INTRODUCTION
“Chase the vision, not the money; the money will end up following you.”
Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO
Over the last few years, e-commerce has become an indispensable part of the global retail framework. Like many other industries, the retail landscape has undergone a substantial transformation following the advent of the internet, and thanks to the ongoing digitalization of modern life, consumers from virtually every country now profit from the advantage of online transactions.
In our previous article, we explored how the increase in web traffic has contributed to the growth in eCommerce popularity over the past few years. In light of this, it has become a necessity for all kinds of businesses, to leverage the perks of the web, the biggest marketplace in the world, and promote their products or services on an e-Commerce platform. In 2021 if your company does not have online selling capabilities yet, you could be losing thousands of sales opportunities.
By the year 2021, eCommerce is expected to generate $4.5 trillion in sales per year. When looking at this growth in market share, it is important to understand how deep eCommerce has infiltrated the day-to-day activities of our lives. Recent statistics about e-commerce shopping behavior are incredibly revealing:
- 43% of online shoppers have reported making purchases while in bed
- 23% at the office
- 20% from the bathroom or while in the car.
2021 E-commerce Stats
With e-commerce every facet of the business process is transformed: pre-sales, updating the catalog and prices, billing the payment processing, supplier and inventory management, and shipment. With e-commerce, a business can rapidly process orders, produce and deliver a product/service at a competitive price and at the same time minimize overhead costs. Therefore, is crucial for all type of businesses to keep abreast of a new trend and explain to the customers who you are what you are about through a strategy that supports your company to differentiate from that of the competition and construct a one-of-a-kind experience for your customers.
If you are keen on kick-starting a new business idea online or long to take your brand to the next level, this is where our agile e-Commerce team comes in being a game-changer for your brand. Indeed, when it comes to web development , E-Commerce (or eCommerce) websites and applications are our favorite flavor because they incorporate research, innovation and provide you with a measurable metric of your success (sales). As a matter of fact, our team is equipped with the skills required to build the best e-Commerce solutions on the market by guiding all types of businesses to meet the market demand promptly. Our e-commerce solutions include the following features:
- Interactive POS system featuring real-time push notifications and delivery updates to help you manage your in-store sales and orders too.
- User-centric web design with an easy flow
- Loyalty scheme
- Vouchers and Discount for your customers
Through our experience of working with many eCommerce businesses in Malta over the years, Incredible Web knows that having a versatile approach is key when building sites for online websites.
E-COMMERCE FOR RESTAURANTS
E-commerce for restaurants
COVID-19 has had a substantial impact across the entire restaurant industry and economy and moving one’s retail business online has been critical. The world has had to adapt to the challenges and restrictions imposed on us by recent events. Restaurants in particular have had to rethink their business plans and figure out a way of navigating these waters using different approaches to the ones that we have been accustomed to for so many years. As cities began to introduce lock-downs and other mobility restrictions, restaurants realized that they had to shift their focus on new ways of generating revenue
Reservation requests chart across the U.S
One way of exploring new revenue streams was by building an e-commerce platform and a content-rich website to serve their customers online. Surprisingly, to most business owners, operating an online business paved the way for even more opportunities, especially to restaurants who began using their online shop to provide alternatives to their guests including meal kits, wine, family meals, and more.
Undoubtedly, being in e-commerce, offered a range of great advantages spanning from product range availability, wide international audience, lower costs, safe online card payments, and so on. Therefore, a lot of restaurants considered the option of a fully-fledged e-commerce platform to make it easier for their clients to search and shop their entire product range by delivering a pleasant full online shopping experience.
HOW RESTAURANTS CAN MAXIMISE THEIR POTENTIAL ONLINE
Once you have a somewhat clear idea of what kind of eCommerce platform you need and the products/services you will be selling on your e-commerce site, it is time to find a certified partner to help you transform your idea into a tailor-made, highly-optimized online platform designed specifically around your business. Our team of experts will sit down with you and plan an eCommerce strategy that will help you stand out from your competition. This can be done using a combination of cutting-edge technologies as well as research-based marketing techniques to increase your conversions and maximize your return on investment.
From a technology point of view, it is very important for your website to feature the latest trends in the tech world ranging from progressive web apps (PWAs), customer behavioral pattern recognition, intelligent cross-selling techniques (product suggestions), and cutting-edge communication channels so as to help your website visitor complete their purchase in a frictionless manner.
In some cases, introducing native mobile applications available for both Android and iOS is indeed an effective technique to broaden your reach and personalize the shopping experience of your customers. Using techniques such as PUSH notifications and Geolocation, one can push targeted advertisements to individuals who might be looking for an online shop like yours. Using native mobile apps, one can also introduce other payment methods such as Google Pay or Apple Wallet payments which will help your customers carry out transactions safer and easier giving you an edge over your competitors.
Another module worth considering is an on the cloud Point of Sale (POS) System that uses Push notifications to facilitate communication between the business owners and the end-customer. Business owners can monitor and increase the productivity of their business from a smartphone or tablet.
With over 10 years of experience in the industry, the team at Incredible Web can expertly help you shift your business online in Malta with a success-proven, powerful e-commerce platform that will help you increase revenue and reach out to new customers in the virtual world.
If you're interested in expanding your market and enjoy the benefits of an e-commerce platform, do not hesitate to contact us.