Having mere online presence may not be enough, especially for retailers out there. The internet may be used to generate direct revenue. From brick and mortar, businesses can venture to e-commerce, which is widely being considered as an unstoppable economic trend. Just how fast will it grow? No one knows for sure…but take a look at Amazon and you’ll probably be convinced.
The Benefits and Challenges
Perhaps the main reason why e-commerce is growing rapidly is that customers now enjoy online shopping. Of course not all consumers like it, but the numbers are increasing. Benefits of e-commerce include:
1. Convenience - as the internet can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you never have to put up a ‘closed’ sign in your online store. Moreover, customers need not beat the traffic, hustle for parking space or rush with the crowds when shopping.
2. Comparison and variety - the internet offers a huge variety of goods, which may be found in a single site. As an online merchant, you can display more items than you can in an offline store, given the limited space, more so if you are leasing in a mall. Moreover, with only a few mouse clicks, consumers can compare products based on several parameters such as price, features and the like.
3. Lower prices - you can afford to give discounted prices to consumers because of lower overhead costs
and increased competition.
Before we get too enthusiastic about e-commerce, there are certainly a few challenges that keep people from becoming e-consumers:
1. Technology - the very technology that enables interactive transactions can prevent people from using it. We’ve seen popular sites crash and are unavailable for great lengths. Browser compatibility with some sites is another issue.
2. Lack of human interaction - though some consumers consider this convenient (as they don’t have to face yet another surly sales clerk), it becomes detrimental especially when your e-commerce site does not offer any means to get in touch with another human being if necessary.
3. Delivery problems - whereas in an offline store, consumers get to bring home purchased goods, the waiting period could sometimes get frustrating. Retailers may alleviate this problem by using a reliable logistics company for all their shipping requirements.
4. Inability to touch the product - again, consumers rely on the authenticity of the features and specifications indicated in the site. They do not get the chance to touch and test the product prior to purchasing.
Despite these challenges, there are still many reasons for businesses and entrepreneurs to sell electronically. This is not to say that you should close your store, but that you can increase your revenue potential by opening another channel - that of online. And to help you in this endeavor, you might just have landed in the right place if you are now reading this blog 
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