US consumers will spend $933.30 billion on ecommerce in 2021, while brick-and-mortar spending will grow to $5.149 trillion. [source] But how do you know if your business needs an ecommerce solution?
Over the last 20 years, JH has seen many businesses that needed to make this exact decision. Here are some things to consider when deciding if you need an e-commerce website for your business.
Does my B2C business need an ecommerce website?
You can make the argument that any B2C business needs an ecommerce website. The ability to reach outside your brick-and-mortar radius is a huge advantage. While price of the site build, fulfillment, and shipping all need to be considered into your decision - the desire to expand your business across the country or globe holds a big appeal to many B2C businesses.
For well established businesses, I would almost always recommend ecommerce, even if your primary target is your current local audience. The ability to buy online, pick up in store grew leaps and bounds last year and is now a feature many consumers come to expect.
Does my B2B business need an ecommerce website?
Here's where things get a little more tricky. While everyone in the B2C world tends to handle transactions similarly, the B2B world is a bit more flexible.
A typical buying cycle could be months long and involve quoting, sampling, purchase orders and finally a sale ... and don't even get me started on payment terms. Many of these interactions may not even take place on your website.
Yes, E-Commerce Is For You!
You should consider an ecommerce website if your customers are asking to place orders online. If the people demand it, build it! Allow your customer support and sales team to focus on other efforts aside from straightforward order entry.
If your business wants to get into paid ads, the ability to see an ad and immediately make a purchase is a seamless way to gain new customers. Consider going ecom if your product offering is based on stocked inventory and doesn't require much, if any, customization.
No E-Commerce For You!
If you have a system (CRM or ERP) that is working today for processing orders, you'll need to consider if you'll integrate your existing system with your new ecommerce website. If you aren't willing to combine these systems or make a change to a new system entirely, then e-commerce may not be for you. There's always the option for manual entry, but this is usually only a short term solution.
Showcasing products without the ability to buy is always an option. Allow your customers and prospects to get the information they need without waiting on a response from your team. Provide data sheets, photos, and videos to help them make an educated decision, but funnel the actual purchase through your traditional buying system (email, phone call, etc.).
Ultimately, you must decide if an ecommerce solution will provide you with the ROI you want. An ecommerce website doesn't come cheap. Not only does the cost of setting up an e-commerce website play a factor, but the time needed to input your products properly, set up a payment processor, train employees on how to use the new system, and more all factor into your decision.
If you are looking for a custom ecommerce solution for your business, talk to one of our knowledgeable account managers about the options available on our MOCE platform. We think outside the box when it comes to creating custom solutions that your customers demand.
Interested in some examples of ecom websites we've created? Here are a few examples our MOCE team has created.
