Starting a business is not easy. Taking the essential first steps in growing your small business is definitely the most challenging part as it contains a lot of trial-and-error process. From figuring out what solutions that your products and services can provide, to extensive market research & analysis, and other necessary methods in having a sustainable and upscaling business. The common challenges that most small businesses struggle with are limitations to resources and manpower that hinders mostly on productivity. Operating your business functions all at the same time takes a lot of time, energy, and resources on your part. It can be quite stressful to manage and create a viable marketing and sales strategy, keeping in contact with your direct suppliers, initiating shipping and deliveries independently, and everything in between. This article will impart knowledge on how eCommerce can help your business automate your minimal operations, while helping you focus on the big picture for your business.
The Power of eCommerce
Ecommerce has bridged the gap between physical and digital sales where consumers, vendors, and businesses can buy and sell products via an online marketplace. With the help of technology, it has provided reliability and convenience for both the buyer and seller side of eCommerce.
Technology
Ecommerce or electronic commerce is powered by none other than technology. With the help of technology, it has enabled a faster, convenient, and reliable solution for businesses and customers to sell and buy digitally. From its functionality, the process of transmitting data transactions, and order fulfillment in the marketplace is mathematically computed according to its purpose. Which leads us to convenience of business.
Convenience
The convenience that eCommerce offers goes both ways for businesses and consumers in the marketplace.
For the business part, you can easily place your products and services in the marketplace’s product catalog, keep track of your sales performance, and keep track of your orders and sales with just a few clicks of a button.
For the consumer side, they won’t have to take the time and effort to go to a physical store. They can easily search and look for products they want and need in the marketplace which only takes a few seconds to order and decide whether to pay online or on delivery, and get their orders delivered right at their doorstep.
Upward trend of digital commerce
Ecommerce has been around the block for some time now and the solution brought by eCommerce is timely as the pandemic brought the unimaginable to everyone. As almost everyone either business or consumer shopped products online due to restrictions brought by the pandemic, forcely closing physical retail stores. Even with the pandemic slowly easing down, the trend of eCommerce has stayed and continues to soar as consumers and businesses experience the potential convenience that it has brought across the world.
How it Can Automate your Transactions
- Instant product catalog listing
Creating a product listing in an eCommerce platform is as easy as click and drag. You add a product listing according to its product classification, product name, price, quantity, and the rest of essential information about your product. Once you’ve verified your product catalog, your products and services are readily available for purchase in the marketplace.
- Sell items with just a few clicks
Setting up your products live in the marketplace is easy and done with just a few clicks. Once you’re done setting up your products in the marketplace it is ready to be available in the marketplace. One of the features in the marketplace is you can easily change your product’s pricing, quantity, and availability anytime. If you’re out of stock, re-stocked, or available for wholesaling with tiered discounts, you can easily administer it in the product catalog of the marketplace.
- Track live sales performance
Doing a manual audit of your sales performance can take you days to perform. Applications like Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets can help you calculate your sales accurately, but not fast enough. Through an eCommerce platform, you can keep track of your sales performance live anytime of the day. You can carefully shift and adjust your marketing and sales strategy proactively with readily available data with just a ew clicks. Once you’ve reached a date where you need to audit your sales performance, you can instantly export and download your accurate sales data, no need for manual auditing!
- Auto-generated invoices and receipts
Ecommerce is not only filled with daily consumers, but businesses are also looking into procuring their office needs through wholesale and tiered discounts through eCommerce. Unlike your day-to-day consumers, businesses require invoices and receipts for documentation and tax compliance with government regulations. In the eCommerce platform, auto-computed invoices and receipts are generated automatically for every sale, transaction, purchase, and everything in-between made in the platform, making sure your business partners are easily compliant with tax regulations through documentation.
- Streamline your shipping and deliveries
With the help of an eCommerce platform, you won’t have to worry about going back and forth between your business and a courier service. Each time a customer purchases a product in your store, your products and goods that are fulfilled in your inventory are automatically transported into the platform’s shipping and delivery station where it gets ready to be delivered to your customer’s doorstep.
Takeaway
Ecommerce may have been around the block since the early 1990s but the solution it provided is timely and has revolutionized the way retail and sales does its business. Through eCommerce, customers are able to purchase products according to their needs with just a few clicks and businesses are able to easily sell their products online. An eCommerce platform like Shoppable can help you automate your business sales and transactions, providing an easier way for your customers to shop online. Shoppable is an eCommerce marketplace filled with vetted authentic and branded products that digitizes B2B procurement making it easier for businesses to purchase items needed for their businesses.
