Take Your Business Online

If you already have a brick-and- mortar business, you might be realizing that customers are increasingly relying on mobile devices to do their research and their shopping. While brick-and- mortars are certainly not dead, you may have decided that taking your business online is the next step if you’re looking to grow. Now you’re faced with how to get your online business up and running, and what products to put on there first. The best strategy in this process is following the Pareto Principle, where typically 80% of their sales are generated by about 20% of their products. Finding your best sellers is key to deciding what to worry about putting online first. Not only will customers want to make purchases online, but they’ll want to do their research online as well, and having your product pictures and description readily available reduces any shopping friction. Depending on who is setting up your website or what outlet you may use if you do it yourself, you’ll want to get pictures of all of your products and write accurate descriptions so customers feel they’re getting all the information needed to make a smart purchase. If you already have a relationship with a supplier from your established business, it makes it a lot easier to get their opinion on the market and how best to maximize your online store and profitability. The idea here is that you are taking your business online because it is more convenient for customers—this in turn decreases friction so that prospective customers are more likely to be converted into sales. Setting up an online portal for your customers is also a great idea if they will be having their own accounts where they can view previous purchases and get email discounts. This is especially great when first starting out online, i.e. offering a 15% discount on their first online order. The final step in this process once you have your website set up is to close in the gap between a customer looking at a product online and that product actually being shipped to their door. You will need to set up an online gateway so that a customer knows they are checking out in a secure environment when they enter their billing information, credit card info, and their transaction is processed. This is something that your merchant services provider sets up—and then you can be on your way to accepting orders online. Being available to customers in different mediums helps your chances of making that sale. If you’re interested in setting up an online gateway or want more information about taking your products and services online, contact us today to find out how we might be able to help you!