How Can An E-Commerce Platform Get Your Business to New Heights?

(Note: This post is a guest post by Nathan Smith. Please read his author bio below the post)

Is your business still not available for online consumers? Are the technicalities of eCommerce confusing?

The article here will bring the required clarity and assist you in establishing an online presence. The availability of various eCommerce platforms facilitates different businesses to choose a suitable style of consumer engagement. But, the technicalities involved might perplex decision-makers, and unable to find time for research, the leaders often procrastinate the task. 

To make the job easy for you, this feature compiles the key elements of eCommerce essential for business growth. Read the article and equip yourself with information to begin a successful eCommerce journey.

If you have been observant as a business, you would have realized by now that a huge consumer base is active online and growing at an exponential rate. The online market is free from the limitations of the physical establishment. The huge consumer base offered by eCommerce gives a tremendous opportunity for marketing and growth.

Though alluring for businesses, establishing an online presence is not a cakewalk. The technicality of choosing the right eCommerce platform for your business needs is a daunting task. Let’s discuss how an eCommerce platform can affect your business growth.

Believe it or Not, Your Business Needs eCom

An E-Commerce platform can be defined simply as an interface that facilitates electronic transactions, be it cash, or kind. These platforms are pre-designed to fulfill the needs of different business styles, incorporating features that help consumers select products/services offered and buy them with ease.

Your business needs an eCommerce platform because online transactions have many essential requirements like payment gateways, product or service catalogs, delivery, and customer support. They must also abide by the law of the land.

Thanks to technology, E Commerce Platform nowadays have become more advanced, performing as a unified system for several operational and customer-facing processes.

A business needs an E-Commerce platform because:

1. Low-Investment and Cost-Effective

They can be integrated and put to use, without any extra investment. The efficient use of resources makes these platforms cost-effective, diverting finances, time, and human resources for core business operations.

2. Round-The-Clock Service

Your e-stores can operate 24*7. There is no need to put human resources to work for that.

3. A customized shopping experience

For instance, when a retailer has features like choosing your measurements, color, brand, budget, etc., it imparts a personalized experience. Advanced E Commerce Platform use data from the respective customers’ usage history to propose similar offerings on every visit.

4. Obtain Analytics and Insights

To assist the marketing initiatives of businesses, these platforms provide data like traffic analytics and consumer insights. Utilizing this, a firm can strategize future marketing and operational tasks.

5. Customer Support Management

In the online market, the competition is tough. The factors that influence customer retention include a proactive customer support service. Modern eCom platforms come integrated with these features.

6.Updated and scalable

E-commerce platforms also save businesses from challenges like expansion and technical upgrades. But it is advised to choose a suitable platform as per the future needs of the trade.

Getting an interface developed exclusively for your needs is expensive and a waste of resources. Instead, it’s better to integrate a ready-to-use platform. Business houses, though, can use customizable platforms and personalize them.

 Finding your eCom Launchpad

Now comes the big question of how to find a suitable eCommerce interface. Many advanced platforms are available in the software industry, designed for different business needs. Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix, etc., are some of the most commonly used software by major businesses globally.

The eCommerce interface you choose must have the following features:

1. Product Catalog: A container to select quantity, quality, and features.

2. Payment Gateway: For transactions.

3. Shopping Cart: A container for collecting and evaluating goods or services. It personalizes and acts as a container where products can be collected and removed. It also prevents missing selections.

4. Merchant Services: Like providing vendors with buyer analysis and insights. 

5. Customer Support: To maintain a loyal relationship with buyers.

Now that you know the essential features of an e-commerce platform, the basic idea must be clear. To select the perfect eCommerce launchpad for your online business, you can take the following measures:

Compare Costs

Let’s start with the most important factor, which

It is, financial viability. The platform you choose must fit your budget. While some eCommerce software offers subscriptions, others can be integrated with a one-time payment. Businesses should also observe that they don’t require buying additional features with the interface’s cost. Compare the costs and features of different eCom platforms to select the best.

1.Customized Features

Make sure your eCommerce interface is flexible enough to incorporate any needed features of your respective business. For instance, if your business needs a chatbot to assist buyers, the interface should be able to integrate it for you. If your software can’t customize this feature, you will have to use external services, which will add to the cost. 

2. Scalability

This is a very important aspect of choosing eCommerce software. Business expansion should not be hindered by the limitations of your website’s interface. 

3. Free Trial

Try the service and features through a free trial. Practical usage can test any key factor that wasn’t anticipated otherwise. 

5 Key eCommerce Functions that maximize business growth

An eCommerce platform will not only help you establish an online business, but its features, coupled with your management skills, will generate leads and increase conversions.

However, the following tips can help you maximize growth:

1. Better Customer Service

Customer satisfaction is the most important thing. It should be the default goal in every strategy and operation. E-commerce software can offer you better customer service management. The focus should be to ramp up your customer service and be available 24*7, ask for reviews, and appreciate them reaching out.

Incorporate chatbots if budget constraints don’t allow for setting up a customer support team. Utilize your eCommerce platform to generate maximum satisfaction for buyers. This will result in a loyal consumer base.

2. Optimize for Mobile

Smartphones have eased up the online buying process. More than any other medium, consumers are using mobile phones to choose and order products. Utilize your eCommerce platform to improve mobile services and customize website or app features as per smartphones.

3.Personalize Communications

Customers like to buy from websites that engage in personalized communications. Buyer login information can be used to set up an automation that can generate messages and emails on birthdays and anniversaries. A message announcing offers and discounts with a name often brings customers to a website for checking out.

4. Sell Internationally

The eCommerce interface you integrate into the website should suit international buyers. Target global sales to maximize conversions. A website can be accessed from any corner of the world. Why not optimize it to facilitate global buying and grow your client base? In a recent survey, 76% of customers said they buy products from other countries.

5. Customer Experience

Customizations and automation have greatly improved the shopping experience of buyers. The eCommerce interfaces have also evolved to provide a better and more customized user experience. Businesses can leverage this for growth. Customer search history, selection styles, queries, complaints, surveys, etc., can be used to create personalized shopping assistance. 

Strategy is Important 

Implementing an eCommerce plan is crucial for businesses, irrespective of their size. Certain marketing tactics are widely used by businesses as they impart amazing responses. A good marketing plan will not just generate leads but also create a brand image among buyers. Focusing on eCommerce and the target consumer base, the business should devise a strategy to put active marketing into action. Studying a competitor’s eCommerce strategy can also help.

Common eCommerce marketing tactics involve:

• Make use of long-form content marketing to boost SEO.
• Marketing your most popular products generates leads for other goods as well.
• Create a solid email marketing strategy. This will also add to the personalized shopping experience.
• Offer complementary products or trial packs.

Before We End Up

To conclude, a strategized use of eCommerce platforms can result in business growth. As per the requirement, you can hire an eCommerce developer or engage an eCommerce website designing company in India. Make sure to choose a scalable eCommerce platform for better growth prospects. The interface that you choose should not have irrelevant features, and it should be customizable. Lastly, it should include good customer support features that facilitate buyers.

Author Bio:

Nathan Smith is a software developer, currently employed at TechnScore- a leading eCommerce web development company in India. He is immensely interested in eCommerce-related technological innovations and trends; his write-ups are meant to inform his audience of new and innovative ways to grow their eCommerce businesses while also introducing new concepts for all to know.