Where do you usually shop yourself? In the physical shop or online in an online shop? It often depends on your own shopping behaviour whether you see it as an option for your retail business to start an online shop. But of course it is not about you, it is about your potential buyers! You cannot get around the fact that retail today looks very different from what it did 10 years ago.
Internet retailing, or ¨e-commerce¨, is increasingly finding its way and continues to grow! Thanks to the advent of smartphones, over the years it has become increasingly normal and easier to do everything online. It is estimated that as many as 93% of Dutch people now have a smartphone, which is super high! This makes the United Kingdom the smartphone country and as an entrepreneur, you really have to do something with that.
These high numbers automatically relate to how buying is done on the internet. Millennials in particular like to buy online: 75 per cent of this group says they still visit shops, but usually purchase the product online.
Do you want a website made? Are you going to have an online shop built? Do you have a physical shop but want an online shop alongside it? All things to think about and certainly to consider, because the buying power of online shoppers is enormous! At Monkey Vision you can have a website made or an online shop built and we provide you with the necessary technology and information. Want to know more about the power of an online shop in this day and age? Then read on in this blog!
Commits to multiple channels: website and shop
So just doing business offline is not enough. Full stop. But just being online with an online shop is not enough either! As a retailer, it is best to use multiple channels. We call this ¨omnichannel¨. By using multiple channels (both online and offline), you have more opportunities for personalised content for your target group.
The data you can collect through omnichannelisation will give you additional insights and all the necessary information to build on: who is your visitor? How often are you visited? Who comes back? How much is being bought - all answers you can permanently anticipate. If you have a website made in London by Monkey Vision , these are questions we can also research for you.
Omnichannel
An example of omnichannel is the ¨buy and collect¨ principle. Online buyers can easily and directly buy an item in your online shop, but pick it up in your physical shop. This way, you have the best of online and offline: the buyer now wants to buy from the screen, but comes into your shop for personal engagement. Make sure this is all well organised, though! Make sure your buyers get instant notifications and are kept up to date through email or SMS. Are you going to have a website created? Then make sure the automation behind your website plays an important role!
Online sales and free returns
Online sales and free returns go hand in hand in 2020. By offering free returns, online buyers can be won over if there is still some doubt about a purchase.
We have to say that, in fact, you can hardly do anything else in this day and age either. It has now gone so far that shoppers actually expect a return to be free anyway. Can't you offer this as a retailer because it's too big a cost? If so, you could substantiate this and inform your buyer well about it. It differs per target group who is open to it: people who like to support the small entrepreneur and are aware of the environmental damage of all those free returns will be more willing to pay for a return than the unaware not-so-green buyer. You can also take the costs involved for a moment and take stock: does it outweigh your income?
De klantervaring analyseren
Machine learning can play a big role in personalising your customers' shopping experience. Machine learning can help analyse and forecast to get a better picture of buyers and a sharper understanding of inventory. Performing and adhering to this kind of analysis can result in higher sales as more satisfied customers return. If you have a website created by Monkey Vision , we can perform these analyses for you.
It is important anyway, just like in the physical shop, to keep your customers happy. Because: does your customer feel wronged or not served well? Then you may get a negative online review, and that can be devastating. Unfortunately, this is a negative side effect of online sales.
Wondering what exactly it is about customer reviews? Read it in our blog ¨Online reviews, what's in it for you?¨
Website design: automation first
Make sure the automation behind your online shop is in order. From stock to invoices and shipping confirmations, make sure your customers are aware of everything and there are no hiccups in the system.
Good automation is a short-term investment, but a great gift in the long run! When you have a website created by an experienced web builder, they make sure everything is right and there is a solid foundation. Over the years, this then only needs to be expanded or tightened up from time to time and you don't have to worry about it yourself.
Shop or online shop? Technology is always the answer
Whether you have a physical shop or not (yet): you will need technology anyway. Are you looking for a web designer who can help you set up an online shop and firmly establish the automation behind the scenes? Then get a website made in London by Monkey Vision. We are experienced web builders and understand automation and webshops. We like to think along with you and help you build a solid foundation for the long term. Interested? Contact us and who knows, we might soon be sitting around the table together!
Curious about the advantages of a local web agency (e.g. to get your website made in London)? Read it in our blog ¨The benefits of a local web agency¨
