If you’ve been keeping up with our blog, The 1O1, you likely know our recommendations for having a business website. Having a website is a crucial factor in the growth of your business. Why not take it a step further with an Ecommerce platform? A fully functioning online store will give you access to a wide range of leads and sales by expanding your business hours to 24/7 and reaching customers beyond your geographical location. At Rize AVS, we are committed to boosting your business growth, and if an online storefront is your goal, we are glad to help! If you’re still deciding if Ecommerce is right for you, we’ve detailed the benefits of a successful online store and how your business can utilize it below.
What is Ecommerce?
In short, Ecommerce is selling goods and services on the Internet. Configuring your website for Ecommerce allows your site to act as the product shelves, sales staff, and cash register all at once. Utilizing Ecommerce gives you a greater chance of entering the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) markets.
According to Hubspot, Ecommerce has tremendously grown within the U.S. in the last ten years. That growth trend isn’t slowing down, as projections show U.S. online retail sales to reach close to $476.5 billion in 2024. Global Ecommerce is rapidly growing, too. As more shoppers look for products across borders and from international marketplaces, an uptick in Ecommerce sales is evident around the globe.
Determining whether your company will offer pickup or delivery services is vital to your Ecommerce success. Only offering pickup will limit your customer base to your local area, but expanding your services through delivery will broaden your customer reach.
Benefits of Ecommerce
While Ecommerce has many benefits, one of the biggest is the ability to track sales. You will have an electronic record of all purchases and can analyze trends to grow your business. Growing your business by investing in an online store not only benefits you, but also your customers.
In today’s technology-reliant world, consumers almost expect to be able to order and pay for goods and services on your website. Since your website acts as a 24/7 salesperson, it should also be able to close the sale and collect payments at all times of the day and night. With Ecommerce, it can do just that. Not only will this give your customers constant access to you, but it also ensures user-friendliness that you and your customers can enjoy.
Along with the user-friendliness for customers, you will also notice the ease of use. After configuring your payment processor, the only recurring maintenance on your end will be adding or deleting products. There’s no extensive undertaking when it comes to Ecommerce. Let us do the heavy lifting behind the scenes while you enjoy your newfound revenue opportunity.
Ecommerce Advertising
Ecommerce advertising is distributing paid ads to promote or sell online. This method can include display or banner ads and even dynamic ads. Omnisend shares that some of the most common Ecommerce advertising strategies include social media, search ads, product ads, targeted messaging, and affiliate partnerships.
Ecommerce in the AVS Industry
Now that we’ve learned the benefits of Ecommerce, we want to discuss a few ways the AVS industry can utilize it. First and foremost, Ecommerce helps upsell or process immediate transactions. While on a service call, your team can use your storefront to take payment or sell a system upgrade. Here are a few ways you can reap the benefits of Ecommerce.
Audio/Video
You likely have an abundance of audio equipment taking over your storage room. Along with your regular inventory, you might have acquired equipment from upgrading the systems in homes and businesses in your area. With Ecommerce, you can steadily cycle through this by posting new or used equipment for sale on your website.
While it is important to note that some manufacturers might have guidelines on how you sell their products, possibly restricting what you can sell online, there are still plenty of opportunities to utilize Ecommerce to manage the abundance of equipment you have.
Security
As a security company, you may not think Ecommerce will work for you. You might have standards against selling security equipment without installation. However, we know that homeowners and businesses use yard signs and window decals as a visual deterrent for intruders. Having a stock of these gear items for sale on your website will allow customers to replace damaged signs, stickers, or other materials on their time rather than yours.
Automation
Your company probably has some automatic renewal subscriptions to make daily tasks easier. These subscriptions might include your email provider, phone, or website hosting and are all made possible through Ecommerce. If you own a home automation company, you might offer routine service plans to your customers. Schedule recurring service plans with a monthly or annual subscription to take the stress off you and your customers. Automatic payments help ensure you get paid on time and that your customers receive the service they deserve.
Online Sales are on the Rize
If you have decided that Ecommerce is right for you, we can integrate it into your site. Our detailed knowledge, in-depth understanding, and decades of firsthand experience have enabled us to provide you with the best marketing solutions that work for your Audio/Video, Automation, or Security business. We understand the importance of easy online shopping and the technology behind it. Contact us today to get started!
