You’ve probably heard stories about people creating massively successful ecommerce businesses. It’s difficult to not want to do this yourself when you consider the potential benefits of becoming your own boss. So why wait? There are actually quite a few reasons why now is a good time to enter ecommerce.
Ecommerce Is a Growing Phenomenon
It’s always best to get in on something when it’s on the upswing as opposed to at its apex. Ecommerce is currently at the perfect intersection between proven effectiveness and having ample room for growth.
Ecommerce is currently growing several times faster than traditional retail, and continues to capture a greater portion of the overall market share—about 13 percent in 2017. Even after many years of fast expansion, there’s still tons of room for ecommerce to get bigger. Now’s a great time to take advantage of this.
It’s Easier than Ever to Build an Ecommerce Store
In the past, it used to be far more difficult to break into the ecommerce realm. There were several factors that made entry a huge burden—especially for people trying to start a new company. It now costs less, and requires much less effort, to build a professional e-store.
Small business owners are largely driving this development due to their demand for better services. People who choose a strong ecommerce platform can get their store up and running in almost no time, for almost no money. Good ecommerce providers, such as Shopify, offer clients a variety of themes and templates, which make it incredibly simple and inexpensive to quickly build a professional product.
There are Many New Tools Available to Ecommerce Entrepreneurs
It’s becoming more complicated to provide a holistic ecommerce definition because there are now so many avenues that fall under this umbrella term. This is particularly obvious in the stark number of new tools available to online business owners.
People who have been in the business world for many years remember the days of struggling to get accurate insights. Before the days of the Internet, this required manually collecting and compiling data in order to get any kind of relevant information. This is a thing of the past for people operating in today’s world. A good ecommerce platform has built-in analytics tools that let users see real-time usage information. Data is giving small business owners the power to compete in ever-larger markets.
In addition to great analytics options, there are also more marketing tools available to ecommerce store owners today than ever before. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a powerful resource that can be done for free or little cost by entrepreneurs who are willing to put forth some time and effort.
Influencer marketing is letting a broader range of e-store owners break into their given niche industries. Influencers are people who have a dedicated online following who are able to leverage this into getting products in front of the eyes of potential customers for businesses. This marketing approach is highly effective, and can be done on a reasonable budget.
More People Are Shopping at Small Stores
There have been past concerns about larger players, in both physical and online retail, capturing so much market share that it makes things uncompetitive for smaller ones. This is actually not so much of an issue today, as more and more consumers are intentionally shopping with small business owners.
It’s important to remember, however, that you need to treat your customers like they’re a person, not just a number in your bottom line. You should also strive to align your business goals with the values of your most loyal consumers. These are things that people look for when shopping with small businesses.
People who have never started a business before often have reservations about jumping into it. However, now is a great time to start an ecommerce store, especially if you’ve been sitting on an idea. Don’t let nerves get the best of you. It’s the perfect time to get into ecommerce.