Allowing customers to buy your products and services at the click of a button can significantly increase your sales. It’s important to find the e-commerce solution that best fits the needs of your business.
Consider these options:
Choosing the right solution
Online marketplaces
Instead of selling on your own website, you can list your products through online marketplaces. Choose between a general, sector or geographic-specific marketplace to increase exposure for your products and attract customers to your business.
See our list of online marketplace profiles for more information.
Template-based storefronts
Companies like Shopify offer a subscription-based e-commerce solution for you to sell to your customers through your own website. You can customize this solution for specific markets, which helps you:
- list products
- accept payments in other currencies
- arrange shipping to foreign markets with ease
Shopify Compass offers many online courses, webinars, and other frequently updated e-commerce content.
Retailer websites
You can choose to sell your products only through existing retailers. You can sell your products in their stores and websites, or in some cases, just online.
Custom in-house solution
If you have specific needs that online marketplaces or template-based storefronts do not meet, you can develop your own e-commerce solution. This is more complex and expensive, but may be the right solution for companies with unique needs.
Tip: Using analytics to your advantage
When you implement an e-commerce solution, one of your most powerful tools is analytics. By implementing and regularly reviewing analytics reports, you can gain insights about:
- who is visiting your website
- what they’re looking for
- what they put into their shopping cart
- when they leave without finalizing the purchase (shopping cart abandonment)
Whatever e-commerce solution you choose, make sure you have access to analytics that will give you valuable insight into your customers. Create a weekly or monthly process where you take time to analyze the data you gathered. Then, adjust or continue the tactics you’re using to target and convert your customers.