The technological advance of our time is an avalanche that is not scheduled to stop. Just look at how much has been achieved in this regard in recent years, such as new tools, equipment, forms of connectivity and communication and their democratization, among many others. Year after year, more and more people manage to connect to the great world of the internet and develop their lives through its many advantages; promoting one of the phenomena that increasingly encompasses the business world: e-Commerce.
E-commerce has redefined the buying and selling experience for both users and entrepreneurs and merchants. This digital age has made starting a business much more accessible than before. Why? Simple: With a lower budget than what must be considered when opening a physical store, anyone can enter the market (even from the comfort of their home) and reach large audiences and remote locations. And it is that the range of advantages does not stop expanding.
Among its main virtues is the fact that each of its parts (buyer and seller) can be in different places and times without affecting sales. That is, the stores are not limited to specific hours, offering greater convenience. Also, that users can compare products or services more immediately; And, in turn, companies can save logistics costs, allowing final prices to be lower than those of physical stores, benefiting buyers.
And this revolution has not only remained in the United States, Europe and China - its great pioneers - but it has spread throughout the world and Colombia is not exempt from it. What's more, it is currently experiencing its greatest boom. According to data provided by the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications of Colombia, in its bulletin for the first quarter of 2016, the population with fixed internet access reached a total of 5,665,837 subscribers. While, for its part, the Online Shopping Observatory of the Colombian Chamber of Electronic Commerce (CCCE) determined that 76% of all Colombian Internet users have been online buyers of at least one product or service in the last year.
In fact, at the end of 2015, e-Commerce in Colombia managed to equal 4.08% of GDP… In short, if you are thinking of entering your traditional store in the world of the digital market or dedicate yourself exclusively to selling through a business platform, the time is now!
But, if it is a golden opportunity for countless businessmen and entrepreneurs, why is not everyone taking to it? The answer is that, apart from the myths and insecurities that a large number of merchants feel towards this tool, in the country there is a mass of the population that still refuses to use this type of purchase.In the same CCCE Online Shopping Observatory, it is calculated that 24% of all Colombian Internet users have not bought anything online for three reasons: they prefer to see the products in people before their purchase, they are not used to it and they do not feel confident in the forms of payment. However, considering the expectation that by 2018 national e-Commerce will exceed the income of US $ 5,000 million, according to a study by Visa and Euromonitor, it goes without saying that the trend points to this gap of those who do not trust digital commerce it will gradually decrease.
Now, to be successful in e-Commerce it is not just about opening a web page where users can see your products. As in the traditional world, certain skills are needed to achieve objectives, digital commerce also needs resources, dedication and strategies. And although each business is different and therefore will need its own plan to function, here is a list of six factors that will guarantee your success on this platform that, used well, promises a great expansion to your business goals:
1. Clarify your ideas
Before investing your entire budget in setting up an optimal website to sell, the first thing you should do is determine if the product or service you want to offer has potential demand online. Also, evaluate the competitors in the sector, so that you can develop an approach to your store, specify what your target market is and how you will start to be able to hold the necessary time before profits.
Although on the web it is possible to think big and technically you could sell to everyone, knowing what your ideal customer is like will considerably facilitate marketing strategies; from what type of content you will create to what is the best social network to connect with users and spread your products. You will surely accomplish much more by targeting a small niche market than a more global population. Here it applies what the saying says: "Bird in hand is better than a hundred flying."
Nor is it essential that you have your own platform for the sale. Small businesses - depending on their needs - can also opt for existing marketplaces (pages where users or companies can sell products or offer services) such as Mercado Libre or OLX.
And, as much as it seems unnecessary to say, to stand out in this business platform you must have what in e-Commerce is known as Unique Selling Proposition: That unique or different proposal from those of your competitors that will motivate customers to buy from you and not them. If what you offer is of quality and the user was satisfied with the purchase, they will have reasons to return to your virtual store or recommend it.
2. Focus on the experience
Given the fact that in this environment the client cannot see you or your products, the structure of your website will be their first great impression and your purpose is that it not only captivates users, but also allows them to navigate. through it with ease. No matter how computer savvy the person is, if the buying process is complicated you can discourage it.
Navigation should be as practical as possible, with well-structured category maps, attractive designs, useful descriptions, as well as varied and good photographs that show every angle of the item you sell, so the customer can check its quality and influence their decision to purchase. purchase. In addition, the page must be easy to share on social networks.
3. Responsive design
How many times have you given up visiting a web page when you cannot comfortably view it from your phone? Electronic commerce is not exclusive through computers, mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets also enter it. Which, every day, more and more people choose them as their ideal tool when buying online for various reasons, among them, convenience.
The CCCE Online Shopping Observatory, which was presented in August 2016, determined that 49% of total online purchases are made from a smartphone. For this reason, it is necessary that the web design of your virtual store be responsive (that can be adapted to mobile devices), to allow users to easily browse and buy from their smartphones.
But there is not nothing to worry. It is not that difficult to be able to adapt your store to telephones. In fact, there are currently a variety of e-Commerce platforms that already include mobile-friendly templates.
However, it is not enough that only the platform is optimized with responsive designs - or even mobile applications - Daniel Canomanuel, Digital eBussines Manager of the leading company in the insurance sector AXA, recommends focusing your attention on the mobile strategy. That is, all that set of marketing strategies that are carried out through mobile devices, such as advertising campaigns, email marketing, messaging, among many others.
4. Secure payments
Would you give your bank details to a page that doesn't seem trustworthy? Your customers would not either, and in Colombia one of the main reasons why people do not trust online purchases is because they fear being defrauded. According to the CCCE study, 34% of Internet users who have not bought online claim that they have not done so because, indeed, they do not trust the payment methods.
The idea is not to allow that to interfere with the sales of your virtual store. A good way to generate confidence in this aspect is that, in addition to having privacy policies and data management clear and within the reach of users, you offer a variety of payment methods such as bank deposits, credit cards, integration with payment methods of banks, Paypal or even the possibility of paying in cash when the product is delivered. It is also important that your page has a protected connection.
5. Serve your customer
Just as we like that the employees of a traditional store offer us good attention and advice when looking for or choosing products, this is also expected when making a purchase online. As much as the Internet user can develop the entire purchase process independently, that does not mean that they do not need help at some point in the process, and although there is no physical proximity, it is possible to offer them a complete and pleasant experience that they invite to buy repeatedly. In fact, good attendance is one of the factors that will most compromise the success of your platform.
In addition to providing all kinds of information to resolve doubts or concerns in a frequently asked questions section, you must have a support service which customers can contact by phone, email or live chat. But that is not enough. Users must be served in the most humane and personalized way possible to create loyalty.
An example of this in Colombia is the case of Ciudaddemascotas.com, a digital portal dedicated to the sale of products for pets, whose main characteristic is its effort in customer service, offering both valuable content on animal care, as a contact center where veterinarians attend not only to the doubts that the owners have about the products, but also about the nutrition, behavior or character of their furry companions.
In this way, by ensuring that the user knows that behind his digital purchase there are real people attending him –and that they also take care of providing an excellent experience–, the necessary trust is generated. Remember that customers are the main ambassadors of your brand and if they were satisfied with the service of your store, rest assured that they will recommend you to their relatives.
6. Invest and don't underestimate
The mere fact of creating a digital sales platform does not mean that a week will have the same sales as Amazon or eBay. The success will be proportional to the dedication and effort that is given to achieve it. Pretend that it is as if you were going to open a physical store: you must get the most favorable point to obtain customers and that best suits your budget, prepare the facilities, arm yourself with a stock or have good ties with distributors, pay advertising and choosing the best and most prepared team to serve your customers, business administration and more.
In the digital case, you must find an e-commerce connoisseur or become one in order to keep your company stable, as well as have a budget that will allow you not only to use the most appropriate technologies and talents, but also to invest in an essential tool.: digital marketing; since this will help you position your page among the first options in search engines and enhance the loyalty of your customers or attract new ones to generate more sales. On the other hand, measuring the results of marketing strategies will also determine the origin of users, as well as their behavior during browsing; which will allow you to know where to focus your efforts in the future.
