How e-commerce conquered America
E-commerce in America is experiencing constant growth and development, with ever more retailers making their way online and vying for internet users’ attention. With practically every kind of product now represented online as well as in brick and mortar locations, the digitization of the market marches onward. Store owners who do not wish to be part of e-commerce in the US therefore risk being left by the wayside.
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Entering the world of e-commerce
E-commerce statistics gathered by Statista prove that online retail has well and truly reached the masses. Even if you’ve got no experience of operating a web store, you can easily take advantage of e-commerce’s development. Hosting providers generally offer toolkits, which contain all the interfaces and functions needed for starting up an online store. You don’t even have to be a marketing expert to get your new web store off the ground. Using integrated features such as marketing tools for search engine optimization, these toolkits teach you the ins and outs of e-commerce. They are also easily operable; since they run on browsers, installation is not necessary. The visual design of your new store is of great significance to Google, regarding its ranking system. Most template designs are already optimized for search engines. Templates are also often equipped with mobile optimization, so your store can be displayed perfectly on all devices, from desktops to smartphones.
Using a toolkit to create a professional web store
Most web store toolkits do not only offer e-commerce software, but everything that’s needed for web hosting, including webspace, personal domains, and custom e-mail addresses. Your online store should be available around the clock. The most common payment methods, like PayPal, are often available by default, so you can offer your customers the service that they are expecting. Less popular payment methods, such as transfer and direct debit, are also available as standard. All of these functions are availabe in IONOS's online shop package.
These toolkits also include functions designed to support you in managing your online store. You can also use analysis tools such as Google Analytics or etracker to monitor the daily growth of your business. These can be used to monitor the click behavior of your visitors, thereby giving you a valuable indication of how your website can be further optimized in order to better suit the needs of your target group. The most important marketing tools are also included, so, for example Facebook’s share and like icons are also standard features in most web store packages.
Your online store on tablets, smartphone and more
E-commerce in the US is comprised of many channels, and while mobile shopping isn’t the most popular, its significance is growing. It’s helpful to bear in mind that Google takes user-friendliness as well as mobile optimization into account when constructing its ranking scheme. This means in concrete terms that online stores with inadequate mobile versions do not rank as highly. Poor layout elements include fonts that are too small or closely spaced, and hard-to-operate touch elements.
Many online store toolkits can prevent this. Contemporary web store toolkits are designed with mobile devices in mind, so most include user-friendly navigation and perfect display on all devices. These elements guarantee customers an optimal buying experience on all platforms, helping to generate a positive reputation for your business.
Which products are most suitable for online trade?
Practically every product imaginable is suitable for online trade. Thanks to modern delivery methods, groceries are just as easy to transport as durable consumer goods (i.e. clothes, furniture, and electronics). The clothing and technology markets command the largest share of e-commerce in the US. This makes it very difficult for budding, young businesses to get a foot in the door unless they offer unique products that fill a gap in the market. On the other hand, online trading in the food sector is still relatively niche, with the vast majority of shoppers still preferring to get their groceries from a brick and mortar store. Other sectors are similarly underrepresented and are just in need of an original concept to break into the world of e-commerce. Entrepreneurs can take this as an opportunity for interesting business ideas. No matter which area of e-commerce you’re active in, your concept and ideas are the cornerstone of your success.
Don’t copy an existing idea, but establish yourself with ideas that set you apart from your competition. Clever online marketing tactics play a crucial role in highly competitive sectors. An extensive marketing strategy that includes search engine optimization is one of the foundation blocks in realizing your business.
Finding your niche and getting started
E-commerce is hugely competitive, so when you have a new business idea, it’s important to look at your rivals and ask yourself whether your idea is truly unique, and what you can offer people that other companies can’t. The better the idea, the more successfully it will prevail in the dog-eat-dog world of online marketing.
Proper management of an online store can massively increase your revenue. The costs involved in creating an e-commerce platform pale into insignificance compared to potential gains, particularly if you already have a company with strong infrastructure. For small and medium-sized companies, on the other hand, just renting web stores from hosting providers for a small price is enough. This will not significantly increase your operating costs.
Of course, endeavors in the world of e-commerce inevitably require technical set-up and maintenance, but fear not! Modern web store software is easy to use, even for those without a background in IT. Commercial success online is rooted in innovative ideas and their implementation.