to set up and run than a physical shop, although it is important to recognise that making e-commerce work requires continuing investment.
  • Lower marketing costs with better targeting. Online promotion can be aimed more precisely at potential customers than conventional media, and it is much cheaper: sending a marketing message by email to 1,000 customers costs far less than posting 1,000 newsletters.

A wider market, open all hours

  • Expanded geographical reach. A local business can become nationwide, or international depending on the product, through an effective e-commerce strategy.
  • Being open for business 24/7. With automated order and payment processing, sales happen at any time and customers can buy when it suits them. Many shoppers browse outside office hours, so an online shop keeps taking orders when the store is closed.
  • Broader potential customer base. An e-commerce business is an additional buying channel, capable of attracting customers who have not bought before.

A shop you can change today

  • Greater flexibility. An online store can be updated instantly and as often as you like. A “deal of the day” on the front page needs no printed display material.
  • Improved customer profiling. Buying data lets you aim products and services at specific groups.
  • Increased visibility. With investment in search engine optimisation and online promotion, an online shop becomes more accessible to customers searching for your products.

It supports everything else you do

  • The ability to tell people about your business. This is especially valuable when an online store runs alongside a high-street outlet: opening hours, contact details and answers to frequent questions live in one place.
  • Another marketing channel. Your online store can support your digital marketing with customer reviews and testimonials.

If you want to know what an e-shop would cost for your catalogue, our quote calculator gives you an estimate in two minutes.